OT - Washington Post Piece about Medical Standards in the NFL

If you're generation company had 4,473 reportable incidents of injury in 2011, MIOSHA would be setting up a permanent office. At that point, federal OSHA would probably be hanging around too. Your employees are likely (potentially) exposed to all sorts of things like Pb/Cd, asbestos, PCBs, etc. and, yes, the rules for medical monitoring and informing them of their exposure and potential health effects are significant.*

Clearly, the NFL does not have to deal with OSHA. Just as clearly, being a substation electrician is quite different from being an NFL player in terms of acknowledged risks inherent in the employment ... though anyone who's seen the more grizzly arc flash safety videos would probably chose getting tackled by Ray Lewis. I'm with you, not sharing the full medical records with the players is the disturbing part of this story. It undermines the NFL statements about being committed to safety as well as the argument that the players are making an informed choice.

*From the perspective an industrial hygienist who's been tied to a power generatio company for the last two years as a third-party consultant.

No, I disagree. I don't want to live in a society that lets workers kill themselves while employers hand them the opportunity.   Just because someone is willing to do something, does not make it ok and absolve everyone around them of responsibility.

Given your "logic" the miners at the Upper Big Branch mine (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/us/10westvirginia.html?_r=0) that exploded killing everyone are the one's at fault because they continued to work there.  The negligence of the company doesn't matter.  They chose to continue working. They knew the dangers. It's their fault they died. Employeers can do anything they want. If an employee stays there, the employee has accepted all risk and it's the employee's fault if something bad happens to them.  There is zero reponsibility on the part of the employer. 

By your "logic" the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory tragedy (google it)  was the fault of the stupid workers who worked there. They knew the doors were locked. They continued to work there, thus they killed themselves. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is the real victim here!

I'd argue that RGIII didn't know what would happen to him.  He thought his injury was one he could play through.  However, RGIII is not a trained physician.  Moreover, in the middle of a competative game, he'd be extremely biased towards staying in.  When you're on the sidelines, you feel like you're letting the team down.  Someone in his position is the LAST person you'd want making the decisions there.  It's exactly why the concussion rules have become a lot stricter.  Sure, the player may feel fine after shaking off the cobwebs.  But one more good hit could kill him.  So he stays out.

I disagree with you for a couple of reasons.  For starters, there are often situations where a player is not in a position to know the extent of his injury due to the nature of the injury.  Head trauma comes to mind right off the bat.  As far as RGIII's injury goes, there are some injuries,  where playing may exacerbate the condition and create a greater level of discomfort, but won't necessarily create a risk of serious further damage. 

The other reason is that the team has a monetary interest in the player. I have never seen a balance sheet for an NFL team, but players are considerd assets (and they are depreciable assets).  The owners have invested consierable money in a player and they have a huge interest in the outcome.  While the "win now" mentality is very strong, one would think that there is a real interest in protecting your investment.  With a QB like Griffin, that is certainly the case.   Then there are not so small issues like liability and the perception of the fan base.