I remember hearing Jason Taylor tell stories about what the players did to stay on the field and the injuries they endured when there. He once got leg whipped, went home after the game and had trouble sleeping. He found that the only way he could sleep was to stand up on the stairs and lean against the wall. Finally, the pain was too much and he called the doctor. The doctor told him that if he didn't come in soon, he would lose his leg. He found out later that had what was known as compartment syndrome. Taylor also told of playing with a picc line to his heart, lines of players taking multiple giant needles of toradol, and various other ailments and pains.
The human body isn't made to play football, especially at the sizes and speeds of college and the NFL. The lengths they go to in order to get on and then stay on the field is harrowing and something that very few other people would be willing to endure. What is the tipping point on the amount of suffering the fans can live with? We will see.