[MV72018]

Do any of us feel ambivalent, "torn," or "guilty" at the fact that we are fans of a sport that now known to be such that at least a quarter of those playing it who go on to play in the NFL and who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE (according to the study cited in the front-page article in yesterday's NYT)? I am trying to decide what this shocking finding should mean for the fact that I still follow Stanford football. Perhaps my fandom should come to a screeching halt. To hold that continuing to follow college and pro football, including its recruiting of young people, violent training, and brutal game practices, is ethically responsible would seem to hinge critically on the consent of young people and their parents being truly informed and voluntary, even though U.S. culture and the money involved give an enormous boost in the direction of giving consent.

[MV72018]

Do any of us feel ambivalent, "torn," or "guilty" at the fact that we are fans of a sport that now known to be such that at least a quarter of those playing it who go on to play in the NFL and who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE (according to the study cited in the front-page article in yesterday's NYT)? I am trying to decide what this shocking finding should mean for the fact that I still follow Stanford football. Perhaps my fandom should come to a screeching halt. To hold that continuing to follow college and pro football, including its recruiting of young people, violent training, and brutal game practices, is ethically responsible would seem to hinge critically on the consent of young people and their parents being truly informed and voluntary, even though U.S. culture and the money involved give an enormous boost in the direction of giving consent.