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Tyriq Harris
UWRT-1103
Ms. Caruso
28 July 2015
Defense
The product Ive created was a satirical mock NFL contract. I felt a NFL contract
would give for an opportunity to show people what NFL players are actually signing up for. For
example, in the Employment and Services section of my NFL contract it says A player is
required to participate in minicamp(s) [] that is if your body allows you to maintain composure
due to all the collisions you will be experiencing through this time period. Another example
would be in the Injury section of the contract which states After the repeated effects of
multiple concussions more than likely the Player will develop long term mental health issues
such as depression, however if it isnt within the time of the Player still being in the club theres
nothing we can do. Sorry!!! This is the basis of my product. I hope to have my readers think to
themselves Well I wouldnt want to sign that. With using this Dark Humor it really does bring
to light the dangerous factor of the NFL that most individuals dont see. That being said, my
target audience are those individuals that believe the new safety rules being placed within the
NFL are ruining the tradition of the game. The main reason new safety rules are being
implemented into the NFL is because of concussions. Concussions are currently one of the most
prevalent injuries within the NFL. Kevin Guskiewicz a doctor who has done research upon the
long term effects of concussions, tells us that concussions can lead to serious mental health
issues in later years of life, such as Depression (Guskiewicz). Kevin Everett is a modern day

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example of how dangerous the NFL can be, Kevin was a kickoff specialist for the Bills and on
the kickoff he received severe neck trauma that almost paralyzed him for life. Everett was forced
to retire due to the seriousness of his injury (Brown.) Montel Owens is one of the individuals I
hope to reach out to in this defense paper. He feels that injuries are just a part of the game and it
is a risk people have to be willing to take (Chadiha). My product was created in order to disprove
theories such as these. The idea that the NFL is a very dangerous and proves to have serious
risks to its players needs to become more prevalent so that people like Montel Owens can see
that this just isnt a part of the game. Rather it is the lives of real people. This will also allow
for the audience to touch on a more personal basis with that of NFL players who have decided to
retire early after first hand experience of the risk associated with that of playing in the NFL.
Through this product it should induce the feelings towards the audience that change needs to be
made. The only way to create more safety for the players is to change the rules of the game. Even
it means breaking the tradition of the game.

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Works Cited
Brown, Chris. "Kevin Everett Five Years Later ." LatestHeadlines RSS. Buffalo Bills, 7 Sept. 2012. Web.
14 July 2015.
Chadiha, Jeffri. "10 Steps to Make the Game Safer." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, Aug.-Sept. 2012.
Web. 13 July 2015.
Guskiewicz, Kevin. Nine-Year Risk of Depression Diagnosis Increases With Increasing Self-Reported
Concussions in Retired Professional Football Players The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
0363-5465(2012): 10.