Football is one of America's leading sports today in our society. We watch teams battle for 15 weeks to see to makes to the world's most watched event on television, the Super Bowl. The sport is a form of entertainment that allows us to enjoy what goes on the field, but we are not always aware of what happens to these players off the field. College football player Michael Keck has enjoyed playing football since he was only 6 years old. In his 16 years of playing, he has suffered a total of ten concussions. When he got his first concussion at the age of 8, he did not go a doctor for any medical treatment. He prospered as a student his entire life, and earned a 3.8 GPA throughout high school, receiving a full ride scholarship to Missouri State. While playing on the field, he suffered another concussion that he would not recover from. He lost his consciousness, and he later suffered headaches, neck pain, insomnia, and anxiety. He could no longer concentrate on pretty much anything, the once star student had to drop out of school with a 1.9 GPA. The hits he took to the head while playing football caused him to lose his college career and eventually his life.
Football was one the many sports that was developed during the Gilded Age as a form of recreation. The term "Gilded" refers to a metal that appears to be valuable gold on the inside but is actually made of rotten cheap metal on the inside. The story I found from the article is a great example that reflects the title of the "Gilded Age". Football, ever since the Gilded Age, has always been a form of leisure and entertainment, but the world is slowly starting to notice the dangers and side effects the sport has. Although it is a way for kids and adults to have fun, and also allows professionals to provide for their families, playing the sport has a fatal price.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/health/football-brain-damage-cte/index.html
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