Le "dilemme américain": pourquoi s'intéresser au football en 2018?

J'ai décidé de relayer ce texte parce que c'est aujourd'hui que se joue le Super Bowl, mais également parce qu'il présente bien mon propre dilemme face à ce sport. J'aime le jeu, la performance athlétique, la planification minutieuse et le concept d'équipe poussé à son paroxysme. Mais comment accepter le caractère résolument violent et les blessures sérieuses qui affectent le cerveau de la quasi-totalité des joueurs? Si j'avais un fils, je ne l'encouragerais pas à pratiquer ce sport dont je vais pourtant regarder attentivement le match de championnat ce soir.

 "Dennis Partee, 70, has Parkinson’s disease and is part of the N.F.L.’s concussion settlement. His love for the game has been passed down through the family. Bryan Partee played football in high school; his 10-year-old son, Noah, will not. Yet they will all watch Sunday’s game together.

“Football is still a great sport, but on the tackling side, my wife and I are not going to engage,” Bryan Partee said. “I don’t want to see anyone lose their memory, or be so depressed they contemplate killing themselves.”

Soon my wife and I, like millions of other parents, will have to make a similar decision about our own football-crazy 13-year-old. We know the long-term risks now, and that makes what used to be a simple decision far more harrowing."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/sports/football/watch-nfl-dilemma.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news