Contact Sports: How Many More Will Suffer?

[PeterRS]

I'll first put my cards on the table. I dislike American Football, even though American friends seem to regard it as a kind of religion. Equally I used to dislike rugby which was played at my school. Thankfully my eyesight was found not to be perfect and I was prevented from playing. When I now very occasionally see on television UFC events which take place in an octagon and seem to me much more like the Roman gladiator fights of olden times, I am appalled. Grown men often with one on the ground being hammered in the head with massively strong elbow butts leave me cold. What will happen to the brains of these athletes in mid-life, I hate to think. But I know some people, especially in the younger generation, who love them all.

Not many years ago I recall seeing the movie Concussion about how one doctor came to realise that the constant often violent concussion-related head-butting in American Football was resulting in a series of dreadful brain diseases in retired players that in some cases led to suicide. The doctor wondered how such diseases could have developed so quickly with so many deadly serious results to the health of supreme athletes. He believed it was the game itself. At first the NFL roundly condemned the doctor's findings. But when other doctors started to agree and Congress became involved, it was forced to take the findings much more seriously. In a class action lawsuit, thousands of retired players won a suit against the NFL for US$765 million. But youngsters still love to take part in the sport.

I was reminded of this yesterday when reading about a former much decorated professional rugby player. I have never been much inclined to watch rugby on television until a few months ago. Now I quite enjoy it. Speaking the other evening to my sister who has watched international rugby matches on television for decades, I mentioned the sport was more violent than I had remembered. She exclaimed that not only has the degree of violent tackling increased dramatically, the weight of the eight individual forwards has also increased considerably, thereby further increasing the effect of tackles.

Now the UK newspapers are full of details about Lewis Moody, a former England captain who has been diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 47. And he is not the only one. A 2022 Study showed that in a group of more than 400 former professional rugby players, the risk of developing MND is 15 times greater than the general public. This was a very limited Study and much more research needs to be done. But in Moody's autobiography he describes being knocked unconscious twice in a World Cup game in 2007. It was suggested that he come off the field after the first occasion, but refused. "This is the World Cup. I've waited so long to get my chance, I'm not going off after five minutes."

On a week-end following the game, he and some mates went to Disneyland in Paris. Riding rollercoasters he recalls, "Every loop the loop was torture, every jerk of my car was like having a needle shoved through my head.” That anyone having suffered concussion would ride a rollercoaster would be unthinkable now. It should have been unthinkable then. 

Rugby is now a much better controlled game. But it is still a heavy contact sport and its long term effects are still not known. Referees and the video referees come down hard on things like neck tackles. But that does not prevent the neck tackle having taken happened in the first place. Paralysis has resulted in some cases and no doubt will eventually happen again. 

How do you view contact sports?

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/06/answers-former-rugby-players-lewis-moody-mnd-andy-bull

[Pete1111]

I listened to Malcom Gladwell discuss this at a book signing years ago. 

This season, it seems to me injuries during college football are more frequent then ever.

Then, this past weekend a retired NFL quarterback got into an incident, where he ended up arrested.  His aggression reminded me of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), where aggression has been identified as one of several symptoms.

[jimmie50]

I must be honest and say that I am really not much of a sports fan to begin with.  Whenever we had family get togethers, the men were always huddled around the television watching some sporting event while the women were in the kitchen preparing food.  I was always in the kitchen with the women!  LOL.  The only time I have ever attended an actual sporting event was in high school when I was in the band.  The marching band would perform a half-time show at each home football game.  That could never be taken by anyone as being a sports fan or football fan.  Like most things, I think people can get carried away with sports (take it to the extreme).  I personally do not understand how people can play a sport where you literally physically attacked and beat up.  That isn't something I would classify as fun, and as studies have proven is not only dangerous but life threatening.  I know nothing about rugby, but also know nothing about American football.  

[PeterRS]

13 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

I must be honest and say that I am really not much of a sports fan to begin with.  Whenever we had family get togethers, the men were always huddled around the television watching some sporting event while the women were in the kitchen preparing food. . . . I know nothing about rugby, but also know nothing about American football.  

The son-in-law of one who had been my best friend prior to his early demise (too much smoking and drinking in his early years, sadly) has an almost religious fervour about American Football. The family lives near Cincinatti. Whenever there is an NFL game on television, he hunkers down with his beer and nibbles while his wife and daughters go about their own business. It is virtually his highlight of the week.

For a couple of my university years I took up fencing. Understandably that sport requires special clothing and a helmet. So why do I find it strange that American Football also requires special clothing? No doubt it is because for American Football you are not just avoiding what would be a tiny hit that you often do not even feel, you are taking part in what is more like a war. You wear helmets, massive shoulder padding and goodness knows what else (a penis guard I hope) because the aim of a vast portion of the game seems almost to kill the opposition when it has the ball.

When you crash into other bodies with such force, injuries are bound more than occasionally to result. Although it was only guessed at before, we now know for certain that this form of contact can seriously affect the brain. Yet it remains arguably America's most favourite sport and is taught to young kids throughout the land. I cannot understand why!

The other night I watched on tv the final of what is called the "China Smash". This is a series of what used to be called ping-pong matches and they take place in various parts of the world. I don't think I have ever seen balls most so fast (no, I don't mean the players). This is not the genteel table tennis I grew up with. This is also an intensely fought duel. Thank goodness for instant slow motion replays because often I just cannot see the ball given its speed and trajectory! And any injuries, of which there are almost none, are always self inflicted!