Dec. 14, 2024 – 3 AM PT
To the editor: Sociology professors Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva raise some valid points about the contradictory nature of shaming college football players for getting into on-field fights. Reflecting on my own experience, when I was a graduate student at the University of Michigan, I taught a science course during the summer. That’s when I was asked to tutor a football player who had to leave my fall class due to an injury sustained on the field. As we worked together, I noticed he struggled to concentrate for more than 20 minutes at a stretch.
Back then, I had a lot of admiration for the tactics used in the game, but that experience opened my eyes to the fact that football is predominantly about sheer brute strength. The widespread popularity of the sport often masks the long-term damage it can cause. I’ve since stopped being a fan.
Margaret Hamilton, Portland, Ore.
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To the editor: I appreciate The Times for once again highlighting the disturbing statistics about brain damage and Parkinson’s disease affecting former football players. However, these alarming figures haven’t curbed involvement in the sport, except among parents who manage to keep their children from joining.
Yet, the authors’ harsh critique of football misses a couple of key points. First, it’s too simplistic to entirely dismiss the sport because it overlooks the positives of competitive athletics, like instilling discipline, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Second, the authors fail to recognize efforts by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and dedicated coaches. These groups acknowledge the issues and strive to nurture young athletes responsibly.
Players are now aware that “targeting,” or making excessive forcible contact, leads not just to yard penalties but also to ejection. Unsportsmanlike actions can lead to critical game penalties. The NCAA cares, and so do most coaches — brawling is indeed a blemish on the sport.
Louis Lipofsky, Beverly Hills
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To the editor: Calling out the hypocrisy over college football brawls — in a sport soaked in violence — seems rather obvious, doesn’t it? Especially considering how each player is protected head to toe in gear designed precisely to shield them from harm. It’s hard to imagine any serious injury stemming from a brawl on the field.
Let me save you the suspense: it likely never happens.
William P. Bekkala, West Hollywood
