in 1905, theodore roosevelt nearly banned football when 18 players died from hits on the field. it’s mind-boggling to think it took this long to get back on the subject in full force. over the last few years, awareness of concussions and associated consequences has been on the steady rise. the current sports illustrated issue is squarely focused on the subject, including the cover story. in the case of the national football league, the sport most often affiliated with concussions, progress has been a slow and uneasy.
while i don’t claim to be an expert on the subject — far from it — i’ve been around the sport personally and seen the branding problem that the nfl faces. i played football in high school and experienced the over-the-top bravado that’s far too prevalent the game. i watched as fellow teammates took to the field with an air of invincibility. testosterone. testosterone. testosterone. i played club football in college and once split a man’s rec spec glasses in half with my shoulder — and likely gave him a concussion. there was no malicious intent. it happens far too easy in a contact sport.
at the core of the nfl’s concussion problem is a hush-hush factor that’s impossibly bolted to all tough guy brands. america loves its dumb jocks. on their way up the ranks, football players are minimally incentivized to compete academically. lowered standards of acceptable scholastic achievement allow footballers to advance far short of being challenged. it’s no secret that the nerdy kids always get picked on in school by the more popular bullies, many of which excel at the tough guy sports. at the collegiate level, many are lured to the top schools by illegal gifts designed to underline their prowess outside the classroom. a naturally smart football player is often showcased a bit too much — as if to communicate rarity. at the end of the line (the pros), it becomes very difficult to reverse the branding problem. the staggered progress the nfl has made in addressing the problem with retirees. the minimal fines levied on players who cause concussions in the midst of their careers.
here’s a crazy thought. maybe — just maybe — the unspoken thinking is that most football players aren’t smart enough to warrant protecting their heads like it’s a prized possession. brains weren’t valued or nurtured on the way up, so why handle with care now? sound ridiculous? why do many of the sport’s brightest minds retire earlier than expected to assume game/talent analyst positions? and is there anything in howard cosell’s indictments of frank gifford from the late 1970s and early 1980s. it’s clear from his refined chair that leading jocks still weren’t smart enough to deserve communications jobs. interesting.
