In class this week, we watched a documentary about the effects of football on the brain, most notably the relationship between the sport and C. T. E. While this was not the first time I had heard of the disease and its prevalence within football, I was shocked to learn just how unwilling the National Football League was in admitting there may be some sort of connection between the two. Of course, with the a amount of revenue the organization brings in, how could I be surprised? Most Americans enjoy the instant gratification of watching their team succeed--no matter the cost. Thinking ahead to each individual player's mental health after they have retired seems of little interest to many.
In reality, if each football player had been properly informed of the effects of football on the brain, how much would that have affected their decision to continue playing? Their love for the game coupled with fame and money would appear to outweigh the possibility of their long-term health, although of course, they should be warned and allowed to autonomously make a proper choice that is adequate for themselves and for their family.
As the connection with football and C. T. E. grows, many parents will be unwilling to allow their children to play the hard-hitting sport. It is hard to imagine a day that the National Football League will be lacking in athletes desiring to play. College football, too, is loved by so many. The star college athletes are viewed as heroes by their fans--a winning season the ultimate goal, no matter the cost. It was disturbing the learn about the few cases of C. T. E. that was found in high school and college athletes. I had always assumed it took a significant amount of time to develop such a scary disease. C. T. E.'s effects seemingly change the person. They are not just 'sick', they are unable to live their lives as they used to....different personalities, exhibiting anger, depression, confusion...many times leading to suicide to relieve the pain.
Once an undoubtable connection between football and the disease can be made, where do we go from there? We can't change the sport and maintain its entertainment value while making it significantly safer. Is C. T. E. just an added risk to the sport that can be overlooked? Should the National Football League offer better post-retirement healthcare benefits and monitoring instead of essentially leaving it up to the player and their families? The day that football is outlawed is clearly not a reality. Should we, as fans, be more concerned about our favorite players' health? While the findings are clearly disturbing, I will still watch football every Sunday at noon. Am I partly to blame?
I agree with you in that I think the majority of the players would choose fame and money over their mental health. Many of them work their whole lives to make it to the NFL, and I think their passion for the sport overrides the decision to play because they cannot see the immediate effects of brain injury. We are prone to think that we are the exception to traumatic or life endangering experiences because they haven't happened to us yet, and mental health issues are no different.
ReplyDeleteI don't think C. T. E. should be overlooked, but that doesn't mean that it won't be. Football is America's sport and this is just another injury that comes along with it. People are passionate about football, and while C. T. E. is becoming more and more prevalent in players I believe that the NFL should justly compensate those stars that gave up their health for the love of the sport anyway. No one is to blame for nature. However, concussions in players should be taken more seriously in order to prevent the onset of C. T. E. and try to keep players healthy.
CTE should not be overlooked. I think that the NFL should keep investing money into the research of the disease. The more research that can be found of the disease, the more precautions can be taken regarding the players. Without the players, the sport would not even exist, so yes I think that the NFL should also offer better post-retirement healthcare benefits. These players risked their lives to not only entertain fans, but also help bring in the enormous amounts of revenue. It is only fair for the players to get healthcare benefits for when they are most vulnerable. I'm pretty sure that most sane fans are worried about the well-being of the players, but no we should not be blamed for watching football.
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