In "Pigskin, Patriarchy, and Pain" author Don Sabo declares that football is a socially stressed phenomenon that instills the "pain principle" into the male youth of today. Sabo begins his essay with some background information about himself, including the pain that he has been in for past years and how one back surgery fixed it all. He spoke of his childhood and how Dick Butkus was his hero and how football saved him from the "steel mills". He went on to be a college athlete and figured out that sport is one area, along with many, that pain is more important than pleasure. Sabo explains that he does not see himself as an athlete whose career was ended by surgery, but he sees himself as a man that was swallowed up by the social system that is based on male domination. Sabo speaks of patriarchy and gives examples of when pain is better than pleasure such as Christians" beliefs about sex; Pain of abstinence is better than pleasure of sex. Sabo argues that society teaches males to "take it" that is to deal with what happens, especially pain. Sabo's high school coach said "football is a game of pain and violence!", and Sabo responded many years later in this article with "I should have taken him at his word and never played the game!".
Don Sabo, born and raised in western Pennsylvania, grew up in a steel town where it is football or factory. From the time he can remember he was urged by society and people close to him to play football. He played football from the time he was a little boy until college where he played at a division I school. For years after he played in college he endured much pain especially in his back. He had surgery (just a year and a half before writing the article) on his back and is no longer in any pain, and that brings us to today. Sabo wrote this article to awaken society to the true meaning of football. What is the purpose of all that pain? Sabo believes it is just to teach boys at young ages to "take it" and deal with it.
