Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis

[-Slap-]

I just saw a report on REAL SPORTS With Bryant Gumbel regarding the long term effects of concussions on NFL players. Most of this information has been out there for awhile, but this 20 minute report did a very concise job of illustrating this very disturbing problem. It also encouraged me to research a little deeper and I believe this problem will get a lot worse in the next several years. Especially since the NFL is, predictably, in deep denial about current medical findings linking repeated concussions to clinical depression, dementia and the early onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Chris Nowinski played defensive tackle at Harvard. Nowinski and future NFL standout inside linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski formed The Polish Connection on the Harvard defense back in 1999. While Kacyvenski went on to become an excellent pro player, Nowinski chose a different career path. The Ivy League trained sociology major decided the best way to utilize his advanced education was as a professional wrestler with the WWE. Did I mention he's Polish? He was forced to quit wrestling in 2003, after suffering at least six concussions. When he began researching the long term effects of concussions, he became very worried about his future. He was concerned enough to write a book called Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis. That book and links to several articles by Nowinski related to the subject can be found at his website.

One player Nowinski learned about was Andre Waters, former safety of the Philadelphia Eagles. Known as Dirty Waters during his playing days, he had a well deserved reputation as a cheap shot artist. I feel sort of bad saying that about the guy because clinical depression, possibly related to multiple concussions suffered during his career, caused him to eventually take his own life.

The two saddest players in the piece were former Saints safety Gene Atkins and Hall of Fame Colts tight end John Mackey. Atkins can't recite a sequence of six numbers or the months of the year. He's in his early 40s. Early dementia is the diagnosis. He spends every day sitting in his darkened house, struggling with the same dark thoughts that eventually claimed Waters.

John Mackey's wife must care for him now like he's a small child. The man she married is gone, replaced by a shuffling and unknowable stranger, who's only desire is to get in the car and go somewhere, anywhere. He makes this request of her constantly during the course of each day. She had to invent an imaginary mechanic named Randy, and tell her husband as soon as the car is ready, he'll call and let them know. This answer will pacify him temporarily and then they'll repeat the conversation over and over again. The greatest tight end of his era, perhaps ever. It was tough to watch Mackey and his wife without getting a little choked up.

Ted Johnson's bitterness is a common theme from some of the younger players who are afflicted. He harbored deep resentment towards Bill Belichick and Patriots medical staff, saying they cleared him for full contact scrimmage just a couple days after he suffered a concussion, but has recently softened his stance a bit. Johnson claims he still feels lingering effects from the second injury and he fears the symptoms will only get worse.

The NFL admits half of all players who suffer concussions are sent back into the game in which they're injured. This is about the only concession they will make. NFL doctors contend concerns over head injuries are overblown. They refute any connections between repeated concussions and problems like dementia, depression and the early onset of Alzheimer's. The NFL refuses to test retired players for these illnesses, which is very consistent with their callous attitude towards their retired athletes. The NFLPA is, of course, completely worthless and ultimately complicit in this head-in-the-sand approach to the long term health of the men who helped build the multi-billion dollar operation that is the NFL.

[cutthemdown]

it's a simple way to see if there is a problem. You don't do it by having a couple sad stories of people who lost their minds. You have people that lose their minds to dementia and alzhiemers who don't play sports or have a history of concussions. You simple need to find the % of alzhiemer suffers that played football, then compare that to the general population. I don't think I saw that in your post but maybe he did find that and put it in the book. I'd say either way not much will be done outside of saying he these are the risks, you don't have to play football. Being a stunt man is dangerous also. I have a good friend that is a deep sea salvage diver. He's watched guy lose a saftey line and float miles down to their deaths. To tell you the truth I'm a lot more worried about the kids that play football for fun.

[Kaylore]

I think more research is needed and the league shouldn't refuse to even look into it. That they are suggests they already know what they'll find, or are scared enough to not want to venture a try. I do have some concerns about the older players and being to separate what caused what - especially considering so many took illegal substances in the sixties and seventies for performance or whatever. However I think a good, long study of former players is necessary to figure this out. An examination of concussions and their long term effects would benefit all of medicine, not just sports medicine.

A small step would be implementing stronger uniform rules, like making mouth pieces mandatory on all players except the QB and making the revolution helmets mandatory on players who are in the thick of things more often than not.

[Rock Chalk]

NFL = Big Tobacco Companies

[Rascal]

http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=56093

[Odysseus]

Great link Rascal. Great thread -Slap-

I think any fans who have questions about the price of this game we so love should go to the Hall of fame and talk to some of the old guys gimping around there. You be surprised who they know and what stories they will tell you.

I wonder whatever happened to Chris Miller?

[watermock]

You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

I don't care if Jay thinks he's invincible, if he's not in a revolution helmet next year we should rise up and flood Dove Valley. A goofy helmet beats the hell out of a goofy brain. The newer ones don't look as bad either.

If the NFL gave a rat's ass they would of mandated better helmets allready. Then you have the "of you brush a feather on the helmet of a standing QB, it's a PF. Jay took his concussion like a man, but IMO, shouldn't of been allowed back into the game, playoffs or not. Luckily, he didn't get hurt again or I would of gone postal. Thanks for coming to the rescue Jake. I've never seen such a "I could give a ****" performance.

I was an undersized kid on a terrible team playing FS and I got three concussions...the broken colarbone sent me into retirement at the ripe old age of 13. Heh...I also overworked my elbow pitching but that was mostly my fault and unrelated. Enough on my glory days. Heh.

The NFL should mandate new helmets, plain and simple.

[Tredici]

A few years ago SI did an article on the players who had repeated concussions. There are long term effects not as devastating as mentioned in the article but many players have constant short term memory loss.

It doesn't just happen in the NFL. There are guys in the NHL who have suffered the same fate, if not worse.

[watermock]

I'm old enough to remember when NHL players didn't even wear helmets! Or even goalies I can't remember the guy, but after he started to wear a mask at goal, he would draw stitches for ever shot he would of taken. Quite morbidly comical actually. Now they wear facemasks.

[p7superfly]

I have post-concussive syndrome from childhood stupidity, and general machismo including, but not limited to: football (multiple) lacrosse (multiple) skiing (multiple) landing on my head on a basketball court, my brother smashing me over the head with a tonka truck, and household accidents (too many to count).

It skews you toward depression. Makes loud noises kill you. Bright lights? Those are bad, and hurt your head, too. Frequent migraines.

They really mess you up - and it's pretty much permanent. They should do whatever they can to prevent these types of injuries.

[watermock]

I wish I still had my old Tonka truck made of steel. I think it wound up rusting away in the sand box with the crane. I had a really cool crane to load the dump truck with.

BTW, GI Joe is androgenous and wears panties.

[bendog]

Upshaw's a tool.

[p7superfly]

Originally Posted by watermock

I wish I still had my old Tonka truck made of steel. I think it wound up rusting away in the sand box with the crane. I had a really cool crane to load the dump truck with.

BTW, GI Joe is androgenous and wears panties.

Trust me ... they make great weapons.

Transformers > GI Joe

[B-Love]

Open up the Classic TV Broadcast library, and sell every game available for $50 each to anyone who wants to buy one.

Put 1/3 of the proceeds back into the league for re-investment, or other NFL business issues. Before anyone corrects me here, spare me the nonsense. This NEVER GETS OFF THE GROUND, without the league getting a pretty big piece.

Give 1/3 of the proceeds back to the Network's that originally broadcast the games, even if the network no longer carries games (TNT), etc.

Give the last 1/3 to the NFL Alumni Association, to help players in need like Gene Adkins or Ted Johnson.

Or break it up into tenths. 3/10's back into the league, 2/10's to the original broadcast network, and half (5/10's) to the alumni association fund.

This is the only way to help these guys, without raising ticket prices or other costs associated with todays game.

Just take a straw poll here. How many classic Broncos games would you buy at $50 a pop, if I knew it was going to great causes like this. ****, I'd buy 100, at minimum, within the first 3 years of it being offered. And I bet millions of others would feel the same way.

[orinjkrush]

great thread slappy. football needs to fix this right away. i dont watch the kentucky derby to watch barbero break a leg. i want to watch him run. same with all sports. we need to protect our athletes. change the rules, change the gear but stop with the carnage.