This could ruin the game forever

[conner01]

i don't see the problem. obviously they have to test it and see if it works but the nfl has no choice but do all they can to make the game safer. players and fans won't like it but the very same players who complain will be in court after they play and wanting money. it's easy to say they knew the risk, but the players don't abide by that.
will it work? don't know but sure worth looking at. will it destroy the game? no

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I know what you means.

I just hated the move from leather helmets to hard plastic. Just play the game the way it was meant to: to maim and take players out of the game. Then it is the fittest and last mens standing.

 

[jday]

I'm just curious. Why doesn't each team have a waiver written into the contract that releases the NFL/team from any responsibility should an injury last beyond his playing years?

 

[Doomsday101]

It will be the NFL's responsibility if a jury decides someday that the NFL didn't take feasible steps to minimize risk and levies a multi-billion (with a "b") judgment against it. Player "choice" will be a tough argument to make when some lawyer is painting the NFL owners as a bunch of rich pimps preying on mostly poor and inexperienced kids so they can use their bodies for a dangerous sport -- a sport that the owners could have made less dangerous with a little more care and money.

Im sure of that lawyers will sue for anything anyways and how much pursuading they can do will determine how a jury see it. But common sense says you don't have to play they choose to play this game and they are rewarded with better pay than what most profession outside of sports will ever pay and yet their risk in no more than many dangerous jobs that pay a hell of a lot less money. Hell I watched great lawyers get killers back on the streets because a lawyer can do that does not make it right or justice.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Whatever happened to taking responsibility for your actions? It seems that in this day and age, it's always someone else's fault...man up and accept the consequences of playing a hard-hitting and potentially dangerous sport. Geez

All i wants is to be on an NFL roster for one day and get leveled by an opponent. Thens I can retire and get a big settlement from the NFL's concussion program. But I heard there are like thousands ahead of me.
Well, that is why the good l o rd invented lawyers.

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

It will be the NFL's responsibility if a jury decides someday that the NFL didn't take feasible steps to minimize risk and levies a multi-billion (with a "b") judgment against it. Player "choice" will be a tough argument to make when some lawyer is painting the NFL owners as a bunch of rich pimps preying on mostly poor and inexperienced kids so they can use their bodies for a dangerous sport -- a sport that the owners could have made less dangerous with a little more care and money.

The bunch of rich pimps give the poor and inexperienced kids an opportunity to cash in big time.

 

[Cowboys22]

And what happens when they find that having a transmitter that close to your brain for 15-20 years worth of practices and games causes brain cancer or some other form of brain disorder? For the life of me I still cannot figure out why the NFL has not made players sign a waiver pledging not to sue the league, any team, any coach, or anyone associated with the league for any injury sustained during a practice or game as a requirement to become eligible for the draft or to sign a contract with a team. The NFL is a privately owned business and no one has a right to be able to play in the league. It is a privilege to be allowed the play in the league. The league should put rules in place that limit injuries to the best of their ability while still keeping the integrity of the game as we have known it intact and then require the waiver as part of becoming eligible for the draft. They should have been doing this for the past 100 years.

 

[Cowboys22]

I do think the NFL should be open with players regarding safety, their health and long term consequences but at the end of the day it is a choice that a man has to make is this what he wants to do as a career.

Actually, I think its more of a job for the Players Association. Don't they collect dues form the players? What are they doing with that money? How about putting it towards studying football related injuries and ways to reduce them and then take that to the NFL when its time for a new deal. Aren't they supposed to be looking out for the well being of the players?

 

[Gadfly22]

Im sure of that lawyers will sue for anything anyways and how much pursuading they can do will determine how a jury see it. But common sense says you don't have to play they choose to play this game and they are rewarded with better pay than what most profession outside of sports will ever pay and yet their risk in no more than many dangerous jobs that pay a hell of a lot less money. Hell I watched great lawyers get killers back on the streets because a lawyer can do that does not make it right or justice.

We certainly disagree on the "justice" issue. But the point is that the financial risk to the NFL owners is a fact, and they have to take steps for their own pocketbooks (if not the grey matter of their employees) if you want the game to continue in anything like its current form. And I'm OK with that.

The players are bigger and faster than they have ever been. For financial reasons, more and more of them are playing on artificial surfaces that are harder and more unyielding than grass. The stakes are high enough that some teams instituted bounty systems that rewarded injury-causing hits. So saying that some poor kid raised by a single mother and recruited to -- and pampered with gut courses at -- college because of his athletic ability can freely "choose" between lifting his family out of poverty by grabbing the NFL golden ticket or working at a car wash (since he's been in a system that permitted him to slack off in exchange for his physical talent and isn't fit for much else) is nonsensical. The system -- from high school to NCAA to NFL -- does whatever it takes to minimize any freedom of choice.

 

[Direwolf63]

And what happens when they find that having a transmitter that close to your brain for 15-20 years worth of practices and games causes brain cancer or some other form of brain disorder? For the life of me I still cannot figure out why the NFL has not made players sign a waiver pledging not to sue the league, any team, any coach, or anyone associated with the league for any injury sustained during a practice or game as a requirement to become eligible for the draft or to sign a contract with a team. The NFL is a privately owned business and no one has a right to be able to play in the league. It is a privilege to be allowed the play in the league. The league should put rules in place that limit injuries to the best of their ability while still keeping the integrity of the game as we have known it intact and then require the waiver as part of becoming eligible for the draft. They should have been doing this for the past 100 years.

Fully agree with this.
Players should be signing waivers before they set foot in a locker room. Meanwhile the league must do what they can to limit injuries to the best of their knowledge without damaging the integrity of the game.

There is some personal responsibility in this as well. Nobody is putting a gun to players heads and forcing them to play. At the end of the day it is a choice. And they are aware of the risks.

 

[Doomsday101]

Actually, I think its more of a job for the Players Association. Don't they collect dues form the players? What are they doing with that money? How about putting it towards studying football related injuries and ways to reduce them and then take that to the NFL when its time for a new deal. Aren't they supposed to be looking out for the well being of the players?

True part of that is in the CBA with the league the owner pay into that as well. Funny though that past players were not getting any help from the NFLPA

 

[Gadfly22]

And what happens when they find that having a transmitter that close to your brain for 15-20 years worth of practices and games causes brain cancer or some other form of brain disorder? For the life of me I still cannot figure out why the NFL has not made players sign a waiver pledging not to sue the league, any team, any coach, or anyone associated with the league for any injury sustained during a practice or game as a requirement to become eligible for the draft or to sign a contract with a team. The NFL is a privately owned business and no one has a right to be able to play in the league. It is a privilege to be allowed the play in the league. The league should put rules in place that limit injuries to the best of their ability while still keeping the integrity of the game as we have known it intact and then require the waiver as part of becoming eligible for the draft. They should have been doing this for the past 100 years.

Because that kind of "waiver" would be unenforceable and thrown out of court in a second. That's why it doesn't exist.

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

We certainly disagree on the "justice" issue. But the point is that the financial risk to the NFL owners is a fact, and they have to take steps for their own pocketbooks (if not the grey matter of their employees) if you want the game to continue in anything like its current form. And I'm OK with that.

The players are bigger and faster than they have ever been. For financial reasons, more and more of them are playing on artificial surfaces that are harder and more unyielding than grass. The stakes are high enough that some teams instituted bounty systems that rewarded injury-causing hits. So saying that some poor kid raised by a single mother and recruited to -- and pampered with gut courses at -- college because of his athletic ability can freely "choose" between lifting his family out of poverty by grabbing the NFL golden ticket or working at a car wash (since he's been in a system that permitted him to slack off in exchange for his physical talent and isn't fit for much else) is nonsensical. The system -- from high school to NCAA to NFL -- does whatever it takes to minimize any freedom of choice.

It doesn't matter. At the end of the day the player still has a choice to play or not play. These guys are not born into slavery forcing them to play football. They are granted the same opportunity that every citizen in this country is granted. What they choose to do with that opportunity is on them.

 

[Doomsday101]

We certainly disagree on the "justice" issue. But the point is that the financial risk to the NFL owners is a fact, and they have to take steps for their own pocketbooks (if not the grey matter of their employees) if you want the game to continue in anything like its current form. And I'm OK with that.

The players are bigger and faster than they have ever been. For financial reasons, more and more of them are playing on artificial surfaces that are harder and more unyielding than grass. The stakes are high enough that some teams instituted bounty systems that rewarded injury-causing hits. So saying that some poor kid raised by a single mother and recruited to -- and pampered with gut courses at -- college because of his athletic ability can freely "choose" between lifting his family out of poverty by grabbing the NFL golden ticket or working at a car wash (since he's been in a system that permitted him to slack off in exchange for his physical talent and isn't fit for much else) is nonsensical. The system -- from high school to NCAA to NFL -- does whatever it takes to minimize any freedom of choice.

NFL is not making anyone play the damn game, what are these guys ******** and can't think on their own? They are getting a free education they choose to party and play game blow off class and now someone else has to take responsiblity for their stupidity? NFL believe it or not is not the most dangerous occupation and it pays a hell of a lot more than most of those dangerous jobs. If a player choose to skip playing in the NFL that is his choice if he wants to play then sure he should be advised of the dangers. Some where people need to take responisbilty for their choices and action and stop making others responsible. You act aas if these guys are mindless slaves they are not.

 

[Cowboys22]

Because that kind of "waiver" would be unenforceable and thrown out of court in a second. That's why it doesn't exist.

How so? I'm sure the league could have an air tight document drawn up that, once signed by a player, dissolved the league of all culpability in the event of injuries sustained in a practice and/or game. It would basically say that everyone understands the risks involved in playing football and the player assumes all those risks as a condition of entry into the league. The league would show good faith with rules designed to limit injuries, heavy punishments for breaking those rules, and a strong insurance program for players.

There are all kinds of places that make you sign waivers that basically say "participate at your own risk". I don't see why the NFL can't operate in the same manner.

 

[Direwolf63]

We certainly disagree on the "justice" issue. But the point is that the financial risk to the NFL owners is a fact, and they have to take steps for their own pocketbooks (if not the grey matter of their employees) if you want the game to continue in anything like its current form. And I'm OK with that.

The players are bigger and faster than they have ever been. For financial reasons, more and more of them are playing on artificial surfaces that are harder and more unyielding than grass. The stakes are high enough that some teams instituted bounty systems that rewarded injury-causing hits. So saying that some poor kid raised by a single mother and recruited to -- and pampered with gut courses at -- college because of his athletic ability can freely "choose" between lifting his family out of poverty by grabbing the NFL golden ticket or working at a car wash (since he's been in a system that permitted him to slack off in exchange for his physical talent and isn't fit for much else) is nonsensical. The system -- from high school to NCAA to NFL -- does whatever it takes to minimize any freedom of choice.

If a guy ends up working at a car wash after getting a free education, that's his fault and nobody elses. There are hundreds of players who have successfully earned their degrees while playing college football. For those that haven't and are working ar car washes need to look in the mirror if they wants to cast blame at their situation.
If a talented athlete has the opportunity to get their family out of poverty by playing football...great. Go for it. But get your degree while your doing it. Even if your taking courses during the offseason, which is what guys like Larry Fitzgerald did to earn his degree.

 

[Gadfly22]

It doesn't matter. At the end of the day the player still has a choice to play or not play. These guys are not born into slavery forcing them to play football. They are granted the same opportunity that every citizen in this country is granted. What they choose to do with that opportunity is on them.

It does matter if a jury says that it matters. The law has a much more practical view of "choice" than you do. It has to be real and it has to be capable of being exercised in a reasonable manner.

But "choice" isn't the legal issue. The legal issue is whether the NFL owners took reasonable steps to minimize a known and serious health issue regarding NFL players' brains. If the medical science says that long-term brain injury is the result and there is technology available to minimize risk to the players, then, if the league doesn't take reasonable steps to minimize the risk, the NFL owners are in serious trouble.

 

[Deep_South]

Instantaneous feedback is always better than delayed feedback, especially with health issues. There is no reason not to use it if it works, and I think it is probably futile to try to delay or stop its implementation. There is compelling evidence that multiple concussions are a direct cause of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), and the NFL is trying to get ahead of the concussion curve in the event the link is proved to exist medically and gains acceptance in the medical community, not to mention with parents across America.

 

[Gadfly22]

How so? I'm sure the league could have an air tight document drawn up that, once signed by a player, dissolved the league of all culpability in the event of injuries sustained in a practice and/or game. It would basically say that everyone understands the risks involved in playing football and the player assumes all those risks as a condition of entry into the league. The league would show good faith with rules designed to limit injuries, heavy punishments for breaking those rules, and a strong insurance program for players.

There are all kinds of places that make you sign waivers that basically say "participate at your own risk". I don't see why the NFL can't operate in the same manner.

Sorry but no. You want proof? The proof that such a waiver can't exist is that it doesn't exist. If it could, every ticket you ever buy, every contract for car every car purchase, every sales receipt for every item you buy would include it. The law doesn't allow such blanket waivers for obvious public policy reasons.

Go to a baseball game and get hit with a foul ball, and the law says you assumed that risk. However, that risk is statistically minor and you have an enormous ability to minimize (or eliminate) it by your choice of seating.

Enter the NFL and despite whatever you're being paid, your employer can't subject you to unreasonable and preventable risks to your health. Hurt your knee in a single catastrophic hit -- that's part of the game (for now). Sustain even a couple years of direct hits to the head that better gear or monitoring could help mitigate -- well, that might not be part of the game anymore.