What do the events in the title have in common? They are all dangerous. The difference is, compared to football, there are only a few folks auto racing and motorcycle jumping. All the fans of these sports are in attendance to see the same thing … a wreck.

Currently, brain concussions are a BIG conversation in the world of football. Concussions have been a factor in football from the beginning. When I was a high school freshman, the helmet I had was leather and so pliable I could fold the ear flaps in and stick it in my back pocket. Today, the protective gear has been so engineered that in addition to protecting, it is now a weapon.

Football in the fall is a part of our culture and involves millions of people every year. I know this isn’t news, I just want to emphasize that it’s an immovable object. It IS here to stay. Just like mountain climbing and cliff diving.

Men play football out of choice (women too). We can clearly identify the risks, make as many rule changes for safety purposes as can be made without totally changing the game, and continue to develop more effective protective gear.

However, when all is said and done, it is a lot of big, strong, fast people running into each other. I am not for or against the sport. I am merely stating a fact. The Romans loved the Christians vs. the Lions. Go figure.

Life is risky business in many different ways. It is each individual human’s choice as to how they live it. Testing one’s capabilities, competing against someone else and learning from the experience are factors of growing up. The truth is that many academics are so jealous about the attention that a bunch of guys running into each other get that they can’t stand it. This lends itself to making these sports the devil’s playground.

Yes, concussions are life threatening. Acknowledging this and taking all available precautions to treat them is a must. However, at the end of the day, if a man chooses to bang his forehead against a wall, it’s his forehead.

“The Art of Losing, Coaching and Thriving in a Made–for-TV World” is Coach Rolland Todd’s effort to support coaches everywhere. Get your copy on lulu.com.