I am a casual viewer of professional football. I have come to realize that sports for many who live in Cleveland is a religion. Many of these religious zealots who have invested so much time and devotion to the Cleveland Browns have become apostates after what have been seasons of disappointment and failure. Indeed, as of this writing I suspect that it is unlikely that the Browns will reach the Super Bowl this coming February 9th, but one can always hope for divine intervention.
But I am not writing to opine on the Browns’
performance. For decades, I have been
jarred by the violence of the game and the devastating injuries that routinely
occur. Indeed, one can expect players to
be walked off or carted off the field in just about every game. I treated a Cleveland Brown in his later
years who had played for the team for 13 seasons in the 1950’s and 60’s. I think every part of this body either hurt,
didn’t work well or both. He was a
beautiful man and I miss him. He never
regretted his career choice. Only two
options were available to him – football or the factory. Yes, I’m sure that players’ equipment is
better today than it was decades ago, but the high risks of severe physical and
mental permanent injury today are undeniable.
It's clear that fans and spectators enjoy the brute
physicality of the game. When the
quarterback is pummeled to the ground, cheers erupt from the crowd and probably
from living room couches across the country.
The violence is a feature, not a bug.
It seems that we humans have a primal attraction for viewing combat,
recalling the gladiatorial contests in the Roman Colosseum 2000 years ago. Wouldn’t this explain the appeal of boxing,
professional wrestling or cage fighting? Why do motorists slow down to view car wrecks?
I don’t think the NFL could fill up their stadiums if the
game were changed to two-hand touch.
Did we really need scientific studies to conclude that
smashing one’s helmeted head hundreds of times against the ground or into
another helmeted player injures the brain?
As I see it, if an activity requires a helmet and complete
body armor, then it’s unsafe by definition and should be avoided. Remember, this not merely facing a risk of
serious injury but is practically a guarantee of suffering this outcome.
Do I think the game is likely to be modified to protect
players’ health? Of course not. It is woven into society with a national fan
base. And the amount of money generated…
But if football were brand new on the scene today, and we
knew that severe and permanent mental and physical trauma would affect so many
players, would we allow it?
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