More action, not studies

This title is the message coming from Mike Ditka.On the eve of a Congressional hearing on head injuries among NFL players, the Hall of Famer sent a loud and clear message toward Capitol Hill and the league
The hearing in Washington comes in the wake of a preliminary study done at the University of Michigan for the NFL that indicates retired pro football players may have a higher rate than normal of Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems. Among the issues examined will be the lasting impact of head injuries, how to limit them and how to compensate players and their families.
“You can run studies for the next 20 years. Somebody’s going to say, ‘It’s directly related, well it’s not directly related.’ Well, who cares? Let’s take care of them,” Ditka said.
Although stars are paid well, many players only last a few years in the league and they no longer qualify for the NFL’s disability benefit by the time problems arise later in life.
“Supposing a guy comes in at the age of 21, 22 or 23 and he plays five years,” Ditka said. “He’s out. He’s out at 27 and nothing shows up before he’s 39. He can’t qualify. You’re saying it’s hard to collect disability anywhere in the country. That doesn’t make sense because these injuries are starting to show up in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.”