Is Addiction to Football Unhealthy?

They used to say that baseball was the American pastime. But what about today? You don't hear very much news about baseball anymore. Some would say that football has replaced baseball as the American pastime. Let's face it, when was the last time you heard of the entire nation going crazy over a championship baseball game? Now I want you to remember what the country was like the last time the superbowl was one. I believe I have made my point. There can be no doubt that the nation is obsessed with their favorite football teams. But is this obsession harmless or is something more sinister?

I am not saying anything bad about football here. I kind of like it myself. But every now and then you will hear horror stories about angry, drunk fathers who beat up their kids and/or wives when their favorite NFL team loses the superbowl or some other football game. It happens more often than you think. I was never a target of football abuse, thank the Lord, but my family often neglected my needs during my youth whenever a game was on. My mother refused to cook during the game and would ground me if I talked too much (especially if her favorite team lost). My family even missed all of my school and church activities if they fell on the same date as a game. Football just seems to bring out the best and worst in the American people.

Some have theorized that while football may be a fun event and, indeed, the American pastime, it is not healthy to people on the whole. Why is it that children all across the country get neglected and abused by their parents and other family members? Football. Why do beloved family members frequently miss their children's school and church activities? Football. Why do many people grow up anti-social and angry at the world? Football. Football is causing many people to contract emotional, mental, and social problems. This bad side effect is unintentional, of course, but it happens anyway. Let me see if I can come up with a good enough example to help you understand the point.

Picture this story. A child spends most of his developmental years growing up with an absent family. His mother and sisters pay him no heed when the football game is on. His father punishes him when his favorite team loses. He grows up thinking that this is how the world works. He is more likely to be anti-social to anyone except those who like football. He will most likely neglect other activities, such as the arts programs, theater, exercise, and others. He stands a good chance of becoming an abusive football dad himself. This is a worse case scenario, of course, but stories like these are happening more and more frequently. We must make a change if we expect our kids to treat their kids any better. For our children's sake.

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