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.