The
images are disturbing. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered injuries
in consecutive games played four days apart. Your Loyal Blogger was not the
doctor on scene at either game. In fact, YLB is not a doctor at all. There is
no point to pontificating about Tagovailoa’s physical condition before, during
or after either game because we really don’t know what his condition was.
Still,
there are points to be made.
1. It
is time for the National Football League to face up to the reality that its
players should not be playing on four days rest. Thursday games, including
Thanksgiving Day games, should be stricken from the schedule.
2. Tagovailoa’s
first injury came on a late hit, a deliberate foul by Buffalo Bills linebacker
Matt Milano. That player was not fined. His team was slapped with a 15-yard penalty
but there was no ejection nor post-game penalty issued by the National Football
League. The National Football League Players Association also said nothing.
3. Tagovailoa’s
second injury, while vicious, came at the end of a perfectly legal tackle.
4. It
must be fairly stated that Tagovailoa’s first injury incident happened just
before halftime. He only missed three plays but that was with the halftime
interval included.
5. Tagovailoa’s
second injury, during a Thursday Night Football game, was suffered on artificial
turf. While strides have been made with fake turf in terms of the potential for
cutting the odds of suffering certain types of injuries, we wonder whether
studies have been done regarding the fake stuff and head injuries.
6. Tagovailoa’s
injuries have allowed the NFL to give itself a terrible black eye. A star
player received an apparent injury but was allowed to complete the game. Four
days later, he suffered another dangerous injury in a league game. Much of the
country did not see Thursday’s game. It was not on network television due to
slipping television ratings. The game was carried a streaming service of some
kind. But the video images of Tagovailoa’s two injuries will be with football
fans for years to come. The league failed this player.
Thanks for reading.
