This, very nearly, did that:
Cracked vertebrae, massively broken jaw, broken teeth, multiple lacerations of the mouth area. This guy is done for the season... and maybe, permanently.
I love football. I'm paying the price now for playing it so long, but nothing approaching NFL level... though I was a walk-on tackling dummy for the Huskies back in 77.
Clearly, the NFL doesn't give a damn about these men. They view them as meat.
And it's going to take a death on the field from a hit... a broken neck, a brain bleed, a ruptured spleen, to get them to begin to address this issue.
Better equipment (For example, forcing players to wear all their pads and use mouth-guards on every play) to include better helmets.
Shorten the games.
Reduce the amount of time players can play per game. Increase the number of playing personnel: 53 is absurd.
As I said, I love the game; played the game, lived the game. Broke bones, strained ligaments, suffered multiple sprains, fractured ribs, concussions.... the whole bit.
And I wouldn't change any of it. But it's the difference between my 110 mile per hour dragster and a 340 mile per hour funny car.
Death on national TV. That's what it's going to take.
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