whodeeya

[deleted]

Tons of products are 'dangerous.' Cars are extremely dangerous. The question isn't whether the product is dangerous, it's the degree to which it is dangerous versus any benefits the product has. It's possible to argue that at the level that the vast majority of kids will play, severe head trauma is very rare, and there are health benefits to playing a sport. Compare that with tobacco, where a large percentage of young adult users will use tobacco forever, the likelihood of harm with tobacco is far greater, and tobacco has no benefits. So comparing the two as simply 'dangerous' is an oversimplification, and possibly sensationalistic.

Of course, journalism needs sensationalism to be heard, but that doesn't mean the comparison isn't sensationalistic.

Question: Is football the only sport they can play to get those benefits.

I don't know why that matters. If the NFL spends money in a way that both helps kids get exercise and promotes the game, why does it matter that the only promoted game is football?

And we are learning severe head trauma is not as rare as once thought

Agreed, but that is still far from specific. How frequent are concussions at different sized high schools, and how severe are those concussions? Those are the questions that need answers.