A teenage boy makes his way onto the field and  faces down a player twice his size. The ball snaps, and all of a sudden he’s down, smacked to the ground by his opponent. This is the reality of a football player. Football players constantly face the chances of physical harm and concussions, as well as a lifetime full of aggression ahead of them. So the question is, if football is so dangerous, why is it still supported?

We as a nation seem to avoid one of the biggest issues when it comes to Friday night football; concussions. Concussions have been a known threat since Dr. Bennett Omalu conducted a study on Mike Webster’s brain, leading to a constant stream of preaching about safety from head trauma, that is constantly being ignored. Concussions are taken very seriously in all other sports, but when it comes to football, not so much. A boy feels dizzy after a soccer ball makes contact with his skull? Take a seat. But, the same boy feeling woozy after a 300 pound brick of a high schooler drops him like it’s hot on the football field? Just shake it off. This sort of treatment to players is not healthy, and can lead to permanent brain damage. Although the immediate symptoms of a concussion are not pleasant, the symptoms of an untreated are even worse. According to Forbes.com, when NFL players were evaluated, 87 out of 91 players tested positive for long term brain damage related to head trauma. Some of these injuries include CTE (a degenerative brain disorder), the inability to move or walk correctly, and memory loss. Not only can these symptoms affect a player’s game, but it can impact a student’s personal, professional, and educational life.

Even though concussions are bad enough, physical injuries are still a large factor at play. Big Spring has faced a numerous amount of injuries this past season, including a fullback with a broken collarbone, a quarterback who got his ankle taken out during a home game, and yet another broken collarbone of a varsity player. Let’s face it, these type of injuries don’t come from the golf team. Broken bones affect a player’s ability to carry out everyday tasks, and can lead to chronic pain later in life.  Even though our boys of fall are covered in padding, it’s obvious that football is too dangerous for still developing teenagers to play, and could potentially end their career, or their life.

With all this brain damage and constant exposure to physical violence, it’s no surprise that some NFL players turn out to be manipulative and aggressive in romantic relationships. Many professional athletes have faced domestic violence accusations, including Greg Hardy and Ray Rice. According to Sbnation.com, Ray Rice faced allegations of violence against his fiance, who is now his wife. Video recording caught Rice physically assaulting his fiancee in an elevator by punching her multiple times, then dragging her unconscious body out of the elevator. Rice’s actions could be blamed on human nature alone, but as an NFL football player, it’s likely other factors were at play. Rice’s job was to beat up other players on the field, so it’s no surprise that he continued that behavior off the field. Football ingrains a sense of violence in boys from their first day of little tyke camp all the way up to the big leagues, and these aggressive tendencies are likely to be repeated in other situations.

Football is no good for this country. It’s a barbaric fight over a ball that can lead to permanent brain damage, extreme physical injury, and violent tendencies.  If we continue this way of life, we will lead this nation’s developing boys down a path of violence with no way back.

To see the pro side of this argument, see this link:

Pro- Football benefits outweigh the dangers