Football ('Merican) Safety

rjmudlax13

Let me preface this by saying I am a huge football fan. Yes, I am one of those stupid 'mericans that sits on the couch on Sundays with a beer in hand rooting for my team. I also love playing recreationally, etc. I am also a huge fan of other collision sports such as hockey and lacrosse.

I saw a Frontline documentary on brain injuries in professional football players last night that really got me thinking. It actually was pretty scary. I used to think, "Well duh, of course football is not good for your brain and it’s a person’s choice anyway." However, I never really understood what kind of damage it can do and how it affects peoples' lives. Also, I never realized that the NFL went to great lengths trying to downplay the risks of playing a sport like football. Even to this day they do not admit that repetitive hits to the head in football can lead to long term brain damage. Admittedly, I think they have a right to take that stand because the science really isn't clear yet. However, there is more and more anecdote and imperical evidence that the risk is a lot higher than previously thought.

I realize that everyone has a choice to play or not. However, that is not the real issue. The issue is letting people know all the facts about the safety of playing a game where it is likely that you will experience blows to the head. Knowing some of the facts I learned last night made me wonder if I would let my child play a collision sport such as football, hockey or lacrosse. And I am one of those people that always thought, “Of course my kid is going to play football, etc.” Do I want to expose my child to the risk of having permanent brain damage that could affect his/her life forever?

Would you let your child play?