Sunday, January 27, 2013

Frank Deford Is Wrong

Wait, another football post, you ask?  Well, yes, but very quickly, and for the single purpose of putting a finer point on what the NFL really fears in the coming legal crisis it faces regarding brain-deadening and life-threatening concussions.

The NFL fears becoming a third-tier backwater, a disreputable sporting operation on a par with modern day prize fighting.  That is what is at stake in these court room battles, not simply the dollar value, staggering though it will be - case by case or in total - to ordinary mortals.

These billionaires can afford the tab, and, indeed, ultimately fob-off the burden on future TV and fan rip-off revenue sources, as long as the game itself is not permanently damaged.  But that is what is going to happen.

Even though I recently heard Frank Deford, the best sports writer still working, broadcast a commentary on NPR which staked-out a contrary position, I'm convinced that the NFL is attempting to play a desperate game of catch-up, with no time left on the clock. 

Science is a tough customer, tougher even than 300 lb. to nearly 400 lb. behemoths crashing into one another at near Olympic sprinter speed.  Science is also patient.  As has been said, facts are stubborn things.  Even though popular opinion and/or fashion wishes to deny reality, eventually sunlight finds a way to crash through with greater force than the heaviest hitter in football.  Game over. 

Fact based testimony, under oath, in these cases will hold out in bold relief the devastating brain damage inflicted not only on the pro level, but even in biddy-ball.  Soon enough, parents will do the right thing.  Popular opinion will turn away in revulsion, and there will be no overtime.

The arc of change will not only track that of the shunning of tobacco, it will be speed-of-light faster.

But do not despair.  Things change. Do not merely get over it, embrace it.  There are alternatives.  Surely everyone remembers "Play Ball!"







5 comments:

  1. Yes! Finally someone writes about labor.

    Feel free to visit my blog post: waist hip ratio

    ReplyDelete
  2. My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .

    net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
    But he's tryiong none the less. I've been using Movable-type
    on numerous websites for about a year and am
    worried about switching to another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.
    net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it?
    Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

    my website; make money online for free no scams

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi there, I enјoy reading all of youг article.
    I likе to write a little comment to suppоrt yоu.



    Viѕіt my weblog - payday loans

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am in fact glad to glance at this web site posts which includes plenty of valuable facts, thanks for providing these kinds of data.


    my webpage Louis Vuitton Bags

    ReplyDelete
  5. I every time emailed this blog post page to all my associates, because if
    like to read it next my links will too.

    My homepage: Air Max

    ReplyDelete