Welcome and Rambling

Welcome everyone to the inaugural post of the Pigskin, Cleats, and Bail Money blog; a blog dedicated to the greatest sport of all; where anything related to football in any way can be discussed. Absolutely nothing is off limits; however, I would like to keep the language as clean as possible.
If you enjoy talking about football as much as I do, you're going to like it here. Whether it's high school, college, or pro ball on your mind, it certainly has a place here to be talked about.
Now, to answer the question I know you're just dying to ask... Why pigskin, cleats, and bail money? Well, the answer is simple; especially for those of us who have turned on a television in the last few weeks. I chose to include the bail money portion of the title because I wanted people to know that even off field incidents are open for discussion. We have to face the fact that what happens off the field doesn't always stay off the field. The ramifications of poor decisions made in the player's personal lives can carry over onto the field, and have an overwhelming affect on the game. My sincere hope is that Roger Goodell will be able to clean the tarnished image the NFL has been given over the years. But it is important to note that the NFL is not the only league plagued with controversy, it is also prevalent in high schools and colleges around the country, and the problem only seems to worsen with time.
This brings me to the first topic I would like to discuss... Michael Vick. Amazing what the mere mention of his name makes you think about these days. Does the fact that he was a first round draft pick in 2001 even matter now? He has a $100 million dollar contract, but he allegedly has been betting a couple grand here and there on dog fights. Huh? Then there is PacMan, and Tank Johnson, and I could list more. What the heck is wrong with these people? I keep hearing that the young athletes out there are afraid of losing their "street cred" but give me a break!! When you are making $100 million dollars, the world is your oyster. Do you really need "street cred"? I mean what weighs more "street cred" or respectability? I've heard that "street cred" is a form of respect, but I think Michael Vick is learning the hard way that it doesn't mean a damn thing. His so called friends have no respect for him, themselves, or anyone else. As they fold like cheap dime store tents, Michael Vick will take the fall. And what an expensive fall that will be.
I just don't get it. Why can't they just be happy playing football for the NFL? They don't need to live paycheck to paycheck, constantly worrying about how to pay their bills. They can raise their families with the finest luxuries you and I can only dream about. And what about giving back to their communities? Was that just a passing phase? I for one would think living life to it's fullest would be more fulfilling, than breaking laws to impress "friends", but that's just me.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard a member of the media refer to what I've been talking about as a race issue. In fact, they make sure to cram it down your throat so many times that you just want to choke. But I believe the problem lies in the mindset of today's youth, no matter who you are, where you are from, and what color your skin is. What is going on out there? It seems that kids are taking even more drastic measures these days to impress each other, or prove themselves worthy. I remember when I was a kid, we just played. For the most part, everyone got along, and the majority of the time, it was a sport of some kind that brought us together. Sure, there were scraps in the neighborhood, but it was handled one on one, with fists. No one ran to assemble their gang, or grab a weapon to settle it. My how times have changed.