Football is one of the greatest traditions in America. Especially after the rise of technology, football has become the country’s premier sport. Baseball is still called the national pastime, but football is the country’s passion. Some people consider events such as The Super Bowl a national holiday. It brings people of a society together without discriminating race, religion, age or gender. Football is a sacred space in American life—some people almost consider it a religion. However, the country’s favorite sport has been said to cause some serious side effects to the players.
According to history, football has always been a dangerous sport, causing head trauma, crippling injuries and brain diseases in the long run. Presently, there are a lot of college students who have felt this pain, teenagers who have lost their lives or sustained severe injuries from playing the game. The big question: why do we still watch it? By watching it, do we neglect the problems facing us regarding football? There are many reasons why football may not go out of existence. The first reason being popularity. The most watched event in history according to statistics was 2015 Super Bowl with 114.4 million viewers and the second most watched event, 2014 Super Bowl and the list goes on.
NFL’s influence doesn’t end with TV. According to www.rawstory.com, Las Vegas’ legal betting handle last year was near $116 million. Record merchandising sales are expected this time around, given the 50th anniversary of the game and the sleek gold logo that goes with the event. Super Bowl ads are now $5 million for a 30-second spot. Don’t forget that the league itself pulled in about $12 billion in revenue last year. Some people argue that if fans understood the dangers of brain concussions, they would then pay deaf ears to football and turn against it as they did drinking and drug usage.
However, the issue is not awareness. Fans are just not ready to say goodbye to the sport. To be fair, the sport has seen 39 changes in rules to promote health and safety (according to www.mmqb.si.com). Most people depend on football for their livelihood. For some people, that’s all they know. Football is their life. Some play football to win scholarships into colleges. Others play to provide for their families. Also, most universities and colleges depend on football for business reasons. They need the revenue it brings to fund major projects that benefit their universities.
Secondly, football is much more than a sport. It teaches young boys and adults the value of teamwork and obedience. It builds character, hard work, and persistence. It’s a brotherhood.
Most people may ask, “At what cost? Do we value the thrill, money, and entertainment more than the lives of football players?”. The answer is no, of course not. For now, scientists don’t know for sure how CTE is developed. All they have are theories and speculations. Plus the number of hits needed to cause a concussion can’t be measured precisely. That’s why people are probably not paying serious attention to it. Regardless, it is important that we support the research that provides answers to the development of CTE before we cross the line to inevitable brain damage. The government, NFL officials, and medical associations should come together to discuss how to make the game safer for everyone.
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