Headed the wrong way

Something new is sweeping through the NFL. It’s not Twitter. It’s not bling. And, this time, it’s not related to anything performance enhancing.

Quite the opposite.

Doctors say it isn’t a new trend but it seems like everyone is doing it.

It put four players on the bench in Week 1. And at least one or two more, every week, since. Even two in one game this past weekend.

It has sidelined almost every player. Few can escape the ramifications. From Panthers then-starting quarterback Matt Moore to Lions linebacker Landon Johnson – it catches up with all of them. Then again, Pro Bowlers like Redskins tight end Chris Cooley and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played despite it.

As usual, the good players always seem to bend the rules.

This week, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson felt its pain. Together.

You see, they both suffered concussions. They collided violently during the second quarter of Sunday’s Eagles-Falcons game.

Even as a fan, it’s a scary thing watching players lay motionless on the field. Being a teammate must be agonizing. The player involved in the hit? Forget about it.

In this case, one did.

Jackson doesn’t remember it. Robinson might.

Just add them to the list. Four other players were sidelined after hits to the head this past weekend. Two Browns receivers, Joshua Cribbs and  Mohamed Massaquoi and Ravens tight end Todd Heap.

The NFL world was already buzzing this year about concussions. The C word. Concussions are the hot-button topic. They’re giving heads more attention than bad mullet. Or a good mustache.

After a weekend of nasty hits, it’s got The Shield’s attention.

NFL Executive V.P. of Football Operations Ray Anderson and Commissioner Roger Goodell are trying to tweak the game to get players to ease back. It may seem like making football safe is as farfetched as colonizing Mars – even on paper it’s fuzzy.

Then again, so are the victims. And the current consequences.

During the game, players flagged for “leading with the head” or “hitting a defenseless receiver” receive 15-yard penalties.

But what about the fines? Players have been fined between $5,000 and $35,000 for said hits. Former NFL player Rodney Harrison said recently on NBC the fines didn’t deter him. He set aside $50,000 a year to pay them.

Keep in mind Harrison made nearly $3 million in his final season.

It’s not that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. It’s that the punishment doesn’t fit the consequences.

Concussions effects are felt for a lifetime. Studies continue to indicate NFL players are more likely than the average person to suffer from Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Trainers and doctors say generally at six you should quit playing football. At 12 you’re a vegetable. The 15 may put you to sleep – permanently.

The most famous of the concussed, former Cowboys quarterback, Troy Aikmen had 10 during his playing days.

Anderson and Goodell say suspending players for violent hits could help curtail the issue. Harrison agreed. But protecting players can’t come from punishment after the play. Or after the game.

True protection starts before the snap. Helping players understand the consequences of their actions can also help to solve the problem. If safeties and linebackers could see the ramifications of their actions they might be less likely to lead with the helmet. If players recognize head-hunting does more than sideline the opposition or “send a message” and can cause permanent brain damage to fellow players, they might ease back on their own.

Teaching players to be responsible first might sound impossible and ideological. But, I think, it’s quite the opposite.