Rhetorical analysis “football is here to stay”

Rhetorical analysis “football is here to stay”

Greg Easterbrook’s article, “football is here to stay,” talks about the NFL and how it is becoming safer day after day. The author poses several arguments in support of the National Football League growing in popularity despite the many cases of concussions and injuries among players, which are a possible threat to the popularity of the sport. Greg builds his argument based on the declining statistics of players involved in concussions to support his claim on the growth of the status of the competition. He also addresses the challenge gambling is bringing into the game. This paper aims to look into the arguments which he brings forward in support of the game based on reforms he suggests and their possible outcome in improving the general safety of players. Quite a number of the arguments raised and supported by the author by statistics are quite agreeable.

With the sport becoming safer to play, its future looks good as it will continue growing in popularity.

It is essential to note that Greg Easterbrook is a renowned writer and editor who has authored ten books and written for several magazines and journals. This makes his ethical appeal work well, especially among the audience who may rely on his experience of writing articles. Throughout the article, he puts across his arguments based on fundamental research on statistics and facts, making the article to be entirely credible and informative. He bases most of his conclusions on these statistics, which make them altogether factual, which makes them easy for the audience to relate.

According to Greg (2019), a lot of individuals suppose that the NFL is in an irreversible decline due to the routine brutality of the game, which has led to several players suffering brain trauma from concussions. The author doesn’t refute this claim, instead, he employs logic by looking at the facts and statistics from the 2018-19 season to put across his assertion of the bright future of the NFL. Of importance about the popularity, he bases his argument on leading time TV program wherein four of the popular programs, three of them were pro-football games while the other was game of thrones. And with the “game of thrones” series concluded, it leaves only the NFL at the top as the most-watched TV program, thus cementing its popularity among viewers despite the injuries observed in the game. He also looks at the number of concussions suffered during the season in comparison with the previous seasons. In general, the 214 cases reported in the last season were less than the average of 243 recorded in the five immediate past seasons, which shows the game is becoming safer to play. At this point, the author appeals to pathos by looking at the case of Andrew Luck’s early retirement due to injuries.  This might make parents discourage their children from playing, thus depleting the talent pool. He goes ahead to show how other sports like cycling and skiing can also lead to injuries. With this, he substantiates the fact that games cannot be injury-free, but their safety can be improved. In general, he concludes that the longevity of the NFL is getting better buy using the example of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who lifted the NFL title at ages 39 and 41, respectively.

Throughout the body of the article, Greg spends time trying to show how the game is becoming safer despite injuries suffered by some of the players. He quotes some rules that are being introduced to the game to ensure the safety of the players. Some of the regulation amendments include penalizing most of the helmet to helmet hits, limiting kick-off returns, and prohibiting hits on players who cannot see oncoming opponents. This has a significantly limited full-contact practice, which is a significant cause of concussions.

The primary concern is the high school injuries, which have led to a 3 percent decline in football participation in the previous season according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Some schools, public and private schools, have let go of the sport due to worries of concussions; thereby, a lot of parents did not want their children to participate in the game. Greg attributes this drop because, in high schools, most students play for the fun since they get little or no pay. Therefore they see no benefit of risking for an injury, unlike the NFL, where players get paid highly. The author views that despite the 1 in 10 chances of a player getting a concussion last season, most will accept the possibility of a concussion in return for the average $2.8 million annual salaries the NFL pays. The author remains positive due to the measures put to limit direct contact in high schools and colleges. He views it as an excellent opportunity for the NFL as it means upcoming professionals join the NFL with fewer neural complications. In contrast, the declining number of participants might be detrimental to the NFL due to the reduced talent pool.

In general, the author recognizes that despite the sport requiring the naturing of talent from an early age, there is a need to protect the children from injuries. Since they are more likely to suffer severe injuries due to their weaker necks as compared to adults, he shares the opinion that for the sport to prosper, youth tackles need to be banned by the legislature. Through this, he successfully appeals to pathos by relating to the concerns of the readers, especially concerning the young ones in schools. The majority of his points logos appeal has been vital in bringing out NFL as a safe sport going forward and a sport that is here for the long term.

Reference

Gregg Easterbrook. (2019). Opinion | Football Is Here To Stay. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/07/opinion/sunday/nfl-football.html