Malcolm Gladwell: Football Is a Moral Abomination...

[blackchubby38]

I'm kind of conflicted. I watch boxing and know that boxers sometimes suffer appalling brain damage. Some fighters function reasonably well after their careers but then again many don't (see Terry Norris, Riddick Bowe etc).

Still, there is something unusual about the amount of damage we're seeing football players suffer. Aaron Hernandez' autopsy results showed he had stage 3 cte, which came with pictures of similar cte next to a normal control. According to some neurologists these brains look nearly as bad as someone with advanced dementia. And it's occurring consistently, starting from an early age.

Ethicists and lawmakers might allow people to make informed decisions if they know what the risks are but the law doesn't usually allow people to trade health for money so directly.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/s...cte-brain.html

While I believe in the effect that CTE has had on other players, I don't like the fact that Aaron Hernandez's lawyer is trying to use it as an excuse for his client murdering 3 people. He is trying to use it as basis as a lawsuit against the NFL and the Patriots. Even though a majority of those concussions happened when he played at the University At Florida. Where he also had a criminal record. He was also a troublemaker when he was a high school. So when it comes to him, I'm not buying CTE was the reason for his lack of impulse control.

There are a majority of people out there who don't believe in the science behind CTE and see it as a attack on football. Using it as way to excuse and/or explain someone's violent behavior is a surefire way to help discredit that information.

Yes , same goes for boxing , look what it did to Muhammad Ali . Another throw back to our love for blood sport.
Should ban them both or radically change the rules and safety equipment.
And free the dolphins and killer whales while we're at it , LOL.

You don't have to ban football. I think all you have to do is make a couple of simple changes to youth football to help make the game safer at that level. Like no pads or helmets until freshman year of high school. Before that the kids can play either flag and/or tackle football. At the same time, coaches can focus on developing the players skill sets.

[Stavros]

I don't know much about American Football, though it has some similarity with Rugby in the UK (and in the other countries in which it is played) with the exception that most players do not wear protective gear, but where injuries caused by aggressive tackling are common from school and local teams to the international level.

My point would be cultural: I have often heard tv pundits in the Uk talking about 'strong tackling' using the phrase It's a man's game. The assumption is that if you are not prepared to be aggressive and accept it as part of the game, do something else. American football players are big guys, if one of them is rushing towards me, I am running away as fast as I can. I can understand those who defend 'the art of Boxing' but they are deluded if they don't think people watch it for the violence; and the 'crunch' you hear when two football teams block each other is very real, but is it not also part of the sound of football? As your President seems to suggest, if you take the politically correct route to reduce the violence and aggression in football there is nothing left to watch, presumably because he doesn't get strategy...

[broncofan]

While I believe in the effect that CTE has had on other players, I don't like the fact that Aaron Hernandez's lawyer is trying to use it as an excuse for his client murdering 3 people. He is trying to use it as basis as a lawsuit against the NFL and the Patriots. Even though a majority of those concussions happened when he played at the University At Florida. Where he also had a criminal record. He was also a troublemaker when he was a high school. So when it comes to him, I'm not buying CTE was the reason for his lack of impulse control.

Generally I agree with your point that it's not all that helpful to use cte as an excuse for Hernandez' actions. I don't think it's exculpatory but it's tough to rule out as a possible partial cause in some cases. The closest analogy I can think of is the effect steroid use has on some people. It can cause rage in people who already have severe anger problems but it probably does not cause rage in most people. Dementia can have the same effect of heightening propensities, as it tends to remove the filter. I don't think CTE in a meaningful sense caused Hernandez to kill but we might see more violence from people with brain damage who were previously able to control it.

At least some people who love boxing, even to the point of knowing everything about it technically, like the violence. Probably most. That's one reason pro boxing is more popular than amateur boxing where they wear big gloves and head gear. It could be one reason why mma with their tiny little gloves and high rate of finishes is becoming more popular than boxing. Knockout artists also are more popular than stylists which is really easy to confirm.

I don't think it's going to be easy to legislate these sports away, but it is reasonable to ask why they're culturally acceptable and legal. I've had enough people ask me why I think boxing should be legal when assault is not...isn't it just mutually agreed upon assault with rules to make it more palatable? It's not easy to brush aside those questions. Yes I can come up with distinctions but there is some point to the questions....

[sukumvit boy]

I don't know much about American Football, though it has some similarity with Rugby in the UK (and in the other countries in which it is played) with the exception that most players do not wear protective gear, but where injuries caused by aggressive tackling are common from school and local teams to the international level.

My point would be cultural: I have often heard tv pundits in the Uk talking about 'strong tackling' using the phrase It's a man's game. The assumption is that if you are not prepared to be aggressive and accept it as part of the game, do something else. American football players are big guys, if one of them is rushing towards me, I am running away as fast as I can. I can understand those who defend 'the art of Boxing' but they are deluded if they don't think people watch it for the violence; and the 'crunch' you hear when two football teams block each other is very real, but is it not also part of the sound of football? As your President seems to suggest, if you take the politically correct route to reduce the violence and aggression in football there is nothing left to watch, presumably because he doesn't get strategy...

LOL, and because he doesn't get The Fine Arts Network or BBC Arts either.

[tacocorpv2]

I just heard about similar research on football (soccer for americans) The headers can cause problems as well, of course it's not exactly the same, but I can see why. Especially if you are in the ''wall'' and manage to block the shot with your head, that hurts.

[EdwardKic]

So with a win tomorrow, Leicester can make football history. Fingers crossed they pull it off. I dont know how Id react to Tottenham winning the league...

[youngblood61]

CTE, has really changed the game. The problem is no matter how hard they try, the game is about violence. Guys like Jack Tatum, Ronnie Lott, they couldn't play today because they hit to hard. If you ever ventured into their zone, you paid a heavy price. Darryl Stingley as an example, and that happened in a pre-season game. Today, he wold have gotten 15 yards, and an ejection.