Now that Super Bowl XLVII and the accompanying hoopla are history, here’s a question:
Will they someday be playing soccer rather than football at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field? They might, if professional football can’t solve its brain injury problem.
Public interest in boxing diminished at least in part because people finally figured out that it was making boxers punch-drunk. And football, at least the professional variety, also seems to be scrambling the brains of some of its participants.
Sitting in the stands or in front of a TV set, you don’t feel the impact, but the guys on the field do, and they’re apt to feel it the rest of their lives.
The violent nature of the sport attracts fans but can be disastrous for players. The money’s good, but would you want your son playing pro ball? An increasing number of people say no.
Some 3,500 former players are suing the National Football League for not doing enough to protect them. But what can be done without altering the entire nature of the game?
Something has to change or there might never be a Super Bowl L, let alone a Super Bowl C, M or whatever Roman numeral you prefer.
