NFL players put themselves at extreme risk of suffering from CTE
President Trump certainly speaks his mind and did not pull punches in his criticism of NFL players taking a knee. This started when Stephen Curry and the Warriors decided they were not going to make the White House visit that championship teams traditionally make to the White House. In reaction, President Trump rescinded his offer to invite them. This created a back and forth between the sports world and President Trump. He did not leave NFL players out by calling them spoiled athletes in reaction to some players taking a knee for the National Anthem.
Now I write this article in full support of people in uniform. I highly respect the sacrifices that they have made for our security and to protect our way of life. I am certainly not saying that their contributions should be forgotten in any way. The taking of the knee during the National Anthem was for the purpose of bringing awareness to racial inequality in America. The protests have nothing to do with people in uniform.
There is a narrative that is completely unfair coming from this argument. That is the targeting of NFL players. This is unfair because they too have made many sacrifices and it is for our entertainment. Sure, NFL players are paid well, but that is only for an average of a few years. Most players don’t have long careers like Tom Brady and James Harrison. Those are the special few. Many of them also blow their money and run into trouble in their post-NFL career. They take brutal hits, and many suffer from the symptoms of CTE. It is common for an NFL player to have a shorter life-span, and many in retirement are disabled. Some have questioned whether the NFL will even be around in a generation or two.
So why don’t we appreciate the sacrifices that NFL players make for our love of the game? People in uniform make incredible sacrifices as well. But that should not take away from our thankfulness of what NFL players do. They put their bodies on the line for the good of the game and we should appreciate what they do for our way of life as well.
