OpEd: Why the NFL Should Fear the Mothers of America

This opinion column was written by Suffolk County Legislator Thomas F. Barraga.

It is a matter of time before the Mothers of America realize how dangerous the so called “game” of football is to their sons.

The National Football League (NFL), a $10 billion dollar plus industry, does not fear criticism from Congress, negative media comments, or scientific research and proof when it comes to football and its relationship to brain damage.

Allegations have been made that the NFL uses its power, influence, and multi-billion dollar enterprise to silence the critics or discredit them. The NFL of course denies such assertions.

Even Congressional criticism comparing the NFL to tobacco companies who for years denied any relation between smoking and cancer has had little effect on the NFL.

The League has never publicly acknowledged any relationship between football and brain damage to its players.

In fact the recent settlement of a concussion related lawsuit brought by more than 4,500 retired NFL football players that was settled with the NFL paying $765 million to the players specifically stated that the agreement is in no way an admission by the NFL of liability or that the plaintiff’s injuries were caused by.

But when the mothers of America realize that this so called “game” is resulting in permanent physical and mental damage to their sons – football is toast and the NFL knows it. 

It is a game based on one fundamental premise in order to achieve victory- collision. Hit the opponent, damage the opponent, smash the opponent – it is not manly it is just plain stupid.

Scientific study and analysis of the brains of former NFL players found a very high evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) - a very serious degenerative mental disease. And of the 64 athletes in the Boston University study who had CTE, 50 were football players including 33 who played in the NFL, one semipro, one from the Canadian Football League and nine college and six high school players.

One scientist remarked that based on the high percentage of CTE found in the brains of deceased former NFL players the incidence of CTE in all NFL players could be extremely high.

There are those in the scientific community that feel high school football players take special risks. Boston University researchers estimate that the average high school lineman takes 1,000 to 1,500 hits to the head each season, some at forces equivalent to or greater than a 25 mile per hour crash.

Researchers suspect that exposure to brain trauma early in life increases the risk of CTE more than exposure later in life.

All youths playing tackle football are at risk for concussion and sub concussion brain.

A mother does not have and raise a son to have him become the victim of a game whose outcome could be a degenerative debilitating mental disease resulting in dramatic loss of cognitive abilities and death.

NFL- The Mothers of America are coming and they are not happy