9781422283011

ers, and the controlled violence of the action—make the game risky to play. Each week during the NFL regular season, inju- ry reports distributed by the 32 teams include dozens, even hundreds of banged-up players. Some of them have nothing more than a minor calf strain or a 24-

hour flu bug. For others, the situation is much more seri- ous. Shoulder separations and broken legs can ruin seasons. Recurring knee injuries or re- peated concussions can pre- maturely end a player’s career. Injuries are football’s wild cards. In addition to the human toll they take on athletes and their families, they can tilt the competitive balance and test a

team’s long-term planning. The NFL has dealt with this dilemma since it was founded as the American Professional Football Association in 1920 (trivia time: It was renamed as the NFL in 1922). But the issue

Griffin’s knee buckled after he went back into the game. Was it worth the risk?

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