On a Tuesday appearance on WGR, Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley — while discussing the injury history of his team’s Sammy Watkins —- called professional football, “a violent game that I don’t think humans are supposed to play.” Though the station has since removed the archive of Whaley’s highly publicized statement, the former University Of Pittsburgh defensive back did some fancy tap dancing earlier today, which is bad news for those of us hoping the Bills would field an all-robot starting XI next fall. From the Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci :
“Clearly I used a poor choice of words in my comment (Tuesday) morning,” he said in a statement released by the team. “As a former player who has the utmost respect and love for the game, the point that I was trying to make is that football is a physical game and injuries are a part of it. Playing football no doubt is very physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, and that is all part of what makes the game so compelling to play and watch.”
“The game has more protection for players now than ever, thanks largely to the safety advancements and numerous rule changes made by our league and promoted to all levels of football. I believe our game continues to have a bright future and I hope that this statement provides clarity as to the intent of my earlier comment.”