NFL players should get over the
fact that they’re going to have to change the way they tackle in this day and
age. With new rules, bargaining agreements and the awareness/research of
concussions and various brain injuries that could lead to early retirement and
even death; the NFL is safer than it’s ever been. Call the NFL wrong for
looking out for the best interest of the brand, but as a multi-billion dollar
company you have to protect your brand and its employees and assets. Every
company has rules and regulations regarding safety and health issues to protect
the employees of potential injuries and the company from potential lawsuits. At
my job I have to comply with the rules and regulations (that constantly change
over time) when dealing with machinery, ladders, etc. Although I take short
cuts and do things that decrease my time with the machinery which can put my
life at risk, I have to conform with the rules and regulations to protect my
life and the company no matter how I felt, what I was used to, or how I use to
do it. Doctors, Lawyers, EMT, Teachers, Firefighters, Police Officers, mostly
every occupation has at some point had to reform. NFL players get over it! I
could understand about going hard and leaving everything you have on the field,
but don’t leave your life out there. I understand about tradition and the way
the game is supposed to be played, but let’s try to prolong and preserve the popularity
of the game and the health of the players before the game is no more. If there
is any thing in life that is constant it is change, and those that want to
survive will welcome and deal with change.
Keith Simon
KS
@Keith_Simn85
KIN332I 9:30am-10:45 T/Th Section 11143
1 comment:
Where does this issue end though? I am all for changing the way that they play the game in order to prevent injuries like concussions, but where do you draw the line between what injuries you want to prevent and the injuries that are seen as acceptable to the game? When I say acceptable I mean multiple knee and hip surgeries along with hernia surgery that requires disks to be remolded and will most likely need to be worked on again unless play is ceased. I read an article a year or two ago and where the benefit's director of NFL player's Association described a retired player's convention as an "orthopedic surgeon's dream". Player's on average live twenty to thirty years younger and have problems for the rest of their life. As we look at the ways in which defensive players are tackling after the rule has changed we see a lot more head to lower body collisions. This in turn does not help defensive players from jarring their brain and does not help receivers from maintaining lower body joints and function. If anything I feel like this will shorten a player's career even more since there will most likely be more lower body injuries, such as torn ligaments and groin strains that will usually occur due to underlying lower back injuries for offensive players, and many more head and neck injuries for defensive players.I feel that if you are truly looking to protect the player's health and safety then the game would not be played at all. I feel like a lot of the rule change resulting from concussions is what we see as fans to be unacceptable. If the NFL kept their current rules there will most likely be an uproar against the NFL and they will ultimately lose fans and possibly even players. It seems like they are just using this as a tactic to stay on the good side of the players and fans. The only reason why the game is changing is because our society breaking from traditional views about how the game is supposed to be played. However if player's continue to play with the mindset that they are out there to hurt the other team before they get hurt then there is no way to protect players. If this is the case then should players be protected at all. Maybe if there were no rules around player safety they will then come to realize the amount of pain and anguish they will feel later on in their lives when their bodies struggle to handle a simple walk down the street or even sitting up or down is not worth it. I do not believe allowing other people to cheer for this kind of spectator event is healthy for a society unless it is completely broken down and analyzed to reveal the true nature of why the game is played. There is more behind the player's urge to play the game, there is an urge to show their full potential in terms of power,strength, and even more so masculinity. If the players want to continue to exemplify these qualities then why not let them play the game as it has been for years. There is much more to the rule change than just player safety and I think all aspects need to be looked at.
Matt W.
Kin 332i (T/Th 2:00)
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