Is Pro Football Immoral?

[Era Might]

Is professional football a moral profession? There are some sad stories of the physical toll it takes on players: the concussions, the need to maintain excessive weight, the long-term health problems after retirement:

[quote]The amazing athletes of the National Football League -- bigger and stronger than ever before -- are dying young at a rate experts find alarming, and many of the players are succumbing to ailments typically related to weight.

The heaviest athletes are more than twice as likely to die before their 50th birthday than their teammates, according to a Scripps Howard News Service study of 3,850 professional-football players who have died in the last century.

Most of the 130 players born since 1955 who have died were among the heaviest athletes in sports history, according to the study. One-fifth died of heart diseases, and 77 were so overweight that doctors would have classified them as obese, the study found.

The bone-crushing competitiveness of professional football is spawning hundreds of these behemoths -- many of whom top the scales at 300 pounds or more -- and the pressure to super-size now extends to younger players in college and even high school.

[url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2313476"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2313476[/url][/quote]
[quote]NFL players who endured at least three concussions are three times more likely to suffer from depression than a player who had none, according to the University of North Carolina's Center for the Study of Retired Athletes.

In a self-report survey of 2,552 retired NFL players over a period of four years, the center demonstrated a sharp increase in risk of depression with three concussions.

Twenty percent of the 595 players who remembered having at least three concussions were clinically diagnosed with depression later in life, compared with 10 percent who recalled one or two concussions. Almost 7 percent of those with no concussions were diagnosed with depression.

...

"It appears that depression, just like MCI [mild cognitive impairment] is a sequelae, or aftereffect, of having multiple concussions while playing football," said Bailes, who heads the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University's school of medicine and is the third author of the depression study. "So it appears to me there also may be a threshold number."

[url="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-sp.concussions01jun01,0,5411157.story?coll=bal-sports-football"]http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/footbal...sports-football[/url][/quote]
[quote][Earl Campbell] insists his ailments -- most recently bone spurs in his back that required surgery, a monthlong stay in the hospital and rehab three days a week -- are more likely the result of bad genetics than football. In eight seasons in the NFL, he missed only six games because of injuries.

"I broke a finger one time, and broke ribs maybe," he said.

But his Heisman mates aren't so sure. They remember the human battering ram in a helmet and shoulder pads and see a proud man physically struggling for years now.

At a time when Congress is conducting hearings on whether the NFL should have a stronger pension and disability system for former players, they see the 52-year-old Campbell as yet another example of the violence in football and the wreckage it can leave behind.

"That was the biggest, baddest big man running I ever saw," said Tony Dorsett, who won the Heisman at Pitt in 1976, a year before Campbell did. Campbell considers Dorsett his best friend among the Heisman winners.

"But it doesn't matter how big and strong you are," Dorsett said. "Over a period of time, the game wins."

Even Dorsett, who looks fits and trim at 53, says he has aches and pains and occasional numbness in his hands he attributes to leftovers from his days in football.

The game clearly takes a different toll on different players

Archie Griffin, who won two Heismans at Ohio State in 1974-75 looked like he could almost play today as he moved easily around a reception Thursday night.

"He's an example of what can happen playing that game. He's paying the price," Griffin said of Campbell. "I feel very, very fortunate. When I was in pro ball, I didn't carry the ball as much. When I look back on it, you're thankful you didn't carry it 30 times a game in a 16 or 20 game schedule. I count my blessings."

At Texas and playing for Houston and New Orleans in the NFL, Campbell was known as "The Tyler Rose," a delicate nickname that belied 5-foot-11, 232-pound frame of pure muscle and power.

His bullish running style created a career full of highlight film clips of him crushing defenders who dared try to tackle him one-on-one.

"I used to tell Earl `Why don't you let one man get you down sometimes?"' Dorsett said. "That wasn't his thing."

Asked why he didn't do that, Campbell dismisses the question with a look.

Campbell won the Heisman in 1977, rushing for 4,443 yards and 41 touchdowns in his college career. He exploded into the NFL with four consecutive seasons of 1,300 yards or more, the high point coming in 1980 when he ran for 1,934 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Campbell clearly prefers not to talk about his condition. He even talks about playing golf again in the fall, something he hasn't done in six years.

Yet arthritis in both hands make it difficult for him to open a candy wrapper or a tin of smokeless tobacco, let alone grip a golf club. And when he's had enough of the walker, an assistant keeps a wheelchair a few feet away.

[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-earlcampbell&prov=ap&type=lgns"]http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-e...p&type=lgns[/url][/quote]
Obviously, not all former professional football players have grave conditions, although many have at least aches and pains. But is the risk morally licit, particularly for the huge linemen who have to keep up their weight if they want to keep their jobs? The other major risk is concussions and long term brain damage. From the medical perspective, smashing your head into other human beings for years with the intensity that professional football requires can't be a good thing. Again, not that every player (or even most) will have a horror story after they retire, but from a moral perspective, is that risk legitimate, particularly if you have a family?

[abercius24]

You know, I don't think I can blame the players here, but the sports industry is definitely using football like a meat grinding machine. Frankly, the whole chemical and steroid industry is turning sports into a form of self-destructive gladiator matches. I really fear for atheletes' lives today.

[Sojourner]

If loving the Colts is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

[jeffpugh]

This is a good topic. I don't have much input on this, since football isn't the craziest thing going in Canada, though we have highschool and college teams and stuff. But, All I can say is that the people chose the job. They know the risks. They've played for years. They should know when to throw in the towel.

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
8/20 - St. Bernard of Clairveaux
[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1365068' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:26 PM']If loving the Colts is wrong, I don't wanna be right.[/quote]
Amen.

A few decades ago, there was a big to-do in Europe because the French bishops condemned Spanish bullfighting on the basis that it was cruel to the animal and too risky for the [i]matador[/i]. The Spanish bishops turned around and condemned French auto-racing for the same reason (risk).

I'm not convinced that any of these things is immoral, though perhaps bullfighting is. Auto-racing and professional football, though...men know what they're getting in to, and crippling injuries are pretty much at a minimum. I don't see the big issue.

[Era Might]

I agree that football players know what they are getting into. My question is whether it is moral to take that risk. I'm not talking about the "system" of professional football, but from the personal side, these players are human beings. I think the two main issues to consider are 1) The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and does professional football respect our duty to take care of our bodies, and 2) If they have a family, is the potential toll of football too much of a risk.

[Norseman82]

Getting out of bed in the morning is a risk, let's all stay under the covers.

[Era Might]

Here's a realistic example:

You have a concussion. You're in the middle of the game. You don't want to let your teammates down, and if you do have a concussion you may be placed on the injured list and miss more games. You are supposed to be a "tough guy" so your instinct is to get back into the game.

Is it moral to do so, at the risk of your health and exacerbating that concussion?

[fides quarens intellectum]

thanks for posing such a good question. i have wondered about the same thing regarding professional boxers.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Norseman82' post='1365170' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:45 PM']Getting out of bed in the morning is a risk, let's all stay under the covers.[/quote]
Yes it is, but getting out of bed and banging your head against the wall, for example, are two different kinds of risks. If someone banged their head against the wall 100 times a day, it's not the same kind of act as getting out of bed. One is healthy, the other is not. You may injure your brain getting out of bed (something may fall on it), but by banging your head against the wall, you are exposing yourself to a direct risk rather than a theoretical risk.

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Era Might' post='1365171' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:45 PM']Here's a realistic example:

You have a concussion. You're in the middle of the game. You don't want to let your teammates down, and if you do have a concussion you may be placed on the injured list and miss more games. You are supposed to be a "tough guy" so your instinct is to get back into the game.

Is it moral to do so, at the risk of your health and exacerbating that concussion?[/quote]
In this case, I think it's pretty much crossing the line. Worsening the case is really bad, especially when the risks just got higher with the initial concussion. As much as it's being a man to face your wounds, it takes more of a man to say, "I can't do this". You sorta gotta consider that the game is effected by being incapacitated, too. If a fresh guy can get on the field (one that is NOT suffering a head injury), then let him get out there. Just my opinion for the last bit though. I'm not really savvy about player stats.

[abercius24]

[quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1365209' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:54 PM']In this case, I think it's pretty much crossing the line. Worsening the case is really bad, especially when the risks just got higher with the initial concussion. As much as it's being a man to face your wounds, it takes more of a man to say, "I can't do this". You sorta gotta consider that the game is effected by being incapacitated, too. If a fresh guy can get on the field (one that is NOT suffering a head injury), then let him get out there. Just my opinion for the last bit though. I'm not really savvy about player stats.[/quote]

There is also the whole problem with the influence of professional gambling in football, too. When you get that far into the football system, there are people who expect you to win, or bad things begin to happen to you and your family. You don't get that far without loosing your right to self-ownership. That's the way things work in the U.S. You quit without a "good" reason and people will come back to you expecting you to pay back their investment in you.

[Era Might]

[quote name='Sacred Music Man' post='1365209' date='Aug 20 2007, 10:54 PM']In this case, I think it's pretty much crossing the line. Worsening the case is really bad, especially when the risks just got higher with the initial concussion. As much as it's being a man to face your wounds, it takes more of a man to say, "I can't do this". You sorta gotta consider that the game is effected by being incapacitated, too. If a fresh guy can get on the field (one that is NOT suffering a head injury), then let him get out there. Just my opinion for the last bit though. I'm not really savvy about player stats.[/quote]
Also, there is then the long term consideration. From the article I posted above:

[quote]"It appears that depression, just like MCI [mild cognitive impairment] is a sequelae, or aftereffect, of having multiple concussions while playing football," said Bailes, who heads the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University's school of medicine and is the third author of the depression study. "So it appears to me there also may be a threshold number."[/quote]
As you said, by going back in the game you risk worsening the problem. But even if you leave the game, whenever you return to playing football you are risking more concussions which may also worsen the problem with long term effects.

[jeffpugh]

Yeah, I never thought about the whole betting thing. I've heard stories. It's terrible. There is no way to control people who go insane and go to collect from their player because they invested their life savings in a game.. it's sad... cause there is nothing one can do about a raging "loser" with a gun in his hand... Police can't be at the player's home 24/7

[adt6247]

My reasoning is that simply playing isn't immoral, but some optional actions involved could be.

Illegal drug use is obviously immoral.

Gaining the weight you need by eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods which are likely to cause early death isn't likely a good idea. Obesity, however, isn't a sin. G.K. Chesterton and St. Thomas Aquinas were rather obese.

People in plenty of professions have aches, pains, and sometimes permanent injuries. It used to be common for locomotive engineers to lose a finger. My dad has back problems from his upholstery business. I'm likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, and my eyes keep getting progressively worse from my profession. This is a reality of life.

Playing with a concussion, however, is likely not morally feasible. That is somewhat extreme. However, it could be a moral choice. If you honestly believe you will get cut from your team for not playing with a concussion, and you are operating under the assumption that you have to make your entire lifetime's earnings in the 6-12 years you play pro football, and you want to raise a family, it could be a moral choice.