Photo courtesy of iplj.com
By Kevin Gannon
Perhaps the cliché, “better late than never” is appropriate when describing the National Football League. Its recent attempt to make concussion awareness and prevention has become a top priority. On the surface it may appear that the NFL is championing the effort of concussion prevention and awareness, but there are always two sides to every story.
For years the NFL glorified bone-crushing hits by players like Dick Butkus and Deacon Jones. They even made a series of videos that highlighted such hits. Most of these highlights would be deemed illegal in today’s game. The question is whether the NFL has finally realized that repeated blows to the head are unsafe or that they have been caught ignoring player’s safety in order to grow a multi-billion dollar business.
Jim Avila of ABC News wrote that over 2,000 former NFL players have filed a lawsuit against the league. They accuse the NFL of concealing information linking football-related injuries to long-term brain damage. The NFL responded to these allegations by claiming that there was never any intent to mislead players and it is in contrast to the many actions taken to implement rule changes in order to protect the player. The league also claims that with advanced science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions, they are doing all they can do to protect the player.
The NFL’s claim about rule changes is true. Playing on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL has become increasingly difficult over the years. Quarterbacks are protected unlike any other player on the field, hitting a “defenseless” receiver is a 15 yard penalty plus a hefty fine, and any contact remotely close to the head will be penalized and the player will be fined and possibly suspended.
However, why has it taken this long to implement such rules? Can the NFL really claim that due to advanced science and medical understanding, they are now more aware than ever that when two large men slam head first into one another it might cause significant head trauma?
Common sense says otherwise.
There are many household names included in the lawsuit. Players like Jim McMahon, of the Super Bowl winning 1985 Chicago Bears, says that the players were unaware of the significance of head trauma yet the league was aware. Former Philadelphia Eagle Kevin Turner and former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason suffered repeated blows to the head throughout their career. Both now suffer from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“I want to see the game of football prosper. It makes me proud to know the NFL is the number one sport in America, but there’s a safer way of doing it,” said Turner.
Concussions are an issue the NFL cannot ignore. Several of the leagues stand-out players have been suspected of killing themselves because of brain damage. San Diego Charger, Junior Seau, was found dead in his home in May after an apparent suicide. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling, NFL retirees, are also among those who have committed suicide and have raised questions about the violence in football.
Whether or not the NFL has ignored the seriousness of concussions from players or not is up for debate, but former players are calling for action. These players are demanding the NFL to fund a program for medical monitoring for all former players. This program would routinely give examinations for signs of brain damage. According to ESPN’s senior legal analyst Lester Munson, examinations every two years for at least 20,000 players would cost the NFL approximately $600 million.
As the NFL cleans up the game to protect the players, fans have come to appreciate most of the rule changes. “I think it is necessary to protect the athletes but it has definitely changed the way teams play defense,” said Mike Ficchi. Ficchi played four years at Lancaster Catholic and then played one season for the Lancaster Lightning, a local semi-pro team.
Changes at the pro level have had a ripple effect throughout the different levels of organized football. College, high school, and youth football have all made an effort to reduce head trauma in football. Leagues have reduced contact practices, made rule changes, and have further educated coaching staffs about the risks of concussions.
The debate about when a child should be allowed to play contact football is directly linked to the concussion issue. As the concussion issues gains media attention, parents are now wary about allowing their eight your old child to play contact football.
“Twenty years ago I was nervous about allowing my child to play at age six but if I had to make that decision today, there would be no way my six or eight year old would play,” said Eileen Bobelick of Lancaster. In the future the rules may have to change to adhere to the growing concern of parents and parents to be. “I think the current age is too young to play contact football. I believe 12 years old would be a more appropriate age to begin playing contact football,” said 26 year old Alissa Popalis.
The NFL and concussions will be a topic of continued debate for years to come. More information will likely surface about the culpability of the league and what they knew about concussions and their effects on its players. For now, awareness and education about concussions are much needed tools in order to protect future athletes.
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