Now that October's over, we miss all those splotches of pink in NFL football broadcasts.You see, October is breast cancer awareness month. Pink, of course, is the breast cancer ribbon color, and those breast cancer folks really know how to do up publicity. They had NFL players wearing pink shoes, hats, ribbons, patches; they had refs wearing pink stripes, looking just like the candy-stripers of yore at hospitals. They even had the White House adorned with a huge pink ribbon.
You'd think breast cancer was the only one with a month, ribbon and color. But it's not. It's just that the other cancers haven't caught up in the market for attention.
Now we have nothing against raising awareness of and research on breast cancer. But we think the NFL's priority on pink was a bit misplaced.
You wouldn't know it, but September--also a big month for professional football--was prostate cancer awareness month. Prostate cancer has a ribbon, too--it's sky blue.
You'd think pro football would get on the prostate cancer bandwagon AT LEAST as much as for breast cancer. After all, the NFL is, quite literally, sponsored in large part by the penis. Viagra and Cialis ads compete for attention for men with "erectile dysfunction," which can be caused or contributed to by prostate problems. Then there's all the ads for Flomax, for men who have trouble peeing because of a benign enlarged prostate.
Not to mention that the audience for pro football is just a little skewed toward MEN, and all the players are men.
Prostate cancer is pretty deadly, killing an estimated 28,000 men each year (breast cancer deaths among women are higher, at about 45,000).
So where was all the sky blue and prostate cancer awareness in the NFL in September? There wasn't any (unless you're a Carolina Panthers fan, whose colors include sky blue).
Pink in October is fine. But if the NFL is going to promote breast cancer awareness, it ought to at least put prostate cancer on the same footing!
3 comments:
I am glad someone finally said it. Pink is great! Mothers, Sisters, Aunts, Daughters and friends are all effected by Breast Cancer. 40,000 women die each year from it. But my research shows that 35,000 men die each year from Protate Cancer. The 2nd leading killer of men only to heart disease. I am a 41 year old single dad that almost left an 11 year old and an 8 year old as orphans. The only reason I am alive is because I have an extremely cautious internist and an incredible cancer team at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Prostate Cancer is a killer and effects Fathers, Sons, Husbands, Uncles, Cousins and friends. I am all for the Pink, but it is time for the Blue. Society doesn't recognize Prostate Cancer like Breast Cancer because it effects men.Men don't talk about it. Men don't share. Men internalize. Men don't get scared, or at least can't show it. And men don't cry, society doesn't accept it. Well it's time we start accepting Prostate Cancer and accepting men for their fear and tears. If you know a father, a husband, a brother, an uncle or a friend, tell them to get a PSA. It is a simple blood test.
I am "Living Stronger."
Amen, brother!
The link below will take you to a song that was written in honor of all the men fighting Prostate Cancer.
Just cut and paste in the URL. The words to the song are found below.
http://www.steveacho.com/index.php?&Itemid=55
Inside this heart holds feelings that I've been told are wrong
Inside these eyes there are emotions hiding for so long
I'm a man
I've had to face the end
I'm a man
I made it to the other side again
So teach to all the young men
who have to face their fears
that their kindness isn't weakness and there's
courage in their tears
I have been a soldier in an army of just one
and I have seen the eyes of God he said I wasn't done
I'm a man
I've had to face the end
I'm a man
I made it to the other side again
So teach to all the young men
who have to face their fears
that their kindness isn't weakness and there's
courage in their tears
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