Analysis Of Is It Immoral To Watch The Super Bowl By Steve Almond

Violence Vs. Danger “WHAM!” This is you slapping the ground as you fall. Suddenly, you sense a spontaneous, stabbing pain in your ankle. With every lost second, the pain creeps up your leg, determined to overtake you. As the pain spreads, you replay the events leading up to now, however, you know what must be done. Jumping up, you run and deliver the winning touchdown. As the team cheers, the pain in your leg disappears, and you forget all your worries. For those who have played a sport, the feeling of winning is so great it outweighs the risks of the game. This is especially true for football players. These “gods” move gracefully throughout the field, cheered on by thousands of fans both in and out of the stadium. However, these men know that at any moment, during any play, their lives could be dramatically altered. Steve Almond, author of “Is it Immoral to Watch the Super Bowl”, raises the question of whether or not our “zealous fandom” for football is causing harm to players, and states that fans should reconsider supporting this industry. However, Steve Almond is not able to make a convincing case, because he makes false accusations, erroneous comparisons, and wrongful implications.

He then suggests that fans should reconsider supporting this industry. Focusing on the dangers of football, Almond shares personal anecdotes of football players whose lives were changed forever by the love of the game. He then goes on to state that football has contorted our view of war into a “winnable contest”, and has served as a distraction from the horrors outside our home. Lastly, Almond points out that fans undying “worship” of this sport has forced us to turn a blind eye to the true “pathologies” that football possesses. In light of learning these new facts, Almond hopes that fans will reconsider supporting the violent sport of