My Kid? No Way: Ashley Fox on Health, Safety, and Football

The recent suicide of former NFL player Junior Seau, the “bounty” scandal with the New Orleans Saints, numerous lawsuits filed by current and former NFL players against the league, and a growing awareness of the long-term effects of concussions have all contributed to increased public attention on health and safety in football at all levels of play. This lively debate is conducted in print and broadcast media, in bars and lunchrooms, and on blogs and street corners. Ashley Fox is an NFL commentator for ESPN.com, where this column appeared in April 2012. 

Read it here: Fox, “Would You Let Your Son Play Football?”

1. Fox admits that some people may consider her hypocritical for professing her great love for football and adamantly declaring that she will never allow her son to play it. What do you think? Does she “come off as hypocritical”? Why or why not?
2. You may not be a parent yet, but imagine yourself in a parent’s shoes. The largest youth football organization in the United States, the Pop Warner program, has tackle football divisions for players starting at five years of age. Would you let your five-year-old play tackle football? Why or why not? At what age might you allow your child to play? What is your reasoning?  
3. Felisa Rogers’ essay (“How I Learned to Love Football”) in Chapter 17 of your text  discusses the social dimensions of football fandom. How might the current attention to health and safety issues affect Rogers’ ideas about the game? How might she respond to Ashley Fox? Imagine a dialogue between these two fans, whose histories and relationships with the game are different, yet they share a passion and appreciation for what football represents.
4. Fox states that the NFL is at a crossroads, and she cites recent statements by Troy Aikman and Kurt Warner as evidence. What do you think? Is the NFL at a crossroads? What should it be doing to address the long-term health risks for players? Write an essay in which you join the current debate and propose a course of action for the NFL. To develop your position, become deeply informed. Read and listen to an assortment of reports and commentaries in several media; in your essay, cite at least two sources with whom you agree and two whose positions you oppose. 

 

Comments

[Trieu Ly]

I agree with Ashley Fox! You can have the right to love watching and playing football, but allowing her son to play football is a different issue. Does she come off hypocritical? I don’t think so, because no mothers in this world want their children to get hurt.
I am not a parent yet, but I would not let my children to play football at age of five or ten. Flag football would work for the kids because it doesn’t require physical contact. I would only allow my children to play football when he’s fully mature and have passion about football. My reason for that because children’s body couldn’t resist many tackles or physical contact type of sports. Injury would affect the children in their future of playing sport.
Felisa Rogers did not grow up as a fan of sport. She might think football will be dangerous for children. I think they both don’t like to allow their kids to play football at young age. Because football is a “mascot” sport of the Americans; I think Rogers and Fox would give all their passion to talk about it; but allowing their kids to play “tackle” football? I don’t think so.
If it’s not dangerous, it won’t be football. Football requires strength, physical, fast and intelligence. Since the NFL too worries about safety of players, they have changed a bit of rules to make sure they are safe to play. Because that happened, many people start saying that this is not football any more. But I think the NFL has been doing right; that action will keep the Americans still have passion to love and play football.

[Minjian Yang]

1. No, I don’t think she come off as hypocritical. The reason is that she works as a NFL commentator for ESPN.com and she has written primarily about the NFL, chronicling the great games and iconic players, the epic successes and the crushing failures for the past decade. If she were hypocritical, she wouldn’t be a NFL commentator and focus on NFL events in last decade.
2. I won’t let my kids to play tackle ball until 16. I know how great football is for children but I worry about what will happen after football. As far as I know from this article, there are more concussions and lots of different things going on. Also, though there are a lot of players who say they leave the game unscathed, but there are more suffer keep in silence. I know football game is dangerous but I want to give the right to my child. They will make their own choice when they grow up.
3. Felisa Rogers might agree that NFL should pay more attention to health and safety issues. However, without safety and concussions issues, football is a great game. It builds confidence, promotes teamwork, build up body and fun. If NFL, or congress, fix the issue of player safety and concussions, football would be perfect. Ashley Fox does understand how great the game of football will be after the problem is fixed. Everything is going to be good if there is no safety and concussions problem.
4. Yes, I agree that NFL is at the crossroad. NFL needs to solve the issue of player safety and concussions as soon as possible.

Whether NFL at the crossroad or not?
These days some people said that NFL should pay more attention into player safety and concussions. Is there a connection between concussions and suicide, or say; is NFL player’s unusual death because of the brain disease? My answer is yes. In recent months, people talk a lot about Junior Seau. He was 43 years old and suicide at his home in San Diego. The day before he suicide, his families allow scientists to study his brain to figure out if concussions suffered him but he dead the next day unfortunately. Thus people are divided into two groups. One group said that NFL is OK. There is a study about football-related concussions reported in the journal Neurology looked at death certificates. Researchers noted that the study couldn’t prove that NFL players unusually prone to dying are from brain disease. Furthermore, Dr. Robert Cantu, claim that some of the deaths could be misdiagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), noting that the diagnosis requires a special chemical test of the brain after death. Another group, absolutely, disagree with them. Although seau wasn’t listed as having concussion injury in all his career years in the NFL, Anthony Alessi says it’s impossible. “ Usually the person who have concussion injury won’t report it because they don’t want to be kick out of the game.” He insisted. In addition, Sol Weiss said,” The NFL ignoring the risk of traumatic brain injures in games and misleading players by false information.” I want to indicate that NFL is a drastic game. Players dash and always have personal contact, which cause players injured. I think NFL at the crossroad and it really need some change.

[A.J.B.]

1. I don’t think Ashley Fox comes off hypocritical. She has covered the NFL for many years, knows the game very well, and loves it. That also means she knows the dangers of the game. She knows the brutality of the sport and the wear on a human’s body. She knows that many people suffer long after they’re done playing. Just like any mother who doesn’t want their child to get hurt, she shouldn’t get criticized for not letting her son play the sport.

2. I feel like the age 5 is too young to start playing this physical game. My son would just be starting kindergarten. He would not be old enough to understand the safety of the game (how to tackle/hit in a safe technique). Around the age 10-13, I feel is a safer age. He will be more mature than a 5 year old would be. At this age he would understand what is right and what is wrong when it comes to hitting someone else safely, ultimately protecting his well being for the future.

3. The current attention to health and safety issues may have little impact on Rogers’ ideas about the game. She views the social aspect of watching the game with other people (particularly her husband) higher than the game itself. She also didn’t grow up watching football and have a passion for it. So she may not care if new rules or safety regulation were added to the game. However, Rogers may agree with Fox about her child not playing the game.

4. The players of the NFL are faster, stronger, and bigger than ever before. This leads to big problems when it comes to health risks and players safety. As Hall of Famer Troy Aikman agrees the game has gotten a lot more dangerous since he played, is the game at a crossroads for player’s safety regulation? Many experts and analysis agree. Bob Marlino from PioltOnline.com, thinks the players don’t understand what’s at risk when it comes to player’s safety and how they play. That defensive player’s in particular are still leading with their heads. Tackling improperly will increase major health risks to both player’s. This is where the NFL needs to step in and protect the player’s of the game. Time is ticking away and hit after hit could lead to more problems for the future of player’s. As Angela Haupt from US.NEWS reports that NFL players are three times more likely to die from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease than the normal population. This number is increasing as more player’s are retiring. The NFL is increasing funds to research the health of retired players, but they need to do more than that. Commissioner Roger Goodell has increased rules around protecting the quarterback but he must do more for the other positions on the field. He should create fines and suspensions on the players who still “head hunt” and use their own helmet to strike another player’s helmet. This will lower the chance of head to head contact, which causes the most concussions. Along with every argument there are opposing sides to this issue. As Gill Brandt from NFL.com reports that the fans don’t want the game to change, because of the new rules. Which I agree with, but something needs to happen so we protect these player’s lives. The league is at a crossroad between player’s safety and the leagues integrity. Something is going to have to give.

[Trevor O]

1. I think she is a little hypocritical because she was talking about how she loved the game, but will never let her son play. I also think she has a good point because as a reporter she has seen many different injuries and how they affect the players in the long run. She is trying to be a good parent by protecting her kid from getting injured.

2. I would not let my 5 year old son play tackle football because, I feel like kids that young wouldn’t be able to comprehend how to play the game, and even tackle properly. Also if kids didn’t learn how to tackle properly, it would be hard to correct the issue when they get older, because it will become muscle memory. I think around 6th grade is when I would let my kid play, because they will be able to comprehend the game better and have more knowledge of how to play. I would definitely make them start out in flag football so they can learn how to play, that way when they play tackle not everything is new to them.

3. I think that Rogers would shy away from the game because it can be so dangerous. She hasn’t been around it enough to see what can happen during games. I think that Rogers would become more aware of the game and might dislike it because so many people get hurt playing. I believe that once Rogers realizes how dangerous the game is she will agree with what Fox has to say about the game, and not let her kids play.

4. I think the NFL is at a crossroads because it has former players saying that they would never let their kids play the game because it is so dangerous. As parents it would concern you that there is professional players who think that kids shouldn’t play football. The NFL needs to put in stricter rules to prevent dangerous hits from happening. They also need to get better equipment that helps to prevent concussions from happening. They should also spend more money on research so they can develop better equipment, and the NFL should spend more on former players that way they can get the help they need if they have any medical issues down the road.

[Devin Benson]

1. After devoting almost half of her life to the National Football League and now promising that her son will never see the field, it's pretty easy to see why Fox make come off "hypocritical." But I believe she's completely innocent and can easily see her point. After seeing players commit suicide, to the bounty scandal, I can't help but to support Fox's decision of not letting her son play. Hypocritical? Not at all.

2. As difficult as it is, I would choose not to let my son play tackle football until at least 12, maybe 13. Playing such a physical game at the age of five seems not only unsafe, but idiotic. i would be much safer knowing my son is at an appropriate size and mental stability.

3. Shockingly, I can easily see Rogers and Fox becoming great friends. One spending almost half of her life with the league, and one that saw a dramatic life changer because of that same league. Although Fox may have a deeper knowledge of the gruesome NFL issues, the pure love of the game is what I can see bringing these two together.

4. I don't necessarily see the NFL in a current crossroads, but I do see it in the near future. With that being said, the long-term stability of these athletes is at a much greater risk than the past. The NFL needs to step up their game and start taking responsibility for the beloved, yet failing league, whether that means sharpening consequences, lowering pay, or even immediate suspension. In that regard, I couldn't agree more with NFL insider Adam Schefter for delivering penalties in the recent Saint's Bounty Scandal. I also agree with Jeffri Chadiha who explained the reasoning behind NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the "gut punch" delivered by players on the lack of stricter rules and regulations. On the other hand, I dont quite agree with Sports Nation and ESPN insider Andrew Brandt on reporting that players have "won over" the NFL. Yes, Mr. Goodell could've been a little more harsh with players actions, but at the same time, these are grown men. Grown men should have the responsibility and aptitude to recognize what is acceptable and what is not.

[TGraves]

1. No, I don’t believe that Ashley Fox comes off as hypocritical. The fact that she doesn’t want her kids to play football is irrelevant to her love and passion for the game itself. She has covered the game for many years, and is very aware of the dangers that go along with playing it. It is no surprise to me that as a mom, Fox wouldn’t want her kids to be subjected to the kind of physical abuse football entails. She should not be judged poorly for not letting her kids play the sport.

2. No, I don’t plan on allowing my kid play tackle football until the age of ten. I think that five years old is to young to play in that physical of a sport. Also at the age of five the kids are still developing the skills of the game. I think it is more beneficial to focus on the fundamental skills at the younger age before the kids start to work on the hitting aspect of the game. By the age of ten I feel that kids have started to get a little bigger and are ready to take the next step if they are serious about football. For most kids at that age the physical part of the game still wont be vigorous, however, it would be beneficial to teach the kids proper tackling mechanics at a younger age. I believe ten years old is a good age to start.

3. Felisha Rogers would probably agree that football, because of how dangerous it is, should do something about the current health and safety of the players, particularly in the NFL. However, I don’t think that Rogers’ opinion on watching football and the sport in general would change. While Fox is interested in the game and everything that goes into it, Rogers seems to be more interested in the social aspect of watching the game with friends and it being a hot topic to talk about. I think Rogers would agree with Fox that she wouldn’t want her kids to play football. The dangers of the game I think would deter Rogers from allowing her kids to play, although I think she would watch and enjoy the sport with her family.

4. No, I don’t think the NFL is at a crossroads. Football is and always will be a physical game with dangers involved. That being said I think the league has taken a large step by increasing its concussion tests and enforcing players to pass them. Also by eliminating hits to the head it makes the game much safer. Helmet to helmet collisions still happen of course but, now that it is a penalty and if severe often times a fine, players will look for a way to avoid that type of a collision. This will help a lot but it will nowhere near eliminate permanent injuries in the game. The NFL needs to put more money towards the former players so they can get the best medical care and make sure they get enough treatment for their problems. Although there are still all these problems I still say the NFL is not at a crossroads. When a player walks out on that field they are aware of the risks they put themselves at yet they still go out to play because it’s what they love to do. The NFL is in no danger of ending and will have players fielding teams for many years to come.

[Ridge Sackman]

1. Rachel Fox proclaims her love for the game of football, but goes on to describe the dangers of playing it. Many may feel she is being hypocritical, and I would have to agree. She has an underlying bias towards the game and the rules making them difficult to separate. I support that she wants the best future for her child and that is why I believe her kid should have the say in if he wants to play football. The sport teaches young athletes many life skills that cannot be taught in school or at home.

2. It is often overlooked that football helps instill many essential core values that I would love for my children to have. If I were a parent I would not force my child to play football, it is ultimately his choice. The rules are changing and it is becoming a safer sport than the past, so I would be comfortable letting my son play. When it comes to age, I would allow him to participate when I know he is developed enough to hold his own.

3. After reading Felisa Rogers article, I hypothesize that her views would change
dramatically. She has already shown she is very judgmental. The news of the health concerns would impact her immediately if she ever gave birth to a son, because she knows that Rich would encourage him to play. I would predict that Rogers would tune into the games and still listen to Rich but would have an alternative view. If Fox and Rogers were to discuss football, they would have the same views. They both appreciate football, but Rogers would think like Fox and not want family members to be physically involved in, the so called, dangerous sport.

4. The NFL is at a crossroads, but it should not be. Can playing football really cause all of these lifetime conditions? It can be argued that hockey and rugby are equally as dangerous, but they fail to draw the amount of attention football has. Football seasons in which they play at most are twenty one games, almost half of any other sport. When debating on this subject many people overlook a third or fourth variable and follow the media. Has anyone ever thought that these athletes grew up in the 1950’s or 1960’s when a leather hat was protecting their brain? Technology has advanced since those times and now we have safe plastic padded helmets and improved medical technology. Many researchers too, are failing to look at other causes of the largely debated topic. Mike Fish, an investigative reporter for ESPN stated, “The brains the researchers are studying and analyzing are mostly the athletes who have committed suicide or are depressed and they are not studying the brains that have had concussions and lived healthy”. The athletes today get paid millions upon millions of dollars, and why? Because there are some dangers involved, just as jobs such as serving in the military, building bridges, and working on the pipeline; all which would replicate the same theory. In cases like these, wage composition makes up for personal risk. Many players will undermine the dangers when they are offered a few million dollars a year. Sherman Howard is eighty seven years old and played professional football for five years and he explains, “I’d be like everybody else if I was 22 years old and they offered me a contract for two and a half-million dollars, I wouldn’t be thinking of what’s going to happen to me in 20 years. I wouldn’t care about the future.” Overall everyone has the freedom to choose their career and play by the current rules, and football is no exception.

[K. Wolcott]

1. I do not agree with Ashley Fox, her opinion comes off a little hypocritically in the blog. Getting hit and hitting others is part of the game of football, whether they get hurt or not. In every sport there is possibility of getting injured, not just in the game of football. I played football growing up and had lots of fun. I will someday tell my kids stories about when I played football and my friends I made through it. I love football and recommend playing but some parents may be protective of their kids. There is always the option of playing flag football instead if parents are worried about injuries.
2. Personally I would not let my kid play at age five because at that level they need basic instructions on how to even play. I would start my kid in a flag football league until he was nearing the end of elementary school, that way my kid would learn the basic rules and be more comfortable with the game. This is similar to the process I went through when I was growing up so with a couple changes it may work to the athlete’s advantage.
3. She didn’t really like football when she was growing up. In fact, she hated the football and most all sports. Later, she ended up dating a big Falcons fan and eventually married a Packers fan so she started to pay a little more attention to the sport. I believe if Felisa found out about the current attention to health and safety concerns she may go back to how she was growing up, hating the sport. Ashley might be able to convince Felisa’s opinion because she doesn’t quite seem to have the full on passion for the game, even though Felisa cheers for the Packers.
4. I don’t think that the NFL is at a crossroads. It should be punishing people for unnecessary hits and it is currently fining players like James Harrison of the Pittsburg Steelers and others in the league. Also, if a player has signs of concussions in a game that person will be taken out of the rest of the game to be tested for a concussion and will not play another minute of that game. I believe the rules about helmet to helmet contact and the rule about spearing an opponent through face down contact are both intelligent rules. One new rule that the NCAA has established is on kickoffs, if the receiving player kneels down in the end zone they will start with the ball at the 25 instead of the 20. This rule was created to attempt to decrease the injuries on kickoffs, where players are most likely to get hurt. Most players are not purposely hitting players hard to injure others; defensive players are hitting the offensive players harder for the ball to come loose. Football is a very popular sport and is occasionally violent; with the addition of these regulations the sport may become safer for the athletes.

[Ssandbulte]

1. I do not think that Fox is hypocritical because loving the sport of football and allowing your child to risk his safety are two different things. Recent research finds a direct correlation between concussions and brain damage causing parents to reconsider their children playing football. The sport is evolving into a much faster more dangerous game and I agree with Fox in not allowing her son to play football. My opinion is that isn't hypocritical because you only have one brain and you should do the best to protect your child’s one brain from injury.

2. I would not let my child start playing tackle football at the age of 5 because I think it is too early in the development of the child’s brain to risk trauma which can ultimately cause damage to the brain. I would allow my child to play at the age of 12 because they would be older and more developed. I also believe the nature of the game would be slow enough that the risk of brain injury is low and the sport will be in an early enough stage that my child won’t be at a disadvantage of learning the sport.

3. I think Felisa Rogers’ wouldn’t be too adversely affected by the current attention to player health and safety issues because she loves the game of football for the comradery it provides its fans. The competitiveness of the NFL and the fact that all football fans have a common bond enlighten her. I feel Felisa Rogers isn’t as concerned about what the actual game entails and all the physicality involved. I think she would respond to Ashley Fox without complete understanding of how dangerous the game can be. I think Rogers’ wouldn’t have the same appreciation for the actual sport, but would still love football for what it means to her, comradery and playful competitiveness.

4. I believe the NFL is at a crossroads as Roger Goodell leads the innovation towards increased concern about player safety and their health after they leave the NFL. I think that the NFL should continue to advocate the true importance of player safety and continue strong donations towards brain damage research. In my opinion, the NFL should do everything within its power to maximize player safety. That way we the fans can continue to watch our beloved sport while the players remain safe.

[aurora Snow]

I for all time emailed this blog post page to all
my friends, for the reason that if like to read it after that my contacts will too.

[Gabriel Cardenas]

1. I do not believe that Ashley Fox comes off as hypocritical at all, because just like Trieu Ly responded to the article by saying, “You can have the right to love watching and playing football, but allowing her son to play football is a different issue.” No parent would want to see their child in pain, and agony for playing a sport. I do think that Fox should give her son a chance to play football since he will be growing up watching or hearing about football since his mother is the sport commentator for ESPN. Fox should let him experience it for himself if he ever desires to play the sport instead of just giving a flat out no.

2. I do not have a child, but I would let my child play tackle football at the age of five years old. The reason why I would let my child play tackle football at the age of five is because I am a coach for pop warner football, and the kids who start off at the age of five do not really tackle any one down. The kids just hang onto the player with the ball and end up being dragged down the field. Well from my experience from coaching at that age I have not seen any kid at the age of five actually tackle another player.

3. Felisa Rogers may agree with Ashley Fox about regulating new safety and health issues concerning the sport, but I feel as if the NFL has already done that and is continuing to do that. Rogers is only a fan of a certain player from one team while Fox commentates on every game and every team.

4. Yes, I do believe that the NFL is at a crossroads with the health risks of players. I also believe that the sport has changed a lot. Football in the NFL is not being played as it used to be due to the new regulations, there are more penalties being called during games than ever before.

[steven acevedo]

After reading Fox’s article, I have to disagree with some of the points she made. One statement Fox made was that the league should be 100 percent dedicated to dealing with concussions and retired players. I disagree with this because if the league were to devote all their efforts to concussions there would be a drastic change in the way the game is played. If the league put all their effort in dealing with concussions then they would have to stop football because at the pace that the game is played hits to the head are going to happen. Even with the new technology in helmets players can still suffer head trauma because of how strong and fast everyone on the field is. When it comes to retired players, the NFL should not be liable for their injuries because players decide to go out and play on their own will. Players play injured because of their love of the game or just to make their next paycheck. Trying to make football safe makes it a different sport. Football is supposed to be violent and dangerous. Coaches tell their players even from a young age that if they cannot handle playing football they can leave. If a player makes it to the NFL they have chosen to stay for the long run and know the consequences that are involved.
Another reason why I disagree with is Fox saying that they must do more for the punishment of the bounty scandals. I think that the bounty scandal punishment was excessive in the first place. The players and coaches that were part of the scandal suffered worse consequences than if they had taken steroids. If the NFL really wanted to crack down on the bounty scandals they would have interrogated every team. I think that if football wants to be free of bounty scandals people are going to have to start out at the lowest leagues such as Pop Warner and move up to high school and college and then look into the pros. I do not think it is fair to just punish professional players when it could be happening among young children.

[Thao Pham]

Ashley Fox’s article, “Would you let your son play football,” is indeed hypocritical. How can you love football and not let your son participate in it if he does wish to proceed into this sport. The NFL should not change how the game is played; only improve the equipment to better keep their players from concussions and serious injuries. A reason why so many people love and enjoy football is the violence. Fans enjoy watching their favorite team’s 275 pound linemen tackle the opposing team’s quarterback in order to stop the play and win the game. The game is surrounded by violence and every second that game-clock ticks, there is head-butting and hard tackling. But Fox’s question is: would I let my son play football? The answer is yes. I would allow my son to play because football is a sport that promotes team work, dedication, commitment and those are good qualities to be taught and learned. Just because I am their father does not give me the right to deprive my children of what they want and love to do, as long as it is not illegal. I would support them on their decision to play as long as it is not for something idiotic as fame and money. And to respond to the question if the NFL should be reliable for injuries suffered to their players and ex-players? I believe the NFL should be responsible unless otherwise stated in their contracts that long term effects are the NFL’s fault. If players are warned that injuries might arise, then that gives up responsibility from the NFL to the player. If he knew what he is getting himself into, then he should be responsible for it. Some of the players play football because they love the sport, some might play it because they have nothing else and playing a sport for a paycheck is the only thing they can get.

[Abbey Albrecht]

1) I do not think Ashley Fox is being hypocritical when it comes to whether her son will play football. Yes you can love watching the game and talking about it, but when it comes to your child things are different. I may love to watch motocross, but that does not mean I am going to let my child do it. The points she brings up and the issues that former players have had, in my opinion, are common reasons that any mother would not want their son to play football.

2) I am not a parent yet, but I would not let my child play tackle football at the age of five. I feel that being five is far too young to allow your child to be tackled or involved in that kind of physical contact. I would wait until the child was older and made sure their body was mature enough to deal with the physical activity. Starting too young could cause not only physical problems, but may make the child not enjoy the sport when they are older.

3) I think the current issues on health and safety would effect Rogers' ideas. She may love the game, but I think she would be concerned with her child playing tackle football due to some of the consequences. I think Fox and Rogers would have a great conversation about football because of the passion they share for the game, and I think they would both agree on how serious some issues players are facing after the game.

4) Yes, I think the NFL is at a crossroads. I do not think this is a problem that is going to get better on its own. Players are getting faster and stronger and will only continue to get worse as time goes on. Jermey Repanich from Sports Illustrated discusses that something has to be changed in order to make the game safer and I agree with him. NFL spokesperson Greg Aielo also stated "concussions are a serious business and they are taking the leadership position to bring awareness, education, and the best practices to addressing concussions." Although there are some groups that believe football is a great sport and should not be changed, and that in doing this would change the game forever. But I believe the oposite, I think that if we do not change something the sport that we all know and love will become one of the most hated and dangerous games in America.

[Bryan Ortega]

I would have to disagree with Ashley Fox saying that parents should not let their kids play football. I would definitely let my son play football when I become a parent. Even though I am aware of the risks and danger that come with football I would still let my son play. I love the sport of football. It is the greatest game in the world. If I never played football, I have no idea where my life would be right now. Football has taught me to be responsible, to work with other people, it gave me confidence, and it got me into shape. If my son were to say that he wants to play football, then I would not stop him. I would not ruin his dreams if he wished to become and NFL player. I would support him. I know the game would do the exact same things it did for me to him. The only thing I would try to do is show him, and make his coaches show him the safest way to play the game. If he is coached correctly and uses the techniques he is taught then the chance of him getting hurt would decrease tremendously. Even Kurt Warner and Troy Aikman said they would still let their sons play if they wanted to but they would just not recommend it. I would not force my son into doing something he does not want to do. I would let my son know all the dangers of football and let him make the decision on his own. The death of Junior Seau was very sad but it has not been proven yet that the reason for his death was in fact due to concussions and football related injuries. Even if the research does show that there was damage to the brain due to football that would still not be enough evidence to prove that, that was the reason he committed suicide. Football is a great sport. It builds character and teaches you things normal life could not. I would let my son play football any day.

[Lozano, Brian]

Lozano, Brian
English 103
Professor Greenberg
07 Aug 2013
The game of football in America has a few choices when it comes to dealing with head injuries in football. They can ban football from being played, or learn to handle the injuries that come with the sport by any means necessary. In a league where players are being played millions of dollars to play there should be no shortage of money being poured into research of head injuries. Many people play football on a daily basis and find a way not to get hurt, whether it is safe play, or it was just their lucky day. On the other hand you have players that leave the game with concussions, sometimes leading in long-term head injuries. Concussions are a result of the brain being jolted around in the skull. It can happen to somebody who simply bumped their head at home, but usually happens to football players during a big hit.
When a person decides to plat football at any level they need to recognize the fact that there is a possibility for injuries. If they decide to play anyways then they now have to deal with injuries that may result from the game. It is a lot like driving a car, everybody knows the possibility of getting into a car crash and dying, but it rarely ever stops anybody from driving. I have seen countless commercials of car companies that claim to have the safest car, with the most amounts of airbags. So if the game of football were to focus on safety as much as the car companies do then maybe parents could rest easier knowing their child wants to play football. I am not saying that football is bad or needs to change the rules, but rather, the players should give up a little of their wealth for their long-term health.

[Briana Oropeza]

After reading some of the responses to this article I would agree with one of the writers said that she is being hypocritical she is being honest. I do no have a kid to relate to what it feels like to be a mother. However, I have a younger brother that played pop warner football. Each game brought excitement and nervousness to my family. My brother was not a big guy at the time he was only a kid, but they go up against some boys that are much bigger than them size wise. It is clear to me that concerns would be very high because it is something that causes serious injuries. My brother played for 4 years and out of those years there were at least two injured boys that got hurt each season. The reason why she is being hypocritical is because if I put it this way what if she loved getting her nails done and pampering herself, but when it came down to not letting her daughter do it, would that not be hypocritical too? My family understood the risk factors by putting my brother in football, but because my dad enjoys the sport and wants him to play sports he let him do it. In some situations I would understand that it would not be right that a son would not play. Such reasons I would think that would be reasonable would be if the son is injured or has medical conditions. Furthermore, if football is loved in the family and it is constantly on I would assume a son would take interest in it just like his family. By not letting a child play sports or giving them a chance to it enables them to figure out their talents. It is the parents responsibility to offer the best for their children.

[Andrew Palm]

I don't believe that Fox was being hypocritical. She is around football all day and she knows the dangers of it. I know from experience about concussions that you don't want to show that you have one when your out there playing, because you will be taken out of the game and won't be able to play for a while. But Fox could find a safer league for her son to play in like a flag football league. There is a risk that you take when you play any sport. for instance I know that you can get a concussion in soccer when you hit the ball with your head. You can get them in basketball when you get elbowed, but football is definitely the most dangerous out of all of the sports.

[Kyle David Harris]

I think she is being hypocritical because she loves football but doesn't believe it is a safe sport especially for the younger crowds. So many injuries occur in this sport. She likes football but not the what consequences happen when you play. If I was a parent I would let my child play tackle football because it teaches many things at a young age. One being disaplopline. They will need to learn eventually, why not get them started young. You can't shelter your kid just based on being scared of getting hurt. I believe 10 is a good age to start playing competitive tackle football. I feel like they're conversation would be very heated. They would both express each of their views on the topic of tackle football. They each have separate opinions but love football. I think it is a crossroad. But that goes for all sports. You need to know the risks coming into it. It is dangerous. I believe they should advertise long term because pro athletes have a higher rate of long term affects. They play at the highest league. Teams should monitor head injuries a lot. Many players will try to play through it because they have that mentality but I believe teams should still show more awareness

[Joe Lopresti Sponsored by Flex Seal]

In the article, Fox talks about how she loves football and has covered it professionally almost her whole life as it is what she does partially for a living. However afterward she tells the reader why her kids personally will never play football. After bringing up numerous examples of NFL players having brain trauma and injuries at all levels Fox then elaborates on her points more specifically by talking about the major problems with concussions. One issue was with Junior Seau who killed himself due to mental issues caused by brain trauma from playing football. Although she doesn’t directly mention it in the article Fox is talking about CTE, where trauma to the brain causes permanent damage, she says 2 other big players fell victim to this as well. With that, the 1,500 football players suing she mentions, and the fact that this damage happens at all levels it’s no wonder Fox is saying she’s not going to allow her kids to play. Am I saying that she isn’t being hypocritical by doing this? No. She is being hypocritical but that’s not a bad thing in this scenario. The people playing football and her both know the risks of the sport and they both made their decisions on how they want to play. Everyone that has ever played football does it because they love the sport, they love the glory that it brings, and they love participating in America’s best sporting tradition no matter what the risk is.

[Joseph Lopresti Sponsored By Flex Seal]

In the article “Would You Let Your Son Play Football”, Fox talks about how she loves football and has covered it professionally almost her whole life as it is what she does partially for a living. However afterward she tells the reader why her kids personally will never play football. After bringing up numerous examples of NFL players having brain trauma and injuries at all levels Fox then elaborates on her points more specifically by talking about the major problems with concussions. One issue was with Junior Seau who killed himself due to mental issues caused by brain trauma from playing football. Although she doesn’t directly mention it in the article Fox is talking about CTE, where trauma to the brain causes permanent damage, she says 2 other big players fell victim to this as well. With that, the 1,500 football players suing she mentions, and the fact that this damage happens at all levels it’s no wonder Fox is saying she’s not going to allow her kids to play. Am I saying that she isn’t being hypocritical by doing this? No. She is being hypocritical but that’s not a bad thing in this scenario. The people playing football and her both know the risks of the sport and they both made their decisions on how they want to play, personally, if my kids ever wanted to play I would let them play football for that reason. Everyone that has ever played football does it because they love the sport, they love the glory that it brings, and they love participating in America’s best sporting tradition no matter what the risk is. The NFL is at a crossroads right now but I know that with the introduction of new rules and regulations that the NFL and other smaller leagues will follow suit.

[Sam R]

In the article “Would You Let Your Son Play Football”. Fox talks about how loves football and how she has made a career out of the love for the sport. However, as you read the article you will discover that as a parent Fox won't allow her kids play the sports she loves. I don't agree with Ashley Fox being a hypocrite because having a love for the sport and not allowing your loved one to play is completely different. No one wants to see their son get hurt and have to live their entire life with disabilities due to multiple concussions. Ashley Fox works as a an NFL Commentator for ESPN.com, and has spent her career writing about the NFL’s important players and legends. If she was hypocritical she wouldn’t even allow her son to watch the sport, let alone work for the NFL. I personally would allow my child to play football but not until the age of ten. Five is too early because their brains are barely developed, they are just now learning how to read and write in Kindergarten. I believe the proper age for a child to start playing tackle football would be 10 years old. Their brain would be a little more developed and they would be able to comprehend the rules and technique to play proper football. I believe Felisa Rogers would most likely agree with Ashley Fox that the NFL needs to pay more attention to health and safety issues. Football is a game that helps build confidence, helps athletes pay attention more to detail, promotes teammate, and helps athletes stay in shape. If the safety side was more advanced it would be perfect. The NFL is in a crossroads now, and if they don't fix the safety and concussion protocol ASAP they will be in a deep trouble. If former NFL players are saying they won't let their kids play Football due to health risks, what kind of future will the NFL have? More money towards research and safety precautions can help the future of the game.

[Alyssa Cowen]

Many kids aspire to become phenomenal football players. It is important to know the potential risks and consequences of being involved in a violent sport. Ashley Fox argues, the risks outweigh the benefits and tries to back up this stance using past NFL players’ opinions. In my opinion, I do not believe that the potential problems should stop someone and rule them out from pursuing their dream. Beginning your football hobby/career at a young age is extremely beneficial. This sport has an extremely positive impact on social and physical aspects of life. My cousin met his closest friends by playing peewee football at the age of 5. These same kids are the people he has his strongest bonds with today. They never let the possible dangers drag them out of playing a sport they love. Not every kid or teen or adult that plays football will get a concussion. A lot of things have changed since this article was written in 2012. Rules have been applied to high school, college, and NFL games regarding avoiding hits to the head. I believe that as the years pass, football will continue to become safer regarding possible concussions and head injuries. In summation, unlike Ashley Fox, I would let my son play football.

[Teddy Saenz]

In the article “Would you let your son play football?” presented by Ashley Fox, she tells us her idea of not letting his kids step on the football field because it is not safe, even though she says she has been in love with the sport for years. I honestly don't agree on what she is saying, I would let my kids play football. She also states the risk of playing this sport and mentions concussions very often. I am aware of it because I played the sport since I was very young, and I had a few injuries. I was also lucky that I never had a concussion, but getting hurt and having injuries is an outcome that happens in every sport. Is not like you wont get hurt playing a “safer” sport, football is not the only sport where you will get hurt, obviously it is one if not the most aggressive sport out. But just like in football, every other athlete playing soccer, basketball, lacrosse and more can end up having career ending injuries, and is not something we can control, it is just part of the sport. What happened to Junior Seau is nothing new for me, because something similar happened to wrestler Chris Benoit, and he did not play football, having a concussion can happen in every sport. Football is a great sport where you can build a character as a person, make long time friends and be disciplined. We shouldn't prohibit our kids if they are interested in doing something, especially in sports, because there is always the risk of getting hurt, it does not matter what sport is.

[Evan K]

Many people could say Ashley Fox comes off as hypocritical because she has a passion for football and loves to write about football as well, so why wouldn’t she encourage her son to play football? As Ashley Fox mentions in this article, “I love football. Always have. For the past decade, I've made a living writing primarily about the NFL, chronicling the great games and iconic players, the epic successes and the crushing failures. So I'm sure this will come off as hypocritical to some, but so be it: There is no way I'm letting my beloved boy play the game at any level.” As many would agree, including me, Ashley is not hypocritical about her son playing Football because she knows the dangers of football, and she is trying to protect her son from getting any serious physical injuries. Many people argue that kids should be able to start playing tackle football at the age of 5, and some say they shouldn’t be allowed to play until they are fully mature. If I was a parent and my little guy asked me to play football at the age of 5, I would have to decline his request politely, but not in definite because when he reaches age 10, then I will say yes. 5 is way too young especially because these younger kids haven’t completely developed and if they take a massive hit in this dangerous game it could affect them for the rest of their lives. At least at 10 years old, they have more of a concept of what the dangers are, and they are more developed to take hits from other kids their age.