WWTBAM Bored

Is it immoral to consume violent entertainment that can result in dire, even deadly consequences for its participants? Is it immoral to cheer for a dazzling show knowing it could cause its stars to develop dementia or memory loss or depression?

That is to say, is it immoral to watch football?

In a punchy new manifesto, New York Times bestselling author Steve Almond argues that it is.

“This book is partly an attempt to say, 'Something is off here,'” Almond said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “Why is our most popular form of entertainment this unnecessarily violent, degrading spectacle that churns through the players who play it?”

Full story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/0 ... 18939.html

I read the article (not the book, though), and I have to agree with this:

He says people who believe the game can’t change are simply cynical. “That is what people always say," he said. "Moral progress is inconvenient. It requires people taking stock of their own behaviors and making inconvenient decisions that are hard in the short term and beneficial in the long term. America as a rule sucks at it but can be very good at it when sufficiently roused.”

Changes have been made and will continue to be made. Houston's DJ Swearinger hit Wes Welker on the helmet and drew a penalty, not to mention the well-publicized "taunt" from Peyton Manning, who called the $8,200 fine "money well spent." Yeah, yeah, it coulda been $82,000 and never made a dent in Peyton's bottom line.

The money is unbelievable. And that's why things will change. Controls over head to head or shoulder to head hits will continue to tighten up. Parents all over the country are refusing to sign permission slips for football because they want their sons in soccer instead. That will continue, to the long-term detriment of the NFL, until the NFL can show that the chances of those sons emerging from NFL careers with their brains intact are much better than the chances they'll emerge as blithering idiots.

Y'all have seen me rail against fracking in the past. It was a short-term benefit to corporations to remove fracking from the purview of the Clean Water Act, but in the long term, when more and more groundwater is poisoned by fracking fluids, gazillion dollar lawsuits will assure tighter controls or an end to the practice.

SportsFan68 wrote:I read the article (not the book, though), and I have to agree with this:

He says people who believe the game can’t change are simply cynical. “That is what people always say," he said. "Moral progress is inconvenient. It requires people taking stock of their own behaviors and making inconvenient decisions that are hard in the short term and beneficial in the long term. America as a rule sucks at it but can be very good at it when sufficiently roused.”

Changes have been made and will continue to be made. Houston's DJ Swearinger hit Wes Welker on the helmet and drew a penalty, not to mention the well-publicized "taunt" from Peyton Manning, who called the $8,200 fine "money well spent." Yeah, yeah, it coulda been $82,000 and never made a dent in Peyton's bottom line.

The money is unbelievable. And that's why things will change. Controls over head to head or shoulder to head hits will continue to tighten up. Parents all over the country are refusing to sign permission slips for football because they want their sons in soccer instead. That will continue, to the long-term detriment of the NFL, until the NFL can show that the chances of those sons emerging from NFL careers with their brains intact are much better than the chances they'll emerge as blithering idiots.

Y'all have seen me rail against fracking in the past. It was a short-term benefit to corporations to remove fracking from the purview of the Clean Water Act, but in the long term, when more and more groundwater is poisoned by fracking fluids, gazillion dollar lawsuits will assure tighter controls or an end to the practice.

I hope you're right.

Soccer has lots of concussions too.

Next up: The Moral Case Against The Space Program

themanintheseersuckersuit wrote:Next up: The Moral Case Against The Space Program

What about the moral case against government provided welfare? It has damaged a much larger part of our society than football. And that damage is longer lasting.

Next up: The Moral Case Against The Space Program

As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

Bob Juch wrote:

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

The bulls weren't participating of their own volition. And they had no union. Or sneaker contracts.

I like watching football and will continue to do so.

I will also continue to watch and enjoy watching Son1111 play football.

He started on Saturday. Played the whole game on offense except for one series of downs.

Go Monarchs!

Bob Juch wrote:

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

As a control group how did most bulls who were not chosen for bull fighting make out?

themanintheseersuckersuit wrote: As a control group how did most bulls who were not chosen for bull fighting make out?

I think many of them went on to have successful legal and political careers. The control group exhibited a higher than average ability to generate large amounts of BS, a valued attribute in the those professions.

Bob Juch wrote:

Is it immoral to consume violent entertainment that can result in dire, even deadly consequences for its participants? Is it immoral to cheer for a dazzling show knowing it could cause its stars to develop dementia or memory loss or depression?

That is to say, is it immoral to watch football?

In a punchy new manifesto, New York Times bestselling author Steve Almond argues that it is.

People have been making the moral case against boxing for over a century and what's happened?

We've now "graduated" to Mixed Martial Arts.

themanintheseersuckersuit wrote:

Bob Juch wrote:

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

As a control group how did most bulls who were not chosen for bull fighting make out?

I'll ask Ferdinand.

silverscreenselect wrote:

Bob Juch wrote:

Is it immoral to consume violent entertainment that can result in dire, even deadly consequences for its participants? Is it immoral to cheer for a dazzling show knowing it could cause its stars to develop dementia or memory loss or depression?

That is to say, is it immoral to watch football?

In a punchy new manifesto, New York Times bestselling author Steve Almond argues that it is.

People have been making the moral case against boxing for over a century and what's happened?

We've now "graduated" to Mixed Martial Arts.

But MMA is just as phony as wrestling. Boxing is much safer than it used to be.

themanintheseersuckersuit wrote:

Bob Juch wrote:

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

As a control group how did most bulls who were not chosen for bull fighting make out?

They had a lot of sex.

BackInTex wrote:

Bob Juch wrote:

Jeemie wrote:As people become more informed, they are making their own choices as to whether to participate or watch.

No need to turn it into a moral case. Football will live or die based on its ability to attract new players.

Just make sure the information flows freely so individuals can make their own choices.

That didn't work for bullfighting. It was public morality that caused changes in many countries.

The bulls weren't participating of their own volition. And they had no union. Or sneaker contracts.

Yes, but they were smarter than the average pro football player.

Bob Juch wrote: But MMA is just as phony as wrestling. Boxing is much safer than it used to be.

Tell that to Frankie Leal.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/98 ... ee-days-ko

silverscreenselect wrote:

Bob Juch wrote: But MMA is just as phony as wrestling. Boxing is much safer than it used to be.

Tell that to Frankie Leal.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/98 ... ee-days-ko

Correction: Boxing in this country is safer than it used to be. Still nothing is completely safe.

After week 1, there is a moral case against watching the Patriots.

I had the best record among everyone in the Bored Pick Em contest for Week 1. I say let the games continue... injuries be damned!

lb13

ESPN.com adds to the cause: