Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 18
A18
sportsThursday 28 December 2017
Column: Tough year, and tough times ahead for the NFL
By TIM DAHLBERG In this Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) dementia.” No there isn’t,
AP Sports Columnist and because we’re now
It was one of the great Su- celebrates with center Ted Karras (75) as they leave the field after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers more enlightened about
per Bowls ever, a dramatic that it’s no longer enter-
comeback win that ce- in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. taining to watch players
mented forever the lega- slam head-on into each
cies of Tom Brady and the Associated Press other. The conundrum fac-
New England Patriots. ing the league, though, is
No one could have pre- way over Goodell’s new protests should have been plant the NFL as America’s that without the very vio-
dicted February’s game lence that is the core of the
could very well have been contract extension. And stopped. That the NFL is favorite sports league. game football loses much
the NFL’s last great defin- of its appeal. That same vi-
ing moment. A league that there’s a good chance having issues isn’t anything That might be a stretch, olence is also to blame for
once seemed untouchable short career spans, which
is under siege as the turbu- players won’t be so doc- new. The league has had but the argument could makes it hard for fans to
lent 2017 regular season identify with individual play-
draws to a close. A tsunami ile when their 10-year deal to deal with other con- be made that the very ers. While the NBA is built
of troubles — some self-in- on its superstars, NFL teams
flicted — have been wash- expires after the 2020 sea- troversies in recent years, violence that made the for the most part consist
ing over the NFL, and for of interchangeable play-
the first time in a half centu- son and demand guaran- ranging from Deflategate league so attractive over ers that the average fan
ry or so the league’s warts wouldn’t recognize if they
are on prominent display. teed contracts like players to the way it deals with do- the years may end up be- saw them on the street. The
The national anthem con- game itself is also unwatch-
troversy has hurt far more get in almost every other mestic violence accusa- ing part of its eventual un- able at times, with way too
than the league is willing to many stoppages to look at
admit, reaching all the way sport. Even the official piz- tions against players. doing. “A broken arm or plays in ways never imag-
into the White House. And ined when instant replay
despite measures taken to za of the NFL appears to But this seems different. cracked rib is one thing, first came into existence.
protect player brains, it’s in- No one seems to know just
creasingly clear that there be in trouble. Papa John’s These, for the most part, are the scars that prompt brag- what a catch is anymore,
is little anyone can really or what causes replay offi-
do about concussions in a founder John Schnatter systemic issues that seem ging rights, but widespread cials in New York to micro-
very violent sport. manage things not seen by
Turn on the TV on any given blamed “poor leadership” immune to easy solutions. permanent brain dam- the naked eye. Still, the NFL
Sunday and there are wide continues to draw TV audi-
swatches of empty seats in by the NFL in dealing with Basketball great Kareem age that affects players ences other leagues can
stadiums in some cities. The only dream of. The Super
television audience itself the anthem controversy for Abdul-Jabbar was thinking for the rest of their lives is Bowl gets 100 million view-
is down, though commis- ers, a Sunday night prime-
sioner Roger Goodell says it a drop in recent quarterly along those lines recently beyond entertainment,” time game might draw 20
is only off about 1 percent million, and even the Thurs-
for the year. There’s infight- profits, only to have the when he wrote an op-ed Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the day night games are for
ing among owners that the most part competitive
spilled out in a very public company apologize later piece predicting that the Guardian. “There is nothing in the national ratings.q
on Twitter for saying the NBA would one day sup- sexy about depression and
Giants suspend Apple for finale for ‘detrimental’ conduct
By TOM CANAVAN Apple, the Giants’ first- This Aug. 11, 2017, file photo shows New York Giants cornerback and eight passes defensed.
AP Sports Writer round draft pick in 2016, by Eli Apple (24) waiting for the snap during the first quarter of an Apple was inactive for four
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) name in a radio interview NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. consecutive games, from
— A day after Pro Bowl on Tuesday. Nov. 19 to Dec. 10.
safety Landon Collins re- However, he said only one Associated Press He returned to action
ferred to him as a cancer, cornerback on the team against Philadelphia on
cornerback Eli Apple was needed to grow up and Dec. 17 and had a team-
suspended Wednesday by later added, “But that first high nine tackles (seven
the New York Giants for the pick ... he’s a cancer.” solo).
season finale against the Collins apologized for the Despite playing well
Washington Redskins. comments on Wednesday. against the Eagles, Apple
The Giants announced the He and Apple met sepa- only played on special
suspension hours after Ap- rately with Spagnuolo and teams last week.
ple had participated in the then all three talked. Brandon Dixon and Ross
practice. Interim general Collins was not in the locker Cockrell each played all 68
manager Kevin Abrams room after practice. Apple defensive snaps at corner-
and interim coach Steve declined to speak with the back.
Spagnuolo informed him of media. “The way the practices
the suspension. The suspension was an- went last week, we felt
“We have suspended Eli for nounced several hours lat- that the two guys that we
a pattern of behavior that er. played practiced better
is conduct detrimental to Apple played in 11 games with the group and that’s
the team,” Abrams said. this season with seven starts. why we went in that direc-
Collins never referred to He had 49 tackles (41 solo) tion,” Spagnuolo said.q
