It started out as a very dangerous sport. Changes were made, but a historically dangerous spartan attitude persists.
snip
...
The refocusing of interscholastic athletics that DeWitt called for did not occur. Instead, for decades, the hazards of football provided not only entertainment appeal, but also prominently featured in coaches’ justifications of the sport’s moral benefits. The “bumps and bruises” of football were characterized as inherent to the game and even as crucial to a team’s success.Reference Parseghian16 College administrators and policymakers did not mandate national protocols to prevent injuries. Instead, persistent narratives that relatively young, healthy athletes could and should overcome the hazards of competitive athletics contributed to the absence of more rigorous safety protections for athletes. In a culture that celebrated “knocking heads” as wholesome for football players, a “Spartan attitude” predominated and policies to minimize the physical risks were not prioritized.
...
Comments