Now that training camps are open in the NFL with high school and college football not far off, one thing is for the sure. This is not the same game we grew up with – nor will it be in the future.
The game of football is under fire. A rash of legal woes range from injuries to “who knew what and when.” Change is coming – from the court room and the insurance industry, and perhaps the enlightened instincts of parents.
Now that there is ample documentation of the impact that head injuries have on all athletes, football is on the hot seat. The knee injury that will require surgery and all the things after that has been replaced by multiple concussions with brain erosion down the road.
While some will go so far as bragging about the number of concussions they may have received during their playing days, they are already starting to lose it by making asinine comments about about how tough they are and how you need to “man up.” This sport is dangerous, yet we continue to challenge our youth to play it at their own risk.
We are not far off from seeing some high school athlete suffer a severe head injury resulting from violent contact on the field, so severe that he will not be able to live a normal life. His family will then have a veritable buffet to choose from when it comes to filing a lawsuit.
Let’s start with the school district, for not ensuring that players are provided with properly protective equipment. In fact, very few districts can afford to continually upgrade equipment, especially when new products are constantly coming online to protect the pros.
How about the coaches, who tell their concussed athletes that “you just had your bell rung and you will be OK.” Most coaches have not had formal training on dealing with head injuries or how to prevent them with proper tackling techniques.
What if you have the perfect storm where neither district or coaches are attentive? What happens if it reaches a courtroom and goes in front of a jury? Does the district’s insurance company want to run the risk of going to court on what could be a landmark decision? The money spent on a penalty or settlement could be staggering.
So what does the insurance company do? Cancel the district’s policy when it comes to football? Amend the policy to protect the district and not the player? Either move will have an impact that will reduce the number of players who would be available.
The player pool also could be drained by parents using common sense here. Instead of having Little Johnny play so it will make him tough (and so they can make fools of themselves on the sidelines when he makes a play at the age of 11), why not do some homework and find out what sort of safeguards are in place for your son?
What are the concussion facts and impact? How would you know if he is really hurt when he gets home from practice or a game? There is a responsibility here that falls on parents. Maybe they should focus on their sons’ health and future should their boys not get a football scholarship or win the Heisman Trophy or get picked in the first round of the NFL draft.
Hall of Fame coach John Madden once said that “the first time you put your hand on the ground to take a snap to play in the NFL, your body will never be the same.” The same applies to those who attempt to play this game at any level of full-contact. And amateur players mostly are not afforded state-of-the-art equipment, testing and professional care. They are the ones who are forgotten after a few fundraisers to help defray their medical costs.
For those who play football and their families who think these things could never happen to them, I ask you this: Ever talk to a player who is beset by head injuries? Did they ever think it would happen to them?
The unfortunate thing here is that football will try to go on with business as usual. There is a lot of money at stake for a lot of people. From owners to fans, there is a lot on the line. The networks make their money broadcasting the games to parents who watch the games ad nauseam thinking that their kid will be out there some day, never thinking their kid could instead be the next paraplegic, which could break a family in so many ways.
Yes, this is a game that is in store for changes on many levels.
