Hollywood is busy watching one of their dirtiest open secrets unravel, and over the past few years the NFL has also come under fire for something that it had failed to acknowledge.

The fact that so many retired footballers were suffering brain injuries was a rather inconvenient truth, and one that the 2015 film Concussion thrust into the national spotlight.

Eventually the NFL was forced to amend certain rules and come down harder on those who fell foul of them, but that hasn’t ruled out head clashes as a whole.

Two incidents in the past month or so have come under scrutiny, the first of which took place on September 28.

Check out the sickening hit on Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams, by Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan.

You might have to click through to YouTube to watch the video:

How about the sound on that final angle? Horrendous.

Trevathan was suspended for two games following that hit, which would cost him about $235 000 in lost pay from his $2 million salary.

The second incident is less sickening, although it has resulted in a concussion for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

He was crunched by Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Again, you might have to click through to YouTube to watch the video:

Here’s the problem with that via Business Insider:

Flacco scrambled for a first down and slid as Dolphins defenders surrounded him. As Flacco hit the ground, Alonso launched at him, hitting Flacco’s head with his shoulder.

Flacco immediately signaled [sic] for help from the sideline, clearly dazed…

NFL rules state that defenders must pull up from their tackle as soon as a runner begins to slide feet first. If a defender has committed himself, it is not an illegal hit unless they make forcible contact with the head or neck area of the runner…

Flacco was able to get up and leave the game on his own, but the Ravens later announced that he had sustained a concussion and was in concussion protocol.

Contact sports are always going to result in injuries – that’s a given – but there’s something about strapping on a helmet that seems to make these guys reckless.

I guess it’s a little like that rugby and scrum caps article from earlier this week (HERE), but at least when it comes to rugby there’s a massive drive to teach the correct tackle technique.

Also, go Province!

[source:businessinsider]