Concussion follow-up

[John Adams]

The NFL is posting concussion warning posters in every NFL lockerroom this year. This is long overdue and probably still not enough. What I find most striking was this:

 

A pamphlet handed to players since 2007 said, "Current research with professional athletes has not shown that having more than one or two concussions leads to permanent problems if each injury is treated properly," and also left open the question of "if there are any long-term effects of concussion in NFL athletes."

 

What a complete load.

 

Here's the new poster article.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5412862

 

And here's the article discussed last year regarding how repetitive head trauma (at levels that don't cause concussions) has a true and awful side effect.

 

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10...currentPage=all

 

I love football still but wouldn't let a child play it for all the money in the world.

[justnzane]

Change is better in this context, imo

[Mr. WEO]

Not sure what the point of a warning poster is. What can be done?

[KD in CA]

This is long overdue and probably still not enough.

Typical reaction and to be expected; do the bare minimum to appease those who are easily fooled by the "at least they're doing something" mentality while continuing to bury the bigger problem.

 

 

"Current research with professional athletes has not shown that having more than one or two concussions leads to permanent problems if each injury is treated properly"

Of course they don't mention that 'treated properly' usually means not playing football for weeks, months or sometimes forever instead of going back out the following game.

 

 

I love football still but wouldn't let a child play it for all the money in the world.

+1000000

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Not sure what the point of a warning poster is. What can be done?

The poster is the NFL's "for the record" stance on the issue. More than anything else, it allows the NFL to "shed" liability.

[Dave_In_Norfolk]

I see this at the high school level. These kids are getting concussions all the time. Concussions where they are seriously unable to funtion for a few days at a time.

[Dave_In_Norfolk]

Not sure what the point of a warning poster is. What can be done?

Aside from banning the sport, or making them play without equipment, I don't see a solution. If they took those pads and helmets off would they be less likely to use their heads on tackles, etc?

[justnzane]

I see this at the high school level. These kids are getting concussions all the time. Concussions where they are seriously unable to funtion for a few days at a time.

 

This is the problem. This has been happening at the lower levels for quite a long time. They do happen. Hell, I battled post-concussion syndrome for a year before the headaches stopped. As much as it is a problem at the NFL level, where the collisions are more violent, every Pop Warner to Varsity coach should receive training in assessing a student's condition, and what they can and can't do for a long time.

 

FWIW, Mike Leach wasn't all that wrong for isolating Craig James son in a dark quiet room in response to post-concussion syndrome. Quite often you become so sensitive to light and sound, and you have some of the worst headaches you can ever imagine. Where Leach went wrong is not making some doctor/ athletic trainer make the call instead of himself.

[John Adams]

Aside from banning the sport, or making them play without equipment, I don't see a solution. If they took those pads and helmets off would they be less likely to use their heads on tackles, etc?

 

I am all for removing all the equipment and letting them just arm tackle like rugby. There would still be collisions but people would protect their heads better and you would minimize the head blows.

 

Again, I have no problem if adults want to scramble their brains but you can't do all this damage to kids. The kids have the least medical support, the worst coaching, and the most to lose--since the vast majority of them will get a million head blows without the pot of NFL gold at the end.

[Mr. WEO]

Aside from banning the sport, or making them play without equipment, I don't see a solution. If they took those pads and helmets off would they be less likely to use their heads on tackles, etc?

No, they will still be able to grab the other guy's flag.

[shrader]

Aside from banning the sport, or making them play without equipment, I don't see a solution. If they took those pads and helmets off would they be less likely to use their heads on tackles, etc?

 

You would think Kevin Everett would be all the proof they need to stop leading with their heads so much. People can debate the causes and effects of concussions all they want, but there is no debate on why he got hurt. Anyway, I don't think there is any ultimate solution to this problem. Concussions are always going to happen as long as this game is played, but they can definitely cut down on them and treat the ones that do happen far better than they do now. When that finally happens, it will go a long way to improving the longterm health of the players as a whole.