There are stereotypes we use to justify our attraction to the violence and chaos called NFL football.

We say that football is a 100% injury-based game.

We say that players know what they signed up for.

Now, amid controversy over Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being cleared to play on Sunday after he missed 4 games with the third concussion of his profession, a brand new rationalization has emerged. Should Tagovailoa keep playing? We should leave it to him.

This is where I draw the road. Tagovailoa can determine if he desires to play, but he represents the Dolphins. Ultimately, what happens to Tagovailoa reflects on the organization.

The Dolphins, not Tagovailoa, should be the ultimate arbiter on whether he plays one other game or season for the franchise. Just because Tagovailoa is willing to roll the dice on his health doesn’t suggest the Dolphins should.

On Monday, Tagovailoa spoke to the media for the primary time since being diagnosed with the third concussion of his NFL profession. In what was each an interrogation and a question-and-answer session, Tagovailoa outlined his reasons for continuing to play despite his history of brain damage. When someone asked him about all the recommendation he was receiving, Tagovailoa replied, “I appreciate your concern, I actually do. I like this game and I like it to death. That’s all.”

I’m unsure what he meant by “my death,” however the Dolphins front office should be concerned that their quarterback is putting football ahead of his short- and long-term health.

Indeed, “my death.”

Tagovailoa had an excellent 2023 season – a season by which he almost never left the pocket to run. In the offseason, he was rewarded with a four-year contract price $212.4 million ($167 million guaranteed), including a signing bonus of $42 million.

Apparently feeling unleashed and emboldened, Tagovailoa was injured in Week 2 after getting out of the pocket, running and colliding with Buffalo Bills linebacker Damar Hamlin. Instead of sliding, Tagovailoa lowered his shoulder, took the punch and suffered a concussion.

Without Tagovailoa, Miami’s offense, which was so strong last season, dropped to a crawl. Coach Mike McDaniel, hailed as an offensive genius, suddenly looks like a mean coach with a mean team.

McDaniel wants one of the best for Tagovailoa, but he also wants one of the best for himself. All he needed was for the medical staff to be OK, and he got that.

So the team and the player roll the dice together.

I’ve all the time wondered what sort of response the NFL would get if a player died on the sector. I almost got my answer on January 2, 2023, when Hamlin collapsed on the sector after hitting Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins within the chest.

Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After what gave the look of hours, Hamlin got here to life on the sector. He was then taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in critical condition.

The game was canceled and the excellent news is that Hamlin survived and made a full recovery. Hamlin returned to the sector on August 12, 2023, when he played in his first NFL game for the reason that cardiac arrest episode. In the third week of this season, Hamlin recorded the primary interception of his skilled profession.

Some argued that the outpouring of support for Hamlin offset the brutal nature of football, bringing out one of the best in people. “I think these moments help us remember that we really care and that these are human beings engaged in dangerous activity,” said Arizona State University professor Shawn Klein, who focuses on ethics, popular culture and the philosophy of sports. “It’s unfortunate that we have to wait for something tragic to happen to remember this, but I think what we remember and keep in our minds is that these are human beings engaged in dangerous activity for our entertainment.”

The result’s that the NFL survived the Hamlin scare. The player has emerged as a hero and the NFL is more popular than ever. The Pro Football Writers of America named Hamlin the 2023 George Halas Award, given to the NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes probably the most adversity.

Now the league and team are rolling the dice with Tagovailoa. Unlike Hamlin, who has no history of cardiac arrest, Tagovailoa has been diagnosed with at the very least three concussions. Even though health workers have cleared him, I’m wondering how concerned the Dolphins hierarchy is about what happens to Tagovailoa. The only way the Dolphins can protect themselves is to trade their franchise quarterback.

Of course this may not occur. The reality is that the Dolphins have seen what their offense looks like without Tagovailoa, and it’s an unpleasant picture.

Or Tagovailoa could follow the instance of other great players and easily step away from the sport while he can.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was 29 years old when he abruptly announced his retirement after seven NFL seasons. He said he was just uninterested in the injuries, the rehab and the pain.

Detroit Lions return to the sector and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders retired before Lions training camp in 1999. He was healthy, but he knew it was time.

Legendary Cleveland Browns linebacker Jim Brown, who won his third MVP award in 1965, retired on the age of 30 in 1966.

In any case, Tagavailoa had no shortage of recommendation.

Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist credited with discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a former football player, called on Tagovailoa to retire from the NFL. Almost he told TMZ Sports that he’s vulnerable to everlasting incapacity for work within the event of further brain damage.

“If I were his brother, his father, his uncle, his cousin, his nephew, if I was a member of his family. I would beg him to retire… Find something else to do,” Omalu told TMZ.

I see. Tagavailoa is just 26 years old and has not come near matching the achievements of Brown, Luck and Sanders, although Luck and Sanders have never won an NFL championship. Tagavailoa has made it clear that he shouldn’t be walking away from football. He is married, has two babies, three younger siblings and fogeys.

During a 2023 press conference with reporters, Tagavailoa said he had considered retiring after the 2022 season. “I’ve been thinking about sitting down with my wife, my family and having those kinds of conversations,” he said. “But it could be really hard for me to walk away from this game, considering my age and my son. I all the time dreamed of playing so long as possible, in a spot where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do.

The risks are clear. If Tagavailoa takes a string of massive hits from now until the tip of the season, his profession might be over. At what point will the Dolphins say enough is enough? Apparently Tagavailoa won’t say enough is enough.

As he told reporters earlier this week, “I love this game and I love it to death.”

If I’m the Dolphins, I don’t desire to depart that call to Tua.

BALTIMORE – The AP MVP race takes center stage in Week 8 of the NFL regular season: He’s the Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson – and everyone else.

Even by Jackson’s exceptionally high standards, the All-Pro superstar was so sensational during the Ravens’ five-game winning streak that he established a large lead over the remainder of the field. Jackson’s performance is the biggest reason why Baltimore (5-2), AFC North co-leaders with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leads the league in total offense, rushing attack and is tied for first in points with the Washington Commanders.

Of course, Jackson’s play is not the only reason the Ravens are thriving. At this point, Jackson’s closest competitor for the AP MVP award could also be certainly one of his teammates from Baltimore’s offensive defense.

After joining Baltimore in free agency, the All-Pro running back Derrick Henry leads the NFL in rushing again. The Ravens’ signing of Henry turned out to be the best move of the NFL offseason (Dallas Cowboys fans can attest to that) because Henry complemented Jackson well, to say the least.

Without a doubt, on condition that passionate fans of the franchise have a lot to root for, these are strong moments for the Ravens, who travel on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns (1-6). Ultimately, though, Jackson’s legacy might be defined by how he performs in the postseason. There continues to be much work to be done in this effort.

To his credit, Jackson sees the larger picture.

“I’m chasing something right now,” Jackson told reporters Monday night after visiting the game in which Baltimore won 41-31 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Every match will be the same for me. I will be the same person. I try to win every match.”

In the opening of the NFL season, the visiting Ravens lost to the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. After that loss, the Ravens and Jackson faced the Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to 1-5.

Then in the second game, Baltimore lost at home to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Since then, nevertheless, the Ravens have been unstoppable: Among the victories in this series are convincing victories over the Buffalo Bills, who lead the AFC East commanders and Washington, who occupy first place in the NFC East. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, Jackson had 281 passing yards, five touchdown passes and 52 rushing yards.

While some may consider it a stretch to suggest that the two-time MVP has never played higher, well, facts are facts.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh disagrees with that assessment.

“He does it at a very high level,” Harbaugh said. “I’m proud of him. I’m happy for him. He’s a great leader and a great player.”

After spending his first eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Henry is seeing greatness – as close as possible – at the most significant position.

“He’s the type of guy who can have a really fantastic game and doesn’t even know his stats,” Henry said of Jackson. “All he knows are the guys he threw to and the guys who scored. Dude is just amazing. A few weeks ago in an interview I said, “This is definitely the GOAT (biggest ever).” “

In his position, Henry can be climbing the all-time scoring ladder.

The Ravens aggressively pursued Henry this offseason, believing that he and Jackson – the biggest dual-threat quarterback in league history – could mix to form a historic offensive line. The Ravens appear to have nailed it.

Henry, 30, led the NFL in rushing in consecutive seasons (2019, 2020). During his final season with the Titans, he scored nearly 1,200 yards (1,167), rushing for 12 touchdowns and leading the league with 280 carries.

Already this season, Henry has scored 10 touchdowns, including eight rushing. The 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year has a personal-best average of 6.5 yards on 134 rushing attempts in the NFL, and has two rushes of at the very least 81 yards.

If Henry maintains his current pace of 124.7 yards per game, he’ll finish with 2,120 rushing yards and break the single-season league record of two,105 yards set by Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson in 1984.

“The offensive line is doing a great job,” Henry said. “All the credit goes to them.”

Jackson cheers on his teammate.

“It’s there. I feel like (Henry) has a great chance to do that,” Jackson said. “He can do it. I believe he can do it.”

The Ravens defense was historically great last season. He’s not as dominant statistically this season: Baltimore’s opponents are averaging 25.7 points, which ranks twenty seventh in the league, and their defense is last in passing.

Fortunately for the Ravens, the combination of Jackson and Henry allowed Baltimore to compensate for offense.

“When you put the team first and focus on execution and defining who we want to be as a team, then the individual stuff is just window dressing,” Henry said. “It will take care of itself.”

On social media, Ravens doubters rightly indicate that the team has been here before.

Once again, Baltimore is racking up yards and points in bunches on their technique to potentially clinching the top overall seed in the AFC playoffs. During Jackson’s time in Baltimore, the Ravens twice failed to succeed in the Super Bowl despite having home field advantage. Despite being favored in last season’s AFC Championship Game, the Ravens lost to the Chiefs 17-10 at M&T Bank Stadium.

For now, though, the Ravens are having fun with their winning streak, Jackson’s pursuit of his third AP MVP award and second in as many seasons, and Henry’s pursuit of the NFL’s fastest single-season mark. The postseason just isn’t the Ravens’ primary goal. But there’s a very good probability it is going to occur again soon.

And the query might be whether the Ravens will finally win the most significant thing with Jackson at the helm.

Director of Athletics at Morehouse College Harold Ellisformer Maroon Tigers basketball standout, recalls that as a student-athlete, he made quite a few calls to scouts and agents, asking for a likelihood to play in the NBA. Now Morehouse basketball players will get the opportunity Ellis wished that they had in college.

Morehouse and Tuskegee University, Division II compete in the competition Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conferencewill participate in the NBA HBCU Classic 2025 during NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, the NBA announced Thursday. The two historically black universities will play on Feb. 15, 2025, at the Oakland Arena, one in all several Bay Area locations that will host NBA All-Star events.

“Getting the (athletic director) job and bringing the NBA (HBCU Classic) to Morehouse since I’ve been working there has been unbelievable,” said Ellis, who’s the athletic director the only athlete in Morehouse history play in the league. He also spent several years in the Detroit Pistons front office as an expert personnel evaluator.

“When I was in school at Morehouse, my only goal was to work in the NBA. Everyone knows it,” Ellis said. “It’s good for these kids. …We didn’t have that option. And now that the NBA is taking over the HBCU space and taking ownership of it, it’s amazing. … It’s important for them to come to our campus because they’ll really be able to see, ‘Hey, the NBA is here.’ We can work in the NBA, be a part of NBA life.” ”

SIAC is the fourth HBCU conference played as a part of the NBA HBCU Classic. Morgan State University and Howard University represented the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the inaugural match in 2022Grambling State University and Southern University represented the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2023, and Winston-Salem State University and Virginia Union University represented the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the February game.

SIAC, which incorporates 15 institutions, is the largest of the 4 HBCU conferences, and the conference’s founding members include Morehouse and Tuskegee. SIAC Commissioner Antoni Holloman said he is worked up to showcase one in all the conference’s historic rivalries and the SIAC brand of basketball.

We have teams that perform at a high level defensively and I believe the athleticism and grit with which our teams play will be shown. … This is a very good opportunity for the world to see HBCU basketball,” Holloman said. I do know there are players who can play skilled basketball. This is a likelihood for somebody to showcase themselves in the G League (or) playing overseas.

The rivalry between the two HBCUs has an extended history. Tuskegee was inaugural SIAC 1934 men’s basketball champion and the university’s Golden Tigers NCAA Division II Tournament in 2023. Tuskegee defeated Morehouse in football on October 5and Tuskegee athletics director Reginald Ruffin in search of an identical result in basketball.

“When you talk about the history of two of the greatest institutions, Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, because of the contributions they have made to society, now we have a chance to be part of the celebration with the NBA,” Ruffin said. “It’s all the time a contest. We did what we had to do football-wise. Now we concentrate on basketball and keep the same energy.

NBA and league partners will each donate $100,000 to Morehouse and Tuskegee to support academic resources, athletics and wellness services. The league also offers NBA HBCU Scholarship Programwhich provides HBCU undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to advance their basketball careers. Scholarship participants work at the NBA HBCU Classic, and previous scholarship recipients have been heavily involved in game preparation, from event planning to merchandising.

“One of our core values ​​at the NBA is to innovate with purpose,” he said Lesley Slaton BrownNBA Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “That’s why we’re bringing that talent into the team who already has a certain level of understanding of the league experience and/or team experience. and we say, “Help us create a better experience.” Introduce latest ideas.

“We will continue to make commitments and challenge ourselves to be better, do better and create an experience that truly strengthens the HBCU space and excites people.”

For the past 10 years, Morehouse has led Tuskegee head-to-head 11-3. The teams have split their last 4 games 2-2with each competition being decided by single digits.

Morehouse men’s basketball coach Douglas Whittler remembers the intensity of the game against Tuskegee when he played basketball for the Maroon Tigers, and Whittler and Ellis spent a long time participating in the rivalry as players and members of the athletic staff.

Ellis believes the NBA HBCU Classic will be one other close battle.

“I never lost to Tuskegee. I know I had some better games against Tuskegee. “We said we were going to beat these guys to sleep,” Ellis said. “It’s a basketball rivalry, but these are two historic institutions. … We’re both national brands, and I think the fans will really respect that, and the fans will come out and understand that it’s a rivalry.”