Bankruptcy Rates Among NFL Players With Short-Lived Income Spikes: A Review Of The Role Of The US Government In Safeguarding Player Health

Review of Literature

Discuss about the Bankruptcy Rates Among Nfl Players With Short-Lived Income Spikes?

The aim of this assignment is to investigate the role of the U.S. government in safeguarding the health of National Football League (NFL). It is highly important for the government to prevent concussion related issues of the NFL players by implementing effective policies. In order to identify the responsibility of the government is safeguarding the players; this assignment consists of different journal articles. In the literature review, section of this paper, different issues of concussion has been reviewed for identifying the responsibilities of the government in relation with the process of safeguarding the NFL players.  Giving protection to the professional football players for diagnosis injuries during playing is the sole responsibility of the government (Kirschen et al. 2014). Different researchers have conducted research regarding this particular topic and shows that the government is not successfully safeguarding the NFL players.

The sports law journal has investigated whether the U.S. government is taking the responsibility of safeguarding the players or not. In addition, as per social science research network, the researcher has argued that the government has not made any intention to invest huge amount for safeguarding the “National Football League” player. US government has imposed many policies such as “NFL drug and Harm reduction” for safeguarding the NFL players. This policy helps the NFL players to reduce the negative impact of the illegal psychoactive drugs. As per this policy, players are not allowed to take drugs before taking part in the game. Not complying with this particular policy is having penalizing consequences such as deduction of payment and suspension (Greenhow, 2011). The entire research conducted by the researcher has no impact on the safeguarding policies, which are protecting the “National Football League” players from concussion crisis. Apart from that, this paper is also considering different injuries of NFL players during performing for the team. The researcher has conducted telephone survey and compared the present situation with the past situation and emphasized that the past players were less penalized during performing for the team.

The literature review section of this assignment is emphasizing the particular meaning of concussion in NFL. In order to reduce the negative impact of concussion and safeguard the players from getting affected by such injuries, management of NFL has developed a committee named “Neck, Spine and Head Committee” (Carlson et al. 2015). This committee monitors and diagnosis’ the issues faced by the players while playing football in the league. In the previous period, players were satisfied enough with the governmental steps regarding players’ injuries. However, in current days, management is facing different kinds of issues while determining the injury of players. Following are the issues determined by the researchers in the literature review of this topic.

 Concussion management refers to the process followed by NFL’s management for recovering the players from fatal injuries. The U.S. Government is not maintaining the actual process of investigating players’ injuries due to playing (Moran, 2015). However, the policies imposed by the government suggest that the processes are fair enough for safeguarding the players. The researcher has also compared the governmental policies with the current responsibilities of the management. Moreover, the researcher has noted that the rates of concussions are increasing rapidly and the lawsuits are filed to reduce the negative impact of concussions among the NFL players (Pietrosimone et al. 2015).

Discussion

In order to improve the current situation, it is important to invest huge amounts of money and research. However, the U.S. government is reluctant to take such steps for the NFL players. The researcher has identified that the situation is deteriorating day by day and the previous players of the NFL has reported that the pain faced by the current players is very high in comparison to the pain they have faced (Schmittel & Sanderson, 2014). In recent days, the government has imposed different legislations for reducing use of illegal drugs during playing football. These legislations are helping in improving health condition of the players and helping to conduct a fair game practices (Greenhow, 2011). Therefore, the government and the management of the NFL both are having the same responsibilities for maintaining the current situation.

Research conducted by different researchers has emphasized that the government has taken many steps for safeguarding NFL players. However, the steps taken by them are not having any positive impact on the condition of NFL players. This particular situation needs effective strategies and close observation rather than just imposing policies (Carlson et al. 2015). It is the sole responsibility of the NFL’s management and government to monitor the effectiveness of the imposed strategies for eliminating the current issues.

Source: The data of this research report has been gathered by conducting telephonic survey with 10 people from the management team of some important football clubs who are also connected with the National Football League. 20 players also interviewed over the telephone for gathering the idea about the health and safety requirements of the football.

Government rules and legislations have a high level of effect on the health issues of the NFL players.

The Concussion laws of the federal legislation have a major effect on the treatment and safeguarding the NFL players. These legislations should be introduced in all the sectors of the U.S. The intention of these legislations is to protect the young players of the football team and other sports which have the risk of concussions. In the beginning of the year of 2014, almost 50 states of the U.S. have adopted the concussion related legislations for protecting the players. These legislations have three main components. The first component is education in which the schools have to develop guidelines about the sports and the risk factors connected to each of the sports. This concept behind this step taken by the government is that the proper level of awareness may decrease the probability of accidents in the particular field (Pietrosimone et al. 2015).  The children will be able to learn all the risk factors and to protect themselves in the play ground in future. In order to avoid the future complication regarding the health issues of the players, the guardian should sign a form regarding the acknowledgement of the potential risks of the concussions after understanding the different factors of the particular sport. The second component of the legislations is the removal of the injured player. According to this section of this legislation, if any player is identified having concussion during the practice or in a game, the player should be immediately removed from the play and the management should provide effective level of treatment to the player. The third rule is about the returning of the injured player to the game. In this section, the injured player should have a fitness certificate by a licensed doctor. Government has developed this legislation and the states are also adopted this but there are still some problems with the following of the rules of the legislation. The government should also give focus on the type of activities done by the players and the sports organizations for following the rules. Safeguarding the junior players is also very important for safeguarding the NFL players because the team required fit players which have the proper knowledge about the safeguards of the play. The doctors who are providing treatments and the medical fitness certificates to the players should be aware about the fact that in which they can give the fitness certificates to the players as the treatment of the normal people and the treatment of the players with concussion is quite different. In case of having any issues during the period of practice, the management should allow the players to be back to the team if and only if they are able to provide the written certificate of the doctor. In some minor cases, it has been found that the players got allowed by verbal communication with the doctor. Government should focus in this area and the management of the NFL team should maintain all the sections of the legislations properly for safeguarding the players of the NFL team (Pietrosimone et al. 2015).

Dealing with the poor practice concerns of the health and safety issues is one of the most important concerns of the government for ensuring the safeguarding of the NFL players.

Various clubs where the players are developing should focus in this area. The poor practice concerns should be observed from the grass root level of the players. All the clubs should send a referral to the Football Association Safeguarding Team in case of repeated poor practices found in the playing field. In order to avoid any doubt a referral requires should be made where same type of poor practices found by the same individual in the area of three incidents. This is whether these incidents are for the same type of poor practice, or for different forms of poor practice, so that there is some FA support for County FA’s and clubs, and oversight of the thresholds for poor practice cases being managed locally. Poor practices can be defined by the following facts: Insufficient care is taken for avoiding the injuries during the play, allowing abusing or this type of activity for avoiding the proper reporting of the injuries, allowing the hazing practices unreported to the FA Safeguarding team, providing uncomfortable and comprising environment to the players, ignoring the health and safety requirement related guidelines, failing to meet the club’s code of practices, providing continuous preferential treatments to the individuals which are unnecessary. Government and the FA Safeguarding team should focus in these areas and should force the clubs for resolving these issues (Greenhow, 2011).

Working together and promoting clear systems for the safeguarding is required for ensuring the effective level health and safety requirements to the NFL players.

This procedure is termed as affiliated football practices. This requires all level of games have a designated safeguarding officer who will be responsible for each of the clubs and the leagues of the game. The recruitment of the officers should be done by following proper strategy. Choosing the proper qualified people with the ability of effectively handling of the responsibilities is the most important activity in this area. All the reports of regarding the safeguarding required to be submitted to this officer. In this context, some important facts should be communicated with all the clubs and the members of the NFL. The facts are efficient way of raising concerns regarding the welfare of the players, way of managing the poor practice concerns, way of making complaint to the officer, way of appealing decision making process, proper information about the disclosing, reporting and managing the safety requirements of this area. Greater details of the safety requirements and details of the reports should be provided by the relevant football bodies. They are the Football Association which is working together for ensuring the safety requirements of the players, Premier League Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups and Safer Recruitment Rules development authority and the Football League – Safeguarding Children and Young people: Guidance to Member Clubs. It’s essential that this report is perused in conjunction with the important supporting principles and arrangement furthermore, direction indicated by the individual football bodies. All arrangements and direction are required to be supported by a far reaching defending instruction program (Greenhow, 2011). Managing an exposure or concern in regards to kid manhandle, all clubs and groups included in subsidiary football ought to have entry to methodology which incorporate a stream outline disclosing what to do in the event that the clubs have a worry about the welfare of a tyke. The data ought to incorporate out-of-hours contact subtle elements for the neighborhood Duty Social Care Team and the Police.

Selection of the right people for the right position is an important activity of the management of the NFL.

Government has several acts for this purpose, which has to be maintained at the selection of the players and other positions in the area of the NFL. In admiration of enrollment checks, the Protection of Freedoms Act, 2012, requires that those working with the players in ‘managed action’ must have an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service [DBS] Criminal Records Check with Children’s Barred List. In accordance with the Government direction, subsidiary football has characterized which parts and undertakings constitute directed movement and consequently are legitimately required to have a check. Associated football has additionally characterized which parts outside of directed movement require Enhanced or Standard DBS checks and which parts might have a Basic check. Upgraded checks are absolved from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and in this way associated football requires those qualified for this level of check, for their work with youngsters, to announce all past feelings, including spent feelings, which have not been shifted by the Disclosure and Barring Administration. A vigorous enlistment procedure is required for those working or volunteering with youngsters and youthful individuals paying little respect to whether they are in directed action or not. Partnered football perceives that the Revelation and Barring Service is one of numerous vital parts of a viable enlistment process furthermore, requires all clubs and classes to guarantee they have safe enrollment strategies set up (Moran, 2015).

Criminal Records checking for the selection of the football player’s is very important for ensuring the safeguarding of all the players of the NFL team.

The behavior of the football players is an important factor of the safety requirements of the players. The selection team should select the players who will follow all the rules and regulations of the league and maintain disciplined behavior at the play ground and practice field. In order to do that, they should select the players who do not have any criminal records. The National Football league is committed to protect the foot ball players by creating healthier environment for them. The national league operates for protecting players via adopting and including appropriate safety education, rules, advocacy and providing training at every level. The rules provided by the national league help foot ball players to understand the norms and to enhance their quality of performance. In this context, the criminal record check is one of the safeguarding measures assisting the football league to eliminate criminal offenses in the sports. Government has a major role in criminal record check. The affiliated football has the commitment for regulating the access of people whose entry is banned from football with U18s. Government has set the rule that, players who are above 16 years old and working directly in football should have a DBS Enhanced criminal record checks. Therefore, government has set the standard for people directly related with training, teaching, supervising, advocacy and guidance regarding the care of well being of foot ball players on behalf of a club or a foot ball organization. The criminal record check is used as a part of responsible recruitment and selection strategy in the foot ball related activities. For the access of the criminal record checks, the individual should be involved with the game frequently (Moran, 2015). The requirement of criminal record checks has been set out clearly in the policy and in The FA’s Regulation, governing the sports requirements and activities. The criminal record body of FA or the Premier League contacts the individual seeking the Criminal Record Checks for the access in foot ball game for requesting the disclosure certificate. The compliance of the applicant enables the affiliated football to include risk assessment upon their sustainability for working with the vulnerable persons in foot ball.

Conclusion

In this research paper the role of the government on the area of Safeguarding of the NFL players have been analyzed. After gathering the idea about the safeguarding form the literature review section, the different types of role of the government for ensuring the health and safety requirements of the players have been analyzed. It has been found that the government rules and regulations are most important factors in this area. The football association and all the football clubs have to maintain the government rules and regulations for safeguarding the players of the football team. It is very important to develop a set of rules and the rules should be maintained from the grass root level of the game. In this way the players will be developed with the proper level of awareness about the safety requirements and the potential risk factors of the game. In order to maintain the health security of the players the injured players should provided immediate treatment and should be get back to the play ground after having proper fitness certificate from an authorized doctor. The selection of the proper players and managing body is also very important for the safety of the players. In this context, the criminal records of the players should be properly checked before providing the chance to the national team. DBS enhanced criminal record checking process should be used by the selection team and government should provide effective level of help for this activity.

References

Carlson, K., Kim, J., Lusardi, A., &Camerer, C. (2015). Bankruptcy Rates Among Nfl Players With Short-Lived Income Spikes. American Economic Review, 105(5), 381-384.

Greenhow, A. (2011). Concussion policies of the National Football League: Revisiting the ‘Sport Administrator’s Charter’ and the role of the Australian Football League and National Rugby League in concussion management.   

Kirschen, M. P., Tsou, A., Nelson, S. B., Russell, J. A., &Larriviere, D. (2014).Legal and ethical implications in the evaluation and management of sports-related concussion. Neurology, 83(4), 352-358

Moran, M. (2015). Cognitive impairment in NFL players is associated with the age they started playing. Neurology Today, 15(4), 1.

Pietrosimone, B., Golightly, Y., Mihalik, J., &Guskiewicz, K. (2015). Concussion frequency associates with musculoskeletal injury in retired NFL players. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47(11), 2366-2372.

Schmittel, A., & Sanderson, J. (2014).Talking about Trayvon in 140 characters: Exploring NFL players’ tweets about the George Zimmerman verdict.Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 39(4), 332-345.