All I'd keep thinking is - "shit, that CAN'T be good for you" - every time I'd see somebody tackled or hit or taken down with the usual brutality. When our son was growing, and manifested almost no sports capability OR interest (he loved his karate - but even more than that, he loved his guitar!), I was BEYOND grateful! Just BEYOND grateful. Still am. And now he rocks out at clubs around town, and never had to go to the hospital for a concussion or neck injury or anything. Thought he'd sprained a finger once in karate class, but that was pretty much it on that score. And even there, he never was quite good enough to get into the high-impact, high-stress, almost gymnastic upper levels. He was pretty good but not one of the standouts who did all the really tricky maneuvers and would wrench their backs and dislocate their knees. One kid even landed wrong and broke his leg. YEOW!!!

None of the members of my immediate family was born with the "sports gene." Myself included. And I am BEYOND grateful. Our son gets enough of a workout just rehearsing and performing. And our daughter works out all the time at the school gym. And we walk the dog.

Never did enjoy football. It always scared me, because I could never get past wondering what those guys were all doing to themselves physically while they were burning it up out there on the gridiron. By the time they're in their 40's they'll be near crippled - if they're lucky.