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by David P. Greisman - The debate now going on in the National Football League surrounding concussions and the changes being made to prevent them is, boiled down to its essence, the kind of debate that has taken place in sport after sport – including boxing.
Should the game be changed? And is the game still the game if it’s no longer the same?
Baseball extended its seasons – there went record after record in the sport most obsessed with historical numbers – and it added wild cards for the playoffs. Basketball added the shot clock, the three-point shot, and brought zone defense into the NBA. Hockey instituted the overtime shootout and allowed the two-line pass.
Football introduced instant replay, dropped it, and then brought it back again, this time with limitations on when and how often it could be used. And league officials constantly tweak rules both big and small. And all of the major American pro leagues have expanded and then expanded again, which some say has watered down the competition.
The NFL is cracking down on blows to the head, clarifying what hits are illegal and how illegal hits will be punished. This has happened primarily because the problem of concussions and their long-term effects, including degenerative brain conditions, is finally being put under the microscope.
That football is confronting this issue – and the direction in which the debate goes – is somewhat reminiscent of where boxing once was and could someday have consequences on what goes on with boxing in the future. [Click Here To Read More]
Should the game be changed? And is the game still the game if it’s no longer the same?
Baseball extended its seasons – there went record after record in the sport most obsessed with historical numbers – and it added wild cards for the playoffs. Basketball added the shot clock, the three-point shot, and brought zone defense into the NBA. Hockey instituted the overtime shootout and allowed the two-line pass.
Football introduced instant replay, dropped it, and then brought it back again, this time with limitations on when and how often it could be used. And league officials constantly tweak rules both big and small. And all of the major American pro leagues have expanded and then expanded again, which some say has watered down the competition.
The NFL is cracking down on blows to the head, clarifying what hits are illegal and how illegal hits will be punished. This has happened primarily because the problem of concussions and their long-term effects, including degenerative brain conditions, is finally being put under the microscope.
That football is confronting this issue – and the direction in which the debate goes – is somewhat reminiscent of where boxing once was and could someday have consequences on what goes on with boxing in the future. [Click Here To Read More]
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