With college bowl games being announced and the excitement of the national championship nearing, another exciting football season is wrapping up. For me, I am a tried and true fan. Every August, I fly my team’s flag and don’t take it down until the clock runs out during the final game of the season.
Whether it’s a high school game, college bowl, or NFL match-up, I can’t resist the thrills of first downs and touchdowns. But every time there’s a hit or player down on the field, I can’t help but consider the negative health effects the game has on its players. In recent years, talk of head injuries and long-term brain damage has entered the national dialogue, and rightfully so. Concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have become common terms synonymous with America’s most loved sport.
Ask anyone if brain injuries are a good thing and you are certain to receive a response of negation. Yet ask if tailgates, team cheers, and game watches should be eliminated and the same response of negation is sure to be given. As I recently watched my alma mater play for the conference title, I contemplated this conundrum. How can fans enjoy the fun of football season while supporting the health of players? Is it wrong to so ardently enjoy a game that is known to cause severe injuries? What does it take to be a responsible football fan?
The first thing that we, as fans, can do to support the players we cheer for every fall is to educate ourselves on the current climate of the game. A quick Google search is all it takes to learn about the dangers of the sport and the lifelong health issues that plague many former players. I encourage every football fan to spend ten minutes reading about the adverse health effects of football.
The next step is to advocate for positive change within the game. We may not all be able to dial up the Commissioner of the NFL, but we can use the platforms at our disposal. It takes mere seconds to post a status update on social media. Use hashtags like #FootballTBI, #SafeFootball, and #HealthyFootballPlayers to encourage dialogue about the need to protect players and make positive changes to the game that will eliminate brain injuries and major health complications. You can even promote yourself as a #ResponsibleFootballFan to encourage others to join the movement.
If you wish to extend advocacy beyond social media, write to your local and state lawmakers and encourage them to enact policies that will protect athletes from detrimental injuries. You can also write to the governing bodies of football organizations like the NFL and NCAA. If you are affiliated with a youth league, after-school program, or school, advocate for the safety of the sport’s youngest players.
Fans are the driving force behind the multi-billion dollar empire that is American football. We are a force to be reckoned with, and now it is time that we stand up for the health of the players we cheer for every season. You don’t have to pack up your tailgating tent or fan jersey because of the dangers that exist for players; However, being a responsible football player requires a dedication to the health of the players that is as strong as the dedication to cheering for a first down. As fans, we must educate ourselves and our fellow fans, and then we must hold the governing bodies of football accountable for the safety of every player.
Every time I put on my team’s colors, I will be a #ResponsibleFootballFan. Will you?
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