In the process of trying to get things right there will usually be some mistakes along the way. The NFL is trying to make football more safe. As a violent game, the football field was never intended to be a safe place. Still, the league tries. So often though the powers that be seem to be going about making football safe in a questionable manner.
Head injuries top the list of concerns. It should. If the league was truly as concerned as they say they are, they'd have independent concussion specialists on the sideline of games. The league training staffs are more than competent. This wouldn't be an indictment of them in anyway. There's just no room for error with head injuries. They have to get it right. In recent weeks, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best continued to play in games despite suspected concussions. Best's situation is especially troubling as he suffered a severe concussion while at Cal. Even more seriously, San Diego Chargers guard Kris Dielman continued playing despite suffering an obvious concussion this past weekend. Everyone but the team seem to know. The Chargers being down to five lineman kept him in the lineup. That night Dielman suffered a seizure on the plane ride home. Something isn't working and adding an independent concussion specialist can only help. The league has continued to decline this option.
Another issue is one that bothered me throughout the ridiculous lockout. Injured players should have had access to the team doctors and training staff during the lockout. Their injuries were prior to the lockout and on company time. All that time I kept thinking about how then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper essentially ended his career trying to rehab his knee on his own. Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley has the lost the remainder of his season. It was due to a lingering injury that could have been avoided with proper observation during the offseason. Every team probably has a at least one player whose rehab was severely hindered. It just wasn't right to lockout the injuries as well as the players.
From indecisive officiating to indecisive tackling there are so many issues hindering the play on the field as the league muddles its way through the safety of the game. The league really needs to get it together and they need to get it right. Right now they are just blindly throwing darts to determine the next pet project. Usually fines. They can't seem to think of any other route to safety. Common sense will be the answer to most of the issues. Insuring the safe handling of head injuries with an extra expert on the scene just seems like a no-brainer. At least it would be a step in the right direction.
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