Alfred Hitchcock is known more for his theatrical endeavors than his football commentary. However, the impact the game has on players’ bodies wasn’t lost on him when he said the following:
“There are several differences between a football game and a revolution. For one thing, a football game usually lasts longer and the participants wear uniforms. Also, there are usually more casualties in a football game. The object of the game is to move a ball past the other team’s goal line. This counts as six points. No points are given for lacerations, contusions, or abrasions, but then no points are deducted, either. Kicking is very important in football. In fact, some of the more enthusiastic players even kick the ball, occasionally.”
As the number of player lawsuits against the NFL and certain equipment manufactures increases, it’s interesting to note a perspective from years past.
As our own Dr. Sullivan reminds us, the issue of concussions and football has been around for a long time. A hundred years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt called a meeting to discuss the safety of college football and concerns over concussions, although they didn’t even have a name for the condition yet. The only reason that the sport wasn’t banned at that time was that the invention of the forward pass was believed to reduce the contact in the sport.
Ironically, today’s passing game results in some of the hardest hits on the field – with receivers going over the middle for the ball, and quarterbacks hanging in the pocket to deliver the ball down the field.
