Hard Hitting American Football

IN AMERICAN FOOTBALL, current concussion concerns collide head on with the American people's deep devotion to violence, which sells better than anything here in the American fun house, except sex. How we relish our hard hits. For those under fifty, I can assure you that football is equally exciting with regular old blocking and tacking. But the harder the hits, the greater the profit margin, which is everything. No matter how many concussions, we aren't going to give up hard hitting with hard helmets, unless we the people rise up and insist on it, which hardly seems likely; its too entertaining, too profitable. I vaguely remember the cover of Sports Illustrated, in I think late December 1964, with much of the Cleveland defense wrapped around Packer running back Jim Taylor, everyone covered with mud, all heads up. Nobody trying to use his head to tackle, everyone arm tackling. Taylor surging ahead for another few inches, after a good gain, about to be brought down - you could tell all this by looking at the picture. Its hard to imagine this kind of picture at all now; the heads would be down, the tacklers driving through the ball carrier, violently. The style of football being played is undoubtedly a definite indication of broader cultural values, and an indicator of widespread anger and violent tendencies throughout american society, and tapping into them for profit. Surely there are numerous psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists, even now, checking into it. Let's hope they come up with some answers before half the NFL and college players are out with injuries. Profit's what pro football's all about.The billionaire owners care little about player injuries or the fans, except insofar as they can profit from them.for decades the perpetual epidemic of football concussions was ignored, or covered up. American pro football teams move from city to city like traveling circuses, seeking the most financial gain, leaving bitter, disappointed fans behind. We football fans of America could unite, and demand that the number of NFL franchises be doubled, and that ticket prices, player salaries, and violent injuries be cut in half, or more. Remember, its just a game. or at least, it used to be.