Yesterday’s Superbowl: A Demonstration of the Inequalities of Football

Football teams have 22 players in addition to punters and kickers. Of those 22, one player, the quarterback, gets 60 % of the attention and credit (and blame) for a team’s performance. Five other players (the backs and the two ends) get 35% (in other words each get 7%) of the attention. The remaining 5% goes to the 11 members of the defensive team (that is, each get less than a half of 1%). The 5 members of the offensive line (excluding the ends) get 0%. Why is that? The performance of the defensive line can get measured by the number of tackles, sacks and fumble recoveries. But all the offensive line does is block. How can you measure that?

 

Drake Maye got all the blame for the Patriot’s poor performance. But the game was really about Seattle’s defensive line which didn’t give Maye time to throw, and sacked him a record number of times for a Superbowl. They deserved most of the credit for Seattle’s victory. And the team’s head coach recognized their performance on stage when the Vince Lombardi trophy was presented. But who were the two players on stage who got to speak for the team? Seattle’s quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker. And it was Walker who received the trophy.

 

Today’s controversy: 'Walker didn’t deserve the trophy, but rather kicker Jason Myers who broke an NFL Super Bowl record with 6 field goals.' That controversy may have been a manifestation of racism. Kickers are white possibly without exception. But what about the Seattle’s defensive linemen? Those who criticized the choice of Walker didn’t even consider that maybe the defensive linemen should have been given the trophy. Maybe all 5 of them collectively.

And poor Maye got all the blame for the Patriot’s defeat. But shouldn’t most of the blame have gone to the offensive linemen? I suppose if quarterbacks get most of the credit for victories, it’s only logical that they receive the brunt of the blame for defeats. It all shows how unequal and unfair football is.