Introduction
It is impossible to imagine the United States without American football, but do many citizens understand that this kind of sport is dangerous? The National Football League (NFL) gathers thousands of professional players and millions of fans worldwide. This organization has a rich history, but not all events have been positive. For example, Bell et al. show that 1,848 fatalities occurred in football between 1931 and 2016 (6). In addition to deaths, this kind of sport leads to multiple injuries and other health issues. Even though individuals are voluntarily involved in this activity and take all risks, American football should be banned because it harms players’ brains, worsens their cognitive performance, and welcomes violence in society.
Advocating for the Ban
Firstly, American football should be banned because it negatively affects players’ brains. It is so because Mez et al. conducted a scientific study and identified threatening information. In particular, the researchers investigated the brains of 202 deceased football players and found that 177 individuals (87%) had been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Mez et al. 360). The reason behind this claim is that the players are often subject to shocks, hits, and other dangerous situations. These findings demonstrate that there is a stable connection between playing football and experiencing brain issues.
Secondly, people’s worsened cognitive performance is another argument against American football. There is a well-known stereotype that athletes are not smart because they are believed to spend all their time training. No one can deny that there is no connection between training session duration and individuals’ knowledge, but scientific evidence shows how cognitive functions suffer because of football. In a magazine article, Wetsman summarizes a study highlighting that memory or language problems and depression are typical among football players (par. 15). The author also mentions that individuals tend to experience behavior regulating problems if they start playing football before they are twelve years old (Wetsman par. 15). These data demonstrate that American football adversely impacts individuals’ mental abilities.
Thirdly, this kind of sport’s adverse impact refers to the fact that it welcomes and promotes violence in society. Bry insists that fans are responsible for football being dangerous because it is popular among them (par. 7). That is why team owners and multiple businesses are motivated to invest money that makes people play football and hurt one another. Furthermore, the gambling industry aggravates the situation, meaning that this sport should be banned.
The Opposing Side
Irrespective of the claims above, some people are sure that it is not necessary to ban football. They claim that professional players are adults who voluntarily accept the risks. Such people recommend eliminating helmets since this decision has the potential to make the sport safer. It is so because athletes will be more careful without this protective equipment. The co-chairman of the NFL’s health and safety advisory committee, Dr. John York, refutes this proposal and adds that he “does not foresee an NFL where helmets are not being used” Bry, par. 16). Consequently, football should be banned since its governing body cannot ensure players’ safety.
Conclusion
American football is a popular kind of sport in the United States, but it does not mean that it is good. Sufficient scientific evidence demonstrates that this activity should be banned for being violent and dangerous. The adverse outcomes include chronic traumatic encephalopathy, language or memory difficulties, depression, and behavior problems. Even though some people insist that players voluntarily engage in the sport, the possible health issues are not mitigated. Furthermore, the governing bodies state that they do not plan to take additional actions to make American football safer. That is why it is necessary to attract public attention to this problem to ban this violent sport.
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.