First world problems: Athletes wasting money on stem cells?

Hello everyone, now that first assignment is done we don't have to do anything until the day the second assignment is due (that was a joke so don't worry guys!). This week I'm going to go off track and choose my own topic, this will probably happen every week I get the option.

The use of stem cells to heal injuries in the NFL has resurfaced this week so I thought I'd chuck my two cents in on the topic. Basically hundreds of injured NFL players are spending thousands of dollars, both in the US and overseas, on getting stem cells taken from their own bodies and getting it injected into injured knees, hips etc. The problem is this use of stem cell in injury recovery has never been properly studied so therefore unproven and may not even work. NFL teams refuse to pay the bill and hundreds of NFL players are having to pay for something that may not work.

Many are coming out and arguing that the NFL should fund a study on the affects this procedure has on athletes much like they did on the use of steroids and the long term affects of concussions and head trauma. This is much different to the other examples though, no one is suggesting harm can come through stem cell injection. The only issue is on the NFL players wallets which doesn't seem like much of a problem. These players get millions of dollars a year to train and play a handful of games so it's easy to dismiss the issue but still I wouldn't like to go to the doctor, and spend the same percentage of my wage, and be given orange peels to heal my broken leg (I'm assuming this doesn't work but maybe I've just come across a new cure for broken legs!).

With such a competitive sport any period on the sideline can lead to losing your starting job or even losing your spot in the team because some other player has shined in your role which is why this new procedure has got so many trying it. There are even rumors that Peyton Manning, yes the Peyton Manning arguably the best quarterback playing at the moment (a stupid argument because Aaron Rodgers is clearly number 1), had stem cells injected into his neck which had kept him out of the 2011 season. It seems anyone will give this new procedure a go in the right circumstances but I don't know if a loss in money for athletes is enough of a reason for the NFL to pay for an extensive study into the issue.

                                 Above is of course the infamous Johnny Football doing his
                                 money symbol, thought it was relevant here

That's my rant over
 Bye bye for now everyone