NFL Sheds War Metaphors

Good on the National Football League for officially abandoning terms borrowed from combat to describe what is happening on the field of play. (For the full Washington Post story, please click here, or on the title above.)

Sportswriters, coaches, players and fans have all been guilty of dressing the game of football in fatigues and war paint, oblivious or unconcerned that doing so made them look ridiculous, while glorifying the horrific nature of war. Over time, a game became "war," and war became "a game."

As one observer, who was both a former Army officer and a former NFL player, said in the Post story, "A football game is a battle between two teams, but you don't die."

So, on this Super Bowl Sunday, I salute -- er, cheer -- the NFL for taking a needed, and long overdue, step toward civility and common sense. Now, if we can just get the folks in the business and financial worlds to do the same.