The Truth: No One Cares About Player Safety
On Thursday, August 29, 2013, the NFL dodged yet another major bullet, once again being proven as Too Big To Fail or Too Big To Jail.
They just won the concussion lawsuits.
Sure, the headlines state that the league has settled the lawsuits with approximately 4,000 former players for approximately $760 million, plus legal costs. About $660 million of it actually goes to the players, on a case-by-case basis.
One: They get to pay this out over a 20-year period.
Two: They make $10 billion a year. According to ESPN Outside the Lines in programming on Sunday, September 1, the league's goal is, over the next fifteen years, to make that $25 billion a year. That's a billion a year increase over the next fifteen years. One of those billions would cover this entire settlement.
Three: No less than a Four-Letter Network blog (The “NFL Nation” Blog) hails this as no less than a situation which has openly saved the game of football.
WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT.
Don't get me wrong. A real accounting of the true costs to the very lives of these thousands of human beings almost certainly costs the league several years of profits and probably gets Congress involved – the one entity which the NFL might not be able to intimidate/buy off, depending on what mood they are in.
You know why this is such a crock of shit?
I'll give you two ways it is.
First, let's just look at the anecdotal evidence here as to what football does to some of these human beings. These are real people – real human beings who are trying to either make a living in the professional ranks, get there, or just be one of the few relevant students in their school districts (in most cases, you may equate this and read this as: athletes).
- Kevin
Kolb's NFL career is probably over. Yes, I know I could
probably put 50 guys in Kolb's space and be accurate with every one
of them. Kolb, who was to be the Bills' starter this year, suffered
what Bills beat reporter Tim Graham identified as Kolb's third
concussion of his NFL career, but what was discovered in the locker
room has made Bills officials believe Kolb's probably done.
- Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews had no business remaining on the
field on 2013's Opening Night of college football, Deadspin
reports. Vanderbilt played (and lost, 39-35, to) Ole Miss, and
Matthews had a great game. However, he was nailed by an Ole Miss
player, hit his head on the turf after a violent whiplash, and
vomited (DO NOT CLICK ON THE DEADSPIN LINK WITHOUT BEING FOREWARNED)
while being attended to by trainers on the Vanderbilt sideline.
That's at least Grade 2 concussion material, but noooooooooooo...
He has to be a man and help Vanderbilt win (and was even lauded by the ESPN Matt Millen (the same incompetent boob who ran the Detroit Lions into the ground) as being a "WARRIOR!!" to stay in the game....)! The claim is that the
vomiting was from overhydration due to having to be taken to the
locker room in the third quarter for an IV! But it's all about
being a man...
- Another human sacrifice to the altar of The National Religion
was recorded this early-season when Deantre Truman was killed on the
field after a tackle in a scrimmage practice-game, CNN
reported a couple weeks ago. Cause: Broken neck on the tackle.
Death was pretty much immediate, as coaches tried for the 15 minutes
they were waiting for an ambulance to revive him. Any guess
indicates someone on that tackle was leading with his head.
- Did you know that Roger Staubach had his career shorted by
concussions? He had 20 in his career.
- Pro Football Hall of Famer Harry Carson, double-digit
concussions in his career. Life-long side effects of
post-concussion syndrome have followed.
- Of course, he's better off than Earl Campbell, who's confined
to a wheelchair with arthritis in the knees, back pain...
- And he's not the only one who didn't pay for it with his
head. Just recently, it has come out that, like Hall of Famer Jim
Otto in 2007, Reggie Williams is another ex-player who's
probably
going to lose his leg. (NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH)
The second problem that makes this settlement a complete crock of shit is the complete lack of human empathy, on any level, by the fans (or media) for these people who have given their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the National Religion of Football...
- Recent comment about the new NCAA “targetting” ejection
rule: “I think the goal of the NC2A is flag football. I guess
they have lace on the cups now.”
- Another comment on the same thread, in response to the
former: “The goal of the NCAA is to make sure a game between,
say, Cal Tech and MIT doesn't end with somebody being paralyzed for
life. (Add that to the list of reasons the "big schools"
might want to leave the NCAA - they could have football rules
written for teams that play serious football.)”
- “I have a hard time believing that none of these players
thought while playing that you know what? This game may be dangerous
to my long term health. The NFL didn't tell them? Well did the NFL
tell you to tie your cleats before getting on the field too? No they
knew better. This is like sueing McDonalds for serving hot coffee.
More people cashing in just because they can.”
- “I don't feel sorry for any of these players. Football is a
PHYSICAL sport no one held a gun to their heads and said your
playing football, they choose to play. No one owes them an apology
or money. Another thing is some of these guys are or were
millionaires at some point, where is that money? Oh that's right you
blew that money. Just one of the things wrong with this world,
everyone is owed something.”
- “Anyone who doesnt know concussions may cause permanent
damage is an idiot. All these guys should know the inherent risks of
playing football. “
- “Some valid points in this piece Mr. Chadiha, however it's
clear as day to any player at any level that there are risks
involved in this game. Yes, official data on injuries may or may not
have been presented to players, and certainly the more restricted
tackling rules haven't always been in place (those same rules the
players whine about). So was safety always a paramount concern of
the league? Of course not. But you don't need to be a rocket
scientist to figure out that big man + big man+ impact = injury
potential. And no rule the league passes and no data or study can
prevent that. If someone doesn't want to deal with these potential
injuries, they can always go play flag football in a local league
for free. Ooohhh, wait...the big check is part of it, isn't it?
Can't have it both ways.”
- “This article is a joke just like this lawsuit. "That's
why they play the game..." This game is violent and crude but
that is why everyone watches. If football played like tennis the
ratings would be comparable. These players salaries are a byproduct
of the sports popularity. What makes it popular? Players bringing
the wood with big hits and highlight plays. Chadiha is basically
telling past players to poach the NFL because the players didn't
know about their bodies being crap after playing. Opinions like that
are what is wrong with today's society. Get some type of signoff
from players in the near future so we can protect the sport and let
the haters keep hating. Watch the ESPN spelling bee if you don't
like football or protest foods that cause cancer. These guys play
the game for a reason....to earn millions and put their family in
financial gains for years to come.”
- In many communities, the school only exists as a sports
factory. If you aren't an athlete (especially in football), chances
are you only exist in the school to get your ass kicked (or laughed
at to the point of suicide or lashing out, and then YOU'RE the bad
guy...).
- If the only reason that people watch is such violence, how
close are we really to the gladiator games (which were highly
political in the Roman Empire) or dystopian movies like The
Running Man?
- Are we so brain-dead that we can't see that there is such a
mental disconnect between the realities of how we treat our athletes
and the realities of their lives (both good and bad)?
- Are we to a more eliminative mode in society now that, once your use to society has been expended, you are expected to roll over and die?
(And I'm remiss if I don't thank my anonymous friend who sometimes sends me this stuff.)
(This, of course, assumes the players have an ounce of leverage in today's corporate NFL...)
The writer is George Visger, literally in the NFL for a cup of coffee with the 49ers in 1980 and 1981.
His words explain why:
“I was a 6th round pick by the Jets in 1980 and signed for $35,000, cut, and picked up by the 49ers later in the season. I made a total of $29,000 my rookie year including bonus. During my rookie season I suffered a major concussion in the 1st quarter against the Cowboys, was given over 20 smelling salts during the game to keep me on the field and never missed a play or practice. I was laughingly told this by the trainers later in the week when my memory returned.
Early in the following season, shortly after my first knee surgery, I developed hydrocephalus (water on the brain). This was misdiagnosed by the team dr as high blood pressure and I was given high blood pressure meds and continued working out. 2 1/2 weeks later, after I suffered focal pt paralysis of my right arm, he diagnosed me with a brain hemmorrhage in the locker room, I was told to go home, lie down and drive myself to Stanford that afternoon. I did, underwent emergency VP shunt brain surgery (age 22) and spent 14 days in intensive care. I was told I could still play and returned to the team and worked out the rest of the season on IR.
Four months after our Super Bowl XVI win, my shunt failed, had 2 more emergency brain surgeries 10 hrs apart and was given last rites. Also given the hospital bills, fought creditors for several years and forced to sue just for Work Comp, just to get my bills paid. I won, returned to school to complete my Biology degree, and survived 5 more emergency brain surgeries and several gran mal seizures during a 10 month period in 87 - 88 WHILE taking Organic, Bio Chem and Physics courses. It took me 5 more years to complete my degree as I developed dyslexia, major short term memory issues and other problems.
I have now survived 9 brains surgeries and still don't qualify for any NFL benefits.
George Visger
Wildlife Biologist/Traumatic Brain Injury Consultant.
The Visger Group.
www.thevisgergroup.org
SF 49ers 80 & 81.
Survivor of 9 NFL caused emergency VP shunt brain surgeries.
Benefactor of ZERO NFL Benefits.”
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