College football is one of my favorite things about fall Saturdays. Sometimes my schedule doesn’t allow me to catch many games, and I go through withdrawl. That’s when I ask strangers to tell me the scores. I’ll eavesdrop on conversations and interrupt when any college football game is mentioned.
I’ve suffered through a couple such weekends. And I’ve gotten confused looks when I’ve asked for scores and inserted myself into conversations. But I survived to enjoy a relaxing college football Saturday, complete with an Illini victory, overtimes and great plays. The fake field goal for at TD that gave the Spartans a victory over Notre Dame in overtime may be the highlight of the day.
However, I’ve also seen an abundance of penalties. It’s early in the season, but sloppy play seems to be the norm so far.
I’ve also seen several injuries that could potentially be serious. I love watching football. And I cheer for hard hits. But I hate to see these guys get hurt — even if they play for a hated team.
One story I saw during College Gameday made the injuries even harder to watch. A Penn senior and team captain committed suicide last spring, devastating his teammates. But the autopsy showed evidence of brain trauma due to repeated impacts. The kid had never been diagnosed with a concussion, but as a linebacker, he administered plenty of hits during his football career. Could that have contributed to the mental instability that prompted his suicide? Possibly. And that’s disturbing.
I love college football. But it’s a game. The thought that dedication to the game could cause more than just bumps, bruises and early arthritis is scary. And that thought affected my enjoyment of today’s games. Though fans (myself included) applaud hard hits, playing through pain and fighting through tackles, I think we need to be aware of the long-term risks.
I wonder…should I really cheer the violence of the game? Should these boys establish clear limits for that the should endure? Or is the risk understood when you play at this level and beyond?
I doubt that much will change very quickly in the game. And I’m sure I will still enjoy games and Saturdays filled with college football. But I wonder if I should treat my withdrawl with other sports, like soccer or tennis or golf or something…
