Possible dumb question, but why can't the NFL slap a "warning label" on themselves?

[RealSNR]

When the cigarette companies finally started getting taken to task, they barely changed anything about their product. They recognized that there was no such thing as a "safe" cigarette, so they just complied with all the government restrictions.

These days, anybody who started smoking since those restrictions came about likely won't win a lawsuit against cigarette companies. The companies keep doing the business of selling a product that will kill its customers.

The NFL knows it can't prevent concussions. It can't take out the violence from the game. It can't stop 300-lb behemoths from slamming into each other 70 times every game.

But nevertheless, it thinks it can get cute by saying, "BUT LOOK! WE'RE TRYING. WE REALLY ARE." There is absolutely zero evidence that these new rules cut down on the presence of CTE in current and former players. But they're just going to keep coming with it.

My question is if the cigarette companies can slap a label with skull and crossbones on it that says, "You will die if you use this product" then why can't the NFL just do the same? Make it a waiver or something like that. Something that players have to sign every year before they play a single practice snap. "By signing this waiver, you understand that participation in the National Football League will **** up your brain and possibly the rest of you for the remainder of your life."

That would at least cut off the lawsuits? Isn't that what they're fearing the most? I know they want a better public image in terms of player safety, but good Christ in heaven... this is an inferior and shitty product coming out with these rules.

Right now the NFL is trying to have its cake and eat it, too. You can't preserve what entertainment is left out of the game while also improving your public image. Either fans or safety nazis are going to come after you. You may as well choose to fight one enemy instead of both.

[Buehler445]

They need a waiver. And that bullshit about lawyers taking apart waivers is nonsense unless they’re criminally negligent which if they aren’t going to prison for criminal negligence now they shouldn’t be criminally negligent moving forward.

[tk13]

It's probably far from the only reason, but one thing surely they want kids to continue to play the game and not turn toward soccer or something else.

The NFL has never wanted to just succeed, they want to dominate the world and squeeze every dollar they can out of the product. They have a golden goose unlike any other sport that just prints money. It sounds better to hear they're making the game safer as opposed to just saying "oh well, you're risking your health to play the game."

[Rasputin]

grand idea

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by tk13

It's probably far from the only reason, but one thing surely they want kids to continue to play the game and not turn toward soccer or something else.

The NFL has never wanted to just succeed, they want to dominate the world and squeeze every dollar they can out of the product. They have a golden goose unlike any other sport that just prints money. It sounds better to hear they're making the game safer as opposed to just saying "oh well, you're risking your health to play the game."

Said it before and I'll say it again... I'd rather shrink the talent pool, than see the game become unrecognizable

Players need to understand that those millions of dollars come with potential risks

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by tk13

It's probably far from the only reason, but one thing surely they want kids to continue to play the game and not turn toward soccer or something else.

The NFL has never wanted to just succeed, they want to dominate the world and squeeze every dollar they can out of the product. They have a golden goose unlike any other sport that just prints money. It sounds better to hear they're making the game safer as opposed to just saying "oh well, you're risking your health to play the game."

The only people who should be worried about that is the NCAA. College football across FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA has how many guys playing football? Compared to the NFL? College football is the institution reliant on the success of youth football, not the NFL.

I do agree that the NFL is thinking that way, though. They're getting too greedy.

[Mecca]

It has to do with not making parents refuse to let their kids play but also even if you sign a waiver a lot of times those guys can still sue and win.

We live in a time when an angry twitter mob can get someone fired so they don't want to act like they don't care.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It has to do with not making parents refuse to let their kids play but also even if you sign a waiver a lot of times those guys can still sue and win.

We live in a time when an angry twitter mob can get someone fired so they don't want to act like they don't care.

I guarantee you the NFL has enough lawyers to make a fool proof waiver. But if you're talking about the lower levels, then yeah, that might be an exercise in futility.

As far as the talent pool, other than QB's, the NFL doesn't pay nearly as good as NBA or baseball and they're still getting the athletes, so I really think that's not that huge of a deal.

Let's be real here. If Joe Dumb**** from Bum**** Kansas doesn't put his kid in football, that's no big deal. Millions of high school kids play high school ball and don't make the NFL. What will be detrimental is if the elite kids get withheld from football. I think that's unlikely given the amount of money on the table. I'd imagine, it would then become like basketball, and all the kids that have legit talent could get into a "prep school" and get funneled into the appropriate channels to get to the league.

I'm thinking as long as there is still money on the table, the kids that have a capacity to earn it will find a way to get it. Maybe they're thinking if the helicopter moms shy their kids away from it, it will decrease in popularity, but I doubt it.

Besides, I think the liability side of of the equation can impact their financial situation more than the risk of losing some talent.

[Best22]

They don't want a Rodgers situation.

I get tired of elite QBs sometimes. I want to watch football. But other fans want basketball on grass. Rodgers scoring 6 TD, any touch a foul (like basketball) and 57-53 type games

[Hammock Parties]

Houston mad

LB Justin Houston had some strong words after the roughing the passer penalty on Tanoh Kpassagnon

“I understand they want to keep us safe but this is a contact sport. You try to take out the contact in it. We know what we signed up for. It’s not like no one’s making us do this” pic.twitter.com/kUW73kWaKr

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 25, 2018

[dj56dt58]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Houston mad

LB Justin Houston had some strong words after the roughing the passer penalty on Tanoh Kpassagnon

“I understand they want to keep us safe but this is a contact sport. You try to take out the contact in it. We know what we signed up for. It’s not like no one’s making us do this” pic.twitter.com/kUW73kWaKr

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 25, 2018

Couldn't have said it any better

[jdubya]

Um because the world is run by attorneys and bankers?

[bdj23]

Im ready for the NFL to die, we'll never win a Super Bowl anyway.

Baseball is the patrician sport.

[Best22]

Can we sue McDonald's and Wendy's for making us fat and giving us heart attacks? Or how about all junk food/bad candy producers? They never warn us. Will they be forced to make rules where they can only put in a tiny percentage of sugar/maladextorinian, and whatever weirdass unhealthy ingredients they have? Will we win the case?

Lol

[Bump]

ya they better rethink this rule, nothing is going to piss me off more watching a game and see every legitimate sack get a flag. It's going to be too risky to sack the QB, coaches will probably start telling players to just stop and wave in their face but don't tackle them. It's gonna seem rigged when one team gets that flag and the other team doesn't too when both sacks look practically the same.