NFL season is here but I won’t be following anymore. I can’t un-see the harm it causes

After 20 years as a fan, I can't justify supporting the ongoing carnage in football. As a sociologist who studies violence, gender and labor in sports, perhaps it was just a matter of time

On Sunday, the NFL season will kick off in earnest. Sports news websites, team message boards and social media are already awash in coverage. To the unbridled joy of many, football is back. But for the first time in almost 20 years, I won't be following.

This summer, I decided I'm out - done with football. I can't justify supporting the ongoing carnage in the sport. As a sociologist who studies violence, gender and labor in sports, perhaps it was just a matter of time.