Yes. Short answer.

Does it matter that those people chose the job ?

 

Is watching professional wrestling immoral ? How about hockey, a sport where we allow and encourage grown men to fist fight ?

I would say it is right there with the NFL on treatment of it's entertainers.

 

I don't know enough about the long term health of hockey players to comment. Fist fighting doesn't have anything to do with the argument. Violence and morality are different in this discussion. For instance, I would say that MMA is probably considered more violent than boxing but I have seen things that say in regards to long term health it is a much safer sport than boxing.

Nobody forces these guys to play professional football. It's not like these guys are Roman gladiators and have no choice whether or not to participate in the sport.

 

If the job isn't attractive than they can always go punch a clock at the local factory, or perhaps they might be able to find something that would allow them to use the free college education that they have received.

I believe you are missing the argument here. It isn't whether or not this should be allowed. It is if it is immoral to watch it. Would you consider it immoral to watch the gladiators as long as they aren't forced to do so?

Average salary is 1.5 mill for 6 months of work not even working 40 hours a week. Sign me up.

Considering that this country as a whole has no problem with abortion or capital punishment, I don't see grown men who choose to play football as being much of a concern. They know the risk, they are rewarded handsomely for their efforts.

 

Playing devils advocate, is it immoral to use a cell phone? Somebody has to climb those cell towers to keep them in service. And there are numerous deaths and injuries each year due to their construction and maintenance.

Average salary is 1.5 mill for 6 months of work not even working 40 hours a week. Sign me up.

So pay is all that matters in questions of morality?

Considering that this country as a whole has no problem with abortion or capital punishment, I don't see grown men who choose to play football as being much of a concern. They know the risk, they are rewarded handsomely for their efforts.

 

Playing devils advocate, is it immoral to use a cell phone? Somebody has to climb those cell towers to keep them in service. And there are numerous deaths and injuries each year due to their construction and maintenance.

Maybe it is? I don't know enough about it to know.

Considering that this country as a whole has no problem with abortion or capital punishment, I don't see grown men who choose to play football as being much of a concern. They know the risk, they are rewarded handsomely for their efforts.

 

Playing devils advocate, is it immoral to use a cell phone? Somebody has to climb those cell towers to keep them in service. And there are numerous deaths and injuries each year due to their construction and maintenance.

And once again it all comes back to pay. I'm starting to think that money is all that matters in questions of morality. At least according to this board...

And once again it all comes back to pay. I'm starting to think that money is all that matters in questions of morality. At least according to this board...

 

What exactly is relevant in regards to morality? If morality is universal, what is it that gives it its universality?

And once again it all comes back to pay. I'm starting to think that money is all that matters in questions of morality. At least according to this board...

 

Maybe it is to guys like Julius Peppers who is making a million dollars per game for his physical risk.

What exactly is relevant in regards to morality? If morality is universal, what is it that gives it its universality?

This is what I am trying to get at. I can see an argument where something like the NFL could be immoral to watch. I have yet to say my stance on the subject as I was wanting to let others get their thoughts out. But from this board it seems that the only characteristic of morality is a monetary one.

 

I don't think many are distinguishing the difference between "allowing" someone to do something and "supporting" someone doing something. If I allow for football to go on, I don't see how that is immoral. People have the right to make decisions on how they choose to live their life. But if I am watching, helping to support, and enjoying someone destroying their life...am I not possibly immoral for it? No matter how much they happen to get paid...

 

Even though it hasn't gotten the response I expected or would have liked, I do believe it is an interesting question. To me there might be a point when supporting something that could be causing horrible physical/mental ailments is immoral. Has football reached that point? I'm not for sure really. But I think it is a worthy topic of conversation. Especially when there are measures that can probably be taken which would lesser the injury risk, though possibly lessening the entertainment value. Unfortunately the only answer I can get is they are compensated handsomedly so everything is A-OK!

 

To me--with no higher being to look to for guidance--I don't see that morality is neccesarily universal. I think there are a lot of gray areas in trying to decide what is universally immoral. Over the weekend I had some alcoholic beverages. Do I consider this immoral? No...I do not see a problem with it, but I'm sure there are some on this board who do. But when you look at something like murder, I would think it is universally moral.

 

 

 

I think you posted this question with an answer already in mind. So I'm hoping this will get it out.

This is what I am trying to get at. I can see an argument where something like the NFL could be immoral to watch. I have yet to say my stance on the subject as I was wanting to let others get their thoughts out. But from this board it seems that the only characteristic of morality is a monetary one.

 

I don't think many are distinguishing the difference between "allowing" someone to do something and "supporting" someone doing something. If I allow for football to go on, I don't see how that is immoral. People have the right to make decisions on how they choose to live their life. But if I am watching, helping to support, and enjoying someone destroying their life...am I not possibly immoral for it? No matter how much they happen to get paid...

 

Even though it hasn't gotten the response I expected or would have liked, I do believe it is an interesting question. To me there might be a point when supporting something that could be causing horrible physical/mental ailments is immoral. Has football reached that point? I'm not for sure really. But I think it is a worthy topic of conversation. Especially when there are measures that can probably be taken which would lesser the injury risk, though possibly lessening the entertainment value. Unfortunately the only answer I can get is they are compensated handsomedly so everything is A-OK!

 

To me--with no higher being to look to for guidance--I don't see that morality is neccesarily universal. I think there are a lot of gray areas in trying to decide what is universally immoral. Over the weekend I had some alcoholic beverages. Do I consider this immoral? No...I do not see a problem with it, but I'm sure there are some on this board who do. But when you look at something like murder, I would think it is universally moral.

 

 

 

I think you posted this question with an answer already in mind. So I'm hoping this will get it out.

 

 

I was thinking along those lines, myself. I really don't think about money when it comes to long term health. With as much money as the NFL brings in, despite the players' salary, you'd think that they'd have better health care than me, but they only get that health care as long as they are playing. I'll always have my health care.

 

What good does all that money do you when you are too demented to spend it on a good doctor anyways? I understand the whole "they make millions of year" argument and it is indeed a good point, but for me personally, I think about how crippled, demented or even dead these guys will be when they reach 50 and their millions and their ability to entertain me will be long gone as I'll be moving on the next franchise quarterback that my favorite team just drafted. And yet, people still say the NFL shouldn't be taking better care of its players? Those guys deserve more regardless of their salary.

 

Is it immoral to watch guys go through multiple car wreck intense collisions hundreds of times throughout an NFL season? Possibly. Will I stop watching? No. Nor will I quit playing fantasy football. I will also feel sorry for the guys who give up their lives for the game and get nothing in return in the long term also.