NFL Concussion Conference Scheduled (1 Viewer)

[Pickle Rody]

I attempted earlier to determine if there was a way to find out about prospective draftees and their concussion histories.....

Link

but it did not garner much attention around here. At the time, I thought it was an important issue to look into.

Yesterday ESPN reported that Commissioner Goodell has ordered all 32 teams to send doctors and athletic trainers to the first ever conference on concussions that will take place June 19 in Chicago....

ESPN-Concussion Meeting

Today, the Associated Press is reporting, in an article today discussing the scheduled meeting, that Goodell disclosed last week that the NFL will make baseline neuropsychological tests mandatory for the 2007 season...

AP-Concussion Summit

It's about time the NFL started taking a more meaningful approach to protecting their assets, don't you think?

 

[rascal]

Hopefully the mandatory tests will prevent future problems.

 

[redman]

Concussion? He's that Armenian QB prospect, right?

[/Merrill Hoge]

 

[Pickle Rody]

Concussion? He's that Armenian QB prospect, right?

Hey Red, you're such a joke-ster!! Although, concussions are nothing to laugh about. I would hope that these steps are going to have an immediate and positive impact on the future's of all athletes, not just football players.I was literally frozen in my seat last year when I saw the Trent Green injury happen over and over again on instant replays. He is lucky, IMO. It's yet to be seen if he has recovered fully though, as his performance upon his return last year was questionable at best. You had to wonder if there were some lingering affects from that hit still at play in and around his head.

 

[zDwinger]

This is a good move by the NFL.

 

[428143]

So, what is the solution? Two-hand touch?

 

[Pickle Rody]

I'm very confused as to why a serious injury such as a concussion is joked about? I don't see/read these kinds of insensitive remarks when discussing a torn ACL, MCL or PCL (or even a Lis Franc sprain.)

My posts are meant to prompt serious discussion amongst serious fans about issues that are very relevant to the sport today. If you have nothing relevant to post, why bother? And don't answer, I already know what your response will be.

 

[redman]

Concussion? He's that Armenian QB prospect, right?

Hey Red, you're such a joke-ster!! Although, concussions are nothing to laugh about. I would hope that these steps are going to have an immediate and positive impact on the future's of all athletes, not just football players.I was literally frozen in my seat last year when I saw the Trent Green injury happen over and over again on instant replays. He is lucky, IMO. It's yet to be seen if he has recovered fully though, as his performance upon his return last year was questionable at best. You had to wonder if there were some lingering affects from that hit still at play in and around his head.

I joke about anything and everything. Yes, it's a good thing for the league to do, but there are limits to what you can do to protect players from them. They're all getting bigger, faster and stronger, and therefore collide harder. As I understand it most concussions are a decelaration injury, and because you can't directly restrain the brain which is floating inside spinal fluid in your skull you are going to be limited in what you can to to prevent it from slamming into the inside of the skull when there's a collision. What they certainly can try to do is make people more aware of the effects of rushing back from a concussion. The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

 

[Pickle Rody]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

 

[Mark Wimer]

I'll never forget watching Wayne Chrebet make the final catch of his career - he was concussed - you could see his lights go out on the way to the ground - but his muscle memory/training kicked in and he made the reception even though he was, IMO, unconscious by the time he hit the ground.

Serial concussions are a very serious problem (IMO, way, way under-reported, too) in the NFL. There are a lot of players who, after their pro careers, end up with big-time neurological/brain disfunctions that have to be at least partially caused by the repeated brain traumas they endured as a pro football player.

Here's one story from the NY Times on dementia occuring among some retired NFL players and the league's response: 88 Plan Story

My .02.

 

[redman]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

There's an inherent conflict of interest, protective rule or not, in a team doctor deciding whether or not to clear a player to play. Even if he can't get "fired" for refusing to clear a player, a trainer/team doctor may not get rehired the next year if the team doesn't like how conservative he is. If they really want to do it right the league should designate independent neurologists in each NFL city, to be paid for by the league, to examine concussed players and clear them to play.

 

[Mark Wimer]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

There's an inherent conflict of interest, protective rule or not, in a team doctor deciding whether or not to clear a player to play. Even if he can't get "fired" for refusing to clear a player, a trainer/team doctor may not get rehired the next year if the team doesn't like how conservative he is. If they really want to do it right the league should designate independent neurologists in each NFL city, to be paid for by the league, to examine concussed players and clear them to play.

IMO, the league should have 32 doctors, one assigned to each team, to independently oversee the training staff/team doctors and to provide an instant "second opinion" to the players in question about their injury and appropriate treatment. These "league" doctors would be beholden to the commissioner's office, compensated out of league coffers, and report to him on the probity of the conduct of the various franchises and their methods of treating/rehabbing player injuries.

 

[redman]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

There's an inherent conflict of interest, protective rule or not, in a team doctor deciding whether or not to clear a player to play. Even if he can't get "fired" for refusing to clear a player, a trainer/team doctor may not get rehired the next year if the team doesn't like how conservative he is. If they really want to do it right the league should designate independent neurologists in each NFL city, to be paid for by the league, to examine concussed players and clear them to play.

IMO, the league should have 32 doctors, one assigned to each team, to independently oversee the training staff/team doctors and to provide an instant "second opinion" to the players in question about their injury and appropriate treatment. These "league" doctors would be beholden to the commissioner's office, compensated out of league coffers, and report to him on the probity of the conduct of the various franchises and their methods of treating/rehabbing player injuries.

I would go one step beyond that. These independent doctors should have absolute veto power on clearance to play, subject only to appeal to the league office by the player, team doctor or team. Again, this would be limited only to concussions.

 

[chris1969]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

There's an inherent conflict of interest, protective rule or not, in a team doctor deciding whether or not to clear a player to play. Even if he can't get "fired" for refusing to clear a player, a trainer/team doctor may not get rehired the next year if the team doesn't like how conservative he is. If they really want to do it right the league should designate independent neurologists in each NFL city, to be paid for by the league, to examine concussed players and clear them to play.

IMO, the league should have 32 doctors, one assigned to each team, to independently oversee the training staff/team doctors and to provide an instant "second opinion" to the players in question about their injury and appropriate treatment. These "league" doctors would be beholden to the commissioner's office, compensated out of league coffers, and report to him on the probity of the conduct of the various franchises and their methods of treating/rehabbing player injuries.

I would go one step beyond that. These independent doctors should have absolute veto power on clearance to play, subject only to appeal to the league office by the player, team doctor or team. Again, this would be limited only to concussions.

You really only need 1 doctor the teams could fly their players to him for exams.BTW concussion is the guy that got drafted right before incognito.

 

[redman]

You really only need 1 doctor the teams could fly their players to him for exams.

Yeah, but that leads to a lot of travel time, and if there is no problem then the player is missing practice or recuperation time. The docs need to be on-site for the games, and near where the players are. There's no NFL city that's too small to have a qualified neurologist . . . well, Green Bay might be, but Milwaukee's close by.

 

[Bri]

It's about time the NFL started taking a more meaningful approach to protecting their assets, don't you think?

I don't know what ya mean here.NFL paid Riddell a ton of money for a better helmet and people bark about the overprotective QB rules plenty. Kiwi+Young comes to mind.

 

[Bri]

The problem is, though, that it's the coaches who should be there and not the trainers because they're the ones who put pressure on players to get back on the field.

I totally agree about the coaches being the ones who accelerate the players status as "good-to-go." But, even still, maybe after this conference the league will hold the doctors and trainers more accountable, and give them more authority, (and maybe ensuring they do not lose their job if they trump a coach's desire to play a player who should not) thus ensuring the coaches don't circumvent their medical authority.

There's an inherent conflict of interest, protective rule or not, in a team doctor deciding whether or not to clear a player to play. Even if he can't get "fired" for refusing to clear a player, a trainer/team doctor may not get rehired the next year if the team doesn't like how conservative he is. If they really want to do it right the league should designate independent neurologists in each NFL city, to be paid for by the league, to examine concussed players and clear them to play.

IMO, the league should have 32 doctors, one assigned to each team, to independently oversee the training staff/team doctors and to provide an instant "second opinion" to the players in question about their injury and appropriate treatment. These "league" doctors would be beholden to the commissioner's office, compensated out of league coffers, and report to him on the probity of the conduct of the various franchises and their methods of treating/rehabbing player injuries.

Andrews isn't quite that but what he says is gold to NFL teams

 

[Pickle Rody]

It's about time the NFL started taking a more meaningful approach to protecting their assets, don't you think?

I don't know what ya mean here.

Yes you do.

 

[Bri]

It's about time the NFL started taking a more meaningful approach to protecting their assets, don't you think?

I don't know what ya mean here.

Yes you do.

nor do I understand the snip

 

[Pickle Rody]

No snip.....just thought it was obvious that I was speaking about the propensity for NFL players to get back onto the field rather quickly after sufferring a concussion and the fact that the NFL should do something about it (and just might, now that they are officially and publicly calling out all 32 teams to send their doc and trainers to a conference.......) You would have seen and/or noticed this, had you read all posts. Since you are here at the bottom, I can only presume you did, in which case, you knew what I meant.

Equipment aside, the fact remains that there are way too many injuries of this sort happening every year, and players who do sustain these types of injuries suffer a long time afterwards. See Andre Waters.

 

[Bri]

No snip.....just thought it was obvious that I was speaking about the propensity for NFL players to get back onto the field rather quickly after sufferring a concussion and the fact that the NFL should do something about it (and just might, now that they are officially and publicly calling out all 32 teams to send their doc and trainers to a conference.......) You would have seen and/or noticed this, had you read all posts. Since you are here at the bottom, I can only presume you did, in which case, you knew what I meant.Equipment aside, the fact remains that there are way too many injuries of this sort happening every year, and players who do sustain these types of injuries suffer a long time afterwards. See Andre Waters.

As I mentioned, the better helmet the rules to protect the QB have gotta help.The NFL can't make a more durable human body.GB the docs that developped all the ACL, MCL and microfracture surgeries etc as it's rough to think about Earl Campbell having trouble walking and all. Andre Waters, that's very sad. Utley and that guy from the Jets getting paralyzed....it is absolutely sad and tragic but I don't think the NFL is so much to blame for it all or just the one injury you mention(concussion).That aside, they have spent alot of time in meetings regarding concussions.I can't recall but ya can google and find it probably. When Young and Aikman were trading Supes and concussions there was a ton of different ideas and rules thrown about. Their golden boys getting concussions and it made Aikman retire. There was lots of discussion and suggestions.Ridell had a real interesting flash video on their site last year promoting their new helmet. The detail they put into it is far more than most imagine I'm sure. ESPN had a study a while back where they were trying to compare the force of a helmet to helmet hit compared to helmet to car, helmet to brick wall...and a whole bunch of things etc. It was staggerring exactly how much force one player's helmet can exert onto another player's helmet.The future NFL players seem to be bigger and faster and we fans like the smacks Landry and Roy Williams and Rodney Harrison give out and I'm just not sure the NFL can do too much more here.

 

[redman]

You really only need 1 doctor the teams could fly their players to him for exams.

Yeah, but that leads to a lot of travel time, and if there is no problem then the player is missing practice or recuperation time. The docs need to be on-site for the games, and near where the players are. There's no NFL city that's too small to have a qualified neurologist . . . well, Green Bay might be, but Milwaukee's close by.

To complete my thought, the other reason why travel time is an issue is that players diagnosed with concussion, and especially those not immediately cleared to practice and play, need follow up examination and monitoring. To have a Chargers player, for example, have to get on a plane every week to New York or Chicago or Atlanta - wherever the designated doctor is located - just to undergo a short follow-up examination would be extremely onerous and would discourage disclosure of the injuries in the first place.