Imagine a different ending to the 1960 film version of Howard Fast’s novel Spartacus.  Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) does not die by crucifixion at the hands of Roman general  Marcus Crassus (Laurence Olivier) and is able to watch his son by Varinia (Jean Simmons) grow into adulthood.  In a touching scene, the young boy tells Spartacus he too wants to become a famous gladiator like his father.  While Varinia watches the exchange, hidden behind a curtain, Spartacus warns his heir the risks of injury or death far outweigh the rewards of fame and adoration.

I thought about Spartacus while watching last Monday night’s football game between Washington and Carolina.  In the second quarter, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton took a shot to the head while running for a first down.  It was not the first time Newton had been subjected to a blow to the head and is unlikely the last.  For days, sports reporters and pundits questioned whether linebacker Trent Murphy should have been assessed a penalty for unnecessary roughness (which he wasn’t).

In this particular case, I don’t think it matters.  There is a larger issue best raised by the following question, “Are football players the modern equivalent of gladiators?”  First, we need to understand exactly who were the original gladiators.  According to History.com:

Not all gladiators were brought to the arena in chains. While most early combatants were conquered peoples and slaves who had committed crimes, grave inscriptions show that by the 1st century A.D. the demographics had started to change. Lured by the thrill of battle and the roar of the crowds, scores of free men began voluntarily signing contracts with gladiator schools in the hope of winning glory and prize money.

In my re-scripted version of Spartacus, the major lesson is experience in the arena changes one’s perspective.  The same thing is happening today.  The November 14, 2014 issue of New York Magazine included an article titled “9 NFL Players Who Wouldn’t Let Their Sons Play Football.”  Among the NFL athletes cited are current and future Hall of Fame inductees Brett Favre, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Adrian Peterson and Drew Brees.  Former Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley, who suffered a spinal-cord injury in 2013, summed it up.

I’m not going to let my kids play just cause of the things I’ve been through in the game and what he has seen so, they can play tennis, golf and all of that, soccer.

As we know, Finley is not an isolated case.  A study at the Boston University School of Medicine showed “33 of 34 players tested post-mortum showed clear signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).”  In June 2015, a federal judge approved a class action settlement between the NFL and thousands of former players who had symtoms of CTE.

There was a second issue associated with the call in Monday night’s game.  ESPN’s Mike Wilbon wondered whether the referees would have made a different assessment if the quarterback had been Tom Brady.  I would hope not, but it does remind us, as with the gladiators, the demographics have started to change.  Before 1946, there were no African-American players in the NFL.  Today, this ethnic group makes up 70 percent of NFL rosters. No one is suggesting these athletes are the equivalent of the original gladiators in the sense they are slaves or conquered warriors.  They play the game by choice and are highly compensated for their talents and performance.

However, there is a growing disparity in the ethnic makeup of those who follow the game and those who play it professionally.  Market research by Brandon Gaille identified 77 percent of NFL fans as Caucasian.  And, as has been well documented, the people who put on NFL football (owners) include no African-Americans.  The white ownership monopoly of NFL teams was finally breached in 2012 when Pakistani born American businessman Shahid Khan purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The point I hope to make is, despite the awareness of the dangers associated with the more violent aspects of pro football, the sport’s continued popularity says as much about the fans as it does about the players.  Americans, who would never risk their own health and safety in the arena, still revel in the clash of these modern day gladiators.  In that sense, not much has changed since the days of the Roman empire.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP