On Sports... Dirty Ball?

Here is some reading:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2014/05/21/drugs-information-and-football-assessing-culpability-in-latest-lawsuit-against-nfl/?ss=business

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/nfl/nflers-illegally-given-painkillers-to-mask-injuries-lawsuit-1.2648280

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10958191/nfl-illegally-supplied-risky-painkilling-drugs-former-players-allege-suit

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10971209

After reading these articles and, in particular, watching Linda Cohn interview Mark Schlereth, I believe there are some bad apples, so to speak, operating in medical matters for some of the NFL organizations. I also personally know at least one NFL team physician whom I trust and I believe would be one that informs the players of the pros and cons of treatment options.

I understand the concept Schlereth spoke of in regards to personal responsibility, but also I am well aware that many people take what they are prescribed by their family doctor with little to no understanding of what they are prescribed. I saw something a long time ago that said people spend more time reviewing their photos at the photo department than they do reviewing their prescriptions in the pharmacy. I've watched this a lot over the years and while it's not always true, it is more often than not. If the average person behaves this way, is it any surprise to see similar behavior in the players?

Schlereth offered a solution to the problem which was to guarantee contracts for the players so the teams would have a longer outlook on the players' health. I propose a second solution to be that the NFL Player Association (NFLPA) take over medical treatment management, while medical treatment costs are still handled by the team. Yet a third option would be for the the NFLPA to run an oversight committee that reviews/audits the teams medical records to ensure that it is all on the up and up.

While it is disheartening & discouraging to hear stories like these from the experiences of players like McMahon, Dent, and Van Horne, it was also encouraging to hear Schlereth's more positive experience in these matters. It drives home the point that while the NFL is comprised of 32 teams, each of those teams has a lot of leeway in how they run their operation.

It's high time the NFL as an organization steps up to address the situation. I hope and pray the NFLPA and good team organizations can work together to force the bad apples to improve.

On Sports.... Choices

Hello all,

I was listening to a podcast while driving yesterday and something was said that me think. I was listening to Ivan Maisel interview Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany on the ESPNU College Football podcast.  You can listen here if you'd like. 

At one point, Delany made the stated that  less than 1/2 of 1% of college athletes have the opportunity to go pro. He and Maisel were discussing cost of attendance and aid grants. It was by no means their topic of discussion and something that Delany was matter-of-fact about. That number was stunning to me. As I was thinking about it, it drove home the point that college athletes need to be realistic. 

How? By making a good choice when going through the recruiting process. Choosing a program solely based on athletics would be overlooking a key aspect of the process. Academics do matter. Does that mean that someone should only look at Ivy League schools? By no means! Instead, when assessing a program, I believe the potential student-athlete needs to review the academic programs offered. What courses are offered? Is there an area to major that's interesting? Could a career be made with it?

With Delany's numbers, less than 1% will advance on to the next level. Preparation matters, even if someone is the best athlete in a sport. Sometime occurrences happen outside of our control (injuries, accidents, illnesses, etc). It's good to have a plan B. Go for your dreams, but have a backup. Want a cliché? Don't put all your eggs in one basket. The scholarship pays for the education so thought should go into choosing the education too. It's a benefit that I am afraid is often overlooked by student-athletes.

Choices do matter.