Violence in Sports

While sports like football or hockey can undoubtedly be entertaining, they also raise the question: is there too much violence in sports? The effects on players who participate in more violent sports for a sustained amount of time can be drastic. Should changes be made to improve the safety of sports players?

American football is certainly one of the most violent sports. The excitement of watching a team sack a quarterback, or hit an opposing receiver hard is almost unparalleled in other sports. However, what is the effect of these violent acts on the players? Various sources place the average life expectancy of a football player in the fifties, with several sources indicating 55 years of age as the specific average life span. While certain positions lead healthier lives than others, running backs, quarterbacks, and anyone playing on the offensive or defensive line sacrifice their health with every hit they take.

The modern NFL is full of 300+ pound men with increased speed and agility. However, despite being perceived as strong and healthy, these extreme body weights and fitness deteriorate quickly when a career ends. Players often continue to consume the same amount of nutrients as they did while playing, but often do not exercise as thoroughly, thus becoming increasingly overweight. The risk of heart problems and arthritis, an almost universal problem due to violence in sports, are high. The NFL has been changing its stance and is now more actively aiding retired and former NFL players in receiving medical care for their injuries. Programs are being implemented that will check up on players' health and attempt to study the health patterns they find in players. Nevertheless, these changes are being implemented slowly by the NFL. They are too late to help save the lives of players like Reggie White, the Hall of Famer defensive end who died in 2004 at the age of 43 from a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

Some critics of the violence in sports like football suggest more rules regarding the health and safety of players. Some believe that a weight maximum in football of 275 would curb a lot of injuries due to heavy hits and discourage the trend among teams of recruiting increasingly bigger, stronger, and faster players. It might also prevent the epidemic of sports scandals related to steroid use.