Out of all of the major professional sports leagues in the United States right now, the future of the NFL seems the most uncertain. When reading this article, I thought about what it says about football that a rookie and former all-American, Chris Borland, is willing to give up millions of dollars because of his concern for his personal health.
What got my attention was a quote from Borland that said, “dehumanizing sounds so extreme, but when you’re fighting for a football at the bottom of the pile, it is kind of dehumanizing.”
I can’t imagine this was an easy decision for Borland, but what might even be tougher is the way he may be perceived by his former teammates and friends. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be disrespectful to these people, but at the same time, he made a decision that is the opposite of what those people believe. They think continuing to play football is worth it, Borland does not.
Borland acknowledged that some probably label him as someone who contributed to the “pussification” of football, “But I’m fine with being the soft, happy guy,” Borland said.
This story is intriguing because it really did open some eyes and the NFL may have heard Borland’s message when considering some changes.
The NFL has taken steps at the making the game safer in efforts to reduce concussions. An example of this is new kickoff rules that will reduce the force of collisions and add a bigger incentive to take a touchback, so less returns will be made.
Besides the rule changes on the field, the NFL has enforced new equipment standards for all of the players that require them to wear a certain helmet. This then sparked a controversy with pro-bowl wide-receiver Antonio Brown.
This story makes me wonder; how much longer will the NFL survive? Will players continue to see more value in playing the game and the benefits that come with it, or is this problem regarding head injuries and the events that could take place in life something that could eventually be too much to overcome?
Unfortunately, we have seen some tragic events that have taken place regarding former NFL players and their mental health.
One of the best linebackers in NFL history, Junior Seau, committed suicide and then was later found to CTE. Aaron Hernandez, convicted murderer and former NFL tight-end, was found to have CTE after he committed suicide in prison.
Chris Borland will rarely share his concerns with other players regarding his beliefs, not wanting to be the guy who comes off as judging his peers. He knows it’s an issue many people will tip-toe around.
Borland said, “there is this issue at hand. I’m the human representation of the conflict in their mind. And that might never change.”
Since then, quarterback Andrew Luck has retired in what was regarded as the prime of his career. The NFL has a problem that is just at the root of its development, and it will be interesting to see how they continue to develop new ways to minimize this issue.
Tabaskets 