Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Our Attraction to Violence

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1776791-high-school-football-player-dies-after-helmet-to-helmet-collision?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&hpt=hp_t3

Is it the thrill of watching our favorite player Gio running the gaming winning touchdown 73 yards to beat NC state or is it the skull crushing sound of a big hit that makes us so enthralled to watch football? What is the human characteristic innate in so many of us that keeps us on the edge of our seat during the season's biggest games? I admit I am surely guilty of it, gaining excitement not only from a big play but hit that knocks a player down, “cleans his clock” as some people may say. And to what cost is this enjoyment and adrenaline rush? This article from CNN details the loss of the precious young life of a high school athlete. Running back Damon James lost his life because of a helmet-to-helmet hit in a game at his New York high school. Even with all the regulations and new rules that are being implemented into the game these tragedies still occur. I have played the game myself and I understand the love and drive that comes from playing a sport. People love the sports they play which is why they are willing to take the risk of sustaining an injury, but the risk seems especially high and more serve in football. “The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina reported 25 deaths of high school football players from 2003 to 2013.”  Should we continue to allow ourselves to be captivated by this sport? The recently publicized issue with the NFL settlement to their players brought to light how serve the repercussions of playing football can be. Is it wrong the teams in the NFL are so profitable while some players are left with handicaps the rest of their lives because of hits and concussions that they suffered? Is it enough to try to change to rule? It still seems inevitable that these injuries will occur.

1 comment:

Norman said...

In a way, sports are the modern resolution for territorial conflicts. Every sports team represents their region, whether it is household, city, or country. Some people in Boston don’t like some people in New York City, but instead of fighting they watch baseball. Look at the terminology; words like battle, fight, defeat, and conquer are all commonplace in the world of sports. So what happens when the stand-in for a death match actually results in death?
I love sports, but I believe that there should be a necessary distinction between pushing the physical limitations of humans (like running the fastest 100m) and entertaining people (boxing matches). Whereas the former is part of the expansion of human knowledge and capacity, the latter boils down to sacrifice as a source of amusement. Injury is a part of sports, but violence should not be.