When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football Analysis

“This sport will never die, but it will never again be, as it was until recently, the subject of uncomplicated national enthusiasm.” This thesis statement introduces us to the basis of what this article sets out to convey. Football is a tradition that is loved by America, but previously lacked the issue of concern that it does now. The most concerning issue that the author is talking about is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Caused by multiple head injuries, over a span of time, this disease results in atrophy of the brain, mood disorders, and dementia. The hidden damage caused by these injuries is taken into consideration when deciding to play football, however it is believed that this risk will deter players from joining in

Science says concussions are inevitable; 96 percent of all NFL players and 79 percent of all football players test positive for brain disease (Source: Frontline League of Denial 9/18/15 Concussion Watch Article). Prior to 2002, the NFL’s approach to preventing, treating, and managing concussions and CTE was very different than it is today. My essay will explore what some of those differences were and whether or not changes in the NFL are improving the outcomes and quality of life for current and former NFL players.

In the article, ‘When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football” written by Bruce Watson, he explained how Theodore Roosevelt intervened to help save the game of football. Back when Roosevelt was the President, the game of football was not played the way we all know as today. The game was full of violence and reckless behavior from the player’s. In addition, it caused them to get severe injuries from brain damage also to the point where the player’s teeth were being knocked out. However, the violence didn’t stop there, not only it was the way the game was being played. It was also the fans encouraging the players to hurt and kill one another. In the fall of 1905, Roosevelt had recognized that the game of football was in danger. Roosevelt then called

Bruce Watson, author of “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football,” writes in chronological order the events in which he describes how football was saved from the notorious brutality the sport was once known for. The intervention and involvement by President Theodore Roosevelt would become a key element in the restructuring of football. While Roosevelt had never taken an interest to playing football during his time at Harvard, he had great respect for the game. Furthermore, Roosevelt believed the roughness nature of the game was necessary. Because of this, injuries ranging from severe to fatal became standard. However, as stated in the reading by Watson, pressure on Roosevelt built rapidly to take action as death tolls among players continued

In the article “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football” Bruce Watson tells how football used to be a deadly sport. Theodore Roosevelt did not play football himself but was a big fan of the sport. Injuries were happening at alarming rates yet no one was doing anything about it. Roosevelt did not get involved until his son was injured in a game. By this point many people had died and people were trying to ban the sport all together. Now the press was getting involved and colleges were splitting into pro- and anti- football committees. Roosevelt called for a meeting at the white house with the coaches from the major universities. The meeting came to no true agreement or resolution and people continued to get hurt. After

In the article, “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football,” Bruce Watson explains how Theodore Roosevelt actively changed rules of football to make the game safer for players in college. Roosevelt did not play football himself but he enjoyed the sport like many people. There were many injuries occurring at a high rate and it concerned him. Roosevelt’s son played football at one of Harvard University where he became injured and was reported in the newspaper along with the many deaths that were occurring, the head masters of the school asked Roosevelt to get involved. Not to long after, Roosevelt called a meeting with coaches and the athletic department but there was no resolution. Moreover, the injuries increased with the players into the fall

In the article “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football”, the author Bruce Watson showed that at one point football was endangering lives of the players and how their safety determined the future of football. Although Roosevelt did not play football himself he was a fan of the game and had a high level of respect for the game. During these times injuries were at a high rate even death in some instances. A magazine even made an article that was causing controversy talking about how dangerous the game was and how it should be banned. The decision for Roosevelt to get involved became more urgent, and could have been due to his son playing football and receiving many injuries. Roosevelt then called a meeting with the biggest

¬¬¬¬¬Steps had been taken to prevent injuries caused by the constant collisions of the game as far back as 1905. Theodore Roosevelt gathered coaches and athletic advisors to the White House in an effort to improve the game. The changes made improved the quality as well as lowered the death rate. In 1905 alone, eighteen people died. [] In more recent times, the murder-suicide of Jovan Belcher in 2012 stirred up a deal of concern. It brought attention to the elevated number of suicides in retired football players, as well as domestic violence. There is a history of football players effected with dementia and memory loss as well as different types of serious head injuries from the semi-concussive hits they are constantly taking to the head, neck, and

In the article “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football” by Bruce Watson, it discusses how Theodore Roosevelt helped save football. During President Roosevelt’s time, the problem with football was the amount of injuries and deaths that had occurred. Theodore Roosevelt agreed to help save football because he was able to connect. His son experienced multiple injuries from playing football: broken bones and black eyes. Looking at what the men wore brought a lot of concern to the table, but looking more into the situation the rules of the game were the real issue. Schools like Harvard, had even cut football from their program. Therefore, Theodore Roosevelt put together a meeting at the White House where he invited coaches and athletic directors

The NFL was founded on September 17, 1920 and was known as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). It was renamed in 1922 as the National Football League or NFL. In 1920 there were eleven football franchises to form the first professional football league compared to the 32 teams that form the league now. The original teams are: Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Dayton Triangles, Akron Professionals, Rochester (N.Y.) Jeffersons, Rock Island Independents, Muncie Flyers, Decatur Staleys, Chicago Cardinals, and Hammond Pros. Jim Thorpe was elected as the league's first president. In 1970 NFL's rival league AFL merged their schedules and formed two conferences in which the AFL became AFC and NFL became NFC.

Bright lights, big hits, and postgame interviews, to television commercials, team camaraderie, and multimillion-dollar deals. The National Football league or better known as the NFL created in 1920 has become part of the American culture. To fans the NFL is a gift like no other. The glamour, passion, and fame that the NFL displays for its professional athletes comes with a price. The NFL is a league filled with violent collisions from some of the world?s most athletically gifted players. Players are progressively being diagnosed with significant brain trauma due to the size and athleticism of the players in a game. The effects of the collisions are far more impactful than the instant headache; the bipolar behaviors, dark depression, and

In order to truly appreciate the overall beneficial influence football has had on American culture between the 1890’s and 1930’s, we cannot turn a blind eye to the negative obstacles football has overcome. In the early years of development, football was played similarly to rugby and universities played by different rules, making standardization within the sport a difficult task to accomplish. One of the major problems observed during the infancy of football was the sheer violence witnessed on the field. Mass play was the common play style during the first years of football in which the entire offensive force would focus on one spot of the defense; the offense was determined to go through the defense rather than go around them. The raw power behind these plays lead to serious injuries as well as the death of a player in the early 1900’s. This disastrous event deterred numerous universities from playing football out of fear of a repeat of events. Following more serious injuries

America’s most popular sport, football, draws popularity from young children to adults, and as time has progressed, many debate the safety of the physical game. Convincing parents to withhold children from participating in tackle football, the fear of injuries and brain damage produces controversy and debate over the quality of the sport. Although people often believe football has a high injury rate, lasting injuries or concussions occur in less than 1% of children under the age of twelve participating in Pop Warner football (Straus). Popularity comes expectedly as the sport does produce beautiful memories and moments in modern American history. Hastily deciding against football, parents often overlook the benefits of the game and fail to

Football is a rough sport. Many fans of the game watch it for the hard hits. These hard hits and the potential for injury is part of what makes the game so exciting. Some people say that football is too brutal and should be banned. Parents all over the United States don’t allow their children to play because of the risk of head injuries. Others allow their sons, and every now and then their daughters, to play and risk injury for a chance to earn a college scholarship and for a small percentage of players, the chance to play in the National Football League (NFL).

Injuries in American football, can some of them be prevented? With the increase in injuries in football coaches are looking for better ways to try and prevent unnecessary injuries. Even though you cannot prevent all the injuries as a coach you want to at least prevent some.