Three NFL players were fined a total of $175,000 on Tuesday for vicious hits to their opponents’ heads, a sign of the supposed crackdown on dangerous helmet-to-helmet hits. However, though the fines are steep, they aren’t enough to deter players from committing the illegal hits.
The general lack of concern regarding hits to the head in football is indicative of the problems with the culture surrounding the sport. Players are expected to be tough and to deal with the injuries that come with such a violent sport. However, recent studies indicate that injuries to the head can have a much more lasting impact beyond the playing field than previously thought.
Studies show that football players who suffer from multiple concussions are often subject to debilitating injuries later in life, including paralysis, Alzheimer’s and brain damage.
The NFL needs to take a stronger stand in order to deter players from committing dangerous hits to the head. Any type of deliberate hit should warrant an immediate suspension, in addition to the fine. While large fines draw attention to the problem, they do little to discourage players from performing hits that could easily have life-changing effects on the player receiving the hit. The only way to deter this kind of behavior is to take violators out of the action.
Former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison illustrated the point perfectly, saying, “My mentality was, “If it costs me $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 to be considered an All-Pro eventually, then that’s the price I’m going to pay. And then, eventually, I’ll get known for it, I’ll be in the Pro Bowl.’ But when I got suspended, it was, “Uh-oh.’ That was a different mentality now. I’m hurting my team, I’m losing a game check. Let’s try tochange things up.”
By simply fining players, the NFL is not sending a message strong enough to match the seriousness of the injuries that hits such as this cause. The only way to get players’ attention, and to reduce the risk of serious injury, is to suspend players for this sort of unacceptable behavior.
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