NFL on Hot Seat because of Issues on Head Trauma and Player Safety | IXGAMES

Can NFL ensure player safety through research and the process of testing the equipment?  This seems to be the main concern expressed by the congressional committee, which placed the NFL head, neck, and spine medical committee on hot seat after criticisms made on how they conduct research on the equipment, such as helmets, used by athletes in the league.  Aside from casting doubts on how the NFL is handling the research on equipment, the House Judiciary Committee is also disappointed at how the NFL is dealing with issues of traumatic head injuries by retired football players. Criticizing the system California Representative Linda Sanchez and Anthony Weiner from New York expressed disappointment over NFL’s head, neck, and spine medical committee performance.  The two members of the congressional committee are suggesting that co-chairmen Richard Ellenbogen and Hunt Batjer of the said NFL committee should be more involved in the process.  They should be actively monitoring data gathering for equipment research.  Weiner said that the main consideration should be what’s safe for the players, ensuring that the equipment they use meets the highest standards.  As one of the new co-chairmen who took their position in the committee only in March, Dr. Batjer said that they will be more involved in the process of gathering information about the equipment, particularly the helmet, which could expose players to head injuries if not made of highest quality.  He added that aside from data gathering, they will also be heavily involved in testing the equipment used by the league. Despite plans of heavy monitoring and active involvement in research, Representative Weiner of New York was not easily convinced.  When Batjer explained the system used by the committee, with experts analyzing the test results, Weiner didn’t back down.  He digged into the real issue and pointed out that the league has a licensing deal with Riddell, an equipment manufacturer.  Obviously, there is a conflict of interest here, leading to issues on credibility.  Weiner added that the it is the job of the co-chairmen to “unravel it.” Things started to heat up as the representative added that the there are discredited people involved in the studies.  He was quoted saying that “years of an infected system needs to be cleaned up.”  The main concern is the prevention of injuries but how can this be if the co-chairmen are not involved with research on helmets. Sanchez joins Weiner Representative Linda Sanchez seems to agree with the concerns of Representative Anthony Weiner, citing studies about football players suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cognitive decline possibly due to head blows.  Despite the criticisms, Batjer said that their concerns are justified.  Their committee will be handling matters pertaining to conflicts of interest.  He said that with Ellenbogen, they will try to deal with past problems the best way possible and ensure the game’s safety.  Ellenbogen even presented a six-point approach for dealing with head trauma.  In this program, the NFL will use a database that will record the concussions suffered by each player.  They will also review the effects on retired players of concussions.  Despite assurance on the effectiveness of the system, Sanchez doesn’t seem convinced with how the NFL is handling their responsibilities for retired players, as some of them only get small pensions and are now homeless.  Following the links between head blows and head and brain damage as cited by some studies, the disability payment system should be reformed, according to Sanchez.