Chris Borland was one of my favorite linebackers to watch growing up as not only a young Wisconsin Badger fan but an avid player of the game as well. Watching him play as a freshman and sophomore in high school was really inspiring because of how fast he played the game, how well he played the game and he played it in the right way I used to think with how he tackles. He seemed to be one of those players that had to work hard to get where he was and he respected everyone else he was competing against which is how every young player wants to be if they aren’t born with all the talent in the world, they have to work towards it.
That’s what made reading “Why former 49ner Chris Borland is the most dangerous man in football” by Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada both intriguing and difficult at the same time. As a huge fan of football, as one who played it since the elementary school years and as one who wants to make a career out of analyzing or broadcasting the sport it was tough to read about a player who used to love it as much as I do try to turn away from the sport altogether. The title is what hooked me from the beginning because it made me think that Chris Borland was out to get the NFL and bring an end to this powerhouse of entertainment. I’m glad I read on though because you see what Borland is really trying to do instead.
He isn’t trying to make the game safer or bring an end to the NFL because he knows that both tasks are virtually impossible to do. Borland is trying to dissociate himself from football as much as he can but he wants to learn about what head injuries can lead to further down the road in everything we do not just football. He supports bringing awareness to the dangers in other sports as well other than just football so I feel he doesn’t hate the NFL or anything like that, instead it makes me feel he cares about the well being of those who could be affected and he just wants everyone to know at least the risks they may be taking in pursuing those passions.
After reading this article I know it will be something I think about almost every time I watch an NFL game which gives me two feelings. One, I’m glad that it opens my mind to other ways of viewing the game to things that extend beyond just the product that is on the field but on the other hand most of the time I would rather watch an NFL game just as a fan without having to think intently about what I’m watching. Being about Chris Borland made it relatable to a player I know, but making the rest of the article about how brain injuries can affect our futures makes it relatable to my own life as well.
The Final Final 