European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 18 the stars and stripes Wadi woday it Miry 14.1987 columns conversation a disappearing Art by Andy Rodney conversation May be disappearing along with Rood writing. In the average week we hear Hundred of people talking but we Don t hear much conversation. Conversation involves an Cuchane of ideas an Hiya How you Doin docs not involve exchanging any ideas. There s a place for pleasantries like Good morn ing. Nice Day in t it but not if the Small talk dvrs out serious conversations. When we Lejk. We we our Mouths. In conversations we ought to use our brains. People Are often reluctant to talk Aboul anything serious. It s probably because they Don t want anyone arguing them out of the things they believe for no Good reason. Two subjects that often Art considered out of Bounds arc politic and religion. It s difficult to it clude those two important topics if we re going to have Many genuine conversations Why should t we talk about politics and religion Why should i we argue about those subjects and expose ourselves to diner opinions people Are somewhat wilting to argue Aboul politic because they can argue personalities not issues. Personalities Are easy. If a person dislikes the president he or she can rant and rave about what an idiot Rea Gan ii without Ever making any sense. This is not apolitical conversation and most of us avoid serious political conversations for the same reason we avoid religious conversations. For the most part we know what we believe but we Don t know much More than that. In the Case of religion Moil people have known since they were Young what they Are expected to be Lieve by their parents and friends. They arc Catholic protestant Christian scientist Muslim or jew. They Don t want to talk about it. No subject is More interesting to discuss than Reli Gion but people Are to Uncertain about the details or their beliefs that they d rather not have the subject brought like to talk to each other so we keep finding new substitute for real conversation these Days pro foot Ball has driven out the weal her As the no. R topic when we Don t wan to have to think much about what we re real conversation lakes too Long for most of us. We Greet each other on the Street in an Evator or pushing shopping cart this is no Lime to talk poli tics the Economy or whether we re spending too much on Are several other reasons Why conversation May be a dying Art. First Good talk takes time and we arts t willing to spend it on something that seems Tik doing nothing. Second the Best conversations Are be tween two people not among three four or 10. The Best conversations Are those in which he participant can t wait to say what they have to Cay and if i heft Are More than two conversationalist they Don t get a turn often s a third reason for the deterioration of Good conversation too. We re All More aware of How careful we have to be about what we say. We re nervous about being quoted in the newspaper or having our friends Tell other friends and enemies what we be can t be careful in a Good conversation. We have to id the thought pop out of our Mouths before we be finished having it. Good conversation is often a Little irresponsible. We say things we Don t really mean. We can t have the feeling it s being recorded because that makes a conversationalist careful and care kills conversation. It s not the foe you have to watch by Art but Wald with the super bowl still to be played it s not Loo late to talk about football injuries. More and More players arc gelling Hurt these Days and Doc tors Are trying to find out Why. Or. Frederick picket has been doing a study and his conclusion is that the player s injuries arc not caused by the other Side. There was a time when someone on the team made a Good play and his teammate patted him on his Pickell said this is not the Case anymore. Let me show you these he pushed Button and up came a linebacker from the redskins sacking a Chicago Bear. Now watch this he said. Six Burly Redskin defense men jumped on their own linebacker and started to Pound and kick they mad at him i asked. No said picket they re just congratulating the linebacker on the Good play but he in t getting thai s what makes football interesting. You can be Hurt by either Bear quarterback faded Back and threw the Ball and the tight end caught it and went Over for touchdown. The entire bears team ran across the Field knocked the end Down and punched him senseless. The Light end was taken off the held on a Stretcher Pickell said the most dangerous place for a player to be is anywhere near the goal line particularly if he s the one making the touchdown. F a had players Tell me they live in fear of scoring a a Sinise they can t stand the physical abuse from their teammates. One wide receiver told me i have Torun to catch the Ball and then i run twice As far so the Guys won t break All my Bones Why do the players do it to show team spirit Pickell said those 300 Pound Guys will slam Dunk a 200-Pound Quarter Back to prove they want to win the game. J have seen an offensive lineman jump up and Down on his fullback s Chest for no other reason than that he made a first Down. We re no talking Aboul bodily harm committed by he opposition. We re talking about the violence being used by one teammate against can t the officials Stop in the referee can t Call a Persona foul on one member of a team for beating up on his fellow player. Watch this Lape. A Cleveland cornerback has just intercepted a pass and scored. Look what his teammates ate doing to i can t look. It s too horrible i said. Why Are they kicking h in in the Groin because he s the Best pass intercept or in the your research indicate that most of the football injuries Are caused while players Are Cele Brating a Good play by one of their own yes. Players like to hit their buddies hard and keep them on the ground to show How much they respect m going to show you something else. This is the end of a playoff game last year and the fellow chewing gum is the coach. They just won. Now Here comes his they threw the coach Over the goal posts i , Bill worse than that they failed 10 catch him when he came Down. The coach spent a i of the Winter and Spring in traction. 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