People stress the violence. That's the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there's a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There's a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies strewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there's a satisfaction to the game that can't be duplicated. There's a harmony.

Summary

This quote highlights the perception of violence in football and argues that it is merely a superficial aspect of the sport. The author suggests that while football may seem brutal to observers, those involved experience a sense of calm and tranquility amidst the chaos. The players willingly embrace pain and there is an inherent order even in the aftermath of physical confrontations. The quote also emphasizes the satisfaction and harmony derived from the cohesive functioning of the players within the game's systems, asserting that this quality cannot be replicated elsewhere.

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