February trade statistics: Days Positive 2, Days Negative 0, Average Day $3,070
I wanted to get my statistics out of the way because this article has nothing to do with trading. I was reading an article last night on ESPN.com about Aaron Rodgers helmet that he is now wearing that will help in reducing his chances of getting a concussion of which he has had two this season.
The article was really about the fact that Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers refuse to say publicly what make and model of helmet he is wearing that is allowing him to play without worry of concussion. Rodgers even said that he would have suffered another head injury from the hit Julius Peppers gave him during the NFC Championship game were it not for this helmet. Apparently the rationale for this silence is that Rodgers and the Packer do not want to be liable for recommending the helmet in case a player gets injured.
That last line of course infuriates me as safety is so important and the NFL must be able to find a way to indemnify a team or get an act of Congress to write a law that makes it ok to reveal this top notch secret. The article goes on to say that there are millions of children out there that play football and they have the right to know if something can make the sport safer.
As I read this article I can’t help but think to myself that we have become a nation of brutal violence and total love for this violence. I enjoy watching football although I am not a diehard crazy fan of the sport, I will watch about 5 regular season games a year (usually as the weather gets worse) and of course the playoffs and Super Bowl.
What strikes me as odd is that the talk centers on safer helmets but the talk never surfaces around abolishing the sport at the very least on the amateur level. The brutal nature of this sport is just coming to light but REAL SPORTS on HBO has dedicated many shows to life after football and it is not a pretty picture. The once hero’s of the sports world are shriveled up pieces of themselves only 10-15 years after they retire. Many are left with brain damage and bodies that are too frail to care for themselves.
I do not really understand how parents allow their children to play this game. I would be willing to bet these same parents would not let their kids drive without a seat belt. I will never let my children participate in this sport other than on a friendly in the park no pads level. You ask “why no pads” and I will answer you that I have the solution to making football less dangerous.
TAKE AWAY THE PADS STUPID! It is the helmet, shoulder pads, etc that make this game so brutal. Would a safety come in as hard as they do and put their head down if there was not helmet to protect them? I think not. All of this body armor makes the player feel invincible and the ones that are delivering the hits have no fear of being hit only fined by the NFL.
So I say don’t tell us what helmet you are wearing, just take the helmets away. Rugby players have been doing it this way for years I watched a rugby match and it was very exciting, so let’s give it a try. How many of us have played a tackle football game with our buddies, no pads and someone got a concussion? I don’t remember it ever happening. This will never happen but that is because I am used to having ideas that make so much sense that nobody else thinks it makes sense, call me crazy.
So enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend and imagine a world without all that junky padding and those pesky concussions.
Happy Trading!
Recent Comments