NBC on Yahoo SportsArian Foster rips dangerous Thursday Night Football
Arian Foster doesn’t like Thursday Night Football. And he doesn’t think he’s alone.
“Thursday Night Football is pretty … it’s annoying for players,” said Foster, whose Texans host the Colts at NRG Stadium this Thursday. “I don’t know one player who likes it. I really don’t know a fan who likes it either. It’s just the league’s way of trying to generate more revenue but that’s what they’re here for.”
The Texans just played a tough overtime game against the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. They have just three full days before they have to play again.
The NFL makes many of its rules to emphasize player safety but when asked if the league is hypocritical because of Thursday Night Football, Foster said it is.
“Oh yeah, definitely. Definitely,” Foster said. “They emphasize concussions when they start getting hit with lawsuits. And they care about the players’ safety but Thursday Night Football is putting every football player on the field in danger. Nobody is ready to play physically after a Sunday game but we have to go out there and do it.”
Is it something the union (NFLPA) should talk about with the league?
“The union and the league is kind of the same thing, man,” Foster said. “They gonna do what they told.”
There are extra challenges to prepare for a game on a short week. Foster said he’ll get in the ice tub every day and get massages. He also said it creates longer days and the team doesn’t really get to practice; they’ll just have more walkthroughs.
Foster said in his conversations with other players from around the league, he hasn’t found a player who likes Thursday Night Football.
“Yeah, nobody likes it. It’s hard for that turnaround,” he said. “It’s just hard on your body, especially if you play a physical position, if you’re in the trenches, the interior linemen, the running backs — I’m pretty sure kickers don’t mind — but if you’re actually in the physical midst of the game, it’s hard to turn around.”
