{"id":1519434,"date":"2026-09-14T04:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/?p=1519434"},"modified":"2026-09-13T18:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T22:21:26","slug":"football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/","title":{"rendered":"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sundays this time of year mean only one thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Football.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/?utm_campaign=api\">Read the rest\u2026<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sportswriter and football fan Michael Arkush has known about CTE for years. But he increasingly feels uneasy about watching the game he loves. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":784,"featured_media":1518689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"stat_display_restriction_not_latest":false,"stat_featured_image_caption":"","stat_featured_image_nocrop":false,"stat_featured_image_focal_point":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"stat_article_wordmark_img":[],"stat_article_wordmark_url":"","stat_article_wordmark_height":"125px","stat_article_wordmark_enable":false,"stat_article_subheadline":"Chronic traumatic encephalopathy has devastated generations of football players. Does that mean it\u2019s unethical to be a fan? ","stat_paywall_restrict":false,"footnotes":"","stat_article_enhanced_byline":"Arkush has written or co-written 18 books, including New York Times best-sellers with Phil Jackson, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Scottie Pippen.","stat_article_newsletter_id":"first_opinion","stat_article_header_color_scheme":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":43,"stat_paywall_move_flag":0},"categories":[43],"tags":[219,243,209876,630],"coauthors":[{"term_id":211899,"avatar":"","display_name":"Michael Arkush","author_page":"","first_name":"","title":"","bio":"","email_address":"","email_url":"","twitter_url":"","twitter_handle":"","facebook_url":"","linkedin_url":"","web_url":"","bluesky_url":"","bluesky_handle":"","signal_username":"","secondary_bio":"","primary_bio":""}],"class_list":["post-1519434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first-opinion","tag-brain","tag-dementia","tag-mens-and-boys-health","tag-neurology"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1-1024x703.jpg","stat_card_curation":{"image_id":1518689,"title":"","excerpt":"","video_id":0,"disable_topic_image_curation":false,"tooltip_info":{"class":"opinion","title":"Opinion","icon":"<svg width=\"32\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/http\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M14.2083 22V8.94563H7.13181L11.9416 0H4.69926L0 8.94563V22H14.2083Z\" fill=\"#99cdd6\"\/><path d=\"M31.625 22V8.94563H24.7768L29.4314 0H22.4227L17.875 8.94563V22H31.625Z\" fill=\"#99cdd6\"\/><\/svg>"},"category_info":{"type":"kicker","id":43,"name":"First Opinion","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/category\/first-opinion\/","class_type":"article-opinion","slug":"first-opinion"}},"template_inline_styles":{"global_styles":":root{--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--square: 1;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--4-3: 4\/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-4: 3\/4;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-2: 3\/2;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--2-3: 2\/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--16-9: 16\/9;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--9-16: 9\/16;--wp--preset--color--black: #000000;--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray: #abb8c3;--wp--preset--color--white: #FFFFFF;--wp--preset--color--pale-pink: #f78da7;--wp--preset--color--vivid-red: #cf2e2e;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange: #ff6900;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber: #fcb900;--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan: #7bdcb5;--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan: #00d084;--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue: #8ed1fc;--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue: #0693e3;--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple: #9b51e0;--wp--preset--color--teal-50: #008299;--wp--preset--color--grey-10: #F0F1F2;--wp--preset--color--grey-80: #001214;--wp--preset--color--grey-40: #6A7580;--wp--preset--color--teal-10: #F4FBFC;--wp--preset--color--blue-70: #002840;--wp--preset--color--blue-60: #003859;--wp--preset--color--blue-50: #005182;--wp--preset--color--blue-40: #006AB2;--wp--preset--color--blue-30: #3F96D1;--wp--preset--color--blue-20: #AED6F2;--wp--preset--color--blue-10: #F0F7FC;--wp--preset--color--teal-70: #003745;--wp--preset--color--teal-60: #005969;--wp--preset--color--teal-40: #09A3B8;--wp--preset--color--teal-30: #51C7D6;--wp--preset--color--teal-20: #AEEAF2;--wp--preset--color--forest-70: #003431;--wp--preset--color--forest-60: #004A46;--wp--preset--color--forest-50: #00635E;--wp--preset--color--forest-40: #008F87;--wp--preset--color--forest-30: #50C9C1;--wp--preset--color--forest-20: #B1ECE9;--wp--preset--color--forest-10: #F0FCFC;--wp--preset--color--green-70: #18331E;--wp--preset--color--green-60: #22542C;--wp--preset--color--green-50: #2C7339;--wp--preset--color--green-40: #42A154;--wp--preset--color--green-30: #75D487;--wp--preset--color--green-20: #B6F0C1;--wp--preset--color--green-10: #F2FCF4;--wp--preset--color--lime-70: #444400;--wp--preset--color--lime-60: #6C6C00;--wp--preset--color--lime-50: #8F8F06;--wp--preset--color--lime-40: #B0B018;--wp--preset--color--lime-30: #DADA5C;--wp--preset--color--lime-20: #F3F3A3;--wp--preset--color--lime-10: #FCFCEC;--wp--preset--color--yellow-70: #704B00;--wp--preset--color--yellow-60: #A87000;--wp--preset--color--yellow-50: #D69615;--wp--preset--color--yellow-40: #F7B32C;--wp--preset--color--yellow-30: #FFCF70;--wp--preset--color--yellow-20: #FFE8BA;--wp--preset--color--yellow-10: #FFFAF0;--wp--preset--color--peach-70: #661E16;--wp--preset--color--peach-60: #A62C1E;--wp--preset--color--peach-50: #C44231;--wp--preset--color--peach-40: #E56149;--wp--preset--color--peach-30: #FF9884;--wp--preset--color--peach-20: #FFCDC4;--wp--preset--color--peach-10: #FFF4F2;--wp--preset--color--plum-70: #471429;--wp--preset--color--plum-60: #61243D;--wp--preset--color--plum-50: #8C3157;--wp--preset--color--plum-40: #B2527E;--wp--preset--color--plum-30: #E090B4;--wp--preset--color--plum-20: #F6D8E3;--wp--preset--color--plum-10: #FCF5F8;--wp--preset--color--grey-70: #1E2226;--wp--preset--color--grey-60: #343A40;--wp--preset--color--grey-50: #4C565E;--wp--preset--color--grey-30: #8B96A2;--wp--preset--color--grey-20: #D0D6DB;--wp--preset--color--beige-70: #524924;--wp--preset--color--beige-60: #756C46;--wp--preset--color--beige-50: #948A62;--wp--preset--color--beige-40: #B5AB83;--wp--preset--color--beige-30: #D6CDA7;--wp--preset--color--beige-20: #EDE7CE;--wp--preset--color--beige-10: #FCFBF5;--wp--preset--color--gold-70: #523F07;--wp--preset--color--gold-60: #735A15;--wp--preset--color--gold-50: #9E7A20;--wp--preset--color--gold-40: #BF9A3D;--wp--preset--color--gold-30: #E0C172;--wp--preset--color--gold-20: #F7E9C3;--wp--preset--color--gold-10: #FFFCF5;--wp--preset--color--skin-70: #632D0F;--wp--preset--color--skin-60: #894019;--wp--preset--color--skin-50: #A65428;--wp--preset--color--skin-40: #C5784E;--wp--preset--color--skin-30: #E5AA8A;--wp--preset--color--skin-20: #F3D6C6;--wp--preset--color--skin-10: #FCF4F0;--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(6,147,227) 0%,rgb(155,81,224) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(0,208,130) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(252,185,0) 0%,rgb(255,105,0) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,105,0) 0%,rgb(207,46,46) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(238,238,238) 0%,rgb(169,184,195) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(74,234,220) 0%,rgb(151,120,209) 20%,rgb(207,42,186) 40%,rgb(238,44,130) 60%,rgb(251,105,98) 80%,rgb(254,248,76) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,206,236) 0%,rgb(152,150,240) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(254,205,165) 0%,rgb(254,45,45) 50%,rgb(107,0,62) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,203,112) 0%,rgb(199,81,192) 50%,rgb(65,88,208) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 50%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 0%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--midnight: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(2,3,129) 0%,rgb(40,116,252) 100%);--wp--preset--font-size--small: 13px;--wp--preset--font-size--medium: 20px;--wp--preset--font-size--large: 36px;--wp--preset--font-size--x-large: 42px;--wp--preset--font-family--baskerville-etext: Baskerville-eText;--wp--preset--font-family--circular: Circular;--wp--preset--font-family--fa-brands: Font Awesome 6 Brands;--wp--preset--font-family--fa: Font Awesome 6 Pro;--wp--preset--font-family--utopia: Utopia;--wp--preset--spacing--20: 0.44rem;--wp--preset--spacing--30: 0.67rem;--wp--preset--spacing--40: 1rem;--wp--preset--spacing--50: 1.5rem;--wp--preset--spacing--60: 2.25rem;--wp--preset--spacing--70: 3.38rem;--wp--preset--spacing--80: 5.06rem;--wp--preset--shadow--natural: 6px 6px 9px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--deep: 12px 12px 50px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);--wp--preset--shadow--sharp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--outlined: 6px 6px 0px -3px rgb(255, 255, 255), 6px 6px rgb(0, 0, 0);--wp--preset--shadow--crisp: 6px 6px 0px rgb(0, 0, 0);}:root { --wp--style--global--content-size: 835px;--wp--style--global--wide-size: 962px; }:where(body) { margin: 0; }.wp-site-blocks > .alignleft { float: left; margin-right: 2em; }.wp-site-blocks > .alignright { float: right; margin-left: 2em; }.wp-site-blocks > .aligncenter { justify-content: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; }:where(.is-layout-flex){gap: 0.5em;}:where(.is-layout-grid){gap: 0.5em;}.is-layout-flow > .alignleft{float: left;margin-inline-start: 0;margin-inline-end: 2em;}.is-layout-flow > .alignright{float: right;margin-inline-start: 2em;margin-inline-end: 0;}.is-layout-flow > .aligncenter{margin-left: auto !important;margin-right: auto !important;}.is-layout-constrained > .alignleft{float: left;margin-inline-start: 0;margin-inline-end: 2em;}.is-layout-constrained > .alignright{float: right;margin-inline-start: 2em;margin-inline-end: 0;}.is-layout-constrained > .aligncenter{margin-left: auto !important;margin-right: auto !important;}.is-layout-constrained > :where(:not(.alignleft):not(.alignright):not(.alignfull)){max-width: var(--wp--style--global--content-size);margin-left: auto !important;margin-right: auto !important;}.is-layout-constrained > .alignwide{max-width: var(--wp--style--global--wide-size);}body .is-layout-flex{display: flex;}.is-layout-flex{flex-wrap: wrap;align-items: center;}.is-layout-flex > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}body .is-layout-grid{display: grid;}.is-layout-grid > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}body{padding-top: 0px;padding-right: 0px;padding-bottom: 0px;padding-left: 0px;}:root :where(.wp-element-button, .wp-block-button__link){background-color: #32373c;border-width: 0;color: #fff;font-family: inherit;font-size: inherit;font-style: inherit;font-weight: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;line-height: inherit;padding-top: calc(0.667em + 2px);padding-right: calc(1.333em + 2px);padding-bottom: calc(0.667em + 2px);padding-left: calc(1.333em + 2px);text-decoration: none;text-transform: inherit;}.has-black-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-teal-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-50) !important;}.has-grey-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-10) !important;}.has-grey-80-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-80) !important;}.has-grey-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-40) !important;}.has-teal-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-10) !important;}.has-blue-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-70) !important;}.has-blue-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-60) !important;}.has-blue-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-50) !important;}.has-blue-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-40) !important;}.has-blue-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-30) !important;}.has-blue-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-20) !important;}.has-blue-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-10) !important;}.has-teal-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-70) !important;}.has-teal-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-60) !important;}.has-teal-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-40) !important;}.has-teal-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-30) !important;}.has-teal-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-20) !important;}.has-forest-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-70) !important;}.has-forest-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-60) !important;}.has-forest-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-50) !important;}.has-forest-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-40) !important;}.has-forest-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-30) !important;}.has-forest-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-20) !important;}.has-forest-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-10) !important;}.has-green-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-70) !important;}.has-green-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-60) !important;}.has-green-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-50) !important;}.has-green-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-40) !important;}.has-green-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-30) !important;}.has-green-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-20) !important;}.has-green-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-10) !important;}.has-lime-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-70) !important;}.has-lime-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-60) !important;}.has-lime-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-50) !important;}.has-lime-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-40) !important;}.has-lime-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-30) !important;}.has-lime-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-20) !important;}.has-lime-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-10) !important;}.has-yellow-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-70) !important;}.has-yellow-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-60) !important;}.has-yellow-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-50) !important;}.has-yellow-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-40) !important;}.has-yellow-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-30) !important;}.has-yellow-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-20) !important;}.has-yellow-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-10) !important;}.has-peach-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-70) !important;}.has-peach-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-60) !important;}.has-peach-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-50) !important;}.has-peach-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-40) !important;}.has-peach-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-30) !important;}.has-peach-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-20) !important;}.has-peach-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-10) !important;}.has-plum-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-70) !important;}.has-plum-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-60) !important;}.has-plum-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-50) !important;}.has-plum-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-40) !important;}.has-plum-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-30) !important;}.has-plum-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-20) !important;}.has-plum-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-10) !important;}.has-grey-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-70) !important;}.has-grey-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-60) !important;}.has-grey-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-50) !important;}.has-grey-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-30) !important;}.has-grey-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-20) !important;}.has-beige-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-70) !important;}.has-beige-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-60) !important;}.has-beige-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-50) !important;}.has-beige-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-40) !important;}.has-beige-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-30) !important;}.has-beige-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-20) !important;}.has-beige-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-10) !important;}.has-gold-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-70) !important;}.has-gold-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-60) !important;}.has-gold-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-50) !important;}.has-gold-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-40) !important;}.has-gold-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-30) !important;}.has-gold-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-20) !important;}.has-gold-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-10) !important;}.has-skin-70-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-70) !important;}.has-skin-60-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-60) !important;}.has-skin-50-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-50) !important;}.has-skin-40-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-40) !important;}.has-skin-30-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-30) !important;}.has-skin-20-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-20) !important;}.has-skin-10-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-10) !important;}.has-black-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-teal-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-50) !important;}.has-grey-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-10) !important;}.has-grey-80-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-80) !important;}.has-grey-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-40) !important;}.has-teal-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-10) !important;}.has-blue-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-70) !important;}.has-blue-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-60) !important;}.has-blue-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-50) !important;}.has-blue-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-40) !important;}.has-blue-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-30) !important;}.has-blue-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-20) !important;}.has-blue-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-10) !important;}.has-teal-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-70) !important;}.has-teal-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-60) !important;}.has-teal-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-40) !important;}.has-teal-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-30) !important;}.has-teal-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-20) !important;}.has-forest-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-70) !important;}.has-forest-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-60) !important;}.has-forest-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-50) !important;}.has-forest-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-40) !important;}.has-forest-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-30) !important;}.has-forest-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-20) !important;}.has-forest-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-10) !important;}.has-green-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-70) !important;}.has-green-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-60) !important;}.has-green-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-50) !important;}.has-green-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-40) !important;}.has-green-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-30) !important;}.has-green-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-20) !important;}.has-green-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-10) !important;}.has-lime-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-70) !important;}.has-lime-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-60) !important;}.has-lime-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-50) !important;}.has-lime-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-40) !important;}.has-lime-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-30) !important;}.has-lime-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-20) !important;}.has-lime-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-10) !important;}.has-yellow-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-70) !important;}.has-yellow-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-60) !important;}.has-yellow-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-50) !important;}.has-yellow-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-40) !important;}.has-yellow-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-30) !important;}.has-yellow-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-20) !important;}.has-yellow-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-10) !important;}.has-peach-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-70) !important;}.has-peach-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-60) !important;}.has-peach-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-50) !important;}.has-peach-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-40) !important;}.has-peach-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-30) !important;}.has-peach-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-20) !important;}.has-peach-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-10) !important;}.has-plum-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-70) !important;}.has-plum-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-60) !important;}.has-plum-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-50) !important;}.has-plum-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-40) !important;}.has-plum-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-30) !important;}.has-plum-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-20) !important;}.has-plum-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-10) !important;}.has-grey-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-70) !important;}.has-grey-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-60) !important;}.has-grey-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-50) !important;}.has-grey-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-30) !important;}.has-grey-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-20) !important;}.has-beige-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-70) !important;}.has-beige-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-60) !important;}.has-beige-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-50) !important;}.has-beige-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-40) !important;}.has-beige-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-30) !important;}.has-beige-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-20) !important;}.has-beige-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-10) !important;}.has-gold-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-70) !important;}.has-gold-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-60) !important;}.has-gold-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-50) !important;}.has-gold-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-40) !important;}.has-gold-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-30) !important;}.has-gold-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-20) !important;}.has-gold-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-10) !important;}.has-skin-70-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-70) !important;}.has-skin-60-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-60) !important;}.has-skin-50-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-50) !important;}.has-skin-40-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-40) !important;}.has-skin-30-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-30) !important;}.has-skin-20-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-20) !important;}.has-skin-10-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-10) !important;}.has-black-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-teal-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-50) !important;}.has-grey-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-10) !important;}.has-grey-80-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-80) !important;}.has-grey-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-40) !important;}.has-teal-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-10) !important;}.has-blue-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-70) !important;}.has-blue-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-60) !important;}.has-blue-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-50) !important;}.has-blue-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-40) !important;}.has-blue-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-30) !important;}.has-blue-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-20) !important;}.has-blue-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--blue-10) !important;}.has-teal-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-70) !important;}.has-teal-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-60) !important;}.has-teal-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-40) !important;}.has-teal-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-30) !important;}.has-teal-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--teal-20) !important;}.has-forest-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-70) !important;}.has-forest-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-60) !important;}.has-forest-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-50) !important;}.has-forest-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-40) !important;}.has-forest-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-30) !important;}.has-forest-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-20) !important;}.has-forest-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--forest-10) !important;}.has-green-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-70) !important;}.has-green-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-60) !important;}.has-green-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-50) !important;}.has-green-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-40) !important;}.has-green-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-30) !important;}.has-green-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-20) !important;}.has-green-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--green-10) !important;}.has-lime-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-70) !important;}.has-lime-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-60) !important;}.has-lime-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-50) !important;}.has-lime-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-40) !important;}.has-lime-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-30) !important;}.has-lime-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-20) !important;}.has-lime-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--lime-10) !important;}.has-yellow-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-70) !important;}.has-yellow-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-60) !important;}.has-yellow-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-50) !important;}.has-yellow-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-40) !important;}.has-yellow-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-30) !important;}.has-yellow-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-20) !important;}.has-yellow-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--yellow-10) !important;}.has-peach-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-70) !important;}.has-peach-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-60) !important;}.has-peach-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-50) !important;}.has-peach-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-40) !important;}.has-peach-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-30) !important;}.has-peach-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-20) !important;}.has-peach-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--peach-10) !important;}.has-plum-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-70) !important;}.has-plum-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-60) !important;}.has-plum-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-50) !important;}.has-plum-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-40) !important;}.has-plum-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-30) !important;}.has-plum-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-20) !important;}.has-plum-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--plum-10) !important;}.has-grey-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-70) !important;}.has-grey-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-60) !important;}.has-grey-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-50) !important;}.has-grey-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-30) !important;}.has-grey-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--grey-20) !important;}.has-beige-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-70) !important;}.has-beige-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-60) !important;}.has-beige-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-50) !important;}.has-beige-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-40) !important;}.has-beige-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-30) !important;}.has-beige-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-20) !important;}.has-beige-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--beige-10) !important;}.has-gold-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-70) !important;}.has-gold-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-60) !important;}.has-gold-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-50) !important;}.has-gold-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-40) !important;}.has-gold-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-30) !important;}.has-gold-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-20) !important;}.has-gold-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--gold-10) !important;}.has-skin-70-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-70) !important;}.has-skin-60-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-60) !important;}.has-skin-50-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-50) !important;}.has-skin-40-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-40) !important;}.has-skin-30-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-30) !important;}.has-skin-20-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-20) !important;}.has-skin-10-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--skin-10) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red) !important;}.has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-cool-to-warm-spectrum-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum) !important;}.has-blush-light-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple) !important;}.has-blush-bordeaux-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux) !important;}.has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk) !important;}.has-pale-ocean-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean) !important;}.has-electric-grass-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass) !important;}.has-midnight-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--midnight) !important;}.has-small-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--small) !important;}.has-medium-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium) !important;}.has-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important;}.has-x-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large) !important;}.has-baskerville-etext-font-family{font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--baskerville-etext) !important;}.has-circular-font-family{font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--circular) !important;}.has-fa-brands-font-family{font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--fa-brands) !important;}.has-fa-font-family{font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--fa) !important;}.has-utopia-font-family{font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--utopia) !important;}\n:root :where(.wp-block-icon svg){width: 24px;}\n:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;}\n:where(.wp-block-term-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-term-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;}\n:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;}\n:root :where(.wp-block-pullquote){font-size: 1.5em;line-height: 1.6;}\n\/*# sourceURL=global-styles-inline-css *\/","core_block_supports":".wp-elements-0328290b1f6be0503346d6d29c6b631e a:where(:not(.wp-element-button)){color:var(--wp--preset--color--grey-40);}.wp-elements-2b466e11c44de27fb406703c587f2f4b a:where(:not(.wp-element-button)){color:var(--wp--preset--color--grey-70);}\n\/*# sourceURL=core-block-supports-inline-css *\/"},"stat_byline_classes":["article-byline","guest-author"],"use_block_editor_for_post":true,"stat_featured_video":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sportswriter tries to balance CTE risk with his love for football | STAT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Recent study of football players found high rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Sportswriter asks if we should feel guilty for loving the game.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sportswriter and football fan Michael Arkush has known about CTE for years. But he increasingly feels uneasy about watching the game he loves.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"STAT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.facebook.com\/statnews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1-1024x576.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Arkush\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@statnews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@statnews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Arkush\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Torie Bosch\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef7c3e063e28ae3b123f40bf58ea2477\"},\"headline\":\"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":876,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"brain\",\"dementia\",\"Men's and Boys' Health\",\"neurology\"],\"articleSection\":[\"First Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"isAccessibleForFree\":\"False\",\"hasPart\":{\"@type\":\"WebPageElement\",\"isAccessibleForFree\":\"False\",\"cssSelector\":\".the-content\"},\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sportswriter tries to balance CTE risk with his love for football | STAT\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Recent study of football players found high rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Sportswriter asks if we should feel guilty for loving the game.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg\",\"width\":4925,\"height\":3379,\"caption\":\"LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: Restaurant workers sit during a break as Super Bowl LV plays on televisions in the shuttered indoor section of a restaurant on February 07, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Indoor dining at restaurants is shuttered due to the pandemic in Los Angeles while outdoor sections of restaurants were not permitted to show the game. (Photo by Mario Tama\\\/Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/14\\\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"STAT\",\"description\":\"Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"STAT\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/06\\\/Stat_Logo_150.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/06\\\/Stat_Logo_150.png\",\"width\":150,\"height\":41,\"caption\":\"STAT\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/statnews\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/statnews\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/stat-news\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC89FjSf9AT1O2qw6vxrrxDQ\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/statnews\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.threads.com\\\/@statnews\\\/\"],\"description\":\"STAT is a media company focused on finding and telling compelling stories about health, medicine, and scientific discovery. We produce daily news, investigative articles, and narrative projects in addition to multimedia features, podcasts, and opinion pieces. We tell our stories from the places that matter to our readers \u2014 research labs, hospitals, executive suites, and political campaigns.\",\"email\":\"subscribers@statnews.com\",\"telephone\":\"(617) 929-2000\",\"legalName\":\"STAT\",\"foundingDate\":\"2015-11-01\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef7c3e063e28ae3b123f40bf58ea2477\",\"name\":\"Torie Bosch\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.pnga436149a18d63f0f4753fc16fcdd179f\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Torie Bosch\"},\"description\":\"Torie Bosch is the editor of First Opinion, which is STAT\u2019s home for op-eds, personal essays, and other first-person pieces. She also hosts the \u201cFirst Opinion Podcast\u201d and writes the First Opinion newsletter.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/thekibosch\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.statnews.com\\\/staff\\\/torie-bosch\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sportswriter tries to balance CTE risk with his love for football | STAT","description":"Recent study of football players found high rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Sportswriter asks if we should feel guilty for loving the game.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?","og_description":"Sportswriter and football fan Michael Arkush has known about CTE for years. But he increasingly feels uneasy about watching the game he loves.","og_url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/","og_site_name":"STAT","article_publisher":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.facebook.com\/statnews\/","article_published_time":"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1-1024x576.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael Arkush","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@statnews","twitter_site":"@statnews","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Michael Arkush","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/"},"author":{"name":"Torie Bosch","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ef7c3e063e28ae3b123f40bf58ea2477"},"headline":"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?","datePublished":"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/"},"wordCount":876,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg","keywords":["brain","dementia","Men's and Boys' Health","neurology"],"articleSection":["First Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":"False","hasPart":{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":"False","cssSelector":".the-content"},"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/","name":"Sportswriter tries to balance CTE risk with his love for football | STAT","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-14T08:30:00+00:00","description":"Recent study of football players found high rates of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Sportswriter asks if we should feel guilty for loving the game.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-1300924525-1.jpg","width":4925,"height":3379,"caption":"LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: Restaurant workers sit during a break as Super Bowl LV plays on televisions in the shuttered indoor section of a restaurant on February 07, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Indoor dining at restaurants is shuttered due to the pandemic in Los Angeles while outdoor sections of restaurants were not permitted to show the game. (Photo by Mario Tama\/Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/2026\/09\/14\/football-cte-risk-should-we-feel-guilty-for-watching-nfl\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Am I a hypocrite for loving football despite CTE?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/","name":"STAT","description":"Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#organization","name":"STAT","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Stat_Logo_150.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Stat_Logo_150.png","width":150,"height":41,"caption":"STAT"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.facebook.com\/statnews\/","https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/x.com\/statnews","https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/stat-news\/","https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC89FjSf9AT1O2qw6vxrrxDQ","https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.instagram.com\/statnews\/","https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.threads.com\/@statnews\/"],"description":"STAT is a media company focused on finding and telling compelling stories about health, medicine, and scientific discovery. We produce daily news, investigative articles, and narrative projects in addition to multimedia features, podcasts, and opinion pieces. We tell our stories from the places that matter to our readers \u2014 research labs, hospitals, executive suites, and political campaigns.","email":"subscribers@statnews.com","telephone":"(617) 929-2000","legalName":"STAT","foundingDate":"2015-11-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ef7c3e063e28ae3b123f40bf58ea2477","name":"Torie Bosch","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.pnga436149a18d63f0f4753fc16fcdd179f","url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cropped-Torie-Bosch-profile-96x96.png","caption":"Torie Bosch"},"description":"Torie Bosch is the editor of First Opinion, which is STAT\u2019s home for op-eds, personal essays, and other first-person pieces. She also hosts the \u201cFirst Opinion Podcast\u201d and writes the First Opinion newsletter.","sameAs":["https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/x.com\/thekibosch"],"url":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/staff\/torie-bosch\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/784"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1519434"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1519849,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1519434\/revisions\/1519849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1518689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1519434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1519434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1519434"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/www.statnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1519434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/blue-sea-697d.quartiers047.workers.dev:443\/https\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}