ABSTRACT
Football players live with the knowledge that small and moderate injuries are an expected outcome of the game and that a serious, career-ending or even life-threatening injury is always a possibility. This chapter explains how the ideology of hegemonic masculinity, internalized by male athletes through sports socialization, creates the will to play even when injured and to endure the pain that ensues. It elaborates on how sports normalizes violence and induces pressure on athletes to suppress empathy for others and for themselves. The athletes would compete among themselves to see who could consume the most free drinks at the bar. Timothy Curry's description of the sports bar scene mirrors the interactional dynamics of male peer groups described as concerning violence against women. Learning to embody and display toughness, even if it is a veneer that covers up a quivering insecurity inside, can be a survival skill that helps boys stay safe in a hostile environment.
