Questions: How fickle can humans be? How regularly do we sidestep our personal convictions?
Answer: Whenever it’s convenient.
Sometimes we’re the only victim of this internal dishonesty. We vow to eat sensibly and exercise regularly, then faster than it takes for a dozen Krispy Kremes to fry, we’re binge-watching old episodes of “Cheers” and doing serious damage to a party-size bag of Doritos.
But the conundrum I face this time of year is different. It’s the real chance that something I do with zeal ultimately causes the slow, agonizing death of another human being.
I am not alone. In fact, I’ve got mega millions of coconspirators. Together, we encourage the blood sport of 21st century gladiators.
Also known as football players.
Football has always
been a violent game. There have always been injuries, some permanent. Having engaged (quite ineptly) in the sport throughout high school, I’m limping proof. So was my father, except his injuries came in college.
But as medical research proves more conclusively every year, the greatest danger manifests itself long after the game clock expires.
I’m talking about CTE: chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive, degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries and repetitive brain trauma.
According to a recent report in the prestigious British Medical Journal, at least 25% - likely closer to 50-60% - of players who participated in at least one NFL game during their careers and died between 2016 and 2021 were suffering from CTE.
Obviously, there’s a good dose of statistical extrapolation in this study. The only way to accurately diagnose CTE is by post-mortem examination of a person’s brain.
But this much is certain: Boston University has an ongoing program for former players who make pre-death arrangements to have their brains contributed to science. Thus far, 330 have been examined. Of those, 93% had CTE.
Even more frightening: Many medical researchers suspect this damage begins and builds during youth leagues, high school and college, long before a handful of the more skilled players turn pro.
There’s much more to be learned, of course, not only with football but soccer, hockey and other sports involving head and neck exposure.
In the meantime, we discourage our children and grandchildren from participating yet faithfully attend their games. We grimace at CTE numbers, then crowd into stadiums and around TVs to watch the action, all the while generating billions of dollars to aid and abet the mayhem.
Isn’t this profoundly hypocritical?
Yep. Guilty as charged.
Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Talkin’ the talk and walkin’ the walk are always poles apart | Venable
