Friday, May 10, 2013
Protective gear for players
Several decades went by until an NHL goalie finally wore a mask during a game. Decades! And it had to be the best goalie of his generation to do it. And still, he was ridiculed. It took a few decades after that for all skaters to be obligated to wear helmets. They had to be forced to do it (though players were grandfathered in, and some chose to be helmetless). Now, a person has a right to be as reckless as he wants... but he has to pay for it. Luckily, we have insurance companies that places those bets.
If an insurance company says: "We'll insure you at 80% if you play with a helmet, but at 30% without a helmet", what do you think a player earning 5 million$ will do? If he sustains a head injury, he either gets 4 million$ or 1.5 million$. If he doesn't make the decision himself, his wife will do it for him. (Insurance companies don't actually give the option, but they could theoretically price any kind of option, though I presume they might do it with actors, based on stunt severity.)
Even during penalty shots and shootouts, where the only two players on the ice is the shooter and the goalie, STILL the skater is obligated to wear a helmet. I *really* think the NHL/NHLPA should push back on this, but, if the insurance company wants an extra million $ for giving the player the option to go helmetless on penalty shots... well, who wants to pay that?
So, it all comes down to money. I can't imagine insurance companies are too happy to see players without cups getting hit with line drives, and players without helmets getting hit with line drives. But, it's not frequent enough for them to do anything about it. Well, not at the MLB level.
As in hockey, the extra protective gear will get mandated at the lower levels. If the owner of the local hockey arena wants all the skaters to wear face masks (for liability purposes), then that's what happens. If the town requires that all soccer players wear cleats and shin guards, then that's what happens.
In order to push for extra protective gear for MLB players, you have to push for it at the lower levels. The risks are higher there, and insurance companies are not going to take on unnecessary risks... not without someone paying them to take on that risk.