The problem with concussions

[DMD]

Shane Dronett article at CNN

 

 

Concussions are a huge problem for NFL players and one that often hits home most when they are retired and long out of the spotlight. The players claim the owners do not care about their health but the NFL has been trying to address concussions with more research and new rules which ironically some players are against.

 

From the article:

 

Usually found in much older dementia patients, CTE is an accumulation of an abnormal protein in the brain called tau, which is associated with repeated head traumas -- concussions or subconcussive hits -- that are not allowed to heal. CTE can also diminish brain tissue and is associated with memory loss, depression, impulsive behavior and rage.

 

....

 

Shane played for 10 seasons, first with the Denver Broncos and then the Atlanta Falcons. He played defense on the 1998 Falcons team that had a storybook Super Bowl run.

 

Chris said her husband never let a concussion deter him.

 

"Shane didn't come out of games because he always said NFL players are so expendable," said Chris. "And if you're not out there, the next guy will be."

 

Shane played through dizzying hits.

 

"There were times when he'd be slow getting up and kind of try to shake it off and get back in there," said Chris. "He would have headaches and he would say 'I wish someone would split my head open with an ax and relieve the pressure,' but it wasn't even an option to come out (of the game)."

 

It is somewhat true - miss games and you are only allowing someone else to take your job at least potentially. And it is not like they can go anywhere else and do anything else that can earn a fraction as much money as they get playing in the NFL. But without players fessing up to how concussed they are - what can be done? The new rules about holding players out are reasonable but they seem to only apply to a ball carrier that everyone witnesses getting rocked when he was tackled. No one watches linemen every play to see who gets a concussion. You do not even hear about a lineman getting concussed hardly ever.

 

It is sad to see ex-players suffering but what are they going to be able to do to prevent it when the players themselves are so resistant to being yanked from a game?

 

Makes you wonder if players should just be regularly tested for concussions.

[kpholmes]

It's sad, but that's just the nature of the business.

Players put their careers before their personal health. It isn't the organizations' faults that they need to send someone out onto the field to fill the empty spot - and if that player shows something and earns himself a more permanent role, good for him.

 

It's what drives a lot of players to start roiding - this perpetual fear that your entire career there will always be someone on your heels waiting for you to go down or slip up.

Edited April 1, 2011 by kpholmes

[BearBroncos]

Through science, we can find a problem with just about everything.

 

I remember reading a story just recently about many of the new laws coming into play in high school athletics regarding 2 kids who passed away due to concussions. 2 students passed away while well over a million active players have no issues what so ever but we now regulate, regulate, regulate.

 

There is discussions about taking athletics out of high school in general with the recent rash of students dyeing on the court, but again, there was what, 6 deaths for heart attacks out of the millions of active kids. They'd take the one thing that IS keeping our children and society somewhat fit out because of about .000000001% of the population has had an occurrence. No wonder we are getting fat as a society. It's ingrained into us that we might get a splinter if we play.

 

We are becoming a generation of bubble wap and goody tooshoo feelings.

[Bronco Billy]

Not sure how anyone can take this as a serious discussion without the inclusion of making the weaaring of mouthpieces mandatory by all players on the field. It also is difficult to grasp the players' stance that the owners simply don't care when 99.5% of them have the ability to make the decision to use a mouthpiece and opt not to. Does the league really have to mandate things like mouthpieces or wearing pads or using the most updated helmet for the players to wear them, rather than taking these very simple measures themselves to help preserve their own health?

[Brentastic]

Speaking of concussions - anyone think Austin Collie plays again? 3 in one season seems severe. I hate to see it with him too, I had high hopes for him in a keeper league. Sure as hell ain't keeping him now

[MikesVikes]

My kid got a concussion playing football. He lost quite a few games his junior year because of it. He took a hit during the game and went back in and finished the game. Some of the kids noticed that when he was calling the plays in the huddle that he wasn't making a whole lot of sense. Later we learned that the seniors on the team got the helmets that gave better protection. Yea, schools don't always have the money to save all of our kids and they have to make hard decisions all the time.

 

He sat in the dark room for a few days and wasn't supposed to think too much. I knew he was going to be like me someday.

[DMD]

Through science, we can find a problem with just about everything.

 

I remember reading a story just recently about many of the new laws coming into play in high school athletics regarding 2 kids who passed away due to concussions. 2 students passed away while well over a million active players have no issues what so ever but we now regulate, regulate, regulate.

 

There is discussions about taking athletics out of high school in general with the recent rash of students dyeing on the court, but again, there was what, 6 deaths for heart attacks out of the millions of active kids. They'd take the one thing that IS keeping our children and society somewhat fit out because of about .000000001% of the population has had an occurrence. No wonder we are getting fat as a society. It's ingrained into us that we might get a splinter if we play.

 

We are becoming a generation of bubble wap and goody tooshoo feelings.

 

High school athletic deaths are almost always caused by or at least complicated by some physical problem that the athlete had and was not aware about - ie. enlarged heart, weakened arteries, etc.. There are heat stroke deaths on occasion which alone should be 100% avoidable. While players have to admit to needing rest and water and resist at times to look like a "man", regardless the coaching staffs are always the most responsible for keeping track of their players and here in Texas I know at least most if not all high schools take overheating very seriously.

 

I also had a friend of mine who lived two doors away get paralyzed from the neck down for life in a high school football practice. But he was the rare exception and it was just one of those freak things.

 

But the problem with the NFL isn't about people dying or even single event injuries, it is repetitive concussions over a long period of time and each one is not allowed to completely heal. Makes you wonder if two bye weeks would help.

[rattsass]

As we push the limits of the human body through chemicals and advanced specialized traiining, it just seems inevitable that we come to this point. You can only get hit so hard, so fast, so many times. We have succeeded in breaking the boundaries of making players bigger, faster, stronger, but the means necessary to absorb the added punishment just don't exist, and probably never will. It is a problem indeed that is not going away.

[stethant]

Through science, we can find a problem with just about everything.

 

I remember reading a story just recently about many of the new laws coming into play in high school athletics regarding 2 kids who passed away due to concussions. 2 students passed away while well over a million active players have no issues what so ever but we now regulate, regulate, regulate.

 

There is discussions about taking athletics out of high school in general with the recent rash of students dyeing on the court, but again, there was what, 6 deaths for heart attacks out of the millions of active kids. They'd take the one thing that IS keeping our children and society somewhat fit out because of about .000000001% of the population has had an occurrence. No wonder we are getting fat as a society. It's ingrained into us that we might get a splinter if we play.

 

We are becoming a generation of bubble wap and goody tooshoo feelings.

Through science, the idea is to find problems and then solve them.

 

Athlete deaths from enlarged hearts, anomalous heart vessels, congenital arrhythmias, etc. are really rare. Your .000000001% number will miss the mark, though, with concussions - it's going to turn out to be somewhere around 1-10% of competitive athletes and may be higher for sports with head contact (football and soccer, believe it or not).

 

I agree with your concerns about the softening of a generation, but the problem is this isn't fighting a war, or building a community, or sticking up for your core values. In the case of the NFL, which was DMD's original point, this is entertainment. Do you really want to watch people injure themselves for your amusement when it looks like that injury may be an unavoldable part of the entertainment?

 

I love the NFL, but I'm really worried this story is going to get alot worse before it gets any better. My opinion in the last year has definitely changed. If players sat for a month after a concussion and were done for the year after 2, what would this do to the quality of play?

[osu1322]

Through science, we can find a problem with just about everything.

 

I remember reading a story just recently about many of the new laws coming into play in high school athletics regarding 2 kids who passed away due to concussions. 2 students passed away while well over a million active players have no issues what so ever but we now regulate, regulate, regulate.

 

There is discussions about taking athletics out of high school in general with the recent rash of students dyeing on the court, but again, there was what, 6 deaths for heart attacks out of the millions of active kids. They'd take the one thing that IS keeping our children and society somewhat fit out because of about .000000001% of the population has had an occurrence. No wonder we are getting fat as a society. It's ingrained into us that we might get a splinter if we play.

 

We are becoming a generation of bubble wap and goody tooshoo feelings.

 

I hate to say this but the main reason high school athletics won't be leaving anytime soon (at least football, basketball and baseball) is that the school makes money off of those sports. They are able to sell tickets, have 50/50, and sell concessions. Granted some of that money goes into equipment and lawn care etc. I don't believe for a minute that it all goes back into the programs.

 

School have high school dances for the same reason as they have football games to raise money for the school. The school isn't going to give that up without a fight.

[Azazello1313]

I happen to think that the players aren't quite as dumb as we're making them out to be here. the long-term ramifications of concussions are only beginning to be fully understood, with big leaps forward in knowledge over the last few years. the players now see what happened to guys like duerson and watters.

 

but still, in the heat of battle and all that, the teams and players won't be able to voluntarily enforce anything that truly protects the players. probably the best policy would be to have league doctors or something on the sidelines diagnosing head injuries and when they do there's a mandatory period they sit out.

[Azazello1313]

Through science, we can find a problem with just about everything.

 

I remember reading a story just recently about many of the new laws coming into play in high school athletics regarding 2 kids who passed away due to concussions. 2 students passed away while well over a million active players have no issues what so ever but we now regulate, regulate, regulate.

 

There is discussions about taking athletics out of high school in general with the recent rash of students dyeing on the court, but again, there was what, 6 deaths for heart attacks out of the millions of active kids. They'd take the one thing that IS keeping our children and society somewhat fit out because of about .000000001% of the population has had an occurrence. No wonder we are getting fat as a society. It's ingrained into us that we might get a splinter if we play.

 

We are becoming a generation of bubble wap and goody tooshoo feelings.

 

this is a red herring in the current discussion. the CTE concern is primarily for long-term, repeated head injuries -- which essentially limits it to pro athletes.

[DMD]

this is a red herring in the current discussion. the CTE concern is primarily for long-term, repeated head injuries -- which essentially limits it to pro athletes.

 

Exactly. CTE comes from having literally dozens of concussions and sub-concussions over a period of up to 20 years that are not allowed to individually completely heal. And it is not related to a pre-existing condition. CTE can be avoided by never getting head trauma or at least allowing it to heal when it happens.

[Chargerz]

CTE comes from having literally dozens of concussions and sub-concussions over a period of up to 20 years that are not allowed to individually completely heal. And it is not related to a pre-existing condition. CTE can be avoided by never getting head trauma or at least allowing it to heal when it happens.

I totally agree with the concept of allowing the brain to heal from a concussion before letting the player go back on the field. The problem is trying to determine when complete healing has occurred. How much time off the field is required? Waiting for the player to have no symptoms from the last concussion hasn't worked very well. It's possible that measuring brain proteins along with following serial imaging studies will tell us, but I have a feeling that alot more research is needed to determine when it's safe to get hit again. Until then, it's a crap shoot.