He got all nasallier-than-thou on us.

It sounds to me that people take football way too seriously. It becomes more important in peoples' minds than it really is. I know this is heresy, but really, it is just a game.

Me? No, my point is fans support the brand regardless of who is playing for them.

I guess for me it's about identity. How does one identify so strongly with a professional sports franchise that it becomes a "huge part of" one's identity? I appreciate your thoughtful response, but to me, if I'm not on the field, there's only so much i can care about a team.

I'm commenting on the reality that professional sports is more about branding and business than it is about competition. Because the team could be made up of any group of professionals, if you steadfastly support a team year in, year out, you are not supporting the team for who is on it, you are supporting the team…

Well, sure. But the coach will eventually get fired (don't they all?) and Victor Cruz may get traded. But the point is, if the Giants were a team made up entirely of Mongolian yak herders, you'd still support them, right?

No, I love sports, I just recognize that a professional sports team is made up of, uh, professionals who do not necessarily have any connection with the city where the team is based, so a team boils down to a brand. So, yeah, I love sports - I love sex too, but I don't feel the need to support a brothel.

I'm kind of shocked that your support of a professional sports team is a huge part of your identity (it's surprises me because it's just a brand, being a fanatical supporter of Windex makes as much sense to me). It illustrates how the NFL can get away with almost anything, though. If your support of your team is…

I don't think so. I think these guys would be unable to form a connection even if handed a relationship. They start from a position of entitlement which makes any healthy relationship impossible.

I hear this addiction gets excrementally worse over time.