OT: Football and Head Injuries: Nothing Has Changed.
The NFL opener was a good game.
But I'm having trouble enjoying it. Because Cam Newton was hit in the head multiple times in this game.
It wasn't penalized until the last, worst offense.
Newton never missed a single play.
Cam Newton remains in the game after taking blow to the skull: pic.twitter.com/1wDUXWisCG
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) September 9, 2016
Also don't forget this hit earlier, where the guy jumped to try to hit Cam with his helmet https://t.co/gj20cBK9Wc
— Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) September 9, 2016
Penalty yards assessed = how much the NFL actually cares about player safety. https://t.co/YjZAcY0Bxg
— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) September 9, 2016
The NFL has a concussion protocol unless it’s an important moment
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 9, 2016
All the talk about head injuries the past few years. Nothing has changed.
Why do I care? I'm not a Panthers or Broncos fan, I prefer college to the NFL, etc.
But I like football. And head injuries are a serious, serious safety issue in the sport. They could be the death of it. They certainly have affected players. The culture of the sport needs to change--leading with the head, the way Broncos players did several times tonight, should never happen.
And guys that get hit that hard should not be in the game. Even if it's a one-point game with two minutes to go.
Nothing has changed.
September 9th, 2016 at 1:52 AM ^
Adam ruins everything can be a fun show, but they definitely have an agenda and can sometimes prove the adage about "lies, damn lies, and statistics".
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September 9th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^
I think we're already starting to see the on-field product begin to diminish. Some promising young players are leaving the game early - guys like Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Borland come to mind.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^
You contradict yourself.
"All the talk about head injuries the past few years. Nothing has changed."
"And head injuries are a serious, serious safety issue in the sport. They could be the death of it."
Except they wont be the death of it because nothing actually changes.
The discussion has been getting major media coverage for a decade, and the broadcasters/sports news/fans still flock to see the top 10 hardest hits of the week.
Its like smoking. 100% of people know its going to kill you eventually. Doesnt stop a great deal of people from doing it anyway. Plus, for football, the number of players is Astronomically small compaired to the number of fans that just want to watch. Same thing with boxing. the american public is willing to sacrifice 20-30 years of life expectancy for the couple hundred players who get serious head damage vs the millions of people who watch at the various levels.
Add in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually across all levels of the sport and for better or worse, you are kidding yourself if you think the sport is going away.
That all said, they should give major fines/suspensions to players targeting like that after the fact if nothing else.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:28 AM ^
WAIT. How do you get away with launching yourself helmet-to-helmet on a star QB in the NFL in 2016? #Panthers pic.twitter.com/TFPCmPrDUy
— Dr Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) September 9, 2016
September 9th, 2016 at 2:41 AM ^
There is a 0% chance that hit isnt flagged if the QB is named Rodgers, Brady, Brees etc. Call it play style, race, size, talent, whatever.. but the simple fact of the matter is certain QB's are protected far beyond others.
September 9th, 2016 at 7:25 AM ^
And it IS discrimination.
Because you're right, if that's Brady, Rodgers, Manning, Manning...it gets a flag.
However there's one QB (maybe 2) I haven't heard anyone mention.
Big Ben.
He takes a TON of similar hits and it doesn't draw a flag.
I think it's discrimination against bigger/stronger QBs. It's just like when Shaq was playing in the NBA (or all big men for that matter)...he'd get fouled (unintentionally) all the time and there was never a call simply because he was bigger than everyone else.
The other player I was thinking about is maybe Jameis.
But Cam and Ben are both HUGE QBs in comparison to their counterparts at the position...I do think that because they're bigger - officials are more reluctant to throw the flag when they should.
September 9th, 2016 at 8:46 AM ^
And it's not just football. Watch little Steph Curry drive the lane in basketball - if somebody touches him it's a foul 100% of the time because he's so tiny. When Lebron or any other big player gets the same contact it's "play on" because the officials dont think it's as disruptive.
I have always thought the "tiny player bias" has a LOT to do with the size of your average referee and their empathy towards people that are smaller stature. Your average ref is DWARFED by the players they officiate in both football & basketball and I think subconiously they try to "even things out" by helping players closer to their stature.
As Wilt Chamberlain once said "nobody roots for Golaith"
September 9th, 2016 at 2:35 PM ^
Size is definitely part of it. I would also argue that talent and place in the league are right there with it. Ive seen Stafford get obliterated with illegal hits that do not get called. Stafford is a middle of the road QB who isn't one of the faces of the league.
I think part of Big Bens issue is also his legal past. Yes there are lots of players who have gotten arrested and done some terrible things who're still playing. But they aren't QB's and they arent the players the NFL is trying to promote. It is hard to put a guy accused of raping people in public bathrooms on the cover of Wheaties.. or offer him your Grade A protection package.
Though I think Shaq got a lot more calls than were let go. His #1 move was elbowing the guy defending him off then lowering his shoulder to plow through the help defender. Obviously then the player laying on the ground gets called for a foul as Shaq dunks over him. It is never going to be easy reffing a behemoth in any sport though.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:29 AM ^
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September 9th, 2016 at 1:02 AM ^
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September 9th, 2016 at 1:42 AM ^
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September 9th, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 12:52 AM ^
You're stretching real hard on the whole morally superior thing regarding Michigan/College Football and the NFL.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:31 AM ^
I believe there were 6 helmet-to-helmet hits on Cam alone tonight.
I'm thinking BOUNTY for sure. These are NFL players, some of those were just intentional.
Fines will be handed out...someone will pick up the tab...and the NFL world will continue spinning with all of the money they rake in each week.
September 9th, 2016 at 2:57 AM ^
Don't forget that there are a lot of players that just plain don't like him.
Don't underestimate that.
One reason hockey players are so level/gentlemanly in games is because if you were brash and ostentatious, someone's going to drop the gloves and make (legal-ish) runs at you all night.
Hockey, has less cheapshots (per incidence of contact) because of "fighting" being an inherent social-leveling mechanism.
Bounty maybe, but some of those players were more than happy to hit Cam when they could.
You're going to see the same with Odell Beckham this year too.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:34 AM ^
Longer suspensions would do a lot. Vontaze Burfict only got 3 games for the Antonio Brown hit. He should have been banned for the whole season.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:36 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 12:37 AM ^
So you didn't even watch the videos in the OP...
September 9th, 2016 at 12:42 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 12:42 AM ^
I expect the Panthers to send tapes to the NFL for review and the League should issue fines.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:43 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:01 AM ^
Perhaps endangering the well-being of another human being should carry more weight than, say, a speeding ticket to these guys.
September 9th, 2016 at 11:03 AM ^
Money alone won't do it. There needs to be suspensions, so that the teams like Denver have more of an incentive not to take cheap shots. If you're players start having to sit, 2, 4, 8 games that has an impact on your chances of winning.
September 9th, 2016 at 10:10 AM ^
If the NFL was actually serious about eliminating those hits, there wouldn't be fines, there would be suspensions.
So yes, fines it is.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:46 AM ^
Barry and Calivn had it right - get your money and get the hell out before you deprive yourself of a full life. Makes the decision easier when you play for the worst franchise in sports I guess.
September 9th, 2016 at 1:10 AM ^
Barry and Calvin were two of the best EVER to play their positions. They got their money and got it early.
That's not the case most of these guys, even the guys we consider "good" are fighting for that second and third contract when the guaranteed money comes.
Now of course it's all relative...because if you compare them to us "normal folks" then you most certainly can get in and get out when you rookie contract is up.
You just better be ready to join the workforce and level like a well-off, but not rich/wealthy person. For some, that may be good enough...but those players are few and far between. There are more now, but that's still not a lot when compared to the total number of players.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:55 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:11 AM ^
I don't love you.
September 9th, 2016 at 12:57 AM ^
You may have had "trouble enjoying it", but you were still watching, which is all that matters.
September 9th, 2016 at 1:03 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:18 AM ^
I agree...make them sign a waiver like I'm sure they do in UFC. Put a warning up before the broadcast. Just stop lying about it if you're not truly going to make the game safer (like they should).
People are still going to watch because they love their teams. More will watch because of fantasy. You'll still have those fans who want to see big hits, just like they watch UFC for the blood, just like they watch hockey for the big hits, or NASCAR for the wrecks...
It's a violent sport and the sooner people shift to that mindset when watching...the sooner we can move on. But it starts with the NFL...either move to make the game safer in a meaningful way...or just say fuck it. You all know what you're getting into, play or don't.
September 9th, 2016 at 1:20 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 7:30 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:05 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 7:08 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 8:54 AM ^
Maximizing profits is their main goal, but they lost me many years ago. Not only the concussion/head injuries, but they league is boring, the atmosphere is sterile. I don't see how the NFl is so popular. If fantasy football didn't exist, I can't see how anyone finds this league interesting.
September 9th, 2016 at 8:59 AM ^
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September 9th, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
Yeah I did. But I am glad college football doesn't need to rely on gimmicks to remain popular. NFL needs the redzone channel and fantasy football because their games are so boring that noone would watch unless they could see the exciting parts of each game and they can pretend to be a gm, when in reality they are just a loser in front of a screen wasting time. I will say that the redzone channel was a genius move, but their existence proves my point.
September 9th, 2016 at 2:56 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:12 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:33 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 1:48 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 8:40 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
What prize do I win?
September 9th, 2016 at 2:17 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 6:46 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 9:40 AM ^
I thought the players head hunting Cam should get ejected. Oh,and i'm white too. Imagine that, blanket statement person.
September 9th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^
Nothing like starting off with a false premise. Nobody cares about it? Go type "Cam Newton" into twitter... here's the hits I get literally starting from the top of the page down:
the NFL failed Cam Newton its reigning MVP. What chance does any other player have? @DanWetzel column
ICYMI, Stewart said he didn't try to hit Cam in the head. But #Broncos
wanted to beat him up & they felt it worked.
NFL says there were “no indications” Cam Newton needed to be evaluated for a concussion http://ble.ac/2cbiV7c
As Cam Newton's helmet is used for target practice, NFL keeps its head in the clouds http://dlvr.it/MDHw9C
The NFL: 1. Demands player safety 2. Protects QBs 3. Utterly failed to protect the reigning MVP/face of the league
Here is the explanation on the situation surrounding hits on #Panthers QB Cam Newton from a league spokesman:
The Broncos' game plan for the reigning NFL MVP was simple: Hit him, and hit him hard. http://usat.ly/2ceMd5w
Cam Newton and the Panthers fall 21-20 to Trevor Siemian and the Broncos in their season opener.
While you were sleeping: Thomas Davis rips officials, says they don't extend same protections to Cam as other QBs. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article100802952.html …
But you know, don't get let facts get in the way of an opinion.
September 9th, 2016 at 1:46 AM ^
September 9th, 2016 at 3:25 AM ^
"They chose this life. I don't feel bad for any NFL players at all."
We all chose what field we would pursue. Your logic indicates you would not feel bad for the policeman gunned down in the line of duty. Simply because they chose football does not suggest they thought the rules would not be enforced. These are gifted athletes and the majority play within the rules. Enforcing the rules should be a given, not a choice.