The Beginning of the End of the NFL

Actually, this is probably not the beginning. Although the NFL is commanding higher and higher TV ratings, dominating an ever-increasing share of the pop culture mind, and raking in record breaking revenues, I think the beginning of the end happened a couple of years ago when Chris Henry died in an auto-related accident.

For those imaginary readers not familiar with Chris Henry, he was a young and talented NFL receiver who struggled mightily to curb his penchant for making horrible social decisions. I won't besmirch his name other than to point out that, with so much to lose by his constant brushes with the law, more than one person speculated that he was not completely, cognitively intact. After he died, an autopsy showed that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), a brain disorder caused by repeated blows to the head.

Earlier this year, we read the story of Owen Thomas, an outgoing honor student who was captain of the football team at an Ivy League school. He surprised everyone he knew by going home one afternoon and hanging himself. As with Henry, an autopsy showed C.T.E.

The scariest aspect of the Owen Thomas story is that he had never had a concussion or even a head ache from his years of little league, high school, and college football. Still, the constant, low-grade trauma seemed to be taking its toll. It manifest in sudden, intense depression and probably, a tragically impulsive decision to kill himself. That is consistent with the pattern of poor and impulsive decisions that had followed Chris Henry through his brief adult life.

As these stories multiply and awareness rises about the long term health effects of head trauma, little league football will go away. This will steer the nation's youth to other sports and the quantity and quality of high school football players, after many years, will also recede. As participation and celebration of high school football dwindles, it will decimate the youngest slice of the NFL's fan base and begin to erode the financial prospects for the league. Eventually, college programs will opt for more affordable, lower-risk programs and the NCAA system will feel the effects of less interest in football. As the feeder system collapses on itself, the NFL will face an increasingly educated public that sees it as a senselessly violent undertaking. Like boxing today, the NFL will eventually assume a stripped down form on the outskirts of mainstream pop culture.

I wrote earlier about my fear that an NFL player will be killed on the field of play and fans across the land, like me, will blame ourselves. When I saw the hit on DeSean Jackson last Sunday, I was sure it had happened. He eventually got up but the impact revived my old fears and I felt sick for more than a day.

Escalating violence and a better understanding of brain injuries are conspiring against the future of the NFL. I can't say the end is near, but it is on its way.

Non-News in the News

As is often the case in the for-profit world of media, stories are spawned, nurtured, and then beat to death based on the smallest of important or interesting nuggets of information. Case in point, Rush Limbaugh's recent role as a minor stakeholder in a bid to buy the St. Louis Rams.

I get that the ingredients are interesting. Rush is a blowhard with a following; a legitimate public figure. That's interesting. The NFL is the most popular and most profitable professional sports conglomerate in the country. That's interesting. The potential association of the two, therefore could reasonably command a modicum of media coverage. An actual association, like say if Rush really became an owner, would be bigger news -- perhaps worthy of a small article somewhere in the business section of a national publication and in the sports section of St. Louis publications.

What we have seen over the past few weeks makes no sense to me. He was part, a small part, of a bid, along with five or six other bids, and the story has been central in the national sports conversation for three weeks. He was dropped from the bid a week ago and the story is still going strong.

To be fair, the stories that continue to circulate are about racism and freedom of speech and whatever other social issues a journalist can shoe-horn into a column. I agree that such social issues can be (and should be) worked through in public forums. But all of those issues can be discussed without attaching them to a story where they were not really present.

We're talking about a business deal here. Nothing more. A group of bidders were aggregating capital to buy a team, Rush had some cash so he joined the group and they submitted a bid. The NFL, which can choose owners based on any criteria they wish, made it clear that Rush was not scoring well on their criteria so the bidding group kicked him out. No hurt feelings -- just a day in the business life.

In my opinion, all of the analysis of Rush's past quotes about the NFL and racism should never have been a part of this non-story. In fact, trying to analyze such complex social issues in a contrived setting, just because the protagonists are interesting, is a detriment to constructive discourse.

Icing the Kicker - a Strategy for the Absurd

Some things just don't add up. Let me lay a few things on the table to make my point.

It's a pretty common tactic for an NFL team to call a time-out prior to an important kick attempt by their opponent. They call this "icing the kicker" and the theory is that it gives him too much time to think which, supposedly reduces his ability to perform.

This is fairly consistent with the old adage spewed by "experts" in many sports that you need to learn your position and learn the game so well that you can just react and execute during the game as opposed to thinking. The notion is that, in live time, there is no time to think so reacting (reacting correctly based on your learning) is the only path to success.

The hurry-up offense contradicts this. Rushing to the line of scrimmage and starting a play before the defense can think through its schemes and coverages eliminates their opportunity to become paralyzed by thought. This is the anti-strategy to icing the kicker yet both are used by the same coaches. One way or another, we have stumbled onto something absurd.

Spare me the crap about how a hurry-up offense prevents defensive substitutions and down-specific packages (since the media no longer covers that level of depth, I can't be expected to know about it - don't get Auggie started). Besides, if minimizing defensive substitutions is so important, offenses should run the whole game at warp speed (in fact, I often wonder why they don't).

Let me lay it out for you NFL coaches: Icing the kicker helps your opponent. Giving any professional athlete an extra moment to collect his thoughts, visualize success, and prepare mentally for the play will increase his ability to perform well. I am especially dumbfounded by the recent tactic of icing him after the players have lined up and the snap count is in progression as this scenario brings an off-sides penalty into play (off-sides penalties out number false starts by a three to one margin in the NFL) that might result in a first down for the kicker's team .

The "Wins and Losses" Farce

One of the key metrics for evaluating a pitcher in baseball is their record of wins and losses. It is essentially an accounting of how many runs opponents scored off the pitcher and his 8 defensive teammates relative to the number of runs the pitcher's 9-man batting order scored during the time when the pitcher was in the game. If it sounds like the pitcher plays only a fractional part (albeit an important fraction) in the final outcome, that is because it is so.

So why do we continue to track and consider this statistic as important? Obviously, good pitchers on poor teams can out-perform bad pitchers on strong teams and have an inferior Win/Loss record. It makes no sense.

Unless you look at it in relative terms.

Relative to the trend of looking at Win/Loss records for NFL quarterbacks, rating pitchers on that measure seems comparatively brilliant. Of course that is only due to the unfathomable absurdity of hanging a win or a loss for a 53-man football team on one player.

It is all over the news today. With last night's win over the Packers, Favre has become the first QB to defeat all 32 active NFL football teams in his career. I guess he did it all by himself. Forget the fact that the Vikings held the Packers to zero points through three trips to the red-zone and had 3 take-aways in the game. Forget the special teams play. Forget football's best running back, Adrian Peterson, who drew a stacked box all night and opened up the passing lanes for a talented core of Vikings receivers. Forget all the coaching, and scheming, and game-planning, and play-calling. Favre did it alone.

How can smart guys, who played the game and then became analysts, spew this crap? I can tolerate it in baseball because sometimes a pitcher throws nine innings of excellence and deserves recognition as the key contributor to a win. But in football, I cannot abide this emerging trend.

NFL and Madden and Branding and Vindication

Just a quick blurb to draw your attention to this story in today's LA Times. It's about John Madden, who has been featured in this blog before, and how he is spending time in retirement.

What is noteworthy is his comment (last full paragraph) about NFL uniforms and how their inconsistency is a detriment to the brand.

NFL Players at High Risk for Dementia

Attention Imaginary Readers: This has a slightly different tone than my usual posts as I pulled it straight from the Brain Today Blog where I breakdown daily news stories about Brain Health.








This headline is not surprising. Such a conclusion is perfectly consistent with our best theories as well as our casual observations. The fact that persons with a history of head trauma have greater risk for dementia is well documented and the connection to the NFL has been highly speculated for some time.

Now, as reported in the NY Times, the NFL has released the results of their own study on the matter. As part of a phone survey conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research last year, 1,063 retired NFL players were asked questions on a variety of health topics. The conclusions were stark, especially for younger aged retirees.

According to the survey, 6.1% of players aged 50 and older had cognitive impairment which is five times higher than the 1.2% rate of prevalence in the general population. More importantly, 1.9% of younger players, aged 30 to 49, had impairment which is nineteen times higher than the .1% rate seen in general.

These figures are even more alarming than many experts would have presumed and will undoubtedly raise new questions about the prudence of suiting up 9-year olds and sending them onto the little league field to bang heads. I love football as much as anyone but it is looking more and more like the costs of the game are greater than the enjoyment it provides.

Branding 101

The Red-Sox have worn at least nine different jerseys and three different hats on the field this year.

I have never claimed to be a marketing expert but I have been exposed to the basic principles and understand which ones have been tested and proven. I know, for example, that branding is a successful tactic for building an emotional bond with a consumer.

This is important because it has also been well proven that emotionally involved consumers are more loyal and more likely to exchange their money for your product. So how do you stir emotion and create a bond with your consumers? The answer is pretty complicated (translation: got me...) but I know that it starts with recognition.

Your audience must consistently recognize your product among the myriad of consumer messages that bombard them up to 10,000 times per day (according to reliable sources). In this regard, a consistent look is key.

In the corporate world, the term "logo-cop" is commonly attached to the marketing people charged with protecting the integrity of company trademarks to ensure that whenever they are used, they show exactly the right colors, precisely the right type-face, appropriate white space, agreed tag-lines, acceptable associations, and complete adherence to all of the guidelines in what they call a "graphics standards manual". That's right, they have an entire manual about how to use the company's logos.

So why on earth do MLB and the NFL screw with helmets and logos and uniforms on such a regular basis? If every MLB team is wearing a red cap on a certain day to "honor fallen soldiers", it builds emotional distance with the fans and dilutes the impact of the tribute. It's like a bunch of strangers honoring your relative, not your favorite player paying homage. When all teams wear camouflage uniforms to show support for the military, it may be patriotic but it comes at a cost that the league may underestimate.

The NFL is much worse. It seems like they appreciate branding when you read about fines being levied for uniform violations. Then you watch a game and it's all throw-back uniforms and referees dressed in prison garb. Rather than seeing an intra-conference rivalry that resonates with historical context and pulsates with urgency and significance, I feel like I accidentally tuned into an NFL Europe game that means nothing to me.

I guess the owners are the ones who need to get the message: design a uniform that communicates what you want it to say about your team and stick with it. Always. Forever. Don't blow up the connection with your fans and start over every couple of weeks.

Points of Interest in the NFL

Here are some of the things I find most interesting about the upcoming NFL season.

Best Conference Drama - NFC North
I am eager to see how the QB shake-up plays out. You've got Cutler starting for the Bears and Favre for the Vikings, either of whom could challenge the reigning conference champs (GB) for the top spot. You also have Stafford, the #1 overall pick in the draft, looking like the starter for the Lions who are coming off a perfect 0-16 disaster of a season.

Most Question Marks - The West (mostly NFC)
Let's see, the coaches on Al Davis' Raiders are under investigation for assaulting one another but have a roster that includes the top overall picks from 2007 and 2008 plus the 2009 pick that generated the most snickering around the league. Questions abound.

Seattle is back from a year when virtually their entire team was injured but now they have changed coaches and added one of the most prolific receivers in the league (TJH). What to expect?

San Francisco looks to be going with a musical chair approach at the QB position and head coach Singletary's unorthodox approach to player interaction should continue to feed the Sports Center highlight reel. Will the wheels fall off or will that machine roll?

Throw in the Rams who are great on paper but can't win and you've got a whole lotta question marks in that division. If the Raiders could move from the AFC to the NFC it would make for the most mysterious division possible.

Intriguing Comebacks to Watch
Brady is back after missing an entire season with a torn up knee. He'll have a new offensive co-ordinator, new backfield, and a #1 receiver who is now pretty old.

Vick is back but we don' really know in what capacity. He's been in the can for two years so who knows how he will play. For that matter, who knows how he will conduct himself in society -- watching him will be watching two comebacks.

Favre, three retirements, yadda yadda. We know Tarketon will be watching.

Finally, Cadillac Williams is back from a second straight major knee surgery. No one has returned productively from such extensive damage on both sides but he seems optimistic and has looked real in pre-season.

Former NE Coaches Worth Watching
Josh McDaniels left NE for the top job in Denver and accidentally confused himself with Bill Belichick along the way. He is off to a rocky start with the franchise QB demanding a trade after LMD botched the relationship.

Mangini got canned in NY but resurfaced in Cleveland to replace former NE coach Romeo Crennel. As Mangini was the instigator of spy-gate, I find the specter of his ongoing failure enticing.

Jim Mora has no ties to NE but he is a new coach in an interesting role and I know his uncle so he gets mentioned here (send your imaginary complaints to thehand.com).

Welcome Back, Brett

The FCC has really been bearing down on me for not posting about Favre over the past few weeks. Now that there is some news, I can share my thoughts and get the law off my back.

A high percentage of the news coverage on Favre for the past two years has been either snarky commentary on his waffling about retirement or pejorative speculation about his ambition to hold the spotlight. I think this says more about the state of journalism than about Brett Favre.

My first reaction when I heard the news of his arrival at Vikings camp was joy. I like to witness history and now we all have another season to watch him push certain records (consecutive starts by a QB and all-time TD's to name two) further out of reach. I think his story is an interesting one and his presence in the NFC North adds drama to the league. I can't wait to watch the season unfold.

In terms of impact, I don't know how much athletic ability he has left but it must be something close to the ability he used last year to help the Jets get off to a hot start prior to his arm injury. I would doubt that his experience has become obsolete and his decision making ability should be as sharp as ever, especially in the familiar offense the Vikings run. For all those reasons, he should be a very capable QB on a very solid team.

More importantly, his example of professionalism, both on and off the field, will likely help the team assume a winning work ethic and mentality that will push them to reach new levels of success. I wish him well and I look forward to watching.

Vick's Schtick

You know I root for these things to end well but something tells me the Michael Vick story is not bound for a happy final chapter. I am troubled by the total lack of personal responsibility reflected in the words he chose when addressing a group of young men at Hampton University earlier this week.

He spoke of his troubled past and said that he "allowed someone who didn't have my best interests at heart to take all that away from me". This does not sound at all like a guy who thinks he made a horrendous error of moral judgment but instead like a guy who thinks he was a victim.

If this is the tone he strikes on Sunday night during his highly anticipated 60 Minutes interview, he can forget about any hopes of redemption in society. Even if someone coaches him on a better choice of words, it is already pretty clear that he might not be sincerely remorseful for what he has done.

I hope I am wrong but my current prognosis on Vick's rehabilitative stint in prison and subsequent NFL probation is that they may not be working.

What Should Society Do With Michael Vick?

This topic seems to really polarize people. Questions and debate aside, it looks like he is coming back to play in the NFL this year. He's been cleared by the Commissioner and credible sources report that multiple teams are interested in signing him.

There is no doubt that he made repeated, premeditated decisions that were both reprehensible and illegal. He has paid a huge social price for his lack or morality and has been formally punished by the legal system. In this regard, due process has played out.

As such, society should be ready to reset the clock and start over. Clearly, many among us are not quite there.

Right or wrong, I think his impending return to the NFL will be interesting. I don't know if or how he will be able to make a team better but I am curious to see. I don't know if he is truly reformed but I look forward to watching his forward trajectory.

And because I love to see the fallen pick themselves up, I really hope we get to see him channel all of the media attention he will generate into a constructive direction. He will have a great opportunity to promote his own painful example, to educate, and to affect broad change. Despite the temptation to root against him, I hope he uses this opportunity wisely, restores his place in society, and makes the world better.

Requisite Favre Post

As a blogger, I am akin to a member of the media. As such, there are certain immutable, FCC regulations by which I must abide. One of those is that no less than 5% of my writing must be about Brett Favre.

So I guess Fran Tarkenton has issues with Brett. I could speculate on the source of those issues but I generally try to avoid playing amateur psychologist. Ah, what the heck, I think he's jealous that Brett now holds records he once held and is afraid of being displaced in the conversation about great Vikings QB's. If Favre goes to Minnesota for a season or two and (gasp) wins a SuperBowl with their highly talented roster of current players, many might equate him with the Vikings greatest success and drop Fran from his current perch atop that particular discussion.

Tarkenton went on the radio yesterday and absolutely lambasted Farve. Seems like he is also harboring some thinly veiled anger toward the Vikings and all NFL owners as well. You can read his rant here and click through to hear the audio clip if you wish.

Brett Favre and the Media

I don't know why there is such a range of emotion about Brett Favre among so many members of the media. It is really baffling; these are my thoughts.

I was never a big fan but I can't deny that he played for a long time, put together a remarkable string of consecutive starts by playing through the pain of minor injuries, had lots of success in terms of Super Bowls and league MVP's, stayed out of legal trouble, was a good teammate, didn't make greedy and unreasonable salary demands or pull free agent stunts to gain wealth, and was open and accessible to the fans and media.

Sounds to me like the formula for a "good guy" in this age of WR's who carry unregistered guns to NY night clubs, QB's who torture dogs across the south, and corner backs who act so bad, new laws get invented in Tennessee just to contain them. As I said, I was never a big Favre fan but couldn't really dislike anything about him either. And surely, his career has been impressive.

I guess it must have been a bit stressful for Packer fans and front office executives to live through his indecisiveness each year regarding retirement but is that really a big deal? Isn't it pretty easy to understand that an aging player, who feels drained at the end of the season and doesn't want to commit to his team for another year unless he is sure he has the will to give it his all, feels a bit torn before making a decision one way or the other?

As you know from earlier posts (I am sure you have all committed my writings to memory), I believe pro athletes should play for as long as they (1) want to, and (2) can make the roster. There is no honor in "going out on top" if you still want to play. In fact, it is cowardly to walk away just so no one will see that age has diminished your skills. If you are good enough to claim a roster spot and come off the bench, and your will is there, you should play.

So back to the media. I cannot believe the vitriol I am hearing over Brett's alleged meeting with the Vikings and his possible participation in the league for another year. Successful QB's are in high demand and there are not enough to go around. He still has skills, the Jets released him, and he may want to play another year. What's the big deal?

He is not "selfish", he is not "an attention whore", and he is not "sticking it to the Packers". He is just pursuing a career in the NFL.

Attention angry media hacks: save the vituperative diatribes for more deserving topics. If you are tired of covering Favre, don't cover him. Roll the dice and see if you can capture the nation's attention with a story you actually research and report. You know, journalism?

It's not his fault the public is curious about him and I doubt anyone is holding a gun to your head to work at your job; feel free to become plumbers.

NFL Draft: A Major Media Event

Is the NFL a Juggernaut or what? More than 34 million people watched the draft last year and this year the coverage is doubling.

I heard about an ESPN poll showing that, far and away, the most eagerly anticipated sports event of this weekend will be the NFL draft. Sorry NBA play-off fan; sorry NHL play-off fan; college kids are going to find out which team they can try out for and the whole world thinks that's more interesting than the conclusion of your season.

Sorry Red-Sox/Yankees rivalry fan; we know your little hate fest is a good show but not as good as watching Dan Snyder trade the future for his latest man-crush or Al Davis moving up to draft a track star.

I didn't respond to the poll but I guess I am with the masses on this one. There's something about the draft that just can't be ignored.

Draft Buzz

Contributed by Auggie: Director of Auggie's scouting service.
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If you're one of those sick NFL fans who awaits the draft like a 7 year old awaits Christmas, take heart, we're only week away. Here are some tidbits to hold you over while you wait for your "presents" to arrive.

Everyone knows that the draft is not an exact science. There are countless examples low round or undrafted players that thrive (e.g. Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Wes Welker), and high picks who flounder (e.g. Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Tony Mandarich, Mike Mamula). But it seems like every year there are players that are obviously overrated and underrated by the pundits. And it's not just the media pundits, real NFL decision makers often make glaring mistakes that seem so obvious to the rest of us experts. Here are two examples to watch for in the upcoming draft.

If Roger Goodell walks to the podium with your favorite team's pick in his hand and announces, "with their first round pick, the [fill in team here] selects Maryland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey", don't get too excited. In fact, be disappointed. He would be a nice 3rd round pick but certainly not a 1st. So why is everyone so enamored with him? He's big and fast. So is Usain Bolt but I don't see him climbing the draft boards. There is always this small matter of actually being able to play football, which goes far beyond the physical measurables. Without thinking about it too much, the name Troy Williamson comes to mind. He was drafted 7th overall by the Vikings in 05 despite the fact he wasn't all that productive in college. He hasn't been all that productive in the pros either, but he is big and fast.

On the other hand, if your team selects CB Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest in the second round they got a steal. Why isn't he a first rounder? The poor guy has the misfortune of being short. So was Darrell Green who keeps tripping over his hall of fame plaque and other awards. And so is Antoine Winfield who made the pro bowl in 08 and is considered one of the more physical corners in the NFL. He and Smith are about the same size. But perhaps the best example is Bob Sanders, the Colt's safety who recently won defensive player of the year. He is 5'-8". He was drafted in the second round of the 04 draft but I remember one scouting report saying "if he was three inches taller he would be a top ten pick". I bet a lot of teams wish they had a do over on that one.

End of an Era

One thing I always wish I had not taken for granted when it was around was the brilliance of Howard Cosell as a sports broadcaster. I've felt this way for many years, imagining that if I could do it over, I would tune in, take note, and appreciate his skill and creativity as a communicator. If only I could go back in time, I would not be sleeping at the wheel when there was something so worthy to appreciate.

While driving to work today I heard the news that I have indeed been asleep at the same wheel that I kicked myself for sleeping at during Cosell's reign. Now John Madden is done. He retired yesterday. There is no way to ever again hear him calling a live football game.

Thank goodness for the NFL network where I can probably tune into a Madden-called game at least once a week if I wish.

I'll keep this post short because I think the Dodgers are on TV and I want to go soak up a performance by Vin Sculley before he moves on as well.

The Case for Signing Vick

I love to consider the contrarian view and believe strongly in the notion that good opportunities are often found at the point, away from which, the masses are uniformly stampeding. The trick, of course, is not to simply contradict the prevailing wisdom but to discern why it should be contradicted and how to optimally implement your contradictory plan.

Let's look at the point from which the NFL owners are currently stampeding. It is Michael Vick. Convicted felon. Tortured Dogs. Bad human being. Never proved himself as an NFL passer. Been out of the league for 2+ years. Baggage. Disruption. Bad press to all who associate with him. Run away.

The NFL team owners may well indeed all run away. A bankruptcy judge tossed Vick out of court yesterday because his solvency plan, which included a hefty NFL salary, was too uncertain. The judge, no doubt, had taken into consideration the hegemonic opinion that Vick brings too much bad press for any NFL team owner to consider signing him.

But I think the owners may be overlooking a gem. Vick is an extraordinary athlete and only 28 years old. While I don't think he is a good candidate to come in and take over the most intensely judgment-oriented position in all of pro sports (NFL QB), I do think it highly plausible that his speed and running skills are intact. As such, he could likely contribute meaningfully as a special teams player.

An NFL team is a business and the owners run these businesses to make money. Winning is the most well-proven (and probably most enjoyable) strategy for profitability but there are other approaches. Certainly filling the stadium and selling merchandise help the bottom line and for those, the more press the better. As the old cliche goes, all press is good press -- Vick WILL be a news story if he returns to the NFL. Sure, most of the news will be negative but the effect can be clearly predicted, people will want to watch.

A gutsy owner could seize on the fact that Vick would be the most motivated guy in the league to rebuild his reputation and his life through a strong and productive social presence. Said gutsy owner could help him do that. He could give him an incentive laden salary of up to $2M (being cognizant of the salary cap situation) and require Vick to donate 50% of his net income to charities that the team supports. The owner could require Vick to participate heavily in community goodwill programs at the behest of the team, even in (especially in) the off-season.

A roster spot is a valuable commodity that should not be wasted solely to garner PR. Therefore, Vick would need to work intensively on his kick return and special team skills (a player type increasingly sought in the Devon Hester era). If two years in prison has taken too great a toll and he can no longer compete at the NFL level, then he could be cut and replaced with a better talent. However, if his athleticism allows him to contribute, he could be a PR boon and an overall success story.

Remember, the stars have the furthest to fall but it is the most downtrodden who can rise most dramatically. Based on the depths to which he has sunk, Vick has the potential for a spectacular turn around.

Warning: Dark Post. Read at your own Risk!

I know where the poets stand on this one. I’ve seen the movies and listened to the folk ballads. I am well aware of the common notion that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. I am not so sure I agree.

I have a bad feeling about my mistress, also known as the NFL, and I’ve been thinking I should extricate myself from this love affair on my own terms, at my own pace, before I end up with my heart ripped out on a random Sunday in autumn. How could that happen you ask? Well read on and I shall tell you.

I could be watching a game on a sunny October afternoon when, on a routine play, an inopportune collision between a linebacker and a wide receiver could result in a severed spinal cord and a dead player crumpled on the field. I can imagine the pall and the sickness that would seep through my veins. I would say to myself “this was inevitable” and ask myself “why have we all embraced such violence in the name of sport?”

As players get bigger and faster and as explosive hits are increasingly celebrated, who among us can doubt the rising probability of a player dying of injury on the field? Given the number of NFL and college players and the number of games they play each year, it is truly surprising that no one has yet died from injury. The forces they generate and the collisions they perpetrate are nothing short of scary.

While this would be grievous for society at large, I suspect a deeper nausea would take hold of us fans who are so emotionally invested in the sport. It would be especially sickening for us, the constituent commercial force that has driven the escalating wave of danger to its current amplitude. I can imagine being among the shocked and dazed, unable to escape the sense that I was in some small but direct way, responsible for this senseless loss.

I love football but I think it is eventually going to end badly. The way I see it, I can wean myself from this addiction on my own terms, or I can pay the price when the inevitable comes to bear. Perhaps, despite the conviction of the bards, it is better to have loved for a time and then taken cover with a joyous heart, partially empty but fully intact.