The final verdict
There are many different approaches that have been taken when dealing with the topic of player safety in major sports. Some say sports are becoming too dangerous and should make serious changes in terms of rules and regulations. Others say that risks of injury and safety are the nature of sports and there is nothing wrong with it. Then there is some who think the focus should not be on the major sports, but on the lower-tier extreme sports like mixed martial arts and board sports. According to Dan Mohrmann, these extreme sports are what people should be concerned about but due to the lesser amount of popularity compared to the major sports, the safety concern gets ignored. (8) Even after multiple deaths have occurred in the X Games in the past decade, never has anyone questioned the level of safety of extreme sports in terms of changing rules. (8) Basically what Mohrmann is claiming is that if extreme sports were on the same level of popularity and had the same size fan base as say the NBA, NFL, MLB, and major college sports, then the debate would be focusing on the more dangerous extreme sports. (8) Mohrmann’s claims indirectly support the pro-integrity side of the argument by stating that popularity is the main drive behind this concern instead of an actual concern of health risks. (8)
The Great debate
In the grand scheme of things, it really does not matter what league officials, players, coaches, or doctors want to occur. Ironically, the fans are the main determinate in the future of player safety. The future of the league is in the hands of the fans simply because that is where the majority of the money comes from. It may be sad but unfortunately all major sports leagues are capital-centered now. For example, conference realignment that has occurred in the Power 6 conferences in the NCAA is mainly based on money because the fans like to see the big match-ups with top ranked teams. (7) The same thing goes for the safety debate. Honestly, most fans really do not care about player safety unless they consider it to be reasonable. The pro-safety supporters are aware of this, therefore their target audience is the doctors and league officials who are concerned about the health of its players. Again, money is a drive of this because retired players have sued major sports leagues for failing to protect them during their tenure in the league. League officials and doctors are fighting to save themselves from losing money and getting caught up in hefty lawsuits.
On the other hand, the pro-integrity supporter’s target audience would be the fans and players, who are more concerned about the action and entertainment that consists of the playing field. Players virtually have nothing to lose when it comes to this debate. Obviously they do not want to get injured but most are aware of the nature of the sport and are used to it by now. Worst case scenario, players obtain injuries that may affect them for the rest of their lives but they not only were given the once in a lifetime opportunity of playing a professional sport, but they would be entitled to legal rights. Fans, the ultimate decision maker in this process, are concerned about the entertainment value the sport brings to them. (4) Fans spend mass amounts of money on going to games, buying team gear, donating money to the team, and providing full on support. (4)The least they expect out of it is to have a product that they can enjoy and be entertained by. (4) Whenever extreme safety procedures take place the entertainment value is slightly diminished because the action is not as significant as it was. This is the dangerous point where fan support may decline, which means the income of the major sports decreases, making the league officials quite unhappy.
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On the other hand, the pro-integrity supporter’s target audience would be the fans and players, who are more concerned about the action and entertainment that consists of the playing field. Players virtually have nothing to lose when it comes to this debate. Obviously they do not want to get injured but most are aware of the nature of the sport and are used to it by now. Worst case scenario, players obtain injuries that may affect them for the rest of their lives but they not only were given the once in a lifetime opportunity of playing a professional sport, but they would be entitled to legal rights. Fans, the ultimate decision maker in this process, are concerned about the entertainment value the sport brings to them. (4) Fans spend mass amounts of money on going to games, buying team gear, donating money to the team, and providing full on support. (4)The least they expect out of it is to have a product that they can enjoy and be entertained by. (4) Whenever extreme safety procedures take place the entertainment value is slightly diminished because the action is not as significant as it was. This is the dangerous point where fan support may decline, which means the income of the major sports decreases, making the league officials quite unhappy.
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Pro-integrity is most prominent
Overall, as important is player safety is for the well-being of the athletes, it is important to remember that injuries are an aspect of sports that cannot be completely prevented. That is why drastic efforts to attempt to prevent injuries from occurring is an inefficient strategy. If a safety rule is set in place, it should be made in which the benefits of the rule heavily outweigh the negatives. When things become too radical, that is when tensions start to stir. The best solution to the widening gap between the pro-integrity and pro-safety side is to have the two meet and discuss or simply take a survey amongst all parties involved asking about safety procedures. ESPN does this, but unfortunately the results could be considered biased because most people that vote on these are fans. There just needs to be some form of compromise or limit to which rules can or cannot pass. As this issue steadily rises on the national and global scale, the world will either see sports thrive and continue to express positive morale and joy for all; or the world will see the downfall of some of the world’s favorite pastimes. Hopefully, both sides of the debate will come together and keep the integrity of the sport at first priority, but in a field that is shifting more and more towards a capital-centered basis, it could get a lot uglier before it gets better.