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 Kim Hughes died as a result of a freakish accident . Could it have been prevented ? Only if we did n't encourage risk in sport . Risk is captivating unscripted theater for fans and dollars for players . And allows elite sportsmen to cross the fragile line between invincibility and fallibility .