On the defensive side of the ball, one of the only promising glimmers in an otherwise dreary group was linebacker Chris Borland, a rookie out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who was an All-American in college, and finished his first NFL season with over 100 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions. He was undoubtedly one of the most impact rookies in the league, and sat at the foothills of what by all accounts looked to be a long and successful professional career. Yet on March 16th, 2015, Borland announced his retirement from the NFL, citing concern over the effects of repetitive head trauma.
It's interesting and commendable enough that Borland, only 24 at the time, would decide to walk away from a career he'd spent his entire adolescence and college years building up to. What's more peculiar, however, is Borland's outlook on the future of football. In an interview with ESPN several months after his retirement, Borland stated "I don't dislike football. I love football," and yet also described the sport as "kind of dehumanizing... like a spectacle of violence."
Regardless of your personal opinion on Borland's decision or your views on the sport of football, it's undeniable that a great schism is on the horizon for the sport that has become a central component of the American identity. How will public perception of football shift in coming years? What changes can and will be made to the sport? What will new medical discoveries reveal? These questions and more will be examined throughout the course of this blog.
 |
| Chris Borland attempts to tackle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch on November 27th, 2014 |
No comments:
Post a Comment