Burden Of Responsibility

4th quarter.  Tie game.  Time running out.  A 50 yard bomb gets flung down the field to a streaking receiver.  He's there.  He leaps.  The ball touches his fingertips.  Then...BANG!  The safety comes across and lays out the receiver.  The fans go wild, sidelines erupt, and the pass is incomplete.  On the field lie two players, motionless, with the future of their health and playing career hanging in the balance.

This happens numerous times throughout the football season, in college, pros, and at the high school/youth levels.  With the new studies developing regarding brain damage while playing high impact sports, controversy has arisen.  The death of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau brought the issue to the forefront as he was found to have significant brain damage due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).  This was one of the reasons for Seau's suicide in May of last year.  Symptoms of CTE include dementia, aggression, confusion, and depression.  Even President Obama  has voiced his concern over the matter.  There is a growing fear amongst current and former players about what will happen to their minds as they get older.  The two sides to this argument are the burden of responsibility on the player and the burden of responsibility on the league.

You Signed Up For This, Deal With The Consequences
Those who believe the burden of responsibility falls on the player make the case that players signed up for this.  Making a big hit as a defender or being willing to run dangerous routes as a wide receiver might help your team win, which in turn, helps you as an individual in terms of prestige and probably financially as well.  But, no one is forcing you to play.  There are millions of other careers out there, the majority of which have a significantly lower chance of concussions.  As a player, you are aware that this is a violent game and should not be surprised when violent collisions happen.  You are the one that is in control of your body, so in the end, it is your choice to lead with your helmet, shoulder, leg, you name it.  This choice can be seen in other sports as well such as blocking a shot in hockey.

There are numerous ways to try and block a puck shot 80 MPH+ at you.  Heck, you don't even have to block a puck.  That's what you pay goalies for.  Yet, you still see guys leave their skates, slide to the ice, in hopes of taking away a low, on the ice shot, leaving their head vulnerable.  No one is forcing you to do that, so accept the results.  This view asks if your child wants to play sports, why not golf or baseball?  According to Forbes' list of top paid athletes in 2012, the majority of the top 10 athletes were in sports with a much lower risk of concussion.  Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, and Phil Mickelson were all ahead of the only NFL player in the top 10, Peyton Manning.  Who wants to get paid less to do something more dangerous?

Protect Our Players
Those who believe the burden of responsibility falls on the league make the case that the rules and policies of the league should protect the players.  Obama makes the point in his interview that even though they might take away from some of the excitement of the game, rules to protect players should be put in place.  Ravens safety Bernard Pollard goes so far as to say that football won't be in existence in 30 years because the league will have so many safety rules that no one will want to watch.  These people support players who try and sue the NFL once their careers are over because of the damage that was done to their bodies, particularly their head, which has caused them mental and physical problems now that they are retired.

In contrast to the people that believe the burden falls on the players, these people recognize football as a way to "make it" in this world.  Yes there are other careers out there, but football is a great means to make money, even if it might not be as much as other sports.  Although it certainly varies from city to city, the argument could be made that football is the most recognized and prestigious sport.  In terms of TV ratings  football absolutely crushes the competition.  The top 14 spots were all football related, obliterating marquee events in other sports such as the Final Four, all of the Heat/Thunder games in the NBA Finals, and the Masters.  So while football may not garner you as much in terms of pay, the popularity of it should give you press, prestige, and sponsorships.  The league should be protecting its respective players, which should bring in more money for the league as a whole.  If your superstars are healthy, more people will watch and come to the games.

Discussion
Above was a brief discussion of the two sides, but I have to lean a bit towards the burden on the players.  This sort of relates to my view on steroids in that I do not have a problem with players taking them.  Should they test for them?  I suppose, if they want.  But players know the risks and if they don't, then it's their fault they wind up with roid rage or an enlarged heart.  It should be on the players to do a cost-benefit analysis of personal safety and health vs possible increased success and financial payout.  It sounds kind of harsh, but with the wealth of knowledge about concussions that people have access to nowadays, then players should know what they are getting into.

The problem with asking the league to do something about it, is that many of their actions are in reaction to an event.  For instance, Roger Goodell has cracked down on player safety, but only after players like James Harrison went on hitting rampages that left people out cold.  Colt McCoy suffered a concussion after one of Harrison's hits and has never been the same since.  You could certainly argue that he did not have to skill set to be a star NFL QB, but that hit certainly did not help.  The actions of the league might help other people down the road, but McCoy still has a concussion on his record and perhaps may develop mental problems down the road.

There is also no guarantee that league measures will work.  One of the main complaints from defensive players that I agree with is that the offensive player's head position moves throughout the play and will vary from play to play.  A defensive player might be in a safe position to make a tackle, but due to the way the offensive player falls, jukes, or spins, it causes a head to head collision.  Players down, flags thrown, fines dished out.  Short of making the NFL flag football, I don't think violent collisions can be taken out of the game.  I feel sympathetic for these players because apart from Ndamukong Suh, I don't believe these players want to seriously injure other players.  They are simply looking for the most effective way to separate the ball from the man.  There is no rule, I believe, that the NFL can come up with that will take away violent collisions due to the randomness of them.

I also agree with the burden on the player people when they make the argument that no one is forcing you to play football.  Is football prestigious and a way to make a good living?  Yes, there's no arguing that.  I'm not even saying you should pick a career other than sports.  What I'm arguing is that two sports, soccer and basketball, offer comparable, if not better pay, safer conditions, and a more reasonable sport for lower class people.  Soccer and basketball are by no means soft, so don't think there is zero risk, but the frequency of contact is not nearly as high as in football.  For people who argue that football is a way to make it for lower income people, I would argue that basketball and soccer are even easier, lower cost ways to "make it."  Neither of those sports involve pads (save for shin guards in soccer), both can be played with small numbers of people, and both have skills that translate over from football.

For the upcoming generation, given the press that concussions have gotten, the real burden of responsibility will be on the parents.  Apart from some rare cases, a sport you play growing up will probably be the sport you choose as a profession if you wish to be a professional athlete.  I think equipping parents with knowledge is key so they can decide if football is right for their child or not and if they are comfortable with the risks involved.  Bring other sports to the forefront so they know the options that are there.

I'm not trying to say that no one should play football.  Troy Aikman, star quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, suffered numerous concussions in his playing days, ultimately causing him to retire.  He is now a color commentator with Fox and does numerous NFL games throughout the season.  He is three years older (46) than Seau (43) was when he passed away, and is showing no signs of depression or dementia.  All I am trying to say is don't get mad at the league, rules, or others when mental problems arise.  You can call some concussions freak accidents all you want, but in the end, you put yourself in an area of high risk.  If you are reading this and choose to play football, I wish nothing but the best for you.  Hopefully you go through your career concussion and injury free.  Just be aware of what could happen and factor that in before signing up to be a free safety.

It is your life, your body, and your mind.  Responsibility should be yours, and yours alone.

Matty O