Safety isn't just a position.

The past few years in the NFL have been turbulent at best. One of the largest liabilities the NFL currently faces is the issue of player safety. Football has always been an aggressive sport that comprises elements of danger. While the sport has not dramatically changed in several years, the players have been getting stronger and faster due to improvements in sports science and workout techniques. These improvements in player physicality have surpassed the strength and quality of the gear that is meant to protect them and has been allegedly causing irreparable damage to the athletes. I did a bit of reading on the topic and came across an article dealing with calls for amendments in the collective bargaining agreement dealing with player safety. DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFLPA (NFL Player’s Association), held a press conference earlier this year where he addressed the issues he and his players faced and would like to see improved.

First, we have the issue of mental health. Recently, there have been four suicides by both current and former NFL athletes, one of which suffered from a condition known as CTE, which is a degenerative brain disorder brought on by head traumas. While it’s not clear whether these suicides were the result of repetitive blows to the head, the fact remains that football players expose themselves to a lot of blunt force trauma to the head and, like many boxers, it can affect their mental health in the future. Smith addresses this issue saying that the NFL should allow independent concussion experts on the sidelines to which the NFL has agreed. The NFLPA is also looking to the NFL to employ properly credentialed physicians because, in the case of the San Diego Chargers, a physician who was found liable for malpractice twice as well as the subject of a DEA investigation for pain-killers was able to treat athletes earning millions of dollars. In fact, the NFLPA issued a poll of all 32 teams asking if they were happy with their medical team. About 78% replied negatively. Smith then addressed HGH testing. The NFLPA felt that testing for HGH was fair, though they would like to have “independent arbitration for penalties levied across the board” and not just for HGH. Finally the NFLPA called for a standard scale and clear definitions of why players are fined the way they are, which seems fair. I wouldn’t enjoy getting a ticket for $700 with no explanation as to why it’s $700 when another person was fined $100 for doing the same thing.

Safety should be a priority for the owners just as much as the players. It seems like what Mr. Smith is calling for is not only doable, but also necessary. Without these athletes, owners wouldn’t have teams to profit from, so why wouldn’t they want to keep their star players for a longer period of time? Hopefully the NFL and team executives will make strides next season to improve the safety and well being of their players. Hopefully they will win back the trust of their players and fans, and hopefully there isn’t another lockout because the two sides could not agree on such an important and straightforward issue. I mean really, if both their main concerns were player safety, then why would they disagree? It’s not like you go to a Doctor’s office and recieve two contradicting opinions on your health is it?