Monday, January 8, 2018

Prophetic voices and events - Steve Almond's "Against football"

Does American football cause brain damage in its players? Yes. Concussions are common.  It inflicts what medically is called "chronic traumatic encephalopothy( CTE).

There is big money in it for players and NFL team owners, advertisers, gambling promoters, etc.

Is this a moral activity? Is it the modern form of gladiatorial combat from the Roman days. Is this our modern form of "bread and circuses?"

Steve Almond and others are modern day prophets warning us of the dangers of this sport not only to the players but to the moral sensitivities of the audience who egg the players on and provide the incentives for them to engage in this destructive activity.

Do the benefits of football culture outweigh the costs?


2 comments:

  1. Americans love their football and the more violent the better. I watched Buffalo Bills quarterback Rod Taylor get a concussion in yesterday's game against the Cougars. It makes me a little sick to see what these players do not only to their bodies but to their brains. This is the part of "sports" that is sick.

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  2. I feel guilty watching football because I know that players will be physically injured during the game. I find I don't enjoy it any more knowing the damage that is being done for entertainment. If football players were animals PETA would be out in droves protesting the injuries that occur for the sake of making entertainment. There have to be other ways, less brutal, and more sportsman like than American football. Perhaps soccer will become as popular in the U.S. as it is in Europe and other parts of the world. It's interesting that the United States is one of the only countries which engages in this brutal sport. What does this say about the American character and morality?

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