Are Attitudes About Football Slowly Starting to Change?

Last month, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL after just one season. He wasn't injured. He was, however, concerned about the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma.

With all that we know – and all that we don't know – about the physical and emotional toll exacted on players from repetitive brain trauma, is it possible we're seeing the early stages of the end of football as we know it?

Are attitudes about the game that dominates Texas – and much of the country – changing slowly, the same way our attitudes changed over the years about smoking, boxing or eating fast food?

We discuss these questions from both the sports and medical perspectives with two guests: MK Bower covers sports for CultureMap Houston and joins us most Mondays to discuss Houston sports; and Summer Ott is assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the UTHealth Medical School and director of the Sports Concussion Program at the Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute.