Anyone can recognize that football -- a sport where the biggest, fastest and strongest people in the world repeatedly run into each other at full speed -- is a dangerous game. By now this is common knowledge, which is probably why Bills general manager Doug Whaley was so comfortable mentioning the dangers of football during a Tuesday morning radio appearance on Buffalo's WGR 550.
Bills GM admits humans shouldn’t play football, which isn’t as controversial as it sounds
No, Doug Whaley wasn’t saying people should stop playing the sport he’s in charge of.
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
That said, it’d probably be a good idea for him to do be more judicious about selecting his words.
"If you look at his game log, he's only missed three games. So, is he injury-prone? I wouldn't say that," Whaley said during the interview when asked about the foot injury Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins sustained during the offseason. "Are things going to come up with a guy like this? We hope that gets limited in the future."
Then he kept going when it probably would have been a better idea for him to stop.
“This is the game of football,” Whaley added. “Injuries are part of it. It’s a violent game that I personally don’t think humans are supposed to play. And these things are going to come up.
“But we trust in our medical staff and we trust in each individual athlete to do what they have to do to get back on the field.”
“It’s a violent game that I personally don’t think humans are supposed to play” are already making their way around the internet. The idea of an NFL executive saying his game is not meant to be played by humans, just one day after a report the NFL reneged on funding for concussion studies, is so juicy. Thing is, that’s not what Whaley seems to be saying here. All he’s doing is pointing out that football is a tough game and it’s amazing that anyone can play it -- not that he thinks the game should be banned.
Normally, Whaley and the Bills would be able to reach out to local reporters in order clarify his remarks. Something tells us, though, that the Buffalo media isn’t in much of a hurry to help Whaley dig himself out of this hole.
Instead, Whaley released a statement through the Bills on Wednesday to clear up any confusion:
Statement from @buffalobills GM Doug Whaley: pic.twitter.com/5oc200vy9Y
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) May 25, 2016
“Football is a physical game and injuries are a part of it” is indeed what he meant, though it doesn’t make for an attention-grabbing headline.
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