Have you ever thought about the National Football League from a different perspective? In the country, most people focus on one side of the league. That is, the league creates entertainment and brings in profit for cities that host the big games. Also, football recently became America’s new favorite pastime. The Tylt explains how football has become America’s pastime by stating, “There is no other sport in the United States that garners so much attention during regular season games, and so much sadness when it is gone. Every week, from September to February, America eats, sleeps, and breathes football” (The Tylt para. 2). On Sundays, football brings families together after busy workweeks. Football has given people something to look forward to on the weekend. The sport gives fans a hope that their team will win to make it to the playoffs. Every fan wants their team to win the Super Bowl. Although, many people miss the other side of football that can ruin athletes’ lives forever. “350-pound men thunder down the field and crash into one another. As brutal as it is, fans revel in the violence, cheering on their warriors as they clash with other teams on the field to battle” (The Tylt para. 3). Many people don’t realize that the brutal hits that take place on the field can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. Fans “reveling” about something that can lead to horrific side effects for athletes is sad. Former NFL players have committed suicide because they had a degenerative
In America, football is huge entertainment industry and brings in lots of money annually. This doesn’t mean that football is just there for the money, but it provides life long impact for some people. Football is used as a brotherhood or a family, and provides opportunities for kids to learn how to be a teammate. The head coach for J.H. Rose High School, discussed how he loves his team and wants nothing but the best for them (CNN, 2012). In addition, it is a matter of autonomy to be discussed. If a player knows the risks of football, it should be their choice whether they want to play or not. One of the football players in the video said he knows the risks and he’s willing to take them (CNN, 2012). On the other hand, some would argue the principle of beneficence and that doctors are merely trying to save the lives of many young men. In the video, it was discussed that tau proteins become present in the brain after multiple collisions to the head (CNN, 2012). Tau proteins are known to become present in the brain when an older person has Alzheimer’s or dementia (CNN, 2102). Also, is football worth a life, two lives? How many young men have to lose their lives to head trauma caused by football hits, to realize this sport is deadly. Zach Rogers was a teammate and friend of JaQuan Waller, and said how they thought JaQuan was okay and just got hit pretty hard
Football is America’s go to entertainment sport. The NFL hit its peak in 2015, with an average of 114.1 million television viewers throughout the year (“Statista,” 2017). This sport is loved by all, the players, parents, coaches, and fans. But, is football merely entertainment? Is it just a simple game, teaching young boys the value of teamwork, dedication, and discipline? Are parents spending their Friday nights to support their boys, or is there something bigger happening? In H.G Bissinger’s novel, Friday Night Lights, one can see the true effects of this toxic drug through the mindset of the players and the actions of the coaches. While society sees football as entertainment, it actually functions more like a drug.
Even though football players are aware of the dangers the game can bring upon them, they take part despite it. The passion, the joy it creates; for professionals it’s also the devoted fans and compensation they receive is what keeps the players motivated. Today players are much bigger, faster, smarter, bigger, better. The game is more physical. The sport has never been so competitive. The popularity has reached new peaks, as much that the NFL has thoughts of moving a team to London, England. Additionally, Super Bowl XLVII (47) was one of the most watched television events of all time; an astonishing 108.4 million viewers (The Associated Press). Fans worship their teams and love to see big hits. Football is a contact sport; injuries are no
In this article, “The End Of Football,” Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass states that football will surely end due to the severe physical and mental health issues that football creates. He writes about the connection between football and brain damage;
Football remains the most popular sport in America and the ninth most popular sport in the world for a reason. Since its creation in 1869, football has played a fundamental part of American society. Every Sunday, my family along with millions of other Americans turn the television to CBS, NBC or FOX to watch their favorite football team go to battle. My family and I bleed burgundy and gold and root for the home team the Washington Redskins. Americans including myself display great intensity and passion for the game of football and the result of the game often changes my attitude for the better or worse. Watching the game on television may come as exhilarating and entertaining, but playing the game creates the best times. Overall football has made a severe impact on many people’s lives. Football teaches unique lessons in a hands on manner which helps athletes like myself sustain a much more adventurous life. Football has made an immeasurably positive influence upon my life, but the sport has its dangers. Football changes lives.
“This sport will never die, but it will never again be, as it was until recently, the subject of uncomplicated national enthusiasm.” This thesis statement introduces us to the basis of what this article sets out to convey. Football is a tradition that is loved by America, but previously lacked the issue of concern that it does now. The most concerning issue that the author is talking about is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Caused by multiple head injuries, over a span of time, this disease results in atrophy of the brain, mood disorders, and dementia. The hidden damage caused by these injuries is taken into consideration when deciding to play football, however it is believed that this risk will deter players from joining in
An increasingly popular topic in the realm of sports fans has begun to unravel. The National Football League recently has begun to introduce new rules and regulations for their athletes to start abiding by to ensure the continued safety of the player’s health. Although most find this change in the game of professional football as a positive step forward, others see this as a diminishment of the sanctity of NFL football. New rules and regulations that have been introduced into NFL are vital to athletes involved in the sport and help them to play with lowered risks of long term injuries that could possibly affect not only them but also the league in the future as well. The reasons for these
Concussions, injuries, and suffering- those are what always happen in football games. Football is the most popular sport in America, people like the sound of “uh....” when football players hit each other. In the documentary “League of Denial: NFL’s Concussion Crisis” by Frontline, the connection between playing football and brain injuries is analyzed. Steve Almond’s, “Against Football: One Fan’s Reluctant Manifesto” shows how football impacts his life and how evil the NFL is. Also other books that say the same things are “Ban College Football” by Intelligence2 Debates. They want to show how much impact human beings can receive when they play football and how football’s safety rules change to protect their players. Most of the time, resources always talk about CTE -Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy- an injury that can result in a memory loss. The illness comes from brain trauma that is caused by violent concussions and makes the tau protein, which actually is not supposed to be in the brain, stay inside the brain and kill all the neurons. The documentary by Frontline focuses on how many people are being affected by this problem and how the NFL reacts to all the allegations
Just imagine being 21-year-old making millions of dollars, many athletes can not handle the amount of money that comes their way. These young athletes spend their money on drugs and alcohol. Look at Johnny Manziel a 23-year-old football player. When the money came his way, he became a notorious partier, drugs, alcohol and parties took over his life. His lifestyle caused the Cleveland Browns to release him. Many athletes’ careers are ruined because of their lifestyle; Drugs, alcohol and parties take over their lives. This bad lifestyle all starts off in college where binge drinking, drug use are the norms for an athlete. Many college sports teams and many fraternities and sororities team up and throw wild parties every weekend. “It is reported that up to 70% of college athletes take part in binge drinking and 47% smoke cannabis.” (Verger,2003). Last season the NFL suspended 26 players for abusing the substance abuse policy, of the twenty-six twenty-five were suspended for smoking marijuana. The average age of the players was 24.6 years old. Most players leave college to play in the NFL when they're 20-22 years old. This means that bad lifestyle habits are in fact carrying over into the NFL from college, It is not only from college I would have to worry about the lifestyle, many ex-NFL players are addicted to painkillers and other drugs to cope with the pain from playing. “Up to 70% of players have taken opium or another pain killer without a prescription to deal with the physical pain from playing.” (Strain, 2011) Many players develop a dependence on opioid once their careers are over to cope with the pain. The combination of numerous hits to the body and post career drug use means that the average lifespan of an NFL player is “55 years,”(Maki, 2012) while the average life expectancy in Canada is 81 years. Every hit adds up. To have a long
Football is a rough sport. Many fans of the game watch it for the hard hits. These hard hits and the potential for injury is part of what makes the game so exciting. Some people say that football is too brutal and should be banned. Parents all over the United States don’t allow their children to play because of the risk of head injuries. Others allow their sons, and every now and then their daughters, to play and risk injury for a chance to earn a college scholarship and for a small percentage of players, the chance to play in the National Football League (NFL).
During the years of 2012 and 2013, roughly 1.1 million high school athletes played the sport of football (Jeffrey, 1). That number is extremely large in comparison to other sports such as soccer, basketball, and even baseball. The more important statistics, the ones that are often not reported, are the injury statistics. During the same year (2012-2013), there were a reported 616,209 high school level football injuries, most of these impacting the head and neck region, making this sport extremely dangerous for young children (Comstock, 25). Even though football is a massive part of American culture and is the most watched sport in the United States by a large margin, this activity should not be played by youth due to countless concussions and other serious injuries.
Since the introduction of organized team sports into American culture, numerous sports have stepped into the limelight for certain periods of time but none have stuck around as long as football has. Just as with everything else in life, football has had it’s fair share of drawbacks since its invention in the mid-19th century. Despite the drawbacks and criticism football has faced, its role and influence on American culture between the 1890’s and 1930’s far outweigh the negative aspects of its past.
“Is it ok to watch football” An article by Ian Crouch demonstrates how dangerous the sport is to its player’s bodies and brains. Sports are in our everyday lives, but do we really play the sport for excitement or for violence? Football is a sport that is simply full of danger and threat all the time. That’s just sports; there will always be risk for injury with any sport played. When fans watch football they love to see the big hit or the game winning touchdown play to wide-receivers. Violence raises enjoyment, but it also raises the chances for life threatening injuries. There is more to football than big hits, touchdowns, interceptions, and fumbles. Many good points are stated by Ian Crouch, but he is ultimately
Football has always been a sport about strength and size. Players would use their strength and size to hurt other people to score a few points. For this reason, Football has become a very popular sport in the United States for many decades. However, since football is based on a person’s size and strength, many coaches around the world have begun to plump up their players to make them more hard-hitting and threatening causing teams to have an advantage over other the teams. With many teams trying to obtain the same goals, many football players have become overweight throughout the years. The main reason for this enlargement of players is due to the diets that players consume daily.
Football has always been a sport of strength and size. Players would use their strength and size to hurt other players just to score a couple of points. For this reason, Football has become a very popular sport in the United States for many decades. However, since football is based on a person’s size and strength, many coaches around the world have begun to plump up their players to make them more hard-hitting and threatening, giving teams an advantage over other teams. With many teams trying to obtain the same goals, many football players have become overweight throughout the years.