Maybe it's because for the first time (...ever?) I'm actually paying attention to Thursday Night Football, but I realized this week just how incredibly stupid it is.
For those who don't personally know me and have stumbled across this blog, first, welcome, and second, you must know that I am a diehard Texans fan. It's a large (the only) reason why I actually am paying attention to TNF this week, along with the apparent tragedy that is, we picked navy blue color rush uniforms...and so did the Patriots. So these little beauties will not be making their 2016 debut.
(I say screw it- lets break em out for Deep Steel Sunday. They deserve to see a field.)
However, while I get the general discontent with being likely the only team that will not take the Thursday Night Football field in "color rush" uniforms in 2016, I just have a problem with the fact that NFL teams are taking the field on a Thursday night AT ALL.
You know for a league that's fighting a lot of backlash about caring about the safety of it's players-- enough that a major motion picture was made about what concussions are doing to ex players and how the league doesn't give a flying flip about it-- you would THINK they would take a step back and say, "is this potentially dangerous?"
"BUT KATE-- I READ AN ARTICLE THAT SAYS IT ISN'T BASED OFF GAME STATISTICS."
Yeah- so did I. A very very small sample size through the first 9 weeks of the season. Can you imagine how mad I would be if my team were already beat to hell-- which by the way, we are. We're currently missing 3 starters on the O-line-- and I had to play on short rest and prep in week 15? A time when nobody on the 53 man roster is feeling great.
Seriously, show me one NFL player that says in week 15 he's feeling great and I'll show you a damn liar.
We want guys to beat their bodies, and they do beat their bodies, to turn around and do it 96ish hours later?
Let's break down a normal NFL week.
Sunday- GAME DAY! they've stayed at a hotel the night before, rather home or away, they're up early, fed, at the field ready to go.
Monday- Treatments/Recovery/Start next game's film study.
Tuesday- off day, usually, but definitely some film study on your own. Do you want to be THAT guy that doesn't know what the heck is going on? Your mistakes are usually pretty public.
Wednesday/Thursday/Friday- practice/film/treatments
Saturday- walk through-- travel day/ general hotel day.
(Don't believe me? Here's a more detailed version.)
LATHER. RINSE. REPEAT.
Most NFL players will spend 20 hours a week looking at film. Let's go ahead and call that a conservative estimate. Some with their coaches, some on their own. Some teams have required quotas. Pretty much every team downloads film to your tablet now and time before bed, downtime on your couch, time on the treatment table is spent watching film.
Can you imagine squeezing your weeks worth of work into a few days?
And let's talk about those treatment tables...
Every elite coach, doctor, training facility, scientist, trainer...etc is in agreement that the most important component of performance is recovery. LITERALLY, THE MOST. YOU CANNOT GIVE FROM AN EMPTY BUCKET.
Look at this graphic, intended for baseball, but the most relevant to the point we're making here.
(Source: Ryan Faer**)
But the NFL has decided that this is not important, these are elite athletes, they can handle the unnecessary stress on their body and the potential dangers that come their way from performing at a suboptimal level for the sake of it taking over ANOTHER night on TV and making even more money.
Do you really want a still recovering from back surgery JJ Watt to play a game on such short rest so the NFL can make more money? I don't.
I wish I could tell everyone to boycott Thursday Night Football, to send a message that it's absurd that we're expecting this out of guys, but that would make me a hypocrite. I can't miss my Texans playing, especially with the QB situation that Belichick is currently in. (I don't wish injuries on anyone but my goodness grumpy Bill is my favorite Bill.) I can however say, that this is the only TNF I will be watching this year.
It seems insane to me that we're allowing a league to place money far above the potential safety of its employees’ wellbeing, but... this is the NFL we're talking about.
XOXO,
Kate
** Ryan is a really great resource for both training and nutrition with an emphasis in corrective exercises-- which I just love. If you are an athlete or have an athlete in the family, I can not recommend his blog enough. He's worked with both high school and elite professional athletes and is someone who puts out quality information for every level.
