NFL Teams Making Competition Toxic

There has been some toxic rhetoric going back and forth this week in the NFL amongst "professional" football players.

Maybe you are a fan of one of these teams. I am not knocking any of the teams but I do want to address some of the verbiage.

Players and some coaches from the Jets, Patriots, Ravens ... maybe the rest of the playoff teams as well - have engaged in some media venting using words that are dangerous:

"Hate, enemy, insults, making it personal, taunting, cussing out opposing players and coaches ..."

Our culture is losing sight of what competition and a competitor are all about.

A competitor is there to make you better, to make you play your absolute best, to push you beyond ...

They are not your enemy. We should not hate them. You strive to win yes - but what does winning have to do with hate?

Once Pro athletes and coaches slouch to this level, it isn't long before we will see high school and youth athletes and coaches doing the same.

So coaches and parents, please consider talking to your teams/kids about this. Address this head on now before your player/child is on the nightly news telling your city how much he hates the opposing teams star player, etc.

To think this is just "playful banter" just adds fuel to the fire.