Via: Source

It has been a tumultuous few years for the NFL. Not that any of their recent PR afflictions have hurt ratings, or the bottom line much or at all, there certainly has been no shortage of embarrassments for the largest American sport.

Last year, prominent players like Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice were suspended for lengthy amounts of time for violent indiscretions, and despite an amazing 2014 season and Super Bowl, literally the only thing talked about in relation to the NFL for the past 7 or so months was Deflategate; the-tongue-in-cheek term that the public and media had come to refer to the ball-deflating scandal that engulfed Tom Brady, and the rest of the NFL this offseason.

So, when actual football kicked off last night, I’m sure it was quite a relief to the NFL PR department and everyone else with more than a rooting interest in the sport. Or, at least it should have been.

Indeed, less than one full day into the new season, the league, even more ironic; the Patriots, are involved in a new controversy. This one centers around malfunctioning headphones. As most even casual NFL fans know, play calls are communicated to the players on the field via electronic headsets, which are inside the helmets for some players, and visibly worn by coaches on the sideline. Coaches also communicate with one another via these same helmets. Well, during the game last night it became apparent that the Steelers headphones were not working, and the coaches and players were hearing the Patriot’s radio broadcast of all things, instead of the vital information they were seeking to communicate. The implications of this are obvious, and pretty devastating. If one team can communicate on the fly, and the other is forced to use hand signals, or even forced to run a player from the sideline and back to the huddle every play, there is an obvious advantage on one side.

And of course, because its the Patriots, the most successful, and controversial NFL team of the past decade; other players have chimed in with their complaints as well. Jack Del Rio, ex-coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars has claimed he experienced similar issues while playing at the Patriot’s stadium, as has linebacker Karlos Dansby, ex-linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals.

In the opinion of this writer, only one thing can be said for certain about all this; football is BACK, baby!