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American Football is a huge spectator sport where offensive and defensive players will use teamwork and perseverance to try and score more points than their opponent. Football is highly respected in America, where boys will try and pursue the dream of playing in the NFL (National Football Association) someday; but if you look at an average neighborhood, you will find that kids and adults of all ages love to go out and throw around the pigskin. (Lerner and Lerner 275). One thing Americans will take pride in is the college and NFL football teams they root for. People sit down with a beer and talk hours upon hours of football and two individuals can get in a heated discussion in the local sports store of whose sports team is better. Surprisingly enough, one will find the most passionate football players at the high school level. Most boys will start their football career as a young child in football programs such as Pop Warner to get a foothold and to get those involved in teamwork and friendships. These programs are usually the start to someone falling in love with the sport and making it a career choice eight years later. Football is one of America’s favorite sports. When fall season comes around, people across America are placing bets, finding out where that new sports bar is, and buying wide screen T.V’s to watch NFL on Sundays. After their team plays, they will go out and reminisce what happened that Sunday. While thousands of fans are still pumped from the NFL games they watched; small towns across America are getting ready to shut down their shops and restaurants to have the chance to make it to the local high schools football game. Ray Glier, a reporter for the New York Times, writes about football in the small town of Appala... ... middle of paper ... ...han. “History of Football Helmets.” Live Strong. 26May 2011. 27 Feb. 2012. Forthofer. “A History of the First Football Helmet.” Hubpages. 27 Feb. 2012. Glier, Ray. "Appalachian Team Faces Final Generation of Football :[Sports Desk]." New York Times 7 Oct. 2009, Late Edition (East Coast): ProQuest National Newspapers Core, ProQuest. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. Gregory, Sean. “The Problem with Football: How to Make It Safer.” New York Times. 28 Jan. 2010. Newsstand, Web. 28 Feb. 2012. Jackman, Tom. "The toll of taking the hits?" The Washington Post 27 Apr. 2011. ProQuest National Newspapers Core, ProQuest. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Lerner, K. Lee and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. “Football (American).” World of Sports Science. Ed.(2007): p275-278. 27 Feb. 2012. Schwarz, Alan. "Hard Knocks." New York Times Upfront. 13 Dec. 2010: Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
Concussions, a minor traumatic brain injury that may occur when the head hits an object, are a huge problem in football in high schools and lower levels today. Concussions are very common in football, concussions have a huge negative effect on the brain, and parents and schools are worried about their kids safety. Concussion, in football, are a rising problem especially since the NFL is being sued for hundreds of millions because of concussions. High School football is very violent on children and thats why it is losing some participants.
The piece was meant to commemorate an American society where football is not just a job or a pastime, but a way of life, an obsession. It also exemplifies the constant body preparation and consciousness that athletes have to endure, as well as the exhaustion created from this constantly prepared state.
The number of concussions in professional and amateur football has been rising and has sparked much controversy in recent years. These concussions are most likely linked with disease and even the deaths of some pro and semi-pro football players. New research is attempting to solve the problem but the issue is still prevalent in football today.
Not many sports are as physically demanding on the human body as football. The physical toll that football players pay is almost impossible to comprehend unless one has actually played the sport for a significant amount of time. However, until recently any connection between the hits taken by football players and their health down the road was largely ignored. A common, yet difficult injury to detect in football is a concussion, the most common traumatic brain injury (Pearce). A concussion is defined as “a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily prevents the brain from working normally” (Heiner pa.5). Reports and studies have surfaced shedding light on just how much damage is inflicted upon the brain due to crippling hits. These studies suggest that NFL athletes who received concussions suffered lasting damage to the brain, which opens the gate to a multitude of other health issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and clinical depression (Pearce). This is an aspect of the game that not many are aware of and it is a serous issue that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. There have been too many heartbreaking stories such as that of Justin Strzelcyk who heard voices and died in a crash while fleeing police or that of Andre Waters who shot himself in the head after struggles with depression (Zarda pa.1). Many current and former players are suffering in silence; this shouldn’t be the case. The National Football League needs to extend a hand to former players debilitated by head injuries. The problem of concussions and other head injuries in the NFL is one that needs to be tackled head on.
Douglas E. Foley offers an interesting analysis of American football culture in high schools, in his article titled “The Great American Football Ritual: Reproducing Race, Class and Gender Inequality”. The author covers the ways that the football culture splits people apart and segregates them into groups based on what they contribute to the football scene. The football scene seems to bring negativity to the lives of every group it touches, yet it is still a staple in American culture to this day.
“Justified or not, Seau's death puts football under question again.” Sports Illustrated. Time Inc., 2013. Web. 16 September 2013.
For the avid sports maniac as well as the casual sports viewer, Gregg Easterbrook’s “The King of Sports: Football’s Impact on America” is a must-read. Easterbrook gives detailed insight to many of the critical issues plaguing American football both on the professional and college level. The “non-profit” mongul know as the NFL is exposed and is clearly described for the reader. This is a great book not just for the wealth information, but also, an attempt to highlight the flaws in our country's most prized form of entertainment.
Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in a lot of different ways, fashions, and other countries. It can be a very brutal sport with players hitting at the intent to hurt one another. With these intents come great consequences. In recent years the head injuries involved with this brutal game play have been getting uncomfortably high. Many rules have had to be enforced for player safety, because of the increase of head injuries resulting in tragic effects on players both old and new. One of the injuries that have had the most devastating effects is the concussion.
The roaring of the crowd on November 17 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC finally fell silent late in the fourth quarter after star linebacker Luke Kuechly was slow to get off the field after a huge hit to the head. American’s live to be entertained, and the football field is one of the main sources of enjoyment for many. Immediately after Kuechly’s hit, it was quiet in the stadium for the first time that day. The fans watched in fear, waiting to see if their star player could finish the game and bring out the win. However, they all became disappointed as Kuechly shed tears while being carted off the field, not because they were worried about the player and his head but because they feared about losing the game. Americans want excitement,
The long term effects of brain injuries caused by football. Mike webster was the first former NFL player diagnosed with CTE. After retirement, Webster suffered from amnesia, dementia, depression, and acute bone and muscle pain. He lived out of his pickup truck or in train stations between Wisconsin and Pittsburgh, even though his friends and former teammates offered to rent apartments for him. In his last years Webster lived with his youngest son, Garrett, who though only a teenager at the time, had to act as the parent to his father. Webster's wife Pamela divorced him six months before his death in 2002 of a heart attack when he was 50 years old. Football has the highest injury rate of any team sport. Each child aged 9 to 12 who plays the
“‘Athletics last for such a short period of time. It ends for people. But while it lasts, it creates this make-believe world where normal rules don’t apply. We build this false atmosphere. When it’s over and the harsh reality sets in, that’s the real joke we play on people’” (Bissinger xiv). “Friday Night Lights” shows the darker side of high school football. Players are taught to play games to win, and thats all that matters. Football players are put under a tremendous amount of pressure, almost enough to be considered unfair. Even though football is a “team sport”, pressure on individual players is unnecessary. Some players have the burden of the team, the city, their family, and their future, resting on their shoulders. These players are put under pressure that is physically and emotionally damaging, not to mention future ruining.
Much attention has been given lately to the effect of heading the soccer ball in youth soccer. Some people say it causes major brain damage later in life. Other people say that there are no major injuries from the ball, it is the collisions between players that causes injuries. I belive heading the ball causes injuries and it should be banned from youth soccer. Heading is seen as dangerous and kids are still growing and developing and shouldn't have to have head trauma at such a young age. Another reason to disallow heading in youth soccer is that the skill is improperly taught, or not taught at all, to many kids who participate in this sport.
Football - probably the most loved and sought after sport, and definitely the most popular in America. Undoubtedly, this powerful sport has taken American culture by storm after the baseball craze and has become a mega moneymaking business worth billions of dollars. Though I basically know nothing about football, I definitely know that it is seen to encourage unity when it comes to teams, games, and seasons and that the game brings much positive vibe. When a player scores, the crowd goes wild and cheers. When a player tackles another and knocks him unconscious, the crowd also goes wild and cheers. Yes, football is a game in which people get excited to watch in order to see which team scores and wins, but this objective seems to carry along
In the modern day United States the sport American football has become not only entertainment but also a tradition whether it’s watching the BCS college championship or watching the super bowl with the family. The sport of American football is unique to the United States and has grown and became iconic over the years and has become a part of many Americans lives. American Football was made in 1869 and was modeled after the sport of rugby. They took the basics of rugby and changed it to make it fit better for them. The game has changed over the years but it also affected many Americans as the tradition of Monday Night football has begun. The game has had problems with the United States government as it was said to be too dangerous to play, this lead to an upgrade in the equipment and they tried very hard to make the equipment well ensuring player safety throughout the sport.
From the early ages in history to the present day, sports have always been an important part of society. It teaches discipline, how to be a team player, how to interact with others and is a good source of physical activity. In specific, football utilizes all of these aspects of sports and it’s a great source of teaching self-restraint and perseverance. Some may say that football is a violent sport or it’s not beneficial in any way, but in reality it gives a person the basic tools needed not only for playing the game, but also how you interact with people in society.