Problems and Solutions Regarding the NFL
Ninety nine percent of brains, studied by Dr. Ann McKee, contained a deadly neurological disease (Ward). The National Football League is the face of football and has provided Americans with televised entertainment for thirty one years. The NFL must take responsibility and lead the efforts to make football a safer sport. Strengthening the legitimacy and security of player contracts can lead to fewer scandals. The physical security of players can be protected through the hiring of independent medical personnel and the elimination of a strict helmet sponsor. Once the NFL embraces solutions then college and high school football will be quick to follow. Simple rule changes to the starting stance and kickoff can keep players safe and larger fines can incentivize all players to follow the rules. The essence of football is violence but with modern technology and education the NFL can reduce the violence so players do not have to sacrifice their quality of life after retirement.
Due to the violent nature of football, players collide with one another every play. When training for a big game, coaches encourage players to do whatever it takes to stop the other team from gaining or maintaining control of the ball. This is built into players of all ages, and is instilled every time they play. The violence proves to be entertaining however at a large cost to the players. Mike Webster, a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was notorious for how violent and effective he was playing football. Webster used his head when tackling opponents and did this so frequently a callus formed across his forehead. After retirement he suffered from brain injuries, leaving him to super glue his teeth back into his mouth and tasering himself in efforts to sleep. The repetitive collision between players is what makes football so entertaining but it results in an unhealthy amount of concussions and risks the player’s well being. Concussions are thought of as inevitable, and it is not uncommon for a player to have multiple concussion throughout their career.
There is no real medical definition of a concussion because it is considered a ‘mild traumatic brain injury’ making it difficult to diagnose upon physical examination. A concussion is “caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head (and) can also occur from a fall or a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth”(CDC 2). There are many symptoms associated with the brain injury therefore a concussion can be misdiagnosed very easily and their severity can grow the more the person ages. Common symptoms are fatigue, lack of balance, constant headaches, confusion, and irritability. Resuming strenuous activity after suffering a concussion is never encouraged and can result in worsening symptoms. Concussions have become normalized in football to the point where they are shrugged off as a less significant injury than a broken leg. When players suffer injuries like a broken leg or ACL they are given rest and some do not play for an entire season. There is a general assumption that whenever a player is knocked out they have suffered a concussion however when players are taken off the field they appear moments later seemingly fine. If concussions were treated like a leg injury where players are given lengthy amounts of rehabilitation then the development of disease would lessen and better the long term health of the players. As long as the NFL treats concussions as minor injuries, players are likely to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
CTE is a brain disease that has recently plagued NFL players and is still being researched by the medical community. Dr. Ann McKee has played an instrumental role in the research of CTE in NFL players. Her findings show ninety nine percent of 111 studied NFL player brains contained CTE. The disease has no cure so efforts to find one are at an all time high among medical researchers. When one suffers a concussion the brain is essentially getting bruised which results in the loss of neurons. Tau proteins are a result of the loss of neurons and can be seen as dark brown spots located most commonly on the temporal lobe. These darkened areas of the brain is seen in every player that has CTE and it is only seen after they have passed. In most cases, “these changes in the brain can begin months, years, or even decades after the last brain trauma or end of active athletic involvement” which means diagnosing it in the beginning stages is difficult (Boston University Research). Due to the worst cases of CTE being present in older players, people commonly assume symptoms like “memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, and eventually progressive dementia” are a result of Alzheimer’s (Boston University Research). The wife of the late Dave Kocourek suffered CTE and in the final stages of his illness she walked in on him “preparing to brush his teeth with a razor”(Segura). It is the NFL’s responsibility is to aid its employees, the players, in doing their job safely and there are small changes it can make in order to do that.
The downfall of Aaron Hernandez provides valid reasoning for the alteration of player contracts. Hernandez was signed to the New England Patriots in 2013 for forty million dollars and was later found guilty of murdering Odin Lloyd. After being admitted to prison he committed suicide and the later examination of his brain showed he suffered from CTE in its third stage. Hernandez grew up a happy and caring person but after playing football throughout high school and going onto the NFL he became the opposite. He would go through fits of rage and become excessively violent, which are common symptoms of CTE. Hernandez’s arrest and eventual suicide gives the NFL a poor reputation and image so for the sake of the NFL’s public relations the strengthening of player contracts is needed. The NFL dissolved Hernandez’s contract once he was arrested, but it was sudden and the league was able to do it very easily. These flimsy contracts “encourages teams to push players to and through injury, rather than investing in their long-term health” because the NFL knows how easily they can get out of the contract (Nussbaum). It also leaves out serious thought and consideration about drafted players because the NFL signed Hernandez with the knowledge of his troubled past. Signing the best possible player and offering everyone opportunity is important however the NFL is a business and NFL players, who may become celebrities, should have an overall clean wrap sheet. Stronger contracts can “serve a forcing function to get teams to operate in the league’s interest, by policing their own players, treating or reforming them where necessary” and ultimately keeping them healthy (Nussbaum). The employees that offer medical support to players should also act in the interest of the player and not the NFL.
The team coaches work for the NFL but do not necessarily look out for the players best interest. The goal of every team is to have the best players always in the game however when a player suffers a concussion in a game they are given an ice pack and painkillers if necessary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state to recover from a concussion one should “avoid activities that are physically demanding (as they can) make your symptoms worse and slow your recovery”. Players who suffer a concussion midgame are not given rest from the game in fact they are put back in the game. The treatment of a concussion needs to be taken more seriously no matter the importance of the player to the game so the hiring of independent medical personnel should be adopted by the NFL. This will put the players long term health before winning a game. Once the treatment of at risk players is addressed other changes may be made regarding how the game is played.
The three point stance puts players in starting positions that put them at risk for severe concussions. Linemen begin in three point stance which encourages incorrect tackling form utilizing the head as momentum. As a solution for the elimination of three point stance the two point stance would be adopted. This stance would force players to tackle correctly using their hands first then the arms and shoulders. It also would benefit strategy of the game because as of now linemen have to keep their hand to the ground once it is placed until the ball is snapped allowing defenses to move while they keep still. If the two point stance was implemented linemen could move and adjust just as defense does all while maintaining the rule that linemen stay still for one second before the play begins. This adjustment “makes it easier to change plays in response to the defense” and improves strategy (Nussbaum). The two point stance utilizes movement and power whereas the three point stance is all power and collision. Linemen are some of the most at risk players of concussions because they accumulating small repetitive hits the most furthermore the elimination of the three point stance will limit repetitive head to head contact of these players. Small rule changes of the game will put players in better positions to avoid concussions and so will more severe penalties and fines.
The incentive of knocking an opponent out will be lessened when the player realizes how much it will cost him. The players in the NFL are at the top of their game meaning there is no higher level a football player can play at. With this in mind, the NFL has the power and influence to enforce tougher penalties and fines for excessive force. Some players like the feeling of accomplishment when knocking an opponent down but it should not be tolerated when it is at the expense of a player’s health. In the culture of football intensity is encouraged and this is how overly aggressive players are formed. In a sport like football it is important for players to be aggressive however when it is encouraged aggressiveness becomes easily excessive. If players are willing to pay the fines of excessive force than more severe penalties can be more effective furthermore coaches and teammates would then be the ones encouraging the control of force. The attitude in which players play can altered by through the use of penalties and fines and the safety in which they play can be altered through the changing of helmet sponsors.
Riddell is the NFL’s current helmet sponsor and has intentionally stopped players from protecting themselves. Don Beebe, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills in the 1980’s, adopted the use of the ProCap in football. The ProCap decreased the impact of head to head collisions by thirty percent protecting players from possible concussions. They were so effective a study of their technology showed that players who used the ProCap did not have suffer any concussions during play however six of the players without the ProCap did. Riddell however was not fond of how puffy the ProCaps made the helmets look so they suspended the use of them arguing that they would put players in danger of “danger of axial loading spinal damage” (Nussbaum). With the elimination of Riddell as the NFL’s helmet sponsor there would be room for a more effective helmet sponsor or none at all. The NFL should put the players in the safest position to play and the uniform they provide should do the same. “If one model of helmet proves to be clearly superior in protecting against injury and concussion (as the ProCap might), the league could even mandate use of that helmet” ensuring every player would be protected(Nussbaum). The NFL has simple fixes to large problems therefore the adaptation of the previously stated solutions should be easy.
Concussions are thought of as inevitable but that should not be the case given the NFL’s power and education. If concussions are treated as minor injuries then players are likely to suffer from CTE. It is the NFL’s responsibility to aid its employees, the players, in doing their job safely and there are small changes it can make in order to do that. The employees that offer medical support to players should also act in the interest of the player and not the NFL. With small corporate changes like guaranteed contracts and independent medical teams the NFL is on its way to solving the treatment of at risk players. Small rule changes such as, the elimination of kickoffs and three point stance will put players in better positions to avoid concussions. More severe penalties and fines will make the incentive of knocking an opponent out lessen. Riddell’s elimination as the NFL’s helmet sponsor will give players updated helmet safety. The essence of football is violence but with modern technology and education the NFL can reduce the violence so players do not have to sacrifice their quality of life after retirement.
Works Cited
Board, Editorial. "NFL Doctors Are On The Wrong Team." The Washington Post. WP Company, 11 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Boston University Research. "Frequently Asked Questions about CTE." BU Research CTE Center. Boston University Research: CTE Center, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Nussbaum, Jeff. "Three Simple Fixes That Could Save Pro Football." Washington Monthly. N.p., 24 June 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Segura, Melissa. "The Other Half Of the Story." SI.com. Sports Illustrator, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Sherman, Rodger. "The NFL Should Just Eliminate Kickoffs Already." SBNation.com. SBNation.com, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
U .S . Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts About Concussion and Brain Injury. N.p.: U .S . Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d. Print. U .S . Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Jan. 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2018.
Ward, Joe, Josh Williams, and Sam Manchester. "111 N.F.L. Brains. All But One Had C.T.E."The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 July 2017. Web. 03 Apr. 2018.