Table of Contents
Foreword 11
Introduction 14
Chapter 1 Why Has Professional Football Been in the News?
Chapter Preface 20
NFL Concussion Revelations Heighten Concern About Game Safety Don Van Natta Jr. 22
Adrian Peterson and the Sport Fan's New Quandary: Watch or Not? Patrik Jonsson 30
Cheating Scandals Have Tarnished Pro Football's Reputation David Fleming 34
Washington, DC, Team Faces Pressure to Change Derogatory Name Travis Waldron 39
NFL Cheerleaders Take the Spotlight with Lawsuits over Fair Pay Howard Bloom 42
Pro Football's Legal Issues Attract Government Scrutiny Kaveh Waddell 45
Chapter 2 Does Professional Football Perpetuate Violence?
Overview: Boxing Fell from Favour as We Became Less Tolerant of Violence. Will American Football Follow? Ed Smith 49
Yes: Professional Football Perpetuates Violence
Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem in the NFL David Leonard Monica Casper 53
NFL Players Face Token League Censure for Violent Off-Field Behavior Travis Waldron 59
The NFL Must Do More to Curb Domestic Abuse Richard Blumenthal 63
No: Professional Football Does Not Perpetuate Violence
Domestic Violence Is Not a Serious Problem in the NFL Jim Picht 66
The NFL Is Working Hard to Combat Domestic Violence Lucia Graves 71
The NFL Has Strengthened Its Player-Con duct Policies: National Football League 75
Football Is a Socially Acceptable Way to Express Violent Emotions Tom Allon 81
Chapter 3 What Is the Impact of Drugs in Professional Football?
Chapter Preface 86
NFL Players Routinely Abuse Pain Medications to Stay in the Game John Barr 90
Retired NFL Players Bear Serious Consequences from Drug Use Jim Dryden 102
Alcohol and Drug Use by NFL Players Sets a Bad Example for Youth Bryan Levy 107
Pain and Pain Management in NFL Spawn a Culture of Prescription Drug Use and Abuse Sally Jenkins Rick Maese 110
Marijuana Can Play a Legitimate Role for Professional Football Players Marvin Washington Brendon Ayanhadejo Scott Fujita 124
Chapter 4 What Are Some Other Key Issues with Professional Football? Chapter Preface 129
Three Simple Fixes That Could Save Pro Football: Reimagining the Game for the Twenty-First Century Jeff Nussbaum 132
Professional Football Is Good for the Economy Yuval Rosenberg 141
Hosting a Super Bowl Is a Bad Deal for Cities Alan Pyke 145
Hosting a Super Bowl is incredibly expensive and cities receive little return on their investment. Funding such events diverts money that should go to public safety, social services, and city jobs.
The NFL Should Be Stripped of Its Nonprofit Status Andy Kroll 149
The Moral Case Against Football Melissa Jeltsen 153
Actually, Anybody Can Play Bindu Khurana 157
Organizations to Contact 163
Bibliography 167
Index 178
