An article was referred to me today that raised some legitimate questions about the future of the NFL, and it got me thinking about the long-term possibilities.
As you have probably heard, 126 former players have filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming they kept important medical info from them and were aware of the risks associated with the game.
Andrew Sullivan over at The Daily Beast wonders aloud if this is that different from another big business that profited by misleading – the tobacco industry:
So a lucrative industry knowingly destroys the health of the people it makes money off – and keeps the evidence hidden from them. Sound familiar?
At some point, I suspect, this will become a major scandal, as more brain-damaged adults emerge and more evidence comes out that the NFL may have long known about the health effects of their sport as it is currently played.
Make no mistake about it – the NFL is a business first. Making money is the most important thing, and they’re very good at doing that.
And I can’t help but think that commissioner Roger Goodell crushed the Saints in part as a preemptive “see, we’re concerned with keeping players safe!” public statement with the lawsuit looming.
The sport has never been more popular – the ratings for terrible regular season Sunday night matchups compare with World Series games.
But could this lawsuit bring them to their knees? The worse case scenario suggests that this snowballs, the lawsuit has merit, and the 126 former players balloons into the thousands.
It’s conceivable that the cover-up is much worse than it seems, in which case the ramifications could lead to the NFL going bankrupt dealing with the fallout.
Of course there is plenty to play out before this is even worth discussing at great length, but stranger things have happened to big business.
The NFL is starting to resemble the NCAA, and that’s not a compliment (more on that in a future post).
Tags: Big Business, Concussion Lawsuit, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Roger Goodell, World Series
The Sports Cult 
March 29, 2012 at 6:33 AM |
Are you suggesting the NFL, which makes what is it 8 billion dollars in revenue each year is going to crumble into extinction? in addition, majority of these cases will take decades…g2g post later.
March 29, 2012 at 11:45 AM |
I’m suggesting that it is a possibility. Thanks for reading
March 29, 2012 at 10:20 AM |
This is a problem for football that better helmets can’t fix. Direct hard hits, getting your “bell rung,” it’s all part of the game–which means that brain injuries are unavoidably part of the game. Wouldn’t be surprised if accumulated damage is similar to what boxers experience.
Football’s closest relatives are rugby and ARF, but there’s no comparison in terms of violence.
Would you want your kid to become a boxer, knowing the potential for brain damage and concussion? Not me. Same goes for football.
March 29, 2012 at 11:53 AM |
That’s why the journeyman 2nd string QB is the happiest NFL player. 10 yr career, make $10 mill, retire w/ no complications, collect an NFL pension.
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