If you enjoy the current state of the NFL, you might want to skip this. You might be better off looking up your favorite Payton Manning MasterCard commercial on YouTube or checking the waiver wires of your fantasy football league.
But for those who truly care about the sport, the NFL has a big problem on its hands.
Put gently, every time a player steps foot on the field he faces the possibility that the hits he takes could cause irreversible brain damage. While that may be something no one likes to think about, the NFL has failed its players by not properly looking into the issue.
What’s worse, the league insults players and fans alike by telling them no problem exists.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had the opportunity to set the record straight last week when he and other NFL officials went before the House Judiciary Committee to discuss a recent report linking playing football to brain diseases.
Instead, Goodell told the committee that while the NFL takes the issue seriously, there is no link between playing football and diseases such as dementia. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., called out Goodell, likening him to the tobacco executives of yesteryear who claimed cigarettes didn’t cause cancer.
The greatest irony of the situation is that it was the NFL’s own report. The New York Times said the report showed retired players had dementia rates several times higher than that of the general public. It also found that 10 deceased former players, who were mostly below age 55, had brain damage similar to that of boxers.
The NFL didn’t like what it saw in the report and has tried in the past few weeks to downplay its findings. Dr. Ira Casson, chairman of the NFL’s committee on concussions, said the only thing the report indicates is the need for more research into the problem.
To their credit, league officials have pointed to increased helmet safety as a priority.
While today’s helmets are far superior to the leather ones used by the game’s pioneers, they are not a cure-all. As ESPN’s Michael Wilbon shockingly alluded to last week, studies say even future helmets won’t be able to stop concussions or other serious injuries because of the sheer speed and violence of the game.
That doesn’t mean the NFL should cry uncle and disband. We all live with the realization that this is a violent and physical game. In fact, that’s part of the appeal.
But the NFL owes it to kids playing in Pop Warner leagues or at the high school level, not to mention its own players, past or present, to take the lead on this issue.
Some former players get lost walking their dogs in their own neighborhoods, and others suffer from bouts of depression or anger. The NFL and the players’ union need to be accountable for these players because they helped transform the game into America’s sport.
