Violence in Football

Violence in football has long been considered to be “just part of the game.” However in recent years, violence in sport has received more and more attention.  Is this because the violence is somehow getting worse? I don’t think so.  While violent play has stayed pretty constant over the last century and in some cases has gotten better, we are just now beginning to hear about the long term health consequences that playing violent sports can cause.  I personally believe that football is just incidentally violent.  In most cases, the players are not out to fight or injure their opponents, as in the case in boxing or hockey.  Bodily collisions are just part of a game in which the object is to get the football in the end zone.  But now that we know the damage that these “incidental” collisions cause, doctors have started to wonder if anyone should be playing the game at all.  While there is still much research to be done, scientists have generally concluded that the head trauma experienced while playing the game of football can severely impact the lives of the players, even years after they have played their last down.  Some may see this as a reason to significantly change the game of football to reduce the number of head injuries.  However, I don’t think this is necessary.  Elite level football players are grown men who are capable of analyzing the situations and determining if they want risk their health. This is the key distinction between dogfighting and football.  Dogs can’t analyze a situation and say “hmm…that looks really dangerous, I don’t think I want to be a dogfighter.” But men can. In the world of football, Tre Newton decided that he did not want to take that risk.  But for every Tre Newton, there are ten Kyle Turleys.  Men like Turley decided that their love of the game was reason enough to keep playing, even if he is now paying for it.  However, the NFL has a responsibility to men like Turley.  If they are wiling to risk the health and sanity of the players for the purpose of turning a profit, the league owes it to them to make sure that the football players are making educated decisions about their lives. In addition, the league should certainly do what they can to prevent needless injuries.  Whether this comes in the form of new helmets, new rules, or better treatments after concussions, the NFL owes it to the players to make football as safe as it can be while maintaining the game itself.