Q: John Mcmurty's essay begins with a personal anecdote about the results of playing sports-especially football- since childhood. When he can no longer ignore his physical condition, he seeks treatment and is hospitalized. How does the anecdote lend credibility to his argument.
A: Because Mcmurty knew through personal experience, he can offer up a valid argument not solely based on facts or statistics (logos) but can also lend pathos when he describes his own physical destructions. He loved the sports he sacrificed his body to, enough to bring him to a state of complete burnout. The serotonin (a pain killer) released in our bloodstream controls the levels of dopamine (the "reward") our brain recieves. This is also known as the "runners high" because their levels are relatively higher than other sports. So why are these boys and girls so attached to sports? Is it our natural instinct to protect the dignity of our roots through bloodshed, whether war or a game? Or is it that we're addicted to the rush; the adrenaline; the sound of those cheering for us and losing their voices to our victorious name?
Q: Paragraphs 5-7 compare and contrast football and war. Is this comparison convincing? How does the comparison appeal to logos?
A: Yes. The armor, the battleground, the armies, all add up to a war; but one of those is play and (usually) no one is killed. Football is lauded as a mans sport, just as going to war would be a symbol one was now a man. The bloodlust is evident throughout both events, and those who are on either side craving the blood just as much. Our concupiscence for our own side to win is more potent than any other stench that permiates trough the air.
Q: Consider the language of football, especially the words shared by the military. What sports other than football have a militaristic side?
A: Soccer. Each movement, precise. Each shot, perfect. Everyone must rely on everyone else for their victory to be savored. Without their teammates, victory is far from reach.
Q: Who is McMurtry's audience? Is it necessary for the reader to understand or care about football in order to understand what McMurtry is saying about society? Explain.
A: I understand football about as much as ancient Egyptian algebra. I cannot tell you what a first down is or anything else except a touchdown for that matter; but I love my hometown and support my team through thick and thin. His audience is anyone with pride for where they reside, but not many people want to think their town is perfect. McMurty urges us to realize how far we've dug ourselves into a sheltered a little hole.
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