Dereliction of Coaching Duty

With Commissioner Roger Goodell at the helm, the National Football League has made a concerted effort to protect players from concussions and other debilitating injuries. Thus there have been rule changes that penalize head-first hits. And this year, the NFL suspended several New Orleans Saints players and coaches -- including the head coach, Sean Payton -- for instituting a pay-for-performance or “bounty” system, which allegedly encouraged rule-breaking. I think the punishment of the Saints was wrong and inappropriate. If a coach or player violates the rules of the game, then of course punish that coach or player. But the bounty system encouraged hard-fought football within the rules of the game; it did not contribute to rule-breaking per se. In any case, if the NFL is serious about protecting its players, then it will immediately suspend Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan for his gross dereliction of (coaching) duty in Sunday’s NFC wildcard game against the Seattle Seahawks. Shanahan played a seriously and manifestly injured 22-year-old rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III, long after it had become obvious to everyone that Griffin was completely ineffective and at risk of suffering a season- or career-ending injury. In so doing, Shanahan showed reckless disregard for the health and well-being of his star quarterback. If that doesn’t warrant a suspension, then I’m not sure what does. Griffin suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament Dec. 9 against the Baltimore Ravens. He missed a game the following week against the Cleveland Browns, but then came back to play the final two regular season games and Sunday’s wildcard playoff game. But Griffin never fully healed; and he aggravated his injury in Sunday’s game. Indeed, according to the Washington Post, an MRI exam of Griffin’s right knee suggests that he “has suffered partial tears of his anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments [ACL], according to several people with knowledge of the test ...