American football is among the most popular sports in the United States, which is represented by the National Football League (NFL). Its massive fan base and distinguished teams make up the core of the given phenomenon, which transforms and influences the lives of millions of people. NFL has a long history, which made it a highly impactful and powerful organization within the nation. However, despite the prevalence of such fame and popularity, there is a dark side to the sport. It involves head traumas and injuries, which significantly ruin the quality of life of both professional and amateur players. Although safety measures are taken, it is football itself, which is inherently damaging due to constant violence and harsh physical contact. Therefore, regardless of American football being a major source of entertainment for many, it should be banned due to significant harm dealt with players’ brains, cognitive performance, and it also promotes violence.
One should be aware of the fact that American football can result in a wide range of injuries. It is stated that there were 1848 fatalities between 1931 and 2016 (Bell et al. 6). In other words, such a high rate of deaths on the field indicates that the overall severe prevalence of injuries among the players. However, one of the most concerning and deeply problematic health-related risks revolve around brain trauma. The research investigation suggests that 177 out of 202 deceased football players had some form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (Mez et al. 360). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a long-term progressive neurodegenerative disease that develops as a result of repeated minor traumatic brain injuries.
CTE is most often associated with contact sports, but it is also found in other professional areas, in particular in equestrian sports, in circus clowns, military personnel, as well as in patients with epilepsy and patients with mental retardation. Clinically, STE is manifested by impaired cognitive, behavioral, affective, and motor functions.Moreover, another critical problem with American football is the cognitive performance decline among the players. It is stated the majority of such individuals suffer from depression and language-related problems, which is due to impaired mental capabilities (Westman par. 15). Therefore, one can assume that there is some form of connection between brain trauma and this factor. Although the former is a medical issue, which results in severe consequences, the latter is on the quality of life decline side, where these professionals are affected with little exception. In other words, it is evident that both problems are inherent issues of American football and not a mere sport-related concern.
Cognitive functions determine the cognitive abilities of a person, the perfection of mastering professional skills, including technical and tactical actions in sports. The study of mental performance in sports medicine is advisable in athletes of different sports, as well as in the dynamic comparison of results in different periods of training cycles. If a decrease in mental performance is detected, correction is necessary. Modification of decreased cognitive performance in athletes increases the functional state of the central nervous system, thereby providing a high level of adaptive capabilities of the central mechanism of regulation.
One of the less noticeable but more widespread aspects of American football is the fact that it promotes violence within a society. Although the NFL holds partial blame, the largest portion of responsibility lies on the fans, who encourage dangerous sports (Bry par. 7). As with any for-profit organization, it is the customer who dictates the state and practices of American football. If they decide to demand protection and safety for players, the sport itself will change its rules and equipment measures in order to match the demand. In addition, accidents sometimes occur in sports, as a result of which the health and life of athletes are harmed. When making a legal assessment, it should be noted that their main feature is that accidents are not intentional. Athletes are more victims of circumstance than victims of crime, although the line between criminal and lawful behavior can be quite thin.
Since the inception of modern sports, the death of an athlete, according to the majority of spectators, is not considered a tragedy. The end of a boxer in the ring or a race car driver on the track is seen as an integral and inevitable part of the sport. Subject to all the rules of the competition, such an incident is interpreted as innocent harm. The officially recognized forms of the coach’s influence on the consciousness and will of athletes are the manifestation of attention to them, requests, demands, beliefs, and suggestions. Despite this, it can be stated that violent methods in sports are not uncommon. Starting with children’s sports activities, many coaches teach young athletes to be rude and cruel, allow themselves to yell at children, and threaten them with physical punishment for improper exercise. In sports training, one cannot do without rigor, but one must not allow the use of mental, and even more so, physical violence against a person.
However, some individuals might argue that banning American football is not necessary. For example, they might state that boxing and mixed martial arts also promote violence and head injuries, and thus, they need to be banned before switching this sport. It is true that combat sports put violence at their core, but brain trauma is not systemic or inherent to the sport. The general rules of boxing or mixed martial arts are to avoid head damages, and a fighter’s performance is dependent on his or her ability to eliminate such injuries. In the case of football, guard players’ sole purpose is to conduct a brain-damaging playstyle. There is no rule incentive to avoid such harm since he or she needs to protect the quarterbacks. In addition, the potential for changes and modifications are non-existent due to the NFL’s reluctance to make the required alterations. For instance, Dr. John York stated that the organization would not integrate a no-helmet approach, which could potentially improve safety through awareness (Bry par. 16). Therefore, both NFL’s and fan base’s attitudes towards the issue, as well as the inherent dangers, lead to the notion that the sport needs to be banned completely.
In conclusion, American football is one of the most popular and well-established sports in the United States. However, the prevalence of risks and dangers within the activity raises alarming concerns, whether or not it should be allowed. One of the most troubling aspects of football is brain trauma, which is also accompanied by worsened cognitive performance among players. In addition, it promotes violence, and the fans are the ones who systemically encourage it. One might suggest changing the sport, but both NFL and fans demonstrated that they are not willing to transform American football for the better. Therefore, the ban on the given sport is the only solution for the overall improvement of society and the player’s lives.
Works Cited
Bell, Travis. R., et al. CTE, Media, and the NFL: Framing a Public Health Crisis as a Football Epidemic. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.
Bry, Dave. “American Football Is Too Dangerous, and It Should Be Abolished.” The Guardian, 2016, Web.
Mez, Jesse, et al. “Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football.” JAMA, vol. 318, no. 4, 2017, pp. 360-370.
Wetsman, Nicole. “We Have no Idea How Dangerous Football Really Is.” Popular Science, 2020, Web.