An important conversation is happening within the sports community about CTE once again. It’s an important conversation, sparked by the recent controversial sketch by online influencer Druski, and it has shown no sign of stopping.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a debilitating brain disease caused by severe head trauma. It is prevalent within the sports industry, particularly in American football, where players often get repeated blows to the head.
The controversial Druski sketch drew condemnation from many families of football players who suffer from CTE for portraying the disease in a comedic light, arguing that this disease shouldn’t be used in any form of comedy. That said, others have defended Druski, noting that the sketch was deliberately provocative, poking fun at the football industry’s handling of diseases like CTE to get these uncomfortable conversations started, as with all his previous sketches.
The negative health effects of sports are unfortunately often left out of the discussion. Time and time again, while the health of players is generally seen as important, far too often players sacrifice their health chasing money and pushing their skills to the limit. This can bleed into the management and higher-ups of these teams, ending up with players facing high expectations and exhausting practices and drills that only lead to them getting hurt.
This is unfortunately the reason why so many believe that organizations like the NFL are willing to trade their player’s health for profit. Conversations about CTE, while important, will undoubtedly make prospective players and their families think twice before joining sports like American Football.
However, with how many professional football players have been affected by CTE, it shouldn’t be surprising that youth football players might be affected just as badly. Even if there is a chance of a decrease in players, these conversations are needed to get the industry rethinking how sports should operate and open minds to exploring how to make these fun activities safer for everyone.
