Is It Just Me or Is the NFL Doing a Bad Job of Protecting Players?

Columnist Written on October 25, 2008

My fellow writer, Eddie Rossell, wrote an article about the NFL and safety. He made very good points, stating how the NFL, like some businesses, does not really care about its workers as much as they care about the green paper known as money.

Eddie, this article is being written thanks to you, man. You pointed it out and got me thinking. So it's dedicated to you.

Eddie got me thinking: If the NFL is so concerned about its players, then why is everyone getting hurt? I have seen more star players go out of the game than I have ever seen in my 19 years of life.

I don’t mean to say that the other players are irrelevant, but I must ask you Patriot fans this: Would you pay more to see Tom Brady play or Matt Cassel play? These star players sell the tickets and jerseys, and where are they? “Uh, doctor? We have an injured linebacker in room 306 who wants a Xbox with Madden '09.”

The NFL says they are getting tougher on big hits and injuries. Well, where is the progress?

Look at what has happened.

Tom Brady gets hit in the leg as he tries to get rid of the ball and bye bye NFL MVP. I always regarded the Patriots' offensive line as one of the best, since Brady knows the pocket as well as he does himself. It was just mind-boggling to see him go out against the Chiefs.

I was actually afraid he would get the perfect season this time. But I think it was, in a way, good for the league, since he can spend more time with his little boy and examine his life outside of football, while giving me more of a hope that a new team will win the Super Bowl. I can’t stand dynasties!

What is even weirder is that Brady is one of the young ones. I thought it would be those aging New England linebackers that would go out, not the NFL’s most intense player. And that is a compliment to him.

Now, Rodney Harrison was only so surprising since he is 35 years old. The Dallas Cowboys also lost their own safety, Roy Williams, to a broken forearm for the season. Shawn Springs of the Redskins is also out temporarily.

Football has been known for hurting teams, but the Seattle Seahawks are not hurt, they are paralyzed from the neck down. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is going to miss his third straight game with a back injury. Former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch is also hurt on the heel.

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written on October 25, 2008 Opinion

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