You're watching...

Is it time to re-think our national love of football?

Details

  • Description

    Rick Sanchez on whether Javon Belcher's actions were caused by long-term effects of head trauma.

  • Duration 5:55
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

All right I want to get narrowed to Rick Sanchez is joining us from mom Miami bureau Rick of course they.

Folks he's Latino contributor and Rick has written fascinating piece.

I'm -- on the NFL and full bowl violence in general.

-- have with specific mentions of -- the recent tragedy involving.

Kansas City -- your home Belcher killing his -- -- and then shooting himself in the head.

Rick you've been in this piece I -- -- -- interest in the New York pretty critical although a lot of the violence in the way the violence plays that.

In the in the NFL but you yourself.

You're you're a big fan of culpable.

Well huge -- spread -- like I say my piece of me and I hope.

Much of what I am to football live my parents were too -- to be able to send me -- college.

And although my dad always said -- on American sport he's crazy yeah.

You know.

It's it's guys eleven guys jumping on top of each other and he said that it's a game of animals why would you do that never went to see me play and yet I was able to get a scholarship as a result the fact that I played football in high school.

And that's how I was able to go to college so yeah I I old football much of who I am.

So didn't want Waltz but what are you finding particularly disturbing.

About full -- now that perhaps wasn't then although they it was that long it goes that you -- -- -- You know its interest for future but -- Sure.

And I think.

I think what has happened is to be honest with you let's just be fair.

You look at rugby for example -- sport you're probably familiar when they don't get that kind of injuries we get.

In the United States with the NFL and collegiate football the difference is it the equipment they've made the equipment so good.

To keep people from getting hurt that they've actually increased the ferocity of the collision.

Two guys who could run for 340s that's lightning quick coming at each other full speed and cracking their heads against each other.

Now sure the helmet is supposedly very good.

But brain inside the skull is not and every time you have that brain movement and keep doing it over and over and over again I would -- -- Afghanistan and as we've learned and a rocky start getting.

You know the brain damage which.

Experts not me but experts that university of Boston have done a study.

For Boston U and other medical school there has done a study and they literally took the brains of 31.

NFL players who were deceased.

And they study them and only one of them.

Did not show signs of the brain disease and most of them were three before scale brain disease so you know.

We're starting -- -- stuff that we should make us go.

My god is this really what we want to do as a nation in terms of picking the sport that we watched several.

Is that the hat how do we fix it -- you saying we give them less good equipment I mean it's.

You can't take that's great question -- what can you it's very difficult that's -- -- -- no you're absolutely right it's a good question I think.

I wish I had to fix you know why I'm looking at this.

As as a fan as a guy who played the game and as a journalist who's now looked into the research and study did and I'm Obama Paul but what about what I'm seeing.

And and I know the NFL is tussling with this to their credit.

It's in the courts now -- off thousands of 3000 players are suing the NFL former players.

Because when these guys Jonathan get out of football many of them that immediately start getting signs of dementia.

In -- like thirties and and forties.

They start getting depressed.

Some of them can't remember their names -- their wives' names -- -- kids names from that constant.

-- You know collisions and from the concussions that they have gotten some of them were diagnosed -- some of them worked.

When I played football I remember getting concussions I we got up all the time back in my day.

You basically -- did you know somebody would come up and say how many fingers do I have up and -- you can count the fingers your back in the game again.

So.

I know the NFL is doing what it can to.

Two spot to the concussion when they happen you probably see -- when you watch him and I give the guys out.

And and Michael Vick for example the perfect example of this they haven't let him play since his -- can -- concussion which was a couple of games ago.

Maybe they're just gonna have to increase the roster size and make sure -- you get a concussion.

You're out for half the season that's just the way it's gotta be but.

How for the fans gonna like that yeah star player yeah is out so.

Well a it's a conundrum there's no.

Question about it I worry every time I watch my beloved Redskins and CIG three taking off there and not sliding it frightens that.

-- -- -- -- That's the other thing you just mentioned it you know today we watch these these games in these fifty inch plasmas.

Ever in the past it was kind of a blur army no look I remember watching games on black and white now.

I mean Monday night I watched an offensive lineman is me.

-- back the other way and you can just almost feel and see the bones in the cartilage cracking in there and god almighty god.

If you or I were producing a newscast we wouldn't show stuff like that because it's too disturbing and yet we sit around and we watch it as Americans I don't know I just think it's a good time.

As we're coming up the big part of the season here to ask these questions Jonathan yeah I wish I had the answer.

Yeah very good questions indeed it's a fascinating piece of by the -- token of the involvement of the season.

It's important for the Redskins not so much -- dolphins down that sorry I can't attack I know that's life -- ramp up.

They're disabled god registered users and because you just saw on foxnews.com.

Not take a look at it's a really interesting -- great to see Rick thanks very much -- -- So -- governments but are.