Hunting NFL Style
by: Tom Sorenson
I was reading through a stack of magazines yesterday and came across a hunting story in an unusual place. I was flipping through the stack of magazines and saw a photo of the new defensive end for my favorite NFL team gracing the cover of Sporting News with a Cabela’s hat and three bear mounts.
Intrigued that a non hunting magazine would even mention hunting, I read on. It would be worth your time to check out the article for yourself. There are some things I liked about the article, and some that I didn’t, but the overall feeling for me was that here was a magazine with nothing to do with hunting writing about a guy hunting, and that has to be at least somewhat positive. For me, the negatives included the fact that they portrayed hunting as a testosterone filled adrenaline joy ride. But I’m glad that they weren’t afraid to approach the subject of hunting and that they were willing to put the story in their magazine at all – for that, I commend you, Sporting News. That aside, I didn’t take time to comment, but read the first ten comments – all of which jumped on the negative portrayal of this article – the fact that Mr. Allen seems to hunt for the manliness of it. So, my final conclusion is that if a non hunting magazine wants to do an article on hunting, they should get an outdoor writer to write it up for them. Hunting is not the same type of thrill as swimming with sharks or skydiving – it is a thrill that has no comparisons because the overall emotion that is involved.
Check the article out for yourself and let me know what you think about it. Is this good marketing for hunters, or did this only serve to widen the gap?
9 Responses to “Hunting NFL Style”
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I would say that it is basically a good thing, but I would definately agree with you that they should have gotten an outdoor writer to write it. It’s nice to see that they had the courage to take that step.
I read the entire long article.
I have to say my favorite part is that he is terrified of his Grandfather.
OK, I read the whole article and all 46 comments that are there right now.
I think the article is basically fine, though I agree that hyping the “thrill” aspect does not help our cause. But there was a lot in there that was very fair – including the fact that he was happier hunting on foot than just bagging a bear by the road. I found much about his approach to be commendable.
As for the comments, wow, they made my head hurt. Too many morons to take on or I would’ve jumpd in. But there were a couple good defenders there.
Most of the attacks were things I’ve tried to combat before, but there’s one I haven’t really talked about in blogland, and it’s this: I’m EXTREMELY offended by the ones who resort to anti-Southern epithets and who employ Southern accents to imply stupidity. I’m not even from the South, but that’s a form of bigotry, plain and simple, and I HATE bigotry.
And THANKS for bringing this to my attention. I probably never would’ve found it on my own. Despite the bravest efforts of every boyfriend I’ve ever had, I just don’t care about sports.
I was wincing, hoping this wasn’t going to be another self inflicted black eye on the hunting community.
Bout half way down there is the hero shot with some hunter mugging with a dead animal. 5 comments in on that site and someone points this out.
I’m a bear hunter and I enjoy killing and eating bears but we show no respect to the animals we pursue by propping them up for funny pics to impress our friends. Same for guys posting pics of them humping ducks in the marsh, we’ve had to pull some of the way over the line pics like that in our forum.
The antis couldn’t ask for better ammo, we hand them the rope as Nikita K once said.
NoCal – I thought you might enjoy reading it – seemed right up your alley! And I agree with the whole Southern thing – that’s always bothered me about comedians and everything that do that, too.
Jesse – That was something that prickled my skin, too. There’s just really no reason for posing in any way to disrespect – or give ammo to antis. I didn’t like the cover either (yes, this article was the cover story for Sporting News) – it showed him posing behind three bear rugs stacked on top of one another. Made it seem like he was just starting a slaughter house.
Although this article was about hunting, I do not believe that you would find it in a wildlife magazine. I think some folks need to stick with what they are good at writing about. Interesting…
I think it was interesting. Not wild about the picture mugging with the dead bears, but there was some worthwhile stuff there too. The bit about killing what he eats was a good point.
I didn’t read the comments. An article like this probably won’t change anyone’s mind. If you were pro hunting before, you probably will be after reading this article, and the same if you were anti.
I agree with NorCal and several of the other comments – I don’t think this really hurts us much, but it certainly won’t help us any.