NFL injuries, make-believe and real
A scene from Madden NFL 2011 from EA Sports Credit: EA Sports
At last, a wildly popular video game focused on not hurting people.
Changes in the 2012 version of Madden NFL will reinforce the dangers of football head injuries. Hopefully, real-life changes will follow.
In an encouraging sign from the video game franchise that has sold itself on skull-rattling hits in the past, virtual players will be out of the game if they are concussed, and the commentators will talk about the seriousness of head injuries. Game producers have called the move a teaching tool, aiming the changes at young gamers.
It's an important step forward in altering the culture of football to a safe one. But it's paramount that changes manifest themselves on the field. Concussions have been found to cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease that has been implicated in the suicides of former players.
Last year, the NFL cracked down on hits to the head, issuing heavy fines, and now mandates that players who show symptoms undergo sideline concussion tests. This offseason, the league has changed its kickoff rules to reduce the speed at which players hit each other. But immediate, in-game consequences -- beyond a simple yardage penalty -- for players who inflict hits to the heads of opponents, while under consideration, have yet to be implemented.
More needs to be done to keep players safe. The Madden franchise has protected virtual players, and it's time the NFL protected real players in a meaningful way.
(At top, a scene from Madden NFL 2011
