I recently came across an article in The Post by Nick Robbe in which he suggested that the National Football League was not interested in protecting its players. As a media management major focusing in sports media, I am constantly exposed to the ongoing battle of player safety in the NFL, and I must say there is an evident push by the NFL to increase the safety of its players.
During the past couple of years, there have been multiple legal claims made against the NFL, and at this point in time, more than 30 percent of all former players have filed a concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL. The league has no other choice but to step up the battle against concussions and preventable injuries, and now, there is a clear attempt by the league to build a culture where the players are just as aware of the consequences as they are the rewards of the game.
The NFL is beginning to preach player safety and the “Not Friendly League,” as it is referred to in the article, is more frequently called the “No Fun League” because of its new rules. Rules such as no hits above the head on defenseless receivers and the prohibiting of a player to lead with his head while making a tackle are being enforced.
These new rules are taking out the big hits in the game in order to prevent brain trauma caused by powerful blows to the head. The NFL has spent millions of dollars researching head injuries and creating safer equipment in order to reduce the number of these injuries.
There is no doubt that the NFL, at one point in time, was very naive in how it handled the safety of its players, but it is 2012, and the league is evolving even if the current players and fans are upset about the new rules. The NFL cannot afford to keep up the rate of the current stream of lawsuits that it is being confronted with regularly. Whether for monetary or moral reasons, the NFL is now, more than ever, interested in protecting its players.
Jude Jatau is a junior studying media management at Ohio University.
