Dr. James Andrews Says Football Probably Wouldn't Be Allowed If Invented Today
Famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews is tasked with treating many of the NFL's biggest stars, but he doesn't believe a sport as violent as football would have had the opportunity to rise to prominence if it had been invented today.
Andrews told Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop and Michael McKnight the sport is dangerous but that steps are being taken to make it as safe as possible:
"It's a collision sport. ... If we started a new sport today and we wrote up the rules and regulations and we called it football, they probably wouldn't allow it. We're all trying to do everything we can to make football safer, but that's the way the sport is: There are always going to be injuries. We're aware of that, and we're all working to keep it that way. We want it to continue, believe me.
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According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first intercollegiate football game ever played was between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. Little was known about the impact of collisions on the human body at that time, especially with regard to head injuries.
Due to the awareness on that front currently, Andrews' assumption has merit. Due to the sport's popularity and monetization, however, it seems unlikely that football is going anywhere.
Andrews' comments come nearly six months after Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley expressed a controversial opinion about the sport on WGR 550 (h/t ESPN.com's Mike Rodak): "This is the game of football. Injuries are part of it. It's a violent game that I personally don't think humans are supposed to play."
Like Whaley, Andrews acknowledged injuries are bound to happen. Though they're key to his livelihood, his comments suggest he is fully behind any effective safety measures the NFL may implement moving forward.
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