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.
48 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Craig Garrison Sr 8 months ago
Hmmm... James, interesting piece. I would say however that if you looked closely at seasons past, you would find very little if any real difference in the number or scope of injuries. Last season the Patriots (and the Giants) had remarkably healthy seasons.
I would suggest in fact, that if you look at the championship teams of, say... the last 10 years, you would find that in maybe 8 out of the 10, they had relatively few injuries to deal with on their way. I don't really think there is much more one can do about the danger of the game, I already feel that TOO much is being done to regulate the "violence" of football, THAT'S WHAT FOOTBALL IS! It was that way when I played, and it is that way now.
It is all part of the game, and I don't think any more should be done in the way of penalizing players for hits that are otherwise legal (things like late hits and hits out of bounds are not legal). Hines Ward has been fined recently for what are, in my opinion, just damn good hits. And that means it has gone too far already.
Would I like it if teams didn't have to deal with injuries? Of course, but this is part of the game and the players know it, the owners know it, and the league office knows it.
We just need to accept it and move on as best we can.
Nice job James!
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James Williamson 8 months ago
I concur. I just wanted to point out that Goodell is not doing a good job of what he said he would do.
The reason this season is so weird for me is that so many stars are out. Guys that have names that people know. Osi, Brady, Romo, Merriman. That is what confuses me.
Me, I'm personally all for protecting the Qbs, punters, and kickers, but the rest of the guys on that field should be able to take contact.
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Eddie Rossell 8 months ago
First of all, thank you James for this piece.
I totally agree with you James.
The thing about the Pats RB situation seems to be just like what my Steelers have had to deal with. First Willie, then Mendenhall, then Davis, and now we are down to our 4th stringer.
I'm all for protecting kickers and punters. I also think there should be some more ways to protect all players but obviously nothing is being done.
Roger Goodell has begun to turn the league soft.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Yeah, they need a weight limit at least for some of these guys.
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Jacob Sloan 8 months ago
I think a weight limit would be a huge mistake. The NFL shouldn't discriminate against players because of their size. If you are built bigger and develop the skills to be a phenom offensive lineman, fullback, defensive tackle or even wide receiver for that matter, you should be able to play the game.
Just think what basketball would be like if players like Shaq never had a chance to enter the game.
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Andrew Tirrell 8 months ago
I tend to agree that we are more focused on injuries this year because it's the big stars who have gone down. This has always been a fairly dangerus sport.
It's no wonder, with defenses putting up internal rewards for players who injure their opponents. Terrell Suggs stupidly admitted to the bounty system used by the Ravens in their lockerroom. How many teams must also use bounties and are just smart enough not to tell the media? Mike Golic admitted on his radio show that every team he played on used them.
I think Goodell's tepid reaction to Suggs's comments makes it clear that he knows very well that such arrangements are commonplace.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Yeah, the bounty system is uncalled for. This is a sport. Now I support coaches saying, "I want you to hit them so hard, that will regret coming on the field." But when you tell players to aim for the leg or go the head, that is assault in my book.
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Isaac Barrow 8 months ago
Yeah like so many have gotten hurt this year, more then ever:
Rodney Harrison, Laurence Maroney, Kelly Gregg, Tom Brady and many more.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Roy Williams, Tony Romo, Shawn Merriman, Reggie Bush. List goes on and on.
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Roberto Alvarez-Galloso 8 months ago
Interesting piece and I am in total agreement with the content.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Thanks man. And thanks for the pick.
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O'Dell Isaac II 8 months ago
James,
I like the piece and I agree that something should be done about the rash of injuries in the NFL. But what, exactly? Make players smaller, or slower, or weaker? You can't put toothpaste back into a tube once it's out.
I think the game is what it is. It's violent and too many of its participants end up walking like Earl Campbell after they're done. And you know what? The NFL is making more money than ever before.
With the popularity of football and the fast-rising MMA, one sometimes has to wonder exactly how much we have evolved since the gladiator days of ancient Rome...
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James Williamson 8 months ago
But Earl at least got a bust for his valor. I want these men to feel a bit safer. Granted its a violent sport, but no one signs up for a wheelchair.
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Yoosof Farah 8 months ago
it seems like a lot of players get injured in the nfl. good article james.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
A lot do Yoosof. But don't you find it strange that all the stars are the ones getting beaten up? They are either the tough or protected. What is going on?
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Raider Card Addict 8 months ago
Well, one thing to consider, in this day and age is that injuries will happen, no matter what we do with the players short of putting them in a suit of armor. Even that won't stop everything, because football is a contact sport. Granted, your QB is going to face a lot of pressure, both from defensive players wanting to unscrew his head, having to scramble like a madman, and as well think on the fly...sometimes even the player's own worst enemy might be the field, in conditions of turf.
To be honest, i wouldn't mind seeing Astroturf get removed. Ankles everywhere agree with me on that.
Either that, or develop a way to prevent injuries. We've done a lot with helmets, but not enough for necks, ankles, or other injuries.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Exactly. And have you seen some of the linemen? They have bellies as big as cows. They need to do something about weight.
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Collin Hager - The Roundtable 8 months ago
The problem as much lies in the application of rules.
You shouldn't be able to fine a player for a hit that wasn't considered a penalty. If the league deems that something puts a player's health or career in danger, then the officials should be enforcing it that way on the field.
Hits to the head aren't policed effectively, and you never know what will get a roughing the passer call. How can Kimo Von Oelhoffen be flagged, fined, and punished for his hit on Carson Palmer, Vince Wilfork be fined for the same type of play, but then nothing happen to Flowers for the hit on Brady? The NFL claims player safety, yet removes rules and penalties governing face masks that are considered minor.
The advent of field turf should make all surfaces very playable, yet we have teams that won't put it to use.
Players are so heavily padded that they throw their bodies around as weapons. Shoulder pads are huge, helmets are virtual battering rams. No one wraps up to tackle, they throw their body. Many players don't wear certain pads because they restrict mobility.
The NFL has many options at its disposal, yet they don't seem to have an idea how to enforce them. This article brings up some great points, and hopefully its basis is just a start as an impetus for the league to examine these situations further.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Thank you very much for that comment. Lets hope it sparks some debate.
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T.W. Krems 8 months ago
It is not the star players that I worry about, because if they get seriously hurt they have that guarenteed millions of dollars in their contract plus their team will do everything to get them healthy. It is the Kevin Everetts that I worry about. The guys how make league minimum and if they are hurt they do not get the same benefit.
Just this past week I saw in three games 3 players knocked out cold. I don't think it is just me but this has become a common thing lately. You have Anquan Boldin, Trent Edwards, Trent Green a year ago, the guy last night filling in for Vandenbosch of the Titans was knocked out on the opening kick off. It is guys like him that you worry for.
I have just never seen this happen in my 10+ years if watching the NFL.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Exactly. Everett was lucky. Tom, you as Bear fan would know more about the 1940s games. I don't remember those guys breaking their back as often. Why is that? Or am I wrong?
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T.W. Krems 8 months ago
the only thing I can think of is that tackling was not the science that it is today. In the begining so to speak it looks like players were either pulled to the ground or thrown to the ground, not much of these earth shattering hits like we see in todays NFL, but I am only going by film I have seen being that I am 22.
Also I look at the revolution of the helmet. Back in the day they did not have such a potential weapon, now you see guys throwing themselves into players head first using it as just that, a weapon.
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John Lorge 8 months ago
Guys have always got hurt, and they will always get hurt. As the pads and helmets have gotten lighter and more form fitting, they are also more protective, but allow players to move at faster speeds. More high speed collisions equals more injuries.
I dont think its the NFLs job to "protect players" they have a vested interest in keeping stars on the field, but they also don't want to tarnish the game that America loves and make it soft.
It it wasnt for Bledsoe going down we wouldnt have Brady and Romo. If it wasnt for Trent Green getting hurt we woudlnt have Kurt Warner. For ever (almost every) injury there is a backup waiting to shine. In any sport you will have injuries, in football you have a lot.
The NFL has done things to stop the hoarsecllar (bad rule) hands to the head (good rule) and they pushed teams to get rid of astro turf (no brianer). Aside from that they should nto make a new rule, or issue a fine every time a guy gets hurt.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
I'm not sure John. I'm just not sure.
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T.W. Krems 8 months ago
I agree with you on the fines. It is just ridiculous to see some players getting fined for a hit on a guy that they thought was legal.
Yes the players are getting faster, but for example the helmet is a hard object that is used to protect players but it is also causing many to be knocked out when hit by the helmet of the opponent at full speed head first.
Hell we all know that some guys are just dirty players like Rodney Harrison. That guy has gotten away with so many diry hits, but is never punished, Whats up with that?
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Gerald Laskowski 8 months ago
I would like to see some stats pertaining to this year having more injuries over previous years.
Cant impose weight limits but you can make the equipment better. Helmets dont seem to be doing their job as concussions happen far too frequently but the game is violent. Injuries happen and will continue to happen.
Start making giant rule changes to possibly protect players and that might dilute the game itself.
Enforce the rules on the books, provide the players with better protection via their equipment....thats a start.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
I wanted to put the entire injury list down, but then the article would have been 5 pages. LOL
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Kristin Hamlin 8 months ago
Good article James... I was watching the game last night, after Titan players were going down...I wondered the exact same thing!
Keep up these informative articles
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Keep giving it 5 stars. LOL. But I do want to see what this article will do on the front page.
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Paul Hirsch 8 months ago
Injuries happen. There isn't much that can be done about it. A couple games ago they were showing the running speed of different running backs and what not, with a peak of about 25 mph during a particularly quick momentary burst.
While the equation is too complex for hits on angles to be easily presented here, a defensive end who is running full force at 15 mph creates a head-on collision of essentially 40 mph into a brick wall. Ever done that in a car? Whammo! More glancing hits (from an angle and whatnot) are less intense forces and result in less injury, but more twisting forces (tearing of ligaments, etc.). Head-on collisions in football are more rare and generally make all the highlight reels with their kapow felt round the stadium, but less frequent because of the major pains that result.
There is no padding possible to protect against that. Yet they managed to get right back up and continue on playing. And the ones that end up hurt are random chance. Boldin wouldn't have had to have his face reassembled if the first tackler didn't hit him. Because of that hit, the 2nd guy nailed him in the head. The first guy should get the fine for setting up the massive hit. No word about any kind of penalty on that. Because it was accidental. They were in the air and the laws of physics were in effect full form.
This year is big news because of big names. Last year, same thing. Anyone remember Shaun Alexander? MVP to nobody. Where's the padding for his small bones of the foot? How do we protect runners more so their feet have less wear and tear? A lesson in futility.
Perhaps a 60+ man roster would be better. Then there could be the chance not to say "from the practice squad". Perhaps a more stringent mandatory recovery period enforcement would be useful too. You tweak your hamstring, that's 3 weeks out minimum, period. Guys being rushed back from sports hernias seems to cause problems. McNabb last year. Shockey this year.
What's the time frame though? Each person heals differently. Each injury is slightly different.
One problem that has to be considered with a mandatory recovery period is that when playoff season starts up, teams might target certain players to take out. e.g. if we stretch out Eli's hammy, he'll be required to be out the first 2 games of the playoffs. Suggs & his bounty boys would happen more often.
It is a contact sport. It takes a lot of preparation to do the things they do. The things they do are not what the human body was designed to do. Sh__ happens and you just have to go forward. There have not been as many serious injuries this year (paralysis) that I can recall vs. previous years. Lots of precaution has been used when there have been injuries.
Better treatment and etc. might just be the best medicine.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Thanks for the comment and information man. What makes me wonder is that if those DEs are so strong and deadly, then why weren't there real deaths on the field in the fourties when the equipment was rudimentary.
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Paul Hirsch 8 months ago
oh yeah. forgot the whole point of the Super Bowl Hangover, previously written about in the BleacherReport:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6100-the-super-bowl-hangover-not-just-the-fans-excuse-anymore
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thomas moreland 8 months ago
this is a typical NFL saeason, no BIGGER NUMBER OF INJURIES than normal. sometimes they get more injuries sometimes they don t. SYTHETIC PLAYING FIELDS CAUSE MORE INJURIES THAN GRASS thTS BEEN PROVEN, players are bigger and faster, but the league is really trying to protect the quarterbacks and the offensive players who get late hit especially, especially blindsides late. most of the injuries this season have been on clean hits! hard hits twisty ankle .knee kind of hits but clean! That Steeler had a point!!! it s a tough game and we don t want to p[ansie it up or have defensive guys worry or think about how they make a tackle. ruins their instinct to find the ball and smack the guy!! most of the time they are applauded for playing fair and not trying to hurt someone intentionally. earnest graham hits you when you try to tackle him. the offense gives you shots too! and sometimes flat runs you over! It s the roughest sport on the planet!! at least after they knock the crap out of you, you get back up and tell them nice hit!! thomas
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Very good points, but I'm still not totally sure about that. If that were the case then the franchise players would be going out all the time. I think this isn't a typical season.
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chad lamasa 8 months ago
I'm not sure how much I buy the league trying to protect players when they sell DVDs of hard hits right on NFL.com.
Goodell can't have it both ways. Sure fans watch it for the collisions and hits but if Goodell really wants to protect guys, the first step would be to stop making money off the hits.
Something definitely needs to be done but I'm not sure what. Fines don't seem to work you're right on that.
Great piece as usual
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Thanks man. You brought up a brand new point.
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Jonathan Szenics 8 months ago
Good piece, with very interesting points. Don't decidate pieces to people though if you are trying to prove a point, if it was a tribute or a humor piece, then fine, that's great, but avoid it with stories of this nature.
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Bob Biscigliano 8 months ago
Interesting take.
Players are going to get hurt no matter what. I think the number of stars going down this year is purely coincidental. Every year we have big name injuries. Every year. Adrian Peterson as you recall, got hurt last year and missed a few weeks. As one of the comments points out, it's usually the relatively healthier teams that are able to make a run to the Super Bowl.
You can't put these guys in a bubble nor can you fine guys for innocent hits that coincidentally wind up hurting a guys knee. It takes away from the integrity of the game and everyone will start worrying about trying to make a safe tackle rather than actually making it at all. When I played football, I know I always used to get hurt when I would worry about getting injured as opposed to just going out and playing. If these players were always worrying about potentially hurting someone or getting hurt, the way the game is played would be compromised. We'd start to see a two hand touch, diving, soccer game that know one wants to see on Sunday.
If Goodell is trying to make this league safer he should continue to watch replays of hits and comments like Suggs' very closely, but should not compromise the game by turning it into a soft hitting pop warner league. Everyone knows the inherent danger that goes along with football when they sign up. The rash of injuries that has occurred this season is merely a coincidence of the hard hitting, awkward twists and turns that result from a solid contact game of american football. I think safety is good, but not at the expense of more injuries from players playing passively, or changing the game from tackle to bear hug football.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
Now that is an interesting take. But I'm really being satirical about Goodell and I geuinely believe that the protection should be really afforded to the punters, kickers, and Qbs. Those guys are fragile in a sense.
I love football and the contact. LT said that is why he loved football, because of the contact. I just want the players to not end up like Earl Campbell.
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SportMonk 8 months ago
As a Patriots fan, I am also a bit distraught over the health situation of my team. Either everybody stopped taking 'roids and they're now susceptible to injury or somebody else IS taking 'roids and can better injure others.
But seriously, I agree that something should be done. Too many players (big names and no-names alike) are going out and it's starting to seem really dangerous.
Great read, man. I enjoyed it. 5 stars and POTD.
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James Williamson 8 months ago
The steroids is probably a good assumption. Before they were invented I don't remember as many injuries as this.
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George 8 months ago
There are injuries: But I for one don's agree with the fact that NFL players are not protected. Talk to guys like Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke,Ronnie Lott, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas Earl Campbell just to name a very small few. What is called today as penalties in regards to hits was a way of life for most of these great players. Think about the Quarterback position, Who knows what guys like Namath and Unitas could have done if they played during an era, when if you took too hard of a breath after the release of the ball you might be subject to a personal foul! The game has evolved....sure but it is still a brutal contact sport. To say rules and regulation have not evolved within the NFL and taken the safety and consideration of the athlete as the dominate factor is ridiculous! Go rent some black and white footage and come back and post something.The game is no longer the same game, no different then the world in no longer what it once was. You need to adapt to the environment or suffer the fate of the dinosaurs. With that said and the fact that injuries do happen and often, and maybe at a rate that would cause some to question why. Why not look at data and aspects of the game that have changed. I mean 40 years ago as well as today you got four downs, ten yards gave you a first down. A pass is and was a pass a run is and was a run. Well what factors have changed. Artificial turf.........what was the average size of an offensive linemen in 1947 and then again in 1970, what is his size today? How many games are played today? Is it not a 12 month non stop sport, off season for who ? The body is fully taxed and conditioned and broken down twelve months out of the year. Most of these guys have been playing the sport since they were 9 or 10. There are a lot of things to consider as to the WHY of injuries. Current rules or a lack of protecting these players by the NFL is not one of them, unless of course you would choose to become the NFFL. National Flag Football League. Then when the injuries begin to pile up there we could move to just playing and watching Madden on XBOX.
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Jacob Sloan 8 months ago
Injuries happen. Such is the NFL.
It may seem like there are more this year, but it's not really that much different from last year...or the year before. Just last year, we had players like Trent Green, Ronnie Brown, Larry Johnson, Cadillac Williams and Jeremy Shockey all go out with injuries.
Sadly, we don't even notice when supporting cast members get hurt, but many more names we don't know are cut or moved to IR everyday.
The NFL can fine players all they want, but accidents do happen. It's a tough game to play. You can't fine someone for every play that goes wrong. Sometimes freak things just happen and people get hurt.
For example, if you go to make a tackle on a QB at his waist and the RB (Sammy Morris) lurches onto your back, you're going to sink down and hit the QB low (on Brady's knee). It happens, but you can't fine anyone for playing the game the way it is meant to be played.
When it comes down to it, you can strap as much bubble wrap and padding around every joint of a players body, but at the end of the day, they're still going to be flying at each other at best-in-the-world speeds and trying to bring each other down. That's the game. That's how it's played, and in a game like this, you're going to have a player twist the wrong way, hit the wrong spot or just have a fluke fracture or sprain alone in the field.
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Andrew Elterman 8 months ago
Really liked it
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Steven Resnick 8 months ago
It's the NFL people get injured. There's no way to protect every single player out on the field. Some are lingering injuries others are new. Some injuries are preventable but more times then not they aren't. Brian Griese was never the starting qb for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it was Jeff Garcia. Jeff Garcia got hurt but is back healthy and now Griese has a hurt shoulder.
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Jacob Nitzberg 8 months ago
Well done, I liked it a lot. I think you might be interested in reading about what Ditka is doing for The Fridge. Check out this article.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-30-mitchelloct30,0,1962992.column
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Benji Zeledon 8 months ago
I do gotta agree on that =/
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Spenser T. Harrison 7 months ago
Really?
I don't know about you but the appeal of the NFL for me is the violence. If it wasn't there I'd watch basketball. I'd have to agree with Polamalu on this one and say that the NFL is pussifying the NFL and trying to turn it into a Pansy league to protect their QB's.........I want hits, injuries, and violence. It entertains and keeps the parody.
Well written article i just disagree.
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