We’re about a month into football season, and there’s already controversy swirling.
Recently, I was abroad in Singapore preparing for our event ONE on Prime Video 2. The card was action-packed with some amazing fights. It was wildly entertaining, and we even had several epic knockouts.
ONE is no different from the UFC or the NFL for that matter – we’re all in the business of entertainment. Except that the NFL might be the biggest one of us all.
While mixed martial arts and football appear to be two different sports, unfortunately, both suffer from similar stigmas concerning violent injuries, particularly head trauma.
Being a little late to the whole situation surrounding Tua Tagovalia and the NFL concussion protocol, I took some time over the weekend to catch up on the games.
Here are my major takeaways:
Concussion protocols need rework
This is more than a head-scratcher.
How does someone like Tagovailoa who exhibited early warning signs of head trauma last week against the Bills get cleared to play again the very next week?
Just four days ago, he got dropped against Buffalo, hit the grass, and got back up, clearly wobbled. All of it was attributed to apparent back pain.
This time, he hit the ground in an almost similar fashion – head snapping backward against the turf. Tagovailoa was removed on a stretcher in front of a television audience of millions.
It’s a bad look for everyone. Coaches, training staff, doctors and even team owners. Commissioner Goodell won’t be getting much sleep it seems.
Are players really safer?
This isn’t the NFL’s first brush with head trauma. There’s been a book and a movie for crying out loud dramatizing the league’s suppression of the seriousness of concussive symptoms.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is the official term to describe the kind of bruising head trauma and brain injury that afflicts many former football players.
Since then, the NFL has instituted many rule changes to the game and improved helmet technology to try and protect the players.
But how much safer are football players today?
If you recall, there are more football games than ever now.
The NFL recently introduced regular season game number 17!
Everyone’s getting in all the action – media partners, sponsors, teams. TV rights deal for NFL broadcasts from Thursday to Sunday to Monday are among the most lucrative in all of pro-sports.
More games equal more chances of injury.
But does anyone care?
It takes a village
We’re all complicit as far as I can tell.
Advocating for player safety is good. Pushing for punishment is great. And knowing there’s a player’s association gives us the false assurance that someone’s watching out for the players.
So we just keep on watching. Until it’s too late and some unfortunate accident occurs.
Hypocritical much?
For every running back who lies crumpled underneath a heap of bodies or an offensive tackle that’s slow to get up from a bruising tackle on 4th and 2 at the goal line, there are brilliant plays to be seen.
An Aaron Rodger’s 40-yard back-shoulder fade or Lamar Jackson breaking free to throw a shovel pass. They keep us enthralled long enough to forget about the hidden dangers of this sport.
Throw in legalized betting in many states, and you have by far one of the most profitable industrial complexes in American history.
I wonder if Tagovailoa will just be another statistic as we inevitably turn the page to week six.
Let’s hope not because I know the NFL will be business as usual.
Principal-Agent Problem
Since we’re on the topic of hypocrisy, it doesn’t hurt to point out that there will always be an inherent clash of interests in nearly every industry.
Picture the prevailing attitudes to college football, just a year into NIL, where five-star recruits are still trying to angle million-dollar endorsement deals before turning pro.
Boosters are eager to throw money into recruitment, facilities and the football program. They know more talent means more wins, more bowl games, more TV rights, and more money.
Now think about a head coach who’s answerable to the school, rich alumni and other stakeholders. He must produce results in an extremely competitive conference.
Then there’s the talented player who’s done everything his coaches have asked. Everything about the player shows he’s earned the right to turn professional.
But the head coach risks losing a key piece of the team if the player declares for the draft. What if the team underperforms and the coach’s job is on the line?
Have head coaches ever conspired to delay a player from turning professional for their own job security?
What if the said player gets injured playing another season with the team and his draft stock tanks, potentially missing out on a huge signing contract?
Who’s going to protect the players?
Who’s responsible?
Or will it just be another unfortunate tragedy?
It probably won’t matter. It’s only week six.
But maybe it should.