Article on Football

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The Future of Football
Article in Society · August 2013
DOI: 10.1007/s12115-013-9668-7
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2. COMMENTARY
The Future of Football
William Beaver
Published online: 25 May 2013
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Before 1950 the three most popular spectator sports in the
United States were baseball, boxing, and horse racing. All
this began to change with the growing popularity of football,
beginning in the 1950s. Although the sport had always been
popular at the collegiate level where the best teams filled
large stadiums with thousands of fans for decades, it was the
professional game that really took off. It has often been said
that the game which ignited interest in the NFL was the
thrilling 1958 championship game where the Baltimore
Colts defeated the New York Giants in overtime often called
“The Greatest Game Ever Played”. Millions viewed the
game on television, which by that time had become com-
mon place in American homes. Fans enjoyed the controlled
violence and strategic aspects of the game that made it so
compelling to watch. By 1965, a Harris Poll found that
football was the “fan’s favorite” and in the years since the
popularity of the game has only increased to the point that
football is clearly America’s game and an important part of
popular culture. The NFL has the highest per game atten-
dance of any professional sport and during the season big
games have some of the highest ratings on television. Not
surprisingly, television contracts negotiated with the major
networks have made the NFL the most financially lucrative
sports league in history. The popularity of football is not
limited to the NFL, as interest in the college game remains
high. Fans continue to pack stadiums and on a typical
Saturday in the fall, more than two dozen college games
are televised. Indeed, conference alignments are increasing-
ly based on the potential for enhanced TV revenues and less
on geographic location.
Despite the phenomenal success of the game, this article
will ask the question, has the popularity of football ebbed
and will it decline as have other sports? If this happens, it
will not be due to scandals or excessive violence, but the
fact that research increasingly shows that receiving repeated
blows to the head can be far more detrimental to a player’s
long-term health than previously thought. However, the fu-
ture of the game can only be understood in the social context
that nurtured football to its current level of popularity and one
in which the sport continues to function.
The Rise of Youth Sports
Television not only made football an economic success and
fan favorite, but also served to heighten the interest of young
males, who have always been the most avid consumers of
televised sports. Star players became role models to be imi-
tated, which could be accomplished at increasingly younger
ages. At about the time that football was beginning to take off,
so were organized youth sports. Prior to the 1950s, organized
sports were largely tied to the schools, often beginning in the
9th grade with junior varsity teams, while sports for younger
children usually centered on informal pick-up games.
This began to change as organized sports for children
began to take hold. According to sociologist Jay Coakley,
there were several reasons for this and none was more
important than the changing nature of the family. With
increasing numbers of working and single parents, concerns
about child safety and welfare increased. Organized teams
under the control of adults seemed to provide a safer envi-
ronment for children, especially compared to informal
games controlled by children. Over time, parents increas-
ingly bought into the idea of organized sports as the defini-
tion of being a good parent began to change. That is, good
parents provided their children with opportunities to play on
organized teams and these opportunities steadily increased.
For example, in the 1960s there were 3,000 teams playing
Pop Warner football (the largest youth organization in the
W. Beaver (*)
Robert Morris University, 460 Nicholson Center,
University Boulevard, Moon Township, PA 15108, USA
e-mail: beaver@rmu.edu
Soc (2013) 50:335–338
DOI 10.1007/s12115-013-9668-7

3. country). Today that figure has climbed to over 5,000 teams
with 250,000 players. Moreover, as organized youth sports
evolved more emphasis was placed on performance and
winning, which better prepared players for the next level
of competition—the high school team, where more than one
million adolescent males play for 13,000 schools each year.
For the most talented athletes a college scholarship might be
in the offing. However, the large pool of players available
allows colleges to be highly selective. Consider that only
about 6 % of high school athletes will play NCAA football
at any level and 2 % of college players will make it to the
NFL. High participation rates allow both colleges and pro
teams to maintain a quality product, which is ultimately
their most important selling point.
Head Injuries
Football has always presented something of a dilemma for
parents. The sport was popular and boys wanted to play, but
the potential for serious injury was always there. Parents
could deal with the situation by rationalizing that most
injuries were not serious and players would recover. For
instance, up until just the last few years a player who got
their “bell rung” from a blow to the head was not usually
considered to be anything serious. Unless the player was
knocked unconscious for an extended period, they would
typically be guided to the sidelines, seated on the bench,
have a vial of smelling salts swiped under their nose and
then asked the proverbial question, how many fingers? If the
player seemed OK and reasonably aware, they would even-
tually be put back into the game.
The “shake it off” mentality which has dominated football
for much of its existence was and is an important part of the
sport’s culture, where toughness, aggression, and bravery are
most valued. In this regard, football allows young males the
chance to develop and reinforce their masculinity. They also
learn early on that to be an accepted part of the team one must
exude the prevailing values. If not, a player could be margin-
alized and treated with disdain by coaches and teammates
alike, and the last thing any player wanted to be labeled was
a malingerer who had let the team down. Hence, to let some-
thing like a headache or slight dizziness interfere with playing
was not generally acceptable, which is probably the main
reason why the number of concussions has always been
underreported. The problem is compounded by the fact that
players are increasingly bigger and faster making concussions
even more likely. However, the culture of football may be
slowly changing as new research raises serious questions
about head injuries and their long-term consequences.
For some time there had been anecdotal evidence
concerning NFL players and brain damage linked to their
many years of playing the game. Consider the case of Justin
Strzelczyk, who was an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh
Steelers from 1990 to 1998. Strzelczyk was a player who
seemed to exemplify the football culture. He was known for
his toughness and grit and for ignoring injuries. As one
Steeler official put it, “You couldn’t get him out of the
game”. His career was cut short by a series of torn muscles
but no apparent head injuries. Like many NFL players
Strzelczyk once retired was largely forgotten, until
September 30, 2004. On that day for no apparent reason,
Strzelczyk drove his pick-up truck at 100 miles an hour
down a central New York highway. A nearly 40 mile
police chase ensued that ended when Strzelczyk’s vehi-
cle collided with a tractor-trailer. His body was ejected
and he died instantly. After the accident, his friends could
only speculate about why it had happened. A divorce and a
failed business venture were mentioned in the press, and
apparently Strzelczyk reported hearing voices and being de-
pressed not long before the accident.
The exact cause of Strzelczyk’s bizarre behavior might
never have been known had his brain not been examined by
Bennet Omalu, then at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
School. In 2002, Dr. Omalu was the first researcher to identify
chronic traumatic encephalopathy or C.T.E., a brain disorder
that is caused by repeated head trauma and can only be
discovered by a brain autopsy, although UCLA researchers
are working on a brain scan that will identify the disease.
The disease reveals itself by the presence of damaged neurons
and abnormal clumps of toxic proteins. In 2007, Omalu
announced that Strzelczyk had suffered from C.T.E.,
which is now associated with such things as dementia,
depression, memory loss, and lack of impulse control. At
the time, C.T.E. had been found in some retired boxers and 3
other deceased NFL players. Since then, Boston University’s
Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has dis-
covered evidence of the disease in 33 former NFL players
whose brains were examined.
The fact that Strzelczyk was only 36 when he died came
as something of a surprise. It had been previously thought
C.T.E. only occurred in older athletes. However, such ap-
pears not to be the case. Chris Henry, a wide receiver for the
Cincinnati Bengals, jumped from the back of a moving
pick-up truck in 2010 and was killed at the age of 26. His
mother agreed to a brain examination and C.T.E. was dis-
covered. Even more troubling is the case of Owen Thomas,
a 21-year old lineman at the University of Pennsylvania who
hanged himself in 2010 at his off-campus apartment. His
family and friends were shocked, since there had been no
prior indications of depression or impulsive behavior.
Thomas had played football since the age of nine and was
described by his mother, in an interview with the New York
Times, as a player who “loved to hit people”. His brain was
examined at Boston University and C.T.E. was found.
Researchers were reluctant to blame his death solely on
336 Soc (2013) 50:335–338

4. the disease but believe it could have contributed to it. Like
Strzelczyk, Thomas had no known history of concussions or
head injuries. Of course, the strong possibility exists that
both players might have experienced head trauma but just
shook it off. At this point, many questions remain about the
disease. For instance, what specific role does age play in its
development, what exactly does it take to produce C.T.E.,
and why do some individuals develop it and others do not?
It may take years to find the answers to these and other
questions about head trauma, but researchers at Purdue
University are beginning to provide some insights. For
2 years a high school football team in Indiana was studied,
which is important. High school players represent the largest
cohort playing the sport and suffer the majority of
concussions—as many as 67,000 a year. The Purdue re-
searchers attached accelerometers to the helmets of 21
players the first year and 24 the second year with 16 repeat-
ing players. In addition to the helmet sensors, brain scans
and cognitive tests were given before and after the season.
One of the original purposes of the study was to determine
what magnitude of blow was required to produce a concus-
sion. The blows delivered ranged from 20Gs (about what a
soccer player receives from performing a header) to well
over 100Gs, with the highest being 300Gs.
One of the first things discovered was that players were
routinely taking blows that were well over the 80Gs (the level
thought necessary to produce a concussion), but they did not
sustain one. The crucial element turns out to be not the
severity of the blows but the number received, which ranged
from 200 to 1900 over the course of a season. The researchers
concluded that hits over time produced concussions, which 6
players sustained during the study. The most surprising find-
ing, however, was the fact that 17 players without concussions
or any symptoms showed brain changes. For years medical
personnel believed that if a player was symptom free they had
nothing to worry about, which is now open to question. In
other words, a player may feel just fine but have suffered
changes in the brain with long-term consequences.
Moreover, the evidence suggests that the region of the brain
most impacted by blows to the head are those that exhibit
C.T.E. The Purdue researchers emphasize their findings are
circumstantial and more research is needed.
Nonetheless, David Epstein writing in Sports Illustrated
about the Purdue study suggests that “some people—perhaps
a lot—simply cannot play these games without being dam-
aged, concussion or no concussion”. It should also be noted
that developing C.T.E. appears to be the worst possible out-
come, but there are other consequences which are probably
more common. For instance, high school players with multi-
ple concussions report more headaches, dizziness, and
sleeping problems, along with memory lapses and lower grade
point averages in school. A more recent study published in the
journal Neurology examined the death certificates of 334
deceased NFL players from an on-going study of 3,400 for-
mer players. They all had been in the league between 1959
and 1988 and had played for at least five seasons. The re-
searchers found that although the players overall health was
better than the general population, they were three times more
likely to develop ALS, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s when
compared to the general male population.
The Future
So what does the future hold for football? Lawsuits may
represent the most immediate threat to the pro game. A
“master complaint” combining 81 concussion –related law-
suits has been filed in U.S. District Court involving more
than 4,000 former NFL players. The suit alleges that the
league, along with helmet manufacturer Riddell, deliberate-
ly concealed the links between head impact and long-term
neurological injuries. Colleges and high schools could also
face legal challenges from injured players that could possi-
bly result in expensive settlements and higher insurance
premiums or cancelled policies, which could reduce the
number of schools fielding teams. To counter the problem,
Michael McCann of the Sports Law Institute at the
University of Vermont suggests that schools and youth
leagues might begin to require parents to sign waivers in
order to mitigate the number of lawsuits.
That said, the future of the sport ultimately depends on the
number of young males playing football—a decision that they
and their parents will have to make. In this regard, as public
awareness about the potential dangers of repeated blows to the
head increases, it seems likely that many parents will discour-
age or not allow their children to play football, particularly
with so many other sports' options available. Indeed, there
could be something of a contagion or snow ball effect in some
communities. That is, if well-informed and respected parents
begin to say no to football, then others will follow suit. Along
these lines, a number of current and former NFL players
including all-pro quarterback Kurt Warner have stated they
have serious reservations about their sons playing football.
Reinforcing all this is the fact that children, in part, are
attracted to sports because of friendships. Kids often play a
sport because their friends do and being part of the team can
enhance their sense of connectedness as sociologist Michael
Messner discovered in interviews with former athletes.
Obviously if one’s friends are not playing football, the game
will become less attractive.
On the other hand, there are some communities across the
country where high school football has more than just
entertainment value as epitomized in the book Friday
Night Lights. In environments like these, football serves to
unify the community and reinforce traditional values. As a
result, there will remain a great deal of pressure on
Soc (2013) 50:335–338 337

5. adolescent males to suit-up. Moreover, parents who are
heavily involved and whose sense of worth is closely tied
to their child’s success in sports will be more likely to allow
their children to play, particularly if they or a close relative
have played football. Parent’s minds may be put at ease by
the fact that the culture of football may also be changing in
at least two important ways.
First, Pop Warner football recently announced they will
allow less contact during practices in order to reduce the
number of blows received during a season. This would seem
to be a step in the right direction since research indicates that
in youth football more head contact occurs during practice
than in games. It should also be noted that the Ivy League
has also reduced contact during practices. Second, a much
more serious and cautious approach taken toward head
trauma by both players and coaches. Hence, at least one
California high school team now requires players to monitor
each other and report possible concussions to coaches or
other staff. Even the NFL, who for years have denied any
connection between blows to the head and neurological
disorders has changed. For instance, there is now a strict
protocol for dealing with concussions and more serious
punishment for players delivering head shots, while the
recent collective bargaining agreement with the player’s
union mandates less contact during training camp and fewer
“padded practices” during the regular season. Finally, it is
hoped that more protective helmets can be developed, re-
ducing the number of head injuries.
There is also a great deal of evidence to suggest that race
and social class factors will be tied to the future of the sport.
For African Americans, sports have always been viewed as
one of the limited ways available to achieve success.
Consequently, families have steered their children toward
sports which can be highly lucrative like football. Perhaps
not surprisingly, African American parents are more likely to
believe a professional career is in the offing for their children.
Sociologist Harry Edwards feels that several factors explain
the sports orientation of black families. For example, false
assumptions exist concerning innate black superiority in ath-
letics coupled with the belief of black intellectual inferiority.
Interestingly, research suggests that young black males be-
lieve they do possess superior athletic ability in sports like
football, which will allow them to make it to the pros. Along
these lines, Edwards and others feel the media has wrongly
promoted sports as a likely vehicle for black social mobility,
when the reality is quite different. It has been estimated that
only 1 in 6,600 black males will make a decent living from
professional sports. Finally, there are an abundance of highly
visible role models in sports for young blacks to emulate but
far fewer in other career areas. For instance, a majority of D-I
college players and two-thirds of NFL players are African-
American, and many of the high profile athletes can be regu-
larly viewed on television, the Internet, and video games.
Meshed closely with race are social class issues. Young
males from lower income families are more likely to take-up
contact sports largely because football has always been
publicly funded through the schools, making it more attrac-
tive to working and lower class families. Of course, for
many lower income children certain sports are simply not
an option because parents lack the funds required to pay for
them. Unfortunately, youth sports have become increasingly
privatized over the years as public funding has waned,
making participation even less likely for poor children in
sports like tennis, golf, and swimming. Due to limited
options, research indicates that males from lower status
families tend to commit to a sport’s career early on and focus
on one sport. On the other hand, middle class boys tend to play
a variety of sports and by junior high or high school are more
likely to have shifted their focus to things other than sports.
It seems reasonable to conclude that the number of young
males playing football will decline as awareness increases
about the potential for significant harm from repeated blows
to the head. This may be particularly true for higher income
families who can afford other sports' options for their chil-
dren. Hence, the quality of the sport may well decline over
time. However, this is not to say that football will go the
way of boxing whose popularity has declined dramatically
since the 1950s. Football has an enormous fan base that
makes it financially lucrative for the media, the NFL, and
some colleges, to say nothing of the substantial monetary
rewards for the few who make it to the NFL. What is likely
to occur is that the sport will become even more dominated
by minorities from lower income backgrounds as long as
false assumptions, media hype, and unequal opportunities
remain in place.
Further Reading
Bairner, A. 2007. Back to Basics: Class, Social Theory, and Sport.
Sociology of Sport Journal, 24, 20–36.
Coakley, J. 2006. The Good Father: Parental Expectations and Youth
Sports. Leisure Studies, 25, 153–163.
Edwards, H. 2000. The Crisis of the Black Athlete on the Eve of the
21st Century. Society, 37, 9–13.
Lehman, E. J., et al. 2012. Neurodegenerative Causes of Death Among
Retired National Football League Players. Neurology (September).
Available at: http://www.neurology.org/content/2012.
Lehrer, J. L. 2012. The Fragile Teenage Brain. Grantland (January 12).
Available at: http://www.grantland.com.
Messner, M. A. 1990. Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construc-
tion of Masculinities. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 18,
416–444.
William Beaver is a professor of social science at Robert Morris
University. He teaches a course on the sociology of sport.
338 Soc (2013) 50:335–338
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