In recent weeks there has been much discussion about the NFL considering to regulate players’ use of the N-word on the field. And while there has been much debate on both sides of the argument, the league has much larger issues to tackle before controlling what players can and cannot say on the field. Here are five issues they really should be addressing first.
Concussions and Player Safety
While the concussion problem today is an inconvenient truth in the game of football, the repercussions could be far more dramatic than last year’s $760 million settlement with former players, and our fleeting distress every time an ex-NFLer is found dead as a result of game-related dementia. If public sentiment turns against the brutal violence of the sport, it could lose its place as “America’s Game.”
The nature of football requires a certain amount of violence, which makes players more prone to head injuries. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that retirees develop conditions like dementia, depression, Alzheimer’s and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) later in life.
The NFL is taking steps to address these issues by instituting subtle rule changes and increasing player fines.
