Brain injuries are one of the major issues facing professional football, with players being forced from the game or retiring early because of head trauma. With your help, we can send a message to the NFL, that the league and its referees need to do more to prevent concussions and brain injuries.

You might remember the controversial NFC Championship game, where a missed pass intereference call shaped the outcome of the game.

But there was an even more egregious missed call in that game -- the clear, unquestionable helmet to helmet hit on the same play. Even if the missed pass interference call was attributable to human error, the helmet to helmet penalty was glaring. This unpenalized helmet to helmet infraction was not an isolated incident in the 2018 season.

If the league is genuinely concerned with the concussion issue and player safety, further concrete steps must be taken. 

As fans, we petition for the following changes to be implemented before the start of the next season:

• Significantly higher fines for players who commit helmet to helmet infractions
• Game suspensions for players who commit more than one helmet to helmet penalty in a season
• Substantial fines for referees who miss calls for helmet to helmet infractions
• Transparency on how referees are penalized
• Establishment of an in-the-booth official to identify and review helmet to helmet penalties in real time
• Adoption of advanced technology, not just in the equipment players wear, but in the tools officials use to monitor on-field infractions
• Publication of an annual public report on the latest findings regarding the impact of brain trauma on long term physical and mental health

We acknowledge and appreciate steps being taken to reduce the number of concussions in the game through sideline watchdogs and required helmet changes. While concussions were down in 2018, no data indicates this is a trend that will continue.

Because our teams represent our cities and our regions, they are a part of our shared identity. Treating the NFL solely as a business, and fans just as consumers, whose only recourse is either to buy or not buy, is a cynical and disrespectful way to treat NFL fanbases.

Additionally, our communities literally invest their tax dollars in support of NFL teams and venues. We deserve to have input in creating a better league, so that we can be proud of the teams we support, and trust in the integrity of the games.

Of the many issues football fans have withstood through the years with the NFL, surely, one of the main things we want to feel confident about is that every effort is being made to protect our favorite players, short-term and long-term. After all, we show up to see them, not the commissioner, not the owners, not the referees.

Continued, increased, measurable steps are required so that all fans of professional football can feel good about supporting our teams and the game that has become such an integral part of our nation’s culture.