In 1905, college football was almost banned for what Theodore Roosevelt called its “brutality and foul play.” Nineteen players died that season (ninety-five would be the modern equivalent), and games featured punching, kicking, choking, and eye-gouging. Safety regulations saved not just lives but the sport.
On reflection, however, it is puzzling that even a reformed college football has been permitted to survive in this country. The culture and practice of the sport are, in important ways, antithetical to the principles of a liberal society.
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