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[OrlanisWorks]

Oooh yeah. Definitely. Enjoying a sport with a lot of terrible people involved, whom make millions in just a couple years, yeah.

And this season is also probably the most boring season I've ever seen in my football watching lifetime. Still watch a few games each week though.

 

[Gonzalez]

Watch a game listening to a Brazilian radio broadcast. It's guaranteed. lol

It'll just be the Brazillian version of this...
http://youtu.be/qjp1Zrvn8VQ

 

[radioactivez0r]

I gave up on the NFL gradually. Goodell's decision making and the overall lack of shame from the owners on who they hire did it in for me. I never really felt guilty, just extremely disappointed in something I used to adore.

This is closer to where I am. I don't feel guilty for watching the game in terms of player safety, but I am more and more conflicted about supporting an organization that looks to make as much money as possible regardless of how it affects the players and the fans, and seems to be above accountability almost totally.

Basically, I love football, I am starting to despise the league, as others have said.

 

[superdeluxe]

Nope.

 

[Gonzalez]

Is that ballerina having fucked up feet going to cause her to kill herself or someone else at 40?

Don't some ballerinas battle bulimia due to the pressures of staying in shape?

 

[richiek]

I've definitely curtailed my consumption of watching NFL games now due to the CTE and domestic violence stuff. I realize I'm in the minority on this.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Don't some ballerinas battle bulimia due to the pressures of staying in shape?

yes, actresses, models, singers, even regular people with disorders do too.

 

[teruterubozu]

Not guilt but boredom. The older I get the less sports I watch. The winners may change every year, but the game essentially stays the same. Just reading the box scores in the newspaper is good enough for me these days.

 

[captive]

From the downplaying of CTE and incidents of domestic abuse to the phony Pink October campaign, yes. Absolutely.

I still watch though.

why does the NFLs dishonesty about the breast cancer stuff make you feel guilty? Your not the one doing it.



I do not feel guilty, these are grown men making grown man decisions, yes the NFL lied but there have been players that left the game because of concussions and how they thought they would affect them, Steve Young and Troy Aikmen come to mind.

They are also getting paid a handsome sum, however, players need to be more responsible with they're money. You can lead a horse to water and all that though.

 

[Gonzalez]

yes, actresses, models, singers, even regular people with disorders do too.

But it tends to start at an early age for athletes like figure skaters, and Ballet performers. Should we feel guilty about that as well?

 

[Ninja Scooter]

But it tends to start at an early age for athletes like figure skaters, and Ballet performers. Should we feel guilty for that as well.

If their coaches push them into it then yes. The difference is that with football it is fundamentally inherent to the game to clash your head and body into another human being in a way that is unhealthy, and people start doing this at the age of 10. These guys are playing the game "the right way" and still destroying their brains. I'm fine with the "they're adults they make those decisions!" argument if we get rid of football at the peewee, high school, and hell even college level (there is something ironic about making guys play for free, while others make billions, on the promise that they are getting a free education while destroying their brains in the process). Treat the shit like smoking then. If someone is 35 and develops lung cancer from smoking yeah none of us feel bad for them, right? They knew the risks. They're big boys. They need to take responsibility. But if someone was pushed into smoking at the age of 10, and pushed to continue smoking all through high school and college and are not 35 year olds dying of lung cancer, you don't feel at least a little bit bad?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

why does the NFLs dishonesty about the breast cancer stuff make you feel guilty? Your not the one doing it.

I'm supporting it by watching games, buying merch and products advertised during games.

 

[JustenP88]

College football, yes. NFL, not so much.

 

[Gonzalez]

If their coaches push them into it then yes. The difference is that with football it is fundamentally inherent to the game to clash your head and body into another human being in a way that is unhealthy, and people start doing this at the age of 10. These guys are playing the game "the right way" and still destroying their brains. I'm fine with the "they're adults they make those decisions!" argument if we get rid of football at the peewee, high school, and hell even college level (there is something ironic about making guys play for free, while others make billions, on the promise that they are getting a free education while destroying their brains in the process). Treat the shit like smoking then. If someone is 35 and develops lung cancer from smoking yeah none of us feel bad for them, right? They knew the risks. They're big boys. They need to take responsibility. But if someone was pushed into smoking at the age of 10, and pushed to continue smoking all through high school and college and are not 35 year olds dying of lung cancer, you don't feel at least a little bit bad?

Stop comparing Football to drinking, and smoking. You can't billed a career out of drinking, and smoking.




Although there are some exceptions...

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Stop comparing Football to drinking, and smoking. You can't billed a career out of drinking, and smoking.




Although there are some exceptions...

They are comparable because they are things that are bad for you, so much so that we have taken the freedom to decide if they want to do it or not away from minors or their parents.

 

[Knox]

Yeah, I feel kinda gross watching it sometimes. Fantasy is the funnest part for me, I might try not doing it next year and try to pay more attention to other sports.

 

[Sanjuro]

Not at all. I think there is a level of responsibility on both the end of the player and league, but it's absolutely not a good look on the league, or one that you can outright defend.

 

[gatti-man]

I would ask you this OP.

Do you feel guilty when you fill up your car? When you call the police or the fire department? How about when you eat that Alaskan crab?

Plenty of jobs shorten life span either by possible danger throughout or being hard on your body. I feel sorry for those that didn't know the risks and were taken advantage of in the 70s-90s however today's athlete is making an informed decision to substitute later quality of life for financial security.

 

[Matticers]

Absolutely not. Players willingly choose to play the game despite knowing the risks. I can't feel sorry for them if something happens when they chose to do it. Especially when, in most cases, they're "living the dream" with a dream job, making tons of money doing it. It might sound crazy and maybe I'm just a hardcore fan, but I would gladly give up years of my life right now to have a good NFL career and be a millionaire doing it. I'd rather do something I love and set my family up for life without worries. And not all players develop those issues anyway. If players want to retire from the game, they can. And some have recently done that and I could never hold that against them, even if it was a star player from my favorite team.

The only thing I feel about the NFL is the embarrassment of the officiating and the way they let players like Greg Hardy continue to take the field. That bothers me much more than the players willingly putting themselves in harm's way.

 

[Gonzalez]

They are comparable because they are things that are bad for you, so much so that we have taken the freedom to decide if they want to do it or not away from minors or their parents.

There still isn't a potential to be excepted into a college, or becoming a millionaire in two years time by drinking, and smoking.

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

I love the sport have been an avid fan since I can remember.

While the downplay of the concussions by the league are terrible, it starts with leadership and the NFL has a lot of problems in that area.

Even knowing the dangers of how physical the sport was I still wish I had an opportunity to play when I was younger. My mother at the time would never have allowed it though.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

There still isn't a potential to be excepted into a college, or becoming a millionaire in two years time by drinking, and smoking.

why does that matter? It's okay to let kids do something dangerous as long as that .01% chance they could become millionaires is there? Would that be acceptable for any other "hobby"?

 

[thechristoph]

Stop comparing Football to drinking, and smoking. You can't billed a career out of drinking, and smoking.




Although there are some exceptions...

This is interesting though, because it's really reminiscent of people who felt guilty watching wrestling after the Guerrero and Benoit things.

 

[Gonzalez]

why does that matter? It's okay to let kids do something dangerous as long as that .01% chance they could become millionaires is there? Would that be acceptable for any other "hobby"?

I'm just saying it's stupid to compare a dangerous team sport that you can potentially billed a career around, to a dangerous addiction you pick up by grabbing a six pack, and a carton of cigarettes at age 10 that won't earn you a living.

 

[MMBosstones86]

I'm a fan of my team, not a fan of the NFL. (If that makes any sense). The NFL itself is a fucking mess.

I pretty much go by 'they know what they are getting in to'. I don't think anyone is forced to play nor is anyone forced to watch.

 

[Boston]

I feel guilty for watching because of how atrocious the league handles things and how much of a joke it is.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I'm just saying it's stupid to compare a dangerous team sport that you can potentially billed a career around, to picking up a six pack, and a carton of cigarettes at age 10.

Im saying its not stupid. I'm saying we don't encourage kids to engage in dangerous behavior that can kill them or affect their future quality of life...except in the case of football, and not because the kid can build a career around it, because the number that do is minuscule, but because the people in charge of the leagues, in charge of the college game, in charge of the pro game, are the ones making money off of it need that feeder system. Same way the tobacco company used to bank on marketing to kids to create that next generation of lifelong smokers.

 

[old manatee]

Football fans are in an existentialist funk because they thought they had outlawed Tom Brady and instead he came back better than ever, a fire under his ass and balls at full pump.

 

[Malvolio]

A local sports radio guy once said something to the effect of, "It's a brutal sport. A sport that I will never allow my kids to play. A sport that is hurting the very athletes that participate. But every Sunday I will still be there in front of my TV tuning in and cheering along."

That made me realize that to be a fan means to condone the pain and damage it causes and more importantly to condone the cover up the NFL has tried to commit. I will no longer be a part of it. I don't watch anymore and I won't watch again until the game protects the players it makes billions off of.

 

[RedNalgene]

Every year I feel a little more guilty, but I still watch. I'm guessing I will slowly wean myself off of the NFL's teat as more and more players come out with CTE, more is known about the dangers facing even pee-wee level football players, and we continue to see this type mental implosion by former players I followed.

I also think it's going to get harder and harder to watch as we inevitably see the more affluent players opt out and leave the game to the poorer players with less options. If little Joey's rich parents decide he shouldn't play football because they can have him play lacrosse or baseball or soccer, but little Tommy's poorer parents see football as a way out of his lower socio-economic situation and decide to chance the later in life injuries then we may see a shift in the backgrounds of NFL players, away from a combo of Tom Bradys and Dez Bryants to more people like Dez, and it could get very, very awkward. Especially as NFL ticket prices climb higher and higher. Rich folk in the stands watching the poorer folk beat their brains in!

 

[Gonzalez]

I also think it's going to get harder and harder to watch as we inevitably see the more affluent players opt out and leave the game to the poorer players with less options. If little Joey's rich parents decide he shouldn't play football because they can have him play lacrosse or baseball or soccer, but little Tommy's poorer parents see football as a way out of his lower socio-economic situation and decide to chance the later in life injuries then we may see a shift in the backgrounds of NFL players, away from a combo of Tom Bradys and Dez Bryants to more people like Dez, and it could get very, very awkward. Especially as NFL ticket prices climb higher and higher. Rich folk in the stands watching the poorer folk beat their brains in!

That's already happened.

Notice that most draft classes contain players from Florida with an inner city background.

 

[Bam Chowder]

I was thinking about this same thing recently OP and I feel conflicted as well. I do still watch my local team (Vikings) from time to time, but there is no doubt that my enjoyment of the game has soured. Especially considering this point you brought up:

Furthermore, it is hard to say no to big money as a twenty-something, even when the path to this wealth will have a high chance of diminishing your quality of life down the road.

It's true that players today know more about the risks involved, but the temptation of mass amounts of money and the social pressures that could come with it (being able to out family and friends, etc.) has to make it very difficult to pass on the opportunity despite the risks. Especially when you are young and not necessarily mature enough to think deeply about the long term consequences.

 

[lastflowers]

No. I am not going to feel guilty for the choices other people make.
That being said, I want the sport to be as safe as possible for those who play it.

But guilt would be the wrong word for how shitty i think the NFL can be

yeah.

 

[RedNalgene]

That's already happened.

Notice that most draft classes contain players from Florida with an inner city background.

I know, I can feel it. But at least you do have some more affluent players that come into the league. It's mostly inner city kids now, but when this new generation of kids starting pee-wee makes it to the NFL I feel like it's going to be even more skewed. Like 75/25 now to 90/10.

 

[Hunter S.]

Rich folk in the stands watching the poorer folk beat their brains in!

What ?

Average NFL salary is 2.11 million in 2015.

http://thebiglead.com/2015/05/21/th...rth-american-sports-in-average-player-salary/

The minimum rookie salary is $435,000.




to answer the original topic, no.

 

[tim.mbp]

I find it hard to believe that players are fully aware of the risk when there needs to be so much more done. The latest findings found CTE in 87 of 91 NFL players tested. Not counting all the research that needs to happen on subconcussive blows.

 

[Draxal]

I would ask you this OP.

Do you feel guilty when you fill up your car? When you call the police or the fire department? How about when you eat that Alaskan crab?

Plenty of jobs shorten life span either by possible danger throughout or being hard on your body. I feel sorry for those that didn't know the risks and were taken advantage of in the 70s-90s however today's athlete is making an informed decision to substitute later quality of life for financial security.

This is exactly how I feel.

 

[chuckddd]

Absolutely not. I also don't feel guilty watching hockey, boxing, auto racing or porn.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

I barely pay attention to the sport these days, so nah, I'm good.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Absolutely not. I also don't feel guilty watching hockey, boxing, auto racing or porn.

the best porn are the ones that make you feel guilty.

 

[atr0cious]

Absolutely, I do. Trying to swear off watching football, but I'll still turn a stream on now and a again and immediately feel the guilt. This organization is parading as non profit when the only thing they really provide for the cities they're in are play 60 tshirts. The stadiums destroy cities and the tax payers are left with the mess, while the team just flails in oblivion, sometimes raising tickets prices just cause they won 6 games instead of 3. Was actually given tickets to the last raiders home game this year though, so I've been kind of watching to see if they'll make my seats more valuable. Mostly we're going to experience one last game before they move, then I'll fully be able to let go I think. Already over the Santa Clara Niners.

 

[Zeke]

Nope not even a little bit. At that level with everything that's come out about cte players know the dangers. I think college players should be entitled to a paycheck tho not sure how you would implement that. I'm going to try and steer my son towards basketball even tho I love football.

 

[Sparkedglory]

No, those men play and understand what can happen to them, with more and more info coming out all the time. I do hope it can become safer, but so does everyone else.

Should I feel guilty watching wrestling, boxing, mma? Or on a different note should I feel guilty playing games like lollipop chainsaw? No. I shouldn't and I don't.

 

[dork]

I used to watch, I don't really anymore but not because of any of these reasons. It doesn't make me feel guilty, because I don't look up to them as role models anyway however yes they should be kicked out of the league for domestic abuse. And they know how serious these injuries are now-a-days, they are the ones choosing to play.

I don't feel guilty watching a mel Gibson movie because hes a crazy bastard, I don't feel bad watching tom cruise because of his religion. Its entertainment

 

[tim.mbp]

Nope not even a little bit. At that level with everything that's come out about cte players know the dangers. I think college players should be entitled to a paycheck tho not sure how you would implement that. I'm going to try and steer my son towards basketball even tho I love football.

NFL's doctor earlier this year said is was safer for kids to play football than ride a bike.

 

[captive]

I'm supporting it by watching games, buying merch and products advertised during games.

1) you buy pink shit every season? If so, then yea you should feel guilty.
2) You actually buy products advertised because they're advertised or because you need them and would buy them anyway. Secondly what does this have to do with the pink breast cancer stuff.

I think you misunderstood my question. My question was specifically with regards to the pink stuff.

 

[atr0cious]

NFL's doctor earlier this year said is was safer for kids to play football than ride a bike.

This right here. The nfl is paying to keep the info away from players. We can not honestly say they have all the information, when the nfl is literally making up science to deflect from its issues. And they can't even enforce player safety.

 

[wenis]

Nope

It's not something I really even think about

 

[Mxrz]

Raiders fan. Not allowed to feel. But no, never felt guilty for watching the NFL. I won't watch college though.

I feel way more uneasy about stuff like the foxconn suicides, sweat shops and the like.

 

[80s Bad Guy]

Not really. I'm more disgusted by the way fans act at games than the NFL. Bring back the high hits, these low shots are hurting players even worse.