Did the NFL Hide Concussion Risks? Fan’s View
There’s no doubt professional football is a dangerous sport. Every time an NFL player takes to the field during a game, they run the risk of experiencing a career-ending injury. With all the money the NFL makes from the players, I think they owe it to them to keep them safe. Football players are warriors, by the time they are in the NFL, they’ve spent years ignoring pain and only thinking about winning. I think the NFL, through their coaches, trainers and physicians, has the duty of protecting the players, sometimes from themselves.
A group of former players has filed a lawsuit against the NFL claiming the league did not do enough to protect them from the dangers of concussions by having a protocol to return players to active play as soon as possible. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or hit to the head. Left untreated, it can cause brain damage or death. Repeated concussions, as caused by football or other contact sports like boxing, can have serious, long-term effects and we are learning more every day.
The argument in the lawsuit is not that the players didn’t know the risks, it’s that the league should have kept them out for longer periods of time. The lawsuit points out that other professional athletes who experience the same injuries, are kept from participating for a long time, even a full season, in contrast to the NFL’s policy.
The allegations
The players claim the NFL knew the risks of concussions, going back to the 1920s. Despite the risks, they continued to allow players to return to play before they could properly recover, including sending them back into the same game in which they were injured. The lawsuit claims the league knew of the dangers of concussions and only went public last year. The league recently has made a publicity push, asking for all 50 states to pass strict youth football concussion laws and adding severe fines for NFL players who make illegal hits.
The players
Four players are involved in the latest lawsuit. Jamal Lewis, 32, played for ten years as a running back for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, retiring in 2009. 41 year-old Dorsey Levens played 11 seasons as a running back until retiring in 2003. Fulton Kuykendall, the oldest at 58, played as a linebacker between 1974 and 1985. The final player is 38 year-old Ryan Stewart, who played safety for the Detroit Lions from 1995-2000.
Not every hit causes a concussion
Although players experience a lot of violent hits, not every hits causes a concussion. Helmets and other protective gear also prevent many injuries. I do think the league takes the issue seriously and looks to the latest technology to prevent concussions. However, I also think the league was far more lax in the past and had (or tolerated) a “just get them back into the game” mentality. A doctor needs to evaluate every situation, as not every concussion causes a loss of conscientiousness.
The damage
The players claim medical problems including memory loss, headaches and not being able to sleep
NFL response
The league responded through a statement that the suit had not merit, and any allegations they sought to mislead players ” stands in contrast to the league’s actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions.”
Conclusion
I think the league has made some progress, but needs to do more. Only a few days ago, they implemented a league-appointed, certified athletic trainer who will be at every game to advise teams on concussion-related injuries. He will not have any power, which I think is a mistake, I think he should be like a referee, who can make an independent judgement and order a player out of the game or prevent an injured player from returning to play.
Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman
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