Jim Souhan’s column in the Minneapolis Star Tribune shows the risks players are taking may be greater than they expect:
The problems faced by today’s NFL makes the notion of ballplayers inflating their muscles in an attempt to hit baseballs far almost charming.
Authorities said Seau apparently took his own life with a shot to the chest. Former Bear Dave Duerson also killed himself with a shot to his chest, and left a note asking that his brain be studied to increase awareness of how head injuries affect football players. Duerson believed hits to his head left him mentally impaired.
The NFL never has been more popular, or more endangered. Every year what was once suspected moves closer to universally accepted fact: Human beings shouldn’t play tackle football, at least at the level of violence required by professional coaches.
Malicious hits have become such an important part of the NFL that players, for the Saints and other teams, have defended the bounty system as nothing more than a bureaucratic form of violence as usual. Every NFL defender knows he should knock opponents out of the game, or just out; the Saints were the rare team arrogant enough to systemize their goals.
If Seau indeed committed suicide, and if he indeed shot himself in the chest so his brain could be studied, we will have another reminder of the NFL’s punitive laws of physics: Current NFL players are so explosive that allowing them to smash into each other at will is criminal.
I don’t understand this over riding desire that so many have to protect other people from themselves. These are grown men playing a game. If they chose to beat the hell out of each other, well, no one is forcing them to keep playing, and making millions of dollars.
The players have a “union”, you would think that they would be able to get together to make a few decisions on behalf of all of the players. The NHL has the same kind of issues with media types afraid the game is too violent, and yet the player’s union has said nothing. I guess the players are happy with the game, the fans are happy with the game, the owners are happy with the game, but only some media types are unhappy with the game, and demand it change. (notice that many of the media types who are unhappy never played the game and tend to lean toward the nanny side of the spectrum)
Comment by Dwayne — May 3, 2012 @ 09:22
I agree with much of what you’re saying, but I think Souhan’s point is more that it wouldn’t take too many lawsuits from former players to bring down the league. And the NFL is located in the most litigious country in the history of lawfare.
Comment by Nicholas — May 3, 2012 @ 09:36