This year has been a hard one for football fans. Week after week we’ve had to watch MVPs get helped off the field after devastating injuries. This week it was MVP candidate Antonio Brown with a partially torn calf muscle. Last week it was Carson Wentz, another contender for league MVP, who went down with a torn ACL, joining the ranks of Deshaun Watson, Julian Edelman and Dalvin Cook. Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone. Richard Sherman and Eric Berry each ruptured an Achilles tendon while Joe Thomas tore his triceps. J.J. Watt broke his leg, Derek Carr broke his back, Andrew Luck hasn’t played once this season, the Giants lost four wide receivers to various injuries … the list goes on and on. And that’s not even mentioning the really scary injuries: Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who reportedly lost movement in his lower extremities before undergoing spinal stabilization surgery, for example. So is football worth all this? Is hoping to win a game a good enough reason to risk serious harm? Fans have learned what a really bad hit looks like versus just a bad hit. You can tell from the player’s limp off the field if they’re out for the game or the season. Watching games, supporting your favorite player, cheering when your team wins; it’s all thrilling. But again, is it worth it?
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