I stopped watching football years ago when I saw the reaction to respectful, on-field protest. I'm not going to argue with anyone about the pros and/or cons, but I notice that most of the ones objecting the loudest, never served. Wonder why that is.
Thanks, Adam. It riles me that all the holier-than-thou "patriots" don't understand non-violent protest and civil disobedience. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many of them have shown up at a school board or city council meeting to make known their objections to a new code or reglation.
American football is a moral black hole. Only by completely ignoring the gladiatorial nature of the sport can we allow it to continue. Young men are routinely chewed up and spit out of not only professional but also college and amateur football, left with permanent disabilities, and for what? The dubious joy of watching athletes crash into each other repeatedly, knowing that those collisions are inevitably causing irreparable harm? It is a scandal and we should all be deeply ashamed.
You have put your finger on the term I use to describe this barbaric ritual: gladiatorial combat. It is the modern version of a blood sport. I am a retired teacher and remember seeing both high school and college students limping into class from injuries that often were severe enough that these athletes could never resume play. Once, Ina sacristy before a Catholic mass, a teenage server was discussing with the bishop an upcoming game. "Hit them in he knees," this "altar boy"-athlete said. Smiles from the men in the room, as I stood rather shocked. When, if ever, can our society move away from so savage an enterprise?
The sport is entirely too violent and the brain damage can create scary behavior. Just as so many of the public support this, we also know 44k people die from gun deaths in the US. And we do NOTHING. How barbaric is that?
are we surprised? the most violent game played in one of the most violent countries. this game is uniquely American despite the NFL efforts to showcase it in Europe and Mexico. I do think Judd should provide Canadian football statistics of injuries to be more balanced in his reporting. I know it will never happen, but America probably should embrace soccer for the sake of the health of our children and worldwide competitiveness. football should be put on the scrap heap like slavery and gladiator combat.
Once again in a different venue the 1% owners and NFL officials use the talents of players their employees for their gain, with no interest in safety of guarantees of compensation for the players if they become injured.
Joe Namath who is seen hawking Senior Citizen crappola is a result of permanent physical damage he received playing in the NFL. He could barely walk. I have read his story and he suffered greatly over the years. Another case is William "the Refrigerator" Perry whose story is also very much reflective of NFL policies.
Football is a violent sport, pure and simple. Assuming I had kids, I wouldn't want them playing it. As far as the NFL is concerned, efforts to safeguard its players and to care for them after they retire seems like weak sauce indeed, right down to the fields on which they play. Players are clamoring for the removal of turf fields and I fully support that.
Expressions of revulsion are all well and good. And moral self-righteousness is good for the soul. But it denies the reality of what human beings are.
Every society throughout human history has had its violent expressions. The human brain is conditioned to be stimulated by horriific scenes--it's like being addicted to a substance. Of not football, there'd be something else, perhaps even more violent.
As far as the players are concerned, they make the decision to play out of their own free will. What's needed is a more open admission by the sport to the players that there is monumental risk involved, that the sport will take care of them if necessary, and they will be well compensated for their participation.
Violence is us. Better to live it vicariously then through personal carnage.
Agreed! The NFL needs to provide players with more support - education about the risks, financial assistance (with guaranteed pay), & lifetime healthcare benefits including CTE focused care. The demand for American Football isn’t going away but it can be run more fairly for players’ & owners’ benefits.
I admit, I am not a rabid fan of NFL football, but I do keep up with it. I noticed this year more than ever players flying at each other with their entire body weight. I wondered how they sustained these things over the weeks of the season.
Not only was this injury bound to happen, it will continue to happen more often until strict rules are put in place about how one tackles.  it never occurred to me that shoulder pads and other protective equipment is being used as battering rams. STOP this, stop it now. The college players are emulating the NFL where the money is.
A tragedy, yes. But must have been a slow news day. I think the NFL handled about as well as could be expected given the unique circumstances. Even the NFLPA was on board.
Here in Ames, Iowa, our Rotary Club recently heard a detailed description of how Iowa State prepares its natural grass turf. The turf is grown first on a farm and, when ready, cut into pieces that are roughly 6 feet by 50 feet, rolled up, and moved to the stadium. Iowa State respects the statistics that show lower injury rates for games played on natural turf vs artificial turf, and sticks with natural turf out of concern for player safety.
I was happy when both my son and my daughter participated in crew (rowing) when they were in high school - a sport where an assumed risk is NOT being injured in gameplay by the other team.
Judd, you explain the moral failings of the NFL well. These are some of the reasons i dont watch it or any professional sport - it's all about money, it's corporate BS & pablum for the uneducated masses, promotes unnecessary violence and aggression, and utterly pointless.
Football is the most popular sport in the U.S. It enriches the owners, the league, and the media, and even the players for the short term and is beloved here more than soccer, the most popular sport worldwide. I don’t pay much attention, although my father was a sports writer and my family are all nuts for it. I enjoy the highlight reels that display the incredible strength, agility, endurance, and talent these athletes possess. The players’ association, basically a union, has the means to protect its players and should step up, insist on guaranteed contracts and lifelong healthcare, maybe a pension plan, and advise players on investment and strategies to ensure the incredible money they earn in a few years can sustain them over a lifetime. I recently learned that the Pro Bowl will now be flag football so that there is little risk of injury, and players can still show their skills. Maybe this could become the future of pro football, though the fans would probably grumble and have less interest.
This article reminds me though of a sad story. My brother-in-law was a college and lifelong friend to a pro player who was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame late in life (his sixties), and the player’s wife asked that my BIL go with and accept the honor of his behalf because his dementia prevented him from speaking and even having a full appreciation of the honor. It’s evidence of a tragic outcome for many players. Something needs to change.
I stopped watching football years ago when I saw the reaction to respectful, on-field protest. I'm not going to argue with anyone about the pros and/or cons, but I notice that most of the ones objecting the loudest, never served. Wonder why that is.
Adam Scott Conway - USMC - 1980 to 1986
Thanks, Adam. It riles me that all the holier-than-thou "patriots" don't understand non-violent protest and civil disobedience. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many of them have shown up at a school board or city council meeting to make known their objections to a new code or reglation.
Too many. There are so many folks out there motivated by all of the wrong reasons!
American football is a moral black hole. Only by completely ignoring the gladiatorial nature of the sport can we allow it to continue. Young men are routinely chewed up and spit out of not only professional but also college and amateur football, left with permanent disabilities, and for what? The dubious joy of watching athletes crash into each other repeatedly, knowing that those collisions are inevitably causing irreparable harm? It is a scandal and we should all be deeply ashamed.
You have put your finger on the term I use to describe this barbaric ritual: gladiatorial combat. It is the modern version of a blood sport. I am a retired teacher and remember seeing both high school and college students limping into class from injuries that often were severe enough that these athletes could never resume play. Once, Ina sacristy before a Catholic mass, a teenage server was discussing with the bishop an upcoming game. "Hit them in he knees," this "altar boy"-athlete said. Smiles from the men in the room, as I stood rather shocked. When, if ever, can our society move away from so savage an enterprise?
Capitalism doing its dirty work.
The violence associated with the game is a feature not a bug. That we tolerate (venerate!) this is a national tragedy for all to see.
The sport is entirely too violent and the brain damage can create scary behavior. Just as so many of the public support this, we also know 44k people die from gun deaths in the US. And we do NOTHING. How barbaric is that?
Makes you wonder about our society. Like Romans watching the arena sport
People don't like football, as much as television likes football. TV has manipulated and pushed football into what it is today, it is not sport.
I agree. It is more like gladiators in Roman arenas. Don’t just win the game, slay your opponent
are we surprised? the most violent game played in one of the most violent countries. this game is uniquely American despite the NFL efforts to showcase it in Europe and Mexico. I do think Judd should provide Canadian football statistics of injuries to be more balanced in his reporting. I know it will never happen, but America probably should embrace soccer for the sake of the health of our children and worldwide competitiveness. football should be put on the scrap heap like slavery and gladiator combat.
Once again in a different venue the 1% owners and NFL officials use the talents of players their employees for their gain, with no interest in safety of guarantees of compensation for the players if they become injured.
Joe Namath who is seen hawking Senior Citizen crappola is a result of permanent physical damage he received playing in the NFL. He could barely walk. I have read his story and he suffered greatly over the years. Another case is William "the Refrigerator" Perry whose story is also very much reflective of NFL policies.
Football is a violent sport, pure and simple. Assuming I had kids, I wouldn't want them playing it. As far as the NFL is concerned, efforts to safeguard its players and to care for them after they retire seems like weak sauce indeed, right down to the fields on which they play. Players are clamoring for the removal of turf fields and I fully support that.
Expressions of revulsion are all well and good. And moral self-righteousness is good for the soul. But it denies the reality of what human beings are.
Every society throughout human history has had its violent expressions. The human brain is conditioned to be stimulated by horriific scenes--it's like being addicted to a substance. Of not football, there'd be something else, perhaps even more violent.
As far as the players are concerned, they make the decision to play out of their own free will. What's needed is a more open admission by the sport to the players that there is monumental risk involved, that the sport will take care of them if necessary, and they will be well compensated for their participation.
Violence is us. Better to live it vicariously then through personal carnage.
Change is possible. Clearly from other comments there are many that eschew violence. Other sports less violent still exhilarating
Agreed! The NFL needs to provide players with more support - education about the risks, financial assistance (with guaranteed pay), & lifetime healthcare benefits including CTE focused care. The demand for American Football isn’t going away but it can be run more fairly for players’ & owners’ benefits.
The only issue with this piece is the word "collapse" in the title. It implies the NFL had moral standing in the first place.
I admit, I am not a rabid fan of NFL football, but I do keep up with it. I noticed this year more than ever players flying at each other with their entire body weight. I wondered how they sustained these things over the weeks of the season.
Not only was this injury bound to happen, it will continue to happen more often until strict rules are put in place about how one tackles.  it never occurred to me that shoulder pads and other protective equipment is being used as battering rams. STOP this, stop it now. The college players are emulating the NFL where the money is.
Let’s scrap it for soccer.
A tragedy, yes. But must have been a slow news day. I think the NFL handled about as well as could be expected given the unique circumstances. Even the NFLPA was on board.
Here in Ames, Iowa, our Rotary Club recently heard a detailed description of how Iowa State prepares its natural grass turf. The turf is grown first on a farm and, when ready, cut into pieces that are roughly 6 feet by 50 feet, rolled up, and moved to the stadium. Iowa State respects the statistics that show lower injury rates for games played on natural turf vs artificial turf, and sticks with natural turf out of concern for player safety.
I was happy when both my son and my daughter participated in crew (rowing) when they were in high school - a sport where an assumed risk is NOT being injured in gameplay by the other team.
Judd, you explain the moral failings of the NFL well. These are some of the reasons i dont watch it or any professional sport - it's all about money, it's corporate BS & pablum for the uneducated masses, promotes unnecessary violence and aggression, and utterly pointless.
Football is the most popular sport in the U.S. It enriches the owners, the league, and the media, and even the players for the short term and is beloved here more than soccer, the most popular sport worldwide. I don’t pay much attention, although my father was a sports writer and my family are all nuts for it. I enjoy the highlight reels that display the incredible strength, agility, endurance, and talent these athletes possess. The players’ association, basically a union, has the means to protect its players and should step up, insist on guaranteed contracts and lifelong healthcare, maybe a pension plan, and advise players on investment and strategies to ensure the incredible money they earn in a few years can sustain them over a lifetime. I recently learned that the Pro Bowl will now be flag football so that there is little risk of injury, and players can still show their skills. Maybe this could become the future of pro football, though the fans would probably grumble and have less interest.
This article reminds me though of a sad story. My brother-in-law was a college and lifelong friend to a pro player who was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame late in life (his sixties), and the player’s wife asked that my BIL go with and accept the honor of his behalf because his dementia prevented him from speaking and even having a full appreciation of the honor. It’s evidence of a tragic outcome for many players. Something needs to change.