Sydney ( CNN ) -- Impossible to explain , harder to believe . This week a young man in the prime of his life went to work . He was the envy of many because he loved what he did , and was living a dream he 'd held onto since he was a boy growing up on a farm . He did not come home . A wall did not fall on him , a tractor did not overturn . Enough headlines have already told us that Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died as a result of a freakish accident . Hit on the head by a ball delivered at about 140 kilometers an hour . In this age of the relentless news cycle , story angles have been sharpened and pointed . Questions need to be asked . One in particular : Could the accident have been avoided ? The simple answer is `` Yes , '' but then comes the `` If only . '' Not just one , but a crowd of them . If only Phillip 's head had been at a different angle . If only his helmet had provided greater protection . If only bouncers were banned . If only ... the words are never more tormenting than at times of tragedy . Somewhere , hiding behind the obvious is a deeper , much more provocative contemplation : If only we -- fans , administrators , the media and players -- did n't encourage danger in sport . But we do . A fast bowler firing throat balls at a squirming batsman . A quarterback blindsided into the turf . Race cars bumper-to-bumper at 150 miles an hour . Unscripted theater . Why do we want to watch ? Because such moments are exhilarating . For the fans it is the most captivating unscripted theater . For the administrators it is dollars through the turnstiles , for the media it is back-slaps when the ratings come out , and for the elite athlete ? Well , he or she may not always enjoy every moment of it , but the opportunity to negotiate the fragile line between invincibility and fallibility is one of the most enticing challenges of any risk-associated sport . Phillip Hughes knew that . He felt it too . To see him kick up his heels and punch the air when celebrating a century was not the sign of a champion who 'd had an easy fight . When cricket administrators sit down and analyze frame by excruciating frame of Phillip 's last stand , they will see a picture that is much more complex than a split second of disaster . Nowhere has this become more apparent than in the United States where the NFL has discovered that playing fields stretch well beyond the turf to the courtroom . Legal action by former players over concussion-related brain problems is costing the League hundreds of millions of dollars . At the core of the issue are accusations that officials concealed the danger of concussions while encouraging players to get back on their feet and charge into the fray again . It 's what the fans wanted . It also made for good promo reels . And that of course helped the bucks roll in . Other high impact football codes across the world are taking notice . The days of smelling salts are over . Athletes are commodities . All elite sports have their own problems . Needles , Lance Armstrong , and the Tour de France immediately come to mind . And so does English soccer where justice is being sought for Jeff Astle . Twelve years ago an inquest ruled that he had died from brain trauma caused by heading heavy leather balls in the 1950s through to the 70s . Across many sports , there remain many lessons to learn . Sport is always evolving . These days , it is a multi-billion dollar industry . Athletes are commodities , mobile billboards with marketing clauses built into their contracts . They must do what their bosses tell them . Otherwise , it 's `` thanks for your efforts , good luck in the future . '' The pressure they face is immense . Again , Phillip Hughes knew that . He was on the brink of a recall to the Australian test team , the highest honor of his sport , his job . Now , he will never get that chance . It 's up to all of us to decide what that really means .
Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died as a result of a freakish accident . The 24-year-old was playing for the Queensland Bulls in an ODI against England at Brisbane on Saturday when he suffered what is believed to be his first serious injury since being drafted into Australia’s Test squad last year. Only if we did n't encourage danger in sport . Risk creates captivating unscripted theater for fans and dollars for managers . And allows elite sportsmen to negotiate the fragile line between invincibility and fallibility .