Every year, millions of fans cheer for violent tackles, bloody fights, and devastating knockouts, turning athlete injuries into some of the most celebrated moments in sports entertainment. For many years we have faced this issue. The sports entertainment industry has normalized violence by turning aggressive behavior and dangerous collisions into spectacles that attract fans, increase media attention, and pressure athletes to sacrifice their safety for success. Through both real-life evidence and Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's Chain-Gang All-Stars, it becomes clear that society often values entertainment more than athlete safety.

Firstly, professional sports and the media turn violent moments into entertainment by constantly allowing hard hits, fights, and injuries to keep fans interested. Natalie Herrera, a writer from The Mirror, argues that “The attitude that is brought upon players can encourage rough tactics and excessive aggression. The pressure of winning is set high, infused with intense competition that it pushes athletes to adopt violent strategies or retaliation” (Herrera, VNHS Mirror, 2024). Herrera explains to the reader that sports organizations often set a high bar for standards which generates an immense amount of pressure and develops ferocity by using ethos through a professional tone. Although it is a fictional book, Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah still gives a pretty good representation of this issue. Adjei-Brenyah wrote, “The entire stadium heard the boy’s skull crack. Like a tree splitting in half. Wil Watched, taking in the carnage. What had happened? How could it be that just a moment before that body was a boy and a second later it was a husk? An empty cradle. A monument to something gone. And yet. ‘YEAH!’ Wil screamed” (Adjei-Brenyah, 54). Adjei-Brenyah demonstrates the intersection of violence in sports and entertainment in this scene through Wil’s reaction to the boy dying in the arena; Wil yells “YEAH!” after the boy had been split in pieces by Thurwar, symbolizing the amusement that fans possess for violence in sports in our present day society.

Secondly, Because athletes are expected to be tough and aggressive, many players end up risking serious injuries just to succeed and stay respected in their sport. Science writer and editor for NIH Sharon Reynolds remarks “Blows to the head during contact sports like football, boxing, and soccer can cause injury to the brain, called traumatic brain injury.” (Reynolds, 2023) Which demonstrates how violent sports like such, that are entertainment for the viewer, result in severe injuries. Athletes are expected to play belligerently causing many athletes to sustain costly damages and Reynolds proves that through logos. She talks about traumatic brain injury, which is factual, and this promotes her reliability. Reynolds also cites statistics that were recorded by NIH scientists. “On average, the brain donors had played about 12 years of football and died at age 60. About 28%, or 180 of them, didn’t have evidence of CTE in their brains. Another 163 had low-stage CTE, and 288 had high-stage CTE. As seen in previous studies, the number of reported concussions was not associated with CTE incidence or severity.” Here, Reynolds utilizes logos by considering statistics to convey the overall idea that injuries in full contact sports are major. The results of this study reveal the lasting consequences of repeated head impacts in football. Many athletes developed CTE regardless of how many concussions were officially reported, suggesting that the dangers of the sport extend beyond obvious injuries. Chain Gang All-Stars also widely displays this issue. Barry Harris was a “link” in the CAPE program. During a fight with Hurricane Staxxx, one of the main characters, he has an inner voice that tells him “Kill this bitch, kill this bitch.” (Adjei-Brenyah, 20) proving how athletes or in this case, links, are meant to be tough and aggressive, but later on, he loses to Staxxx. “‘Shit,’ Barry said.”(Adjei Brenyah, 22) “She kissed his face several times, then slit his throat” (Adeji-Brenyah, 23) Overall, Adeji-Brenyah uses the symbolization of the links to represent a present day issue, where Athletes are expected to be ferocious and aggressive, which usually causes them to get seriously injured.

Some people argue that sports have become safer over time because leagues have introduced new rules, improved equipment, and provided better medical care for athletes. Many sports organizations have added concussion protocols, stricter penalties for dangerous actions, and better protective gear in order to reduce injuries. These changes have helped protect athletes and show that safety is being taken more seriously than in the past. However, even with these improvements, violence is still treated as one of the most exciting parts of sports. John Branch explains that football players often continue competing despite serious injuries because of the pressure to succeed and the culture surrounding the sport.

The way fans, media, and sports organizations celebrate violence in games proves that society has become too comfortable watching athletes suffer for entertainment, and this violence influences the audience, meaning not only is there violence on the field, but in the stands too. Glass states a quality point. He says “ As the president of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dana White, tells CNN: “Everyone loves a fight. It's in our DNA ... if you're in an intersection and there's a basketball game on one corner, a soccer game on another, a baseball game on the third, and a fight on the fourth, everyone will go watch the fight.” Glass uses logos by referencing a quote by Dana White. 

Even though modern sports are not as extreme as violent entertainment in the past, society still celebrates aggression and dangerous behavior in ways that put athletes at risk. Fans cheer for knockouts, brutal tackles, and fights without always thinking about the long-term damage players may face after the game is over. This issue matters because sports influence culture, especially younger audiences who grow up believing that pain and violence are normal parts of success. While safety rules and equipment have improved over time, the sports industry still profits from violent entertainment, proving that little has truly changed. If people continue to value excitement over athlete well-being, the cycle of violence in sports will continue for future generations.