Who's responsability is it to stop an injured player from playing? (1 Viewer)

[Max Power]

Injuries seem to be one of the hotter topics talked about on this board. Everyone has their own opinions & experiences. We always seem to be saying the same couple things about injury situtaions. Why let him go if he is less than 100% or Management might hold him out to avoid further injury. List goes on and on.

So today I came across this paragraph in USA today. Talking about Dennis Dixson's injury.

The quarterback tore his anterior cruciate ligament during Oregon's Nov. 3 victory over Arizona State, according to coach Mike Bellotti, but he had rested it and felt as if he was ready to play Thursday night against the Wildcats. Now Dixon will miss the rest of this season.

I'll first start off by saying I dont follow the PAC-10 much, so all this was news to me. I dont know if the torn ACL was made public prior to lastnights game. However I can't help but to feel real bad for this kid. Like it or not, this injury probably cost him some money and a huige slide in the Draft.

My real issue is that shouldn't someone be looking out for players? I have a hard time beliving the Oregon Coaching staff and trainers didnt have second thoughts about letting this kid play on a torn ACL. Granted College is different from the pros and people should step in more to keep the kids healthy, but what about the pros?

I think the three big injuries right now are Harrison, LJ, and ADP. Seems to me that both Herm and Childress want to get their star RB back on the field as soon as he gets cleared to play.

On the other Hand a guy like Marvin is cleared to play and has stated that he wants to play, but still isnt suiting up.

I realize there are a ton of factors that play into why some players come back right away and other take their time coming back. I'm curious to hear what people think. Who should have the final say? The player, the coach, a doctor, management?

Thoughts?

 

[Smizzy]

It's got to be 50/50...the player knows his body...the coach has to be smart enough to know his players.

CHeck that...@ the NCAA level the kids should have less control...so say 60/40...the coaching staff has to have the final say

 

[skillz]

The team doctor should make the call. Ethically, you would have to think that they have a responsibility to make sure they don't put a player in a situation where he can seriously harm himself by playing when he isn't medically ready. The coach has an incentive to push the player into the lineup in order to field the best team and win games so he doesn't get fired. The player has an incentive to play before he is ready so he doesn't lose his job, or respect of teammates by not playing through injury. The doctor is really the only one that can make an objective judgment based on his medical knowledge. Of course, since the doctor is employed by the team, if he doesn't do what the team really wants him to do, he could find himself unemployed. The doctor, however, in my opinion is still in the best place to make the decision; if his employer wants him to violate ethical rules to clear a player, he may want to work somewhere else anyway so he doesn't risk his license. Not the most ideal situation but under the cirucumstances the doctor is still the best option of the three. Just my thoughts.

 

[Bri]

NFL teams believe if the trainer and doctor say you can play, you can play. Law says it's the player's decision.

 

[Bri]

I realize there are a ton of factors that play into why some players come back right away and other take their time coming back. I'm curious to hear what people think. Who should have the final say? The player, the coach, a doctor, management? Thoughts?

In terms of coming back, the NFL has some of the best doctors(due to all their $) available to them so the ability to properly give pain meds is there. I suppose they COULD make it not hurt, but they can't stop the person from causing permanent damage to his body with just pain meds. Several players, when retired, have had plenty to say about this. I believe Favre, when he was addicted to pain meds, was the first active player to bring it up to discussion. (while active) It may also have been his was the first instance people listenned to but... There's definitely a sense of urgency from the medical staff that players have trouble dealing with but again, we don't often hear about it til they're retired.

 

[Borat]

It's entirely up to the player. It's his body.

 

[Da Guru]

The team doctor should make the call. Ethically, you would have to think that they have a responsibility to make sure they don't put a player in a situation where he can seriously harm himself by playing when he isn't medically ready. The coach has an incentive to push the player into the lineup in order to field the best team and win games so he doesn't get fired. The player has an incentive to play before he is ready so he doesn't lose his job, or respect of teammates by not playing through injury. The doctor is really the only one that can make an objective judgment based on his medical knowledge. Of course, since the doctor is employed by the team, if he doesn't do what the team really wants him to do, he could find himself unemployed. The doctor, however, in my opinion is still in the best place to make the decision; if his employer wants him to violate ethical rules to clear a player, he may want to work somewhere else anyway so he doesn't risk his license. Not the most ideal situation but under the cirucumstances the doctor is still the best option of the three. Just my thoughts.

In the NFL most of the team doctors are paid by the team, plus they like being around the NFL scene so they will do what the team wants, not what is best for the player.

 

[fatness]

It might work better if the team doctors were paid by the league.

 

[Stealthycat]

the Head coaches do not make the call - there is a medical staff at each school that makes it I think and the reason is, to keep the head coach or the player from being held directly responsible

thats what came from Houston Nutt / Arkansas playing D Williams WR last year when he had a partially seperated shoulder. He player, medical staff cleared him to, and he got hammered and the injury went to full seperation. Coach HDN said the medical staff said he could play, so they played him

 

[Jene Bramel]

The team doctor should make the call. Ethically, you would have to think that they have a responsibility to make sure they don't put a player in a situation where he can seriously harm himself by playing when he isn't medically ready. The coach has an incentive to push the player into the lineup in order to field the best team and win games so he doesn't get fired. The player has an incentive to play before he is ready so he doesn't lose his job, or respect of teammates by not playing through injury. The doctor is really the only one that can make an objective judgment based on his medical knowledge. Of course, since the doctor is employed by the team, if he doesn't do what the team really wants him to do, he could find himself unemployed. The doctor, however, in my opinion is still in the best place to make the decision; if his employer wants him to violate ethical rules to clear a player, he may want to work somewhere else anyway so he doesn't risk his license. Not the most ideal situation but under the cirucumstances the doctor is still the best option of the three. Just my thoughts.

In the NFL most of the team doctors are paid by the team, plus they like being around the NFL scene so they will do what the team wants, not what is best for the player.

It might work better if the team doctors were paid by the league.

I wouldn't want the job no matter who paid me, that's for certain. The culture promotes playing with injury and I'm sure the physicians and trainers get ridiculous amounts of pressure from players and coaches alike. That'll continue regardless of who pays them. Like the GM jobs, you'd think that the best 32 candidates for the job would be working in these medical roles. But, like the GMs, it's highly likely that some staffs are populated by more competent and ethical folks than others. And I'm certain that some coaching staffs have better relationships with the training staffs than others.Ultimately, the final decision lies with the player (patient). There are certain conversations you can have until you can't tell someone any more clearly what the right decision should be -- I've had them with parents of 8 year old soccer "stars" and high school senior football players. Short of physically restraining them (which we'll do sometimes by hiding helmets for those with concussions), it can be extremely difficult to get an athlete (or their close caretakers) to listen to reason.I'm not sure the culture will ever change, given the role money plays on all sides -- players/coaches/management, but it's been refreshing to see the impact the concussion task force has had on the league. There are still shenanigans happening -- Zach Thomas does not have whiplash and simple migraines in all likelihood -- but at least these guys are off the field.