What, we want a sport where players crack their heads so often they live horrifying lives of diseased confusion. Is that so wrong??
I suppose next they’re going to outlaw school shootings!
this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
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Your comment makes it sound like “we” are a bunch of aristocrats who force people to play football against their will for our own entertainment.
They’re all playing of their own volition and are well aware of the risks. When you watch or read documentaries about players, they’re all extremely passionate about the game. It’s just like the guy from the free solo movie, or any other participant in extreme sports… they’re well aware that they’re doing unnecessarily risky things but they just can’t emotionally pull themselves away. The human mind can be that irrational sometimes.
Nobody said you have to like football but comments like yours are just unproductive and mean, especially for a science sub
are well aware of the risks
They are not. Even if they devotedly studied the effects for months, they would not be able to even catch a glimpse of how hellish it is to live it.
Nobody said you have to like football but comments like yours are just unproductive and mean, especially for a science sub
Quite a LOT of people have told me i have to like football. Seriously, it’s pretty dangerous to not “like” it in many situations. Football is a religion in many parts of the country that are, let’s say, not exactly known for being enlightened bastions of science.
I’d say I’m sorry it sounded mean, because it was a joke but seriously if you haven’t been body-slammed to the ground by a very large person, laughed at, and stepped on, you haven’t experienced the majesty of football. And that’s a scientific fact. I mean. Social science-wise. Which social sciences are - ow! - okay okay i’m leaving.
I would like to second the point that it can be, at the very least, socially dangerous not to like football. There are definitely times and places where being open about not liking it can be physically dangerous as well.
Anyway, it's only recently become common(? is it?) knowledge that football causes serious brain injury.
See this is why they should switch to death sports. You can't commit suicide if you're slaughtered in the arena.
Isn't there a link between CTEs and increased suicide rate.