In an interview Bernard Pollard of the Baltimore Ravens, a hard hitting safety who is a bete noire for all the New England Patriots fans I know, has said he believes the NFL won't exist in 30 years. Pollard cites the increased emphasis on player safety, but also the contradiction that coaches continue to want bigger, stronger, faster guys.
Pollard's comments come on the heels of President Obama's comments that he would have to think long and hard before he'd let his son play football. It also follows a little less than a week after the family of former NFL player, Junior Seau, filed suit against the NFL for wrongful death.
Even as medicine starts to make is possible to detect CTE in living tissue, we don't appear closer to inventing a better helmet, more able of protecting the players. And with the advent of the scans that might detect CTE in living issue comes the discussion of if and when players should have the scan. I'll plug for The Trenches podcast who ended last week's show with a discussion of CTE and if Ephraim Salaam, 15 year offensive linemen, would want to have the scan done both now and when he was a player.
Certainly no one, not Pollard, not the president, and least of all I know what all the head injuries, the brain trauma, the law suits, and the rule changes will mean for the long term viability of the National Football League. But it's fair to say changes will continue.
Pollard's comments come on the heels of President Obama's comments that he would have to think long and hard before he'd let his son play football. It also follows a little less than a week after the family of former NFL player, Junior Seau, filed suit against the NFL for wrongful death.
Even as medicine starts to make is possible to detect CTE in living tissue, we don't appear closer to inventing a better helmet, more able of protecting the players. And with the advent of the scans that might detect CTE in living issue comes the discussion of if and when players should have the scan. I'll plug for The Trenches podcast who ended last week's show with a discussion of CTE and if Ephraim Salaam, 15 year offensive linemen, would want to have the scan done both now and when he was a player.
Certainly no one, not Pollard, not the president, and least of all I know what all the head injuries, the brain trauma, the law suits, and the rule changes will mean for the long term viability of the National Football League. But it's fair to say changes will continue.
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