Richard Sherman Calls Concussion Protocol "Absolute Joke"

[Boycie]

This is a CYA move by the NFL because now they can show that when it became apparent that the effects of head trauma was causing CTE in players, that they took action to prevent it.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Sherman is still mad about Thursday night football.

As long as that exists, everything in his mind that is for "player safety" is entirely for show

And he's not wrong in thinking that.

 

[hawk45]

Sherman is still mad about Thursday night football.

As long as that exists, everything in his mind that is for "player safety" is entirely for show

And he's not wrong in thinking that.

The players are fully complicit in this, however. I mean no one put a gun to Russ's head and told him to flip the bird to the doctors and run back out on the field after taking a shot. It was to the chin, mind, but still the protocol is supposed to be the protocol.

This point by Richard is faux-insight. Yes, of course PR is part of the motivation for everything an entertainment-based industry does. The mistake Sherman is making - and I suspect he's making it deliberately to make his point seem less banal - is in not acknowledging that the motivation for everything is multiple. One slice of the pie may be genuine concern for player welfare. One slice of the pie is definitely financial in not wanting to turn games into dreck because the star players are all sidelined.

Sherman's schtick is the outspoken social conscience or something and it's about as compelling as any other twenty-something who has a thought and thinks they are the first one to ever think it.

 

[adeltaY]

Bunch of Jim Moore fans in this thread. SMDH.

So if there is one aspect of your job you don’t like you should quit???? LOL.

Hope some of you are careful climbing down off that high horse.

Maybe some of you should try that route in your personal lives and see where that gets you.

There are a ton of things I HATE in my day job but the benefits slightly outweigh the negatives so I stay.

Do you get to publicly, constantly complain about your job and not get fired? I don't think so. It's not just one thing with Sherman, he's a "negative Nancy", always has a problem with something and because he's a star athlete he gets a podium.

I'm with Hernia and Windy. Man we sure love to hate on our players as people when we don't even know them personally. I don't get the whole "athletes need to stick to playing and shut their mouths otherwise" attitude which this quote reminds me of.

Is there any evidence that Sherman doesn't like playing? I mean playing with one arm in the SB and as long as he could on a ticking time bomb of an achilles this season points strongly in the other direction. I'd say he puts it all on the line and gives 100% every snap no questions asked.

He's actually trying to raise issues to help improve his profession. Are you saying that if there's a health hazard at your workplace it would be wrong to bring it up because it would be complaining?

 

[Scorpion05]

My question would be if he really feels it's an "Absolute Joke" then why does he continue to play?

It seem to me he wants to bash the process in a very detrimental way, but still is very happy to cash the checks. "IF" he really wants to make a statement, stop cashing the checks and stop playing. That I could respect.

But this?

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

 

[gowazzu02]

Meh, I did get a laugh out of the Texans TJ Yates getting yanked out of week 17 game for "protocal" when you saw he didn't even get hit in the head. I said to my buddy, thats NCAA type enforcement of the concussion protocal.... the running gag that when North Carolina, Duke or some blue blood does an NCAA infraction that a UT San Antonio, or a San Jose State is gonna get hammered!

Then Cam gets smushed and is very much "going to the cocktail party" yet he comes back in.

But im not a hypocrit.... I don't want to watch Derek Anderson in the fourth quarter of a NFL playoff game. Give Cam some smelling salts and throw him back out there..

 

[chris98251]

Isn't Sherman a Union Rep for the team as well, calling out inconsistencies is also a part of that.

 

[gowazzu02]

Concussion protocol has a NIMBY feel to it.

Everyone will tweet and scream their social media heads off at examples of the protocol being skirted..... as long as its not their QB who is forced to sit out........

 

[Scorpion05]

Bunch of Jim Moore fans in this thread. SMDH.

So if there is one aspect of your job you don’t like you should quit???? LOL.

Hope some of you are careful climbing down off that high horse.

Maybe some of you should try that route in your personal lives and see where that gets you.

There are a ton of things I HATE in my day job but the benefits slightly outweigh the negatives so I stay.

Do you get to publicly, constantly complain about your job and not get fired? I don't think so. It's not just one thing with Sherman, he's a "negative Nancy", always has a problem with something and because he's a star athlete he gets a podium.

Actually yes you do. May I introduce you to the American concept of a Union? You know, that pesky collaboration of individuals to which employees suddenly feel emboldened enough to either go on strike, or demand better work conditions. Like air conditioning, or a longer lunch break?

Not to mention people who sit down with their employers and address their concerns. Which any employer with a brain and doesn't want high turnover will listen to

 

[themunn]

Sherman is still mad about Thursday night football.

As long as that exists, everything in his mind that is for "player safety" is entirely for show

And he's not wrong in thinking that.

I agree!

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Concussion protocol has a NIMBY feel to it.

Everyone will tweet and scream their social media heads off at examples of the protocol being skirted..... as long as its not their QB who is forced to sit out........

This is a part of it in my perception as well...but there is one more portion to it as well. It is a bit easier to control the game's ebb and flow if you can control it by personnel allowed as well as the striped ones throwing terrible towels.

 

[daveyoung52]

I did wonder a little about KJ not clearing 'the protocol' after a week.

 

[kf3339]

My question would be if he really feels it's an "Absolute Joke" then why does he continue to play?

It seem to me he wants to bash the process in a very detrimental way, but still is very happy to cash the checks. "IF" he really wants to make a statement, stop cashing the checks and stop playing. That I could respect.

But this?

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

 

[sdog1981]

He is right it is an absolute joke. If the NFL was serious they would ban the current shoulder pads and helmets. After that, they would enforce weight limits and cancel Thursday night football in its current format. The NFL knows what it needs to do but is unwilling to do any of it because of they are paralyzed by fear.

 

[adeltaY]

My question would be if he really feels it's an "Absolute Joke" then why does he continue to play?

It seem to me he wants to bash the process in a very detrimental way, but still is very happy to cash the checks. "IF" he really wants to make a statement, stop cashing the checks and stop playing. That I could respect.

But this?

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

So if construction companies didn't enact the proper safety regulations, the workers shouldn't complain about it because they knew going in it was a dangerous job? They know the potential risk and the companies should do everything feasible to mitigate those risks. Same thing here.

 

[SpokaneHawks]

My question would be if he really feels it's an "Absolute Joke" then why does he continue to play?

It seem to me he wants to bash the process in a very detrimental way, but still is very happy to cash the checks. "IF" he really wants to make a statement, stop cashing the checks and stop playing. That I could respect.

But this?

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

Well said.

 

[olyfan63]

...If the league was serious about player safety then there would be harsher penalties for illegal hits like Trevathan’s hit on Adams and Gronk’s totally ridiculous cheap shot on White. IMO, the penalties for illegal hits should be comparable to PEDs with repeat offenders being suspended indefinitely and having to apply for reinstatement.

So totally THIS.

OK, so it can get to be a slippery slope, like the "defenseless player" rules, where the defense has an impossible task on a guy who ducks into a helmet-to-helmet hit when the defender is already committed to a specific angle of impact on a tackle. BUT... with film review, things become apparent over time, patterns of dirty, illegal hits by specific players. Like DT Ndamukong Suh and his dirty plays. (Seems to have tapered off on those) Besides, the drama over dirty play and name calling of players and personal grudges is good for NFL business, in a soap opera attention-whore click-bait kind of way.

 

[kf3339]

My question would be if he really feels it's an "Absolute Joke" then why does he continue to play?

It seem to me he wants to bash the process in a very detrimental way, but still is very happy to cash the checks. "IF" he really wants to make a statement, stop cashing the checks and stop playing. That I could respect.

But this?

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

So if construction companies didn't enact the proper safety regulations, the workers shouldn't complain about it because they knew going in it was a dangerous job? They know the potential risk and the companies should do everything feasible to mitigate those risks. Same thing here.[/quote

Show me a construction worker who makes millions of dollars per year. That isn't even close to the same situation as professional athletics. No other profession can be compared to those parameters.

 

[Sox-n-Hawks]

Kind of a simplistic, cynical approach to what he's saying

Sherman and other football players have been playing football since pee wee football. Practically their entire lives. They LOVE football. They also understand the PSYCHOLOGY of football. In order to live up to the intensity, football players have to psyche themselves into a violent, physical mindset. For 60 mins or more realistically, 3 hours. Knowing that, it is the responsible thing for the NFL to protect players from themselves and show that they do indeed care about their health. As any legit employer should

Asking a player to give up a career he's been preparing for, for practically TWO DECADES is illogical. This is the career he chose, and is essentially stuck in. He's built his family and his family's future around it. That does not make his point any less legitimate, and suggesting he simply give up football, especially for someone like him who grew up poor in rough circumstances is the epitome of tone deafness. You can work for a company while also wanting them to have better morals

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

So if construction companies didn't enact the proper safety regulations, the workers shouldn't complain about it because they knew going in it was a dangerous job? They know the potential risk and the companies should do everything feasible to mitigate those risks. Same thing here.[/quote

Show me a construction worker who makes millions of dollars per year. That isn't even close to the same situation as professional athletics. No other profession can be compared to those parameters.

Injuries in construction are caused by mishaps and human error, not by normal courses of work. This isn't even a valid parallel. If you want to draw a parallel, look at soldiers in combat exposed to explosive ordinance and exhibiting CTE. Look at MMA fighters etc.

 

[kf3339]

Not at all. Anyone who has played the game from junior high on knows that it is and will always be a very violent sport. Football isn't baseball, or basketball in the affect on the human body. What a players personal life experiences as a child has no bearing at all. Most of us didn't grow up with silver spoons in our mouths. But we all grew up making choices for ourselves or thru our parents permission when it came time to playing competitive sports.

I seriously doubt the dangers of football including concussions which were then called getting knocked senseless wasn't known by Sherman or any other professional player. This was the case in junior high and high school. The difference is they made the choice to continue playing that sport. It wasn't the only avenue of sport they could have chosen. There are also plenty of examples of people coming from challenging childhoods to become famous and wealthy without ever playing a professional sport. They chose a different path for themselves.

Richard Sherman like every other player made the decision to take the risk and play this game. They wanted the potential of professional and financial success that comes to those who play the game at the highest level. I don't begrudge them at all for that sacrifice. But I also don't feel pity for them when the risk of the game hits them now after they have made that success.

Sherman called the owners and the process an "absolute Joke". His words, not mine. I just know a hypocritical statement when I see one.

So if construction companies didn't enact the proper safety regulations, the workers shouldn't complain about it because they knew going in it was a dangerous job? They know the potential risk and the companies should do everything feasible to mitigate those risks. Same thing here.[/quote

Show me a construction worker who makes millions of dollars per year. That isn't even close to the same situation as professional athletics. No other profession can be compared to those parameters.

Injuries in construction are caused by mishaps and human error, not by normal courses of work. This isn't even a valid parallel. If you want to draw a parallel, look at soldiers in combat exposed to explosive ordinance and exhibiting CTE. Look at MMA fighters etc.

I didn't draw the parallels to construction workers. Another poster did. But if we are going down the road of MMA fighters or professional Boxers, I would make the same argument.

If we are going down the soldiers in combat, or security personnel ( police officers, border patrol) road I would say the same things that they aren't paid millions of dollars per year in their profession.

Professional athletes absolutely know they are in a high risk business well before they sign the dotted line on a contract. They made that choice on their own free will. No one put a gun to their head to join that profession.

My point is still the same, and will never change. A professional football player either accepts the risk inherent in the profession for incomes far greater than the average worker, or they change professions. It's that simple.

A SF Niner defensive player made that exact choice a year or so ago. That I respect.

Sherman's rant. No!