{"id":976,"date":"2012-07-30T16:05:20","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T21:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nflconcussionlitigation.com\/?page_id=976"},"modified":"2018-02-23T10:12:34","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T16:12:34","slug":"concussions-in-the-news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nflconcussionlitigation.com\/?page_id=976","title":{"rendered":"Concussions in the News"},"content":{"rendered":"

This page will provide links to articles discussing sport-related brain injuries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hidden gems that are must reads:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1) 1963 SI article, where the NFL is making player safety a priority by implementing new rules to cut down on the violence of the game, “Roughness, one of the ingredients that makes pro football so popular, can ruin the sport if it gets out of control.”<\/a><\/p>\n

2) 1994 SI article, where the NFL went completely off course — which may later come back to bite them hard — by appointing Dr. Elliot Pellman as the head of the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, “Concussions are part of the profession, an occupational risk….Veterans clear more quickly than rookies,”<\/a><\/p>\n

3) All of Alan Schwarz’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated pieces<\/a> that sparked the Concussion Era in football<\/p>\n

Oct. 13, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bears serious about safety? Then sit Cutler<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to make a statement about concussion safety? Take the decision out of the hands of teams and players. Institute an NFL rule requiring any player who cannot finish one game because of a concussion to sit out the next game as a precaution. Stop talking about how much the league cares about brain injuries and then letting teams treat them like sprained ankles. Passing a battery of NFL tests could return Cutler by midweek, but too many unknowns remain for anyone to feel too comfortable. The concussion Cutler suffered Sunday from the hit by Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins was at least the fourth of his career \u2014 with news archives suggesting it was his sixth. Regardless, the potential cumulative effect cannot be ignored for someone with Cutler’s history \u2014 not with the 49ers defense lurking. http:\/\/my.chicagotribune.com\/#section\/-1\/article\/p2p-73283280\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Oct. 12, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Styf: Bears played concussion by the book, but still put Cutler at risk<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But that doesn’t help the fact that Cutler was put at a huge risk by re-entering the game and promptly running down the field, diving and taking a hard hit again. In the science of concussions, there are few certainties. There’s more we don’t know than we know, especially about what causes long-term damage. What we do know is that an injured brain, like Cutler had, is more susceptible to further injury. The same thing happened in 2010, when Cutler remained in the game after his concussion against the Giants and was later removed at halftime. Much like Alex Smith, quarterback for this week’s Bears opponent, who threw a touchdown pass after his injury before being removed. What we don’t know is what it could mean for Cutler, or Smith, long term. People like to count concussions and think that means something. The reality is, if the concerns are long-term memory loss and health issues, the count doesn’t mean anything. Each player reacts differently. Some players have multiple concussions in a career and remain healthy post-football. Others are never diagnosed with a concussion \u2013 only repeated sub-concussive hits \u2013 and they leave football without their facilities intact.<\/em> http:\/\/www.nwherald.com\/2012\/11\/12\/styf-bears-played-concussion-by-the-book-but-still-put-cutler-at-risk\/aq1lxq5\/?page=1<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 9, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Crennel: Quinn didn\u2019t mention concussion symptoms until he was removed<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thus, coach Romeo Crennel said the Chiefs weren\u2019t aware that Quinn was injured until they pulled him from the game. \u201cSometimes, what happens in the course of a game if a guy gets dinged up and he\u2019s not acting the way he should act, other players around notice it. And then, when they come to the side(line), they\u2019ll say, \u2018Look at this guy. He\u2019s not quite right.\u2019 Then we\u2019ll take a look at him,\u201d Crennel said\u201cIn the Quinn situation, that\u2019s what occurred. The players noticed he wasn\u2019t right and they informed us he wasn\u2019t right. Then we looked at him and talked to him and found out he had an issue, and then he was taken out of the game.\u201d<\/em> http:\/\/www.kansascity.com\/2012\/11\/08\/3906733\/crennel-quinn-didnt-mention-blurred.html#storylink=cpy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Nov. 8, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chiefs QB Brady Quinn admits trying to play through concussion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the Chiefs quarterback admitted Wednesday to attempting to play through his second concussion of the season, which he believes happened when a defender\u2019s knee struck the back of his helmet in a game against the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 28. Quinn remembers having vision problems after the blow, but decided to remain in the game, even though he was dazed enough to put on the wrong helmet on the sideline between possessions. He never saw the Raiders\u2019 Rolando McClain while getting sacked later in the first quarter, perhaps augmenting the severity of the initial concussion, and recalled having \u201ctunnel vision\u201d and being unable to see the Oakland defensive backs when he threw an interception. It was at that point Quinn was removed from the game. \u201cThat\u2019s why I tried to stay in the game, because it was the first opportunity for me in a while,\u201d said Quinn, speaking for the first time since the injury. \u201cI tried to play through it, and that\u2019s my fault for not being smart about it.\u201d<\/em> http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/redskins\/chiefs-qb-brady-quinn-ruled-out-for-steelers-with-concussion-matt-cassel-to-start-again\/2012\/11\/07\/677e2a70-28ff-11e2-aaa5-ac786110c486_story.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 7, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL’s political action committee has doled out $876,857 in 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Few issues are more pressing for the NFL than concussions — at least judging by the league’s political spending. The House Judiciary committee held hearings in 2009 and 2010 about the NFL’s concussion crisis. Of the 41 members of the Judiciary committee that convened the hearing, 24 received Gridiron PAC contributions. When a new Congress met in 2011, 22 of 39 members received NFL funds. The league also poured substantial resources into lobbying lawmakers about head injuries and retirement and disability issues, spending $1.62 million in 2011 and $840,000 so far this year.\u00a0<\/em>An SI.com analysis of Federal Elections Commission data revealed the NFL spent most on members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee ($231,710) and House Judiciary ($175,500). Most issues facing sports leagues, from drug testing to antitrust issues, fall under the purview of one of these two committees — and the recipients of the largest contributions are frequently ranking members or the chairperson of their respective committee. <\/em>http:\/\/sportsillustrated.cnn.com\/2012\/writers\/melissa_segura\/11\/06\/donations\/index.html#ixzz2BY00ONTY<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 6, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Reebok-CCM Hockey Takes Aim At Competitor For “False Helmet Safety Claims”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hockey equipment company Bauer had made claims concerning a newly introduced helmet (the RE-AKT) that has revolutionized protection against head and brain injury. \u00a0One of Bauer\u2019s competitors is not thrilled with the company\u2019s stance that the RE-AKT is the only helmet that reduces rotational acceleration. \u00a0Reebok-CCM Hockey,\u00a0a subsidiary of the adidas Group and official outfitter of the National Hockey League, told Forbes.com that it acknowledges Bauer shares a goal of helping the hockey industry create safer equipment, but takes issue that Bauer\u2019s CEO has made \u201cstray comments and false safety claims\u201d regarding its new product. \u201cThe topic of head injuries in hockey is too important and of serious concern to the general public to be the subject of confusion in the marketplace regarding product performance.\u201d said Phil Dub\u00e9, General Manager for Reebok-CCM Hockey. \u00a0\u201dWhen I visit retailers, the first thing I hear is about the RE-AKT helmet doing something no other helmet does. Some of our helmets are better and superior to that helmet designed for that particular kind of protection. \u00a0The advertising is misleading consumers and retail customers. \u00a0The best helmet is the one that fits the best.\u201d <\/em>http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/darrenheitner\/2012\/11\/06\/reebok-ccm-hockey-takes-aim-at-competitor-for-false-helmet-safety-claims\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 5, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Jury Hooks Plunked Golfer’s Lawsuit<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A jury ruled Friday that a Texas golfer isn’t eligible to receive any money in his lawsuit against Pinehurst Resort and another golfer who hit him in the head with a shot. Businessman John Cottam said he was on the ninth hole of the Pinehurst No. 8 course in September 2003 when Jeff Dalton’s tee shot came soaring down the dogleg fairway and struck him in the head. Cottam suffered brain damage from the incident, his attorneys said during the four-week trial.<\/em> http:\/\/www.wral.com\/news\/local\/story\/1407851\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Nov. 4, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hornets coach Monty Williams doesn’t like the NBA’s concussion policy<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Davis isn’t allowed to return to action until he completes a series of tests to determine he’s no longer feeling the effects of a concussion. This means he wasn’t allowed to play against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. New Orleans Hornets<\/a> coach Monty Williams fired off some pretty choice words against the policy: “When you’re dealing with the brain, I guess what’s happening in football has impacted everybody,” Williams said before the game. “He got touched up a little bit last night. That happens a lot in basketball. It’s just that now they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers and it’s getting old. It’s just the way the league is now.”<\/em> http:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/blog\/eye-on-basketball\/20810625\/monty-williams-doesnt-like-the-nbas-concussion-policy<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 31, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Q&A: Exploring Big Ten research on\u00a0concussions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Q: What are the Big Ten and Ivy League trying to accomplish with their partnership?<\/em><\/strong>\u2028A<\/strong>: One, we are trying to get a better understanding of the burgeoning issue impacting all levels of sport. Football is what gets the most coverage, but it\u2019s really across all sports. It hits home with us as college athletics, but it reaches all the way to youth sports and up to the professional levels, as well. So we are trying to get a better understanding on what this issue is. We also want to put ourselves in a situation to gather some meaningful data that can be mined by some of the wonderful institutions that we have in our league and by the Ivy League and some of its research prowess, as well. We are hoping we can get our arms around this high-impact issue specific to college sports and also hopefully use some of the non-athletics research to better understand the issue for general society, as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: What is done at each school football-wise as far as trying to prevent concussions?<\/em><\/strong>\u2028A<\/strong>: In 2010, the NCAA mandated that each school had to have a concussion management plan on file. As a conference, our sports medicine committee\u2013which is made up of our team physicians and head athletic trainers for football and Olympic sports\u2013put together a foundation for Big Ten concussion management plan that was intended to provide a baseline for all of our institutions that said at a minimum: Here is what you should have included in your plan. But the schools have the autonomy to add and implement anything further that they think fits their institution. Along with that piece was a companion educational piece where each of our institutions are expected to educate their student-athletes, coaches and support staffs of each sport to what this issue is, what can occur if a head injury or concussion occurs during the course of play and how to manage that from a return to play and return to study academics standpoint. It\u2019s a two-fold approach. There\u2019s the plan that\u2019s in place and the expectation of education occurring, as well, on each campus.<\/em> http:\/\/btn.com\/2012\/10\/30\/qa-exploring-big-ten-concussion-research\/?cmp=user+shared+twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 30, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former NFL heavy hitter falls into homelessness<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Terry Tautolo was once a fearsome linebacker in the NFL. Then he was out of the game and homeless.This is a man who played nine seasons for several NFL teams. He played for the San Francisco 49ers during the beginning of their greatest years. But that glamour is all gone. It may have looked picture perfect, the 1981 49ers. It was a breakout season celebrated before huge candlestick crowds… “The Catch” shined a spotlight on a new NFL dynasty. But some names from that team are now long forgotten. The 49ers traded linebacker Tautolo during the Super Bowl season. After his career ended, he traded the stadium tunnel for a tunnel under a L.A. freeway. Tautolo became homeless.<\/em> http:\/\/www.wtsp.com\/sports\/article\/280281\/4\/Former-NFL-heavy-hitter-falls-into-homelessness<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 29, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking for Trouble<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One profound implication of the realization that repeated head trauma leads to a brain disorder that can make those injured violent, says McKee, is CTE\u2019s potential as a legal defense for people accused of violent crime. In fact, she says, some CSTE researchers have already been contacted by defense lawyers. For the time being at least, the CTE defense is kept from the courtroom by the necessity of dissecting a brain in order to identify the disease, but that is likely to change. Stern is working with 100 retired NFL players, all with symptoms consistent with CTE. At this point, he says, it\u2019s too early to say that there are reliable chemical indicators of CTE, but \u201cthe findings are interesting.\u201d Stern has also begun a study that will eventually involve 1,000 athletes\u2014500 are currently enrolled\u2014over the age of 18 representing many different sports. That study, which will follow the athletes throughout their lives, will consist of annual telephone interviews, web-based exams, and DNA analysis.<\/em> http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/bostonia\/campaign12\/head-trauma\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 28, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat A Man\u201d: Reactions To The University Of Arizona\u2019s Negligent Treatment Of Matt Scott\u2019s Concussion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There’s little doubt that head trauma can result in vomiting: the Mayo Clinic lists<\/a> “nausea or vomiting” as among the likely symptoms of a concussion, and 100 Questions & Answers About Head and Brain Injuries (available as an eBook through Google<\/a>) spends a section speculating about the cause of post-concussive nausea (it may be the trauma directly to the vomiting center<\/a> of your brain). Regardless of the reason, we know the right response: repeated vomiting in concussed adults means a trip to the emergency room. The same Mayo Clinic recommendations say in no uncertain terms that athletes in particular shouldn’t return to activity when signs of a concussion are present, and one might think that the grisly image of a player vomiting midfield might inspire an excess of caution. Not so in Tucson last night. The Arizona Wildcats were up four and threatening midway through final quarter of their game against conference rival USC when quarterback Matt Scott suffered a head injury.<\/em> http:\/\/deadspin.com\/5955530\/what-a-man-reactions-to-the-university-of-arizonas-negligent-treatment-of-matt-scotts-concussion<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 27, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

PRO BASEBALL: MLB LOOKS TO PROTECT PITCHERS FROM LINE DRIVES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The safety issue is on a “fast track,” MLB senior vice president Dan Halem said Friday night. “Hopefully, we can come up with something,” he said. “We’re making progress.” MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green has been talking to companies about protective headgear for pitchers, Halem said. A report is on the agenda at baseball’s winter meetings in December. A cap liner with Kevlar, the high-impact material used by military, law enforcement and NFL players for body armor, is among the ideas under consideration. Halem said baseball already was exploring options when Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy was hit in the head by a line drive last month, causing a skull fracture and brain contusion. “After that, it kind of pushed up our timetable,” Halem said. “We decided to fast track it.” “We think it’s possible for 2013 in the minor leagues,” he told The Associated Press.<\/em> http:\/\/m.gosanangelo.com\/news\/2012\/oct\/27\/mlb-looks-to-protect-pitchers-from-line-drives\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 26, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Earnhardt talks of anxiety caused by concussions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

He was examined and cleared to return by neurosurgeon and NASCAR consultant Dr. Jerry Petty on Tuesday, one day after Earnhardt ran 123 laps during a test at half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. ”I’m glad I did what I did. I’m glad I took the time off and made the choices that I made,” Earnhardt said of the decision to seek medical help that sidelined him and squashed his already slender championship hopes. ”I had to do it. I didn’t have a choice. I knew something wasn’t right.” Earnhardt missed races at Charlotte and Kansas, and said it was initially frightening to know something was amiss in his head. ”Some concussions are really bad, and I don’t care how tough you think you are, when your mind is not working the way it is supposed to, it scares the (expletive) out of you,” he said. ”You are not going to think about race cars. You aren’t going to think about trophies. You’re not going to think about your job. You’re going to be thinking about what do I got to do to get my brain working the way it was before. ”That’s going to jump right to the top of the priority list, I promise you.” http:\/\/msn.foxsports.com\/nascar\/story\/Earnhardt-talks-of-fear-concussions-caused-46465011<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Oct. 25, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL Liable for Ignoring Boxing Studies?<\/span> by Matt Chaney<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the contrary, seemingly damning NFL history could be turned back against former players, says Paul D. Anderson, Kansas City sport lawyer and founder of the widely referenced Website nflconcussionlitigation.com. \u201cYes, as I read through news stories I often see statements by former players, some of whom are plaintiffs, that could be used against them to show that they were contributorily negligent in the way they handled [their own] concussions,\u201d Anderson states in email interview. \u201c[If] litigation proceeds both the plaintiffs and defendants will be meticulously analyzing magazines and newspapers to find explosive admissions.\u201d Legal weight of news accounts alone typically ranks low, recognized by courts as \u201cdouble hearsay\u201d evidence. But Anderson qualifies historical news like the collection below as solid head start for both sides in NFL lawsuits that would proceed. And NFL strategy would likely involve attack on the regarded boxing studies. \u201cThis will be a significant portion of the litigation, assuming the plaintiffs survive other legal hurdles,\u201d Anderson states. \u201cEssentially what it will come down to is the plaintiffs\u2019 experts, who wrote these studies as far back as the 1920s-1950s, linking concussions to neurodegenerative diseases, versus the NFL\u2019s experts who will argue that these studies were nothing more than speculation. Moreover, the NFL will argue, the science is still inconclusive.\u201d Anderson sees hope for plaintiffs, noting \u201cwhere the concussion lawsuits have teeth is when the NFL voluntarily inserted itself into the concussion discussion in 1994 when it created the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee. The main question will be: Was this real science or junk science?\u201d \u201cSo far, the evidence is pointing to the latter.\u201d http:\/\/blog.4wallspublishing.com\/2012\/10\/24\/is-nfl-liable-for-ignoring-brain-studies-on-boxingis-nfl-liable-for-ignoring-boxing-studies-on-brain-damage.aspx<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Oct. 17, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Shaken up on the play”: The semantic loopholes that allow the NFL to survive its concussion crisis.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s the NFL’s own rules, then, that encourage the same behavior the league claims it wants to prevent. When Robert Griffin III’s health is in peril, fans, the media, and the league office carefully scrutinize whether the rules are being followed. If mistakes are made, the team is criticized. Fines will follow. Jay Glazer reports that the NFL wants “to prevent concussed players from getting pushed back on field.” But with regard to a no-name like Jordan Pugh, the Redskins and the NFL are a lot freer to do what they please, using semantics as a shield. Was Pugh shaken up? Did he have a head injury? A concussion? Two concussions? The NFL doesn’t have the answers, and it hopes nobody bothers to ask the questions. http:\/\/www.slate.com\/articles\/sports\/sports_nut\/features\/2012\/nfl_2012\/week_6\/jordan_pugh_concussion_the_semantic_loopholes_that_allow_the_nfl_to_survive.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The NFL’s concussion\u00a0conundrum<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The concussion conundrum is complicated and intricate, but one thing is clear: It is not going away. On the field, it will generate discussion of treatment and return-to-play issues every week as it is now with Griffin and Best. Off the field, former players continue to sign up as plaintiffs, seeing no downside with attorneys’ fees being contingent and not knowing what symptoms will develop later in life. With a 10-year CBA in place with the players, an eight-year CBA in place with the referees, new television contract extensions at record levels and skyrocketing asset values of teams (the Browns’ sale for $1 billion was approved this week), these are salad days for NFL ownership. The concussion conundrum threatens to be the major ripple to these calm waters. Stay tuned. <\/em>http:\/\/espn.go.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/8513300\/the-issue-concussions-nfl-not-going-away<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 14, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Junior Seau: Song of sorrow<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When Seau put a .357-caliber Magnum up against his chest and shot a bullet through his heart on the morning of May 2, his family and friends didn\u2019t find a suicide note. Instead, they found a suicide song. On the kitchen counter of his home, Seau, 43, left a piece of paper, on which he\u2019d scribbled the lyrics to his favorite country song, \u201cWho I Ain\u2019t.\u201d Co-written by his friend Jamie Paulin, a Nashville-based songwriter, the song is about a man who once had it all, but ended up making a mess of his life and is so filled with regrets that he can\u2019t forgive himself.<\/em><\/p>\n

I never made a deal with the devil, but I broke promises to the Lord.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tried to be the man I should, but sometimes I fall short.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a man of anger; I never meant to hurt no one.<\/em><\/p>\n

But there are things in my life, I\u2019m sad to say I\u2019ve done.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cuz I broke the hearts of angels, cursed my fellow man<\/em><\/p>\n

Turned from the Bible with a bottle in my hand.<\/em><\/p>\n

My only hope for forgiveness, when the good Lord calls my name<\/em><\/p>\n

Is that He knows who I am and who I ain\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t been to church on Sunday since I was in Sunday school<\/em><\/p>\n

I used to blame Saturday nights but I wore out that excuse<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sitting in the twilight of my younger years<\/em><\/p>\n

When I think about the man I was, it brings the man I am to tears.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cuz I broke the hearts of angels, cursed my fellow man<\/em><\/p>\n

Turned from the Bible with a bottle in my hand<\/em><\/p>\n

My only hope for forgiveness, when the good Lord calls my name<\/em><\/p>\n

Is that He knows who I am and who I ain\u2019t.<\/em><\/p>\n

http:\/\/m.utsandiego.com\/news\/2012\/oct\/14\/junior-seau-real-story\/?page=8<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Redskins could be in serious trouble for the way they handled RG3<\/span><\/strong>\u2032<\/span><\/strong>s concussion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So, it appears the NFL is going to lower the boom on the Redskins based on timing and semantics. A team spokesperson told Maske that the “shaken up” term was used before Griffin was deemed to have a concussion. “I’m not sure where that came from,” Mayer told Maske. “Obviously people other than the medical staff were involved between when he was examined and when that was said\u2026 It goes to the question of whether in the future, are we going to have to be more descriptive, not only with our medical staffs but also with our PR staffs and those who dispense this information to the public?”\u00a0<\/em>That’s a very good point, but if the ‘Skins are going to get blasted by the NFL for an error in terminology, why weren’t the Cleveland Browns fined for throwing McCoy back in a game last year when he was clearly concussed, and why was Calvin Johnson allowed to come back into the Detroit Lions’ Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings when the player himself said he did so when he was concussed? No matter what was said or not said, Griffin didn’t go back in the game, which puts the Redskins one up on the Browns and Lions in the player safety department.<\/em> http:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/nfl-shutdown-corner\/redskins-could-serious-trouble-way-handled-rg3-concussion-165755923–nfl.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 11, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ricky Watters lives with after effects of punishing football career<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Watters is among the legion of players involved in concussion litigation against the NFL. He said he had dozens of concussions, from the time he starred at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg, then at Notre Dame, then in San Francisco, Philadelphia and, finally, Seattle, his last stop in a 10-year NFL career. \u201cNot that I knew what a concussion was then,\u201d Watters said. How many times did he play without his full mental faculties? \u201cHundreds of times.\u201d Watters ignored the signs: headaches, fatigue, forgetfulness. His wife of 13 years, Catherina, was his fiance\u00e9 when he was in Philadelphia. The Ricky she knew was disappearing: the Ricky with a photographic memory; the tireless Ricky who always followed through. She begged him to file for disability. When the Eagles added Watters in 1995, they also signed Kevin Turner to be their fullback. Turner, who has ALS, is one of the poster children for the concussion issue. Turner never shied from contact. Watters did. And, that day, he defended it: \u201cI\u2019m not going to trip up there and get knocked out. For who? For what? I mean, there\u2019s another day.\u201d For who. For what. Maybe Ricky was on to something. <\/em>http:\/\/northiowatoday.com\/?p=43203<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 10, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Will concussion change Robert Griffin III\u2019s approach?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Howard Derman, a neurologist and co-director of Houston\u2019s Methodist Concussion Center, is the independent evaluator who examines Texans players after concussions. He said a \u201cmild\u201d concussion is a general term that usually means a player did not lose consciousness and, if appropriate recovery time is allowed \u2014 at least a few days without contact to the head \u2014 a player such as Griffin won\u2019t necessarily be more susceptible to future brain injuries. Within the first days after a concussion, though, the brain remains vulnerable\u2026. When Green missed the first half of the \u201907 season with a severe concussion, he decided to pay little attention to future risks. He had suffered injuries before, and coaches teach players that worrying about getting hurt is the surest path to another injury. So Green put his concussion behind him. He said he returned with the same aggressiveness and willingness to scramble, even if something told him that another big hit might again send him to the sideline.<\/em> http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/redskins\/will-concussion-change-robert-griffin-iiis-approach\/2012\/10\/09\/89ac5fea-1248-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_story.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct. 5, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

2012 NFL Concussion Report Week 3 &\u00a04<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Week 3 we saw some very vicious hits, one that resulted in a suspension, and relatively few concussions.\u00a0 We have only been able to unearth six this week and that may be all there is. Another interesting variable is the return of the official officials; this could be something worth keeping an eye on.\u00a0 Players have readily admitted that they respect the \u201creal\u201d officials much more and are less likely to take liberties within the frame-work of the game.\u00a0 If health-safety is a top priority and the officials have an impact we will see some results here in this cataloging of the concussions, perhaps. Week 4<\/em>\u2032<\/em>s injuries proved to be a bit easier to find, which makes sense if there were not as many concussions in Week 3. \u00a0Again, even though some players were being removed and even \u201cevaluated\u201d they are not listed as a concussion on the teams official injury report. \u00a0Here are the Week\u2019s 3 and 4 numbers (6 in W3 and 10 W4); http:\/\/theconcussionblog.com\/2012\/10\/04\/2012-nfl-concussion-report-week-3-4\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Oct. 4, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Powder puff game falls short of goal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The one thing different about Sunday\u2019s game compared to the past is someone got seriously hurt. Not that girls haven\u2019t gotten hurt in the past in these games, but I imagine having an ambulance come onto the field to carry a girl off is a first for LHS. Junior Sam Hubbard collided with a teammate late in the fourth quarter, and in turn suffered a severe concussion and was taken to Overland Park Regional where she stayed overnight in the hospital and was in intensive care for a period of time. To be honest, I didn\u2019t see the exact play occur, as it was on the opposite side of the field, so it was hard to tell exactly what happened. In any case, it was something that could have been prevented easily.\u00a0<\/em>Sometimes accidents happen, and if this was just an isolated incident, you wouldn\u2019t read me ranting in the paper today. This injury, unfortunately, was a long time coming. It was supposed to be a flag football game, but there was tackling going on all over the field and girls were violently thrown out of bounds. It \u201cappeared\u201d both the juniors and seniors were ganging up on girls from the opposite teams. So, who was there to stop this stuff from happening? Pretty much no one. Since I have been here, there has not been LHS administration present at this event, instead leaving it solely on the student council representatives of each class. There were parents, who volunteered to officiate the game, but they had no power to stop what was going on. http:\/\/www.herald-online.com\/sports\/article_2fc0c547-be0f-50f3-9cb2-a3e6621969ec.html?mode=story<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Oct. 2, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL questions Texans’\u00a0protocol<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Schaub\u00a0was\u00a0examined by Texans team doctor Walter Lowe, who determined Schaub had not suffered a concussion and that a tear of his ear lobe was the extent of his injury. Schaub\u00a0sat out one play. League and NFLPA medical personnel\u00a0inquired\u00a0as to why the Texans did not review Mays’ hit on Schaub\u00a0via the\u00a0bench TV monitor that is available to assess the collision. Dr. Lowe\u00a0explained he did not need the monitor because he had a clear view of the\u00a0hit from the sideline and understood its potential consequences, sources said. The recommendation from the league’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee is that a player involved in a significant collision should be removed from the field so the doctor can utilize the NFL Sideline Concussion Tool,\u00a0which has six basic cognitive tests, all of which must be passed by the player. On average, a medical source said, the test takes about eight to 10 minutes to administer. However, the league\u00a0has not\u00a0disciplined the Texans because of Dr. Lowe’s explanation and because the team has a strong history of letting its medical professionals\u00a0determine the play-time of players after an injury. Also, Dr. Lowe conducted further examination in the locker room after the game and Schaub did not display any concussion symptoms during the week of practice leading into Sunday’s game against the Titans. http:\/\/espn.go.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/8444942\/sources-houston-texans-queried-matt-schaub-quick-return<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 29, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Analysis: Suits in accidental deaths face harsh reality<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

New Jersey law makes it easier to collect large monetary awards in cases where a person has been severely injured rather than killed \u2014 especially when a youth is involved, experts say. It is a cold legal calculation based upon the need for continuing care versus the loss of earning power \u2014 one showcased in the story of Cliffside Park<\/a>\u2019s Douglas Morales, a 17-year-old who died as a result of football injuries in August 2008. The family settled this month with the Cliffside Park<\/a> school district for $125,000 and reached an undisclosed settlement with a sporting goods manufacturer who made the helmet Morales was wearing when he sustained a blow to the head. Compare that to the case of Steven Domalewski, a 19-year-old Wayne<\/a> man who was left brain-damaged six years ago after being struck in the chest with a line drive during a baseball game. Last month, his family accepted a $14.5 million settlement with the Louisville Slugger aluminum bat maker, Hillerich & Bradsby Co. of Kentucky, to help pay for continuing care. The company has settled other similar cases around the nation, including last year when an Oklahoma City family won nearly $1 million after a boy was struck by a line drive, leading to a broken nose and eye socket that required surgery to remove sinus cavity tissue in his forehead. http:\/\/www.northjersey.com\/news\/Analysis_Suits_over_accidental_death_face_harsh_reality.html?c=y&page=1<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 28, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

California law will aid hurt\u00a0athletes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

California will become the first state to mandate financial protections for student-athletes who suffer career-ending injuries in some of the state’s top college sports programs under a bill Gov. Jerry Brown announced signing Thursday. SB1525 protects athletes at the four universities that receive more than $10 million annually in sports media revenue — the Pac-12’s USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford. They will have to give academic scholarships to students who lose their athletic scholarships if they are injured while playing their sport. They also will have to cover insurance deductibles and pay health care premiums for low-income athletes, among other provisions. The legislation requires the universities to pay future medical costs for on-the-field injuries, providing student-athletes with the kind of guarantees that even some professional athletes don’t receive.<\/em> http:\/\/espn.go.com\/college-sports\/story\/_\/id\/8434081\/california-law-aid-injured-athletes-pac-12<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 27, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Negligence claimed in Valley Christian football player\u2019s\u00a0death<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The headaches lasted through the weekend, so Swank went to his Coeur d\u2019Alene doctor, Tim Burns, the following\u00a0Monday. Burns diagnosed a concussion and placed Swank on \u201cno practice, no play\u201d restrictions. The lawsuit states that Swank told his coaches about the\u00a0restrictions. By Thursday of that week, Swank told his mother that his headaches were gone. She called Burns\u2019 office and through a clinic employee he lifted the restrictions without a follow-up exam, the lawsuit alleges. The doctor\u2019s OK gave Swank the green light to resume practice and play in the Friday\u00a0game. Burns\u2019 office did not return a message seeking\u00a0comment. Valley Christian\u2019s 8-man football team traveled for an away game at\u00a0LaCrosse-Washtucna. During the game, Drew Swank played poorly. The lawsuit alleges he showed signs consistent with a head injury: \u201csluggishness, poor judgment and reflexes and\u00a0weakness.\u201d Rather than pull him from the game, coach Puryear summoned Swank to the sideline where he is alleged to have \u201cgrabbed him by the facemask and proceeded to violently shake his head up and down in anger,\u201d the lawsuit\u00a0says. Swank went back into the game and was hit by an opposing\u00a0player. It was a violent collision that witnesses at the game have reported made Swank\u2019s head whip back and forth before smashing into the\u00a0field. Swank got up and tried to stagger to the sideline, vomiting before he\u00a0collapsed. Medics rushed Swank to a hospital in Ritzville before airlifting him to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in\u00a0Spokane. <\/em>http:\/\/www.spokesman.com\/stories\/2012\/sep\/27\/negligence-claimed-in-valley-christian-football\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Concussions can ruin quality of life for young athletes, CHEO research finds<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Those suffering their first concussion reported an average of five moderate to severe symptoms, while those with a previous concussion experienced more than twice that number. When the patients assessed their quality of life using a standardized survey, their scores were surprisingly low \u2014 at about the same level as children undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. The tests assessed both their physical and psychosocial well-being. Dr. Vassilyadi released the preliminary findings of the research study Wednesday at the Brain Injury Association of Canada\u2019s annual conference in downtown Ottawa. He said the findings underline the potential seriousness of concussions \u2014 and the importance of trying to prevent them. \u201cConcussions used to be called mild head injuries, but I don\u2019t call them that any longer,\u201d Dr. Vassilyadi told conference delegates. <\/em>http:\/\/www.ottawacitizen.com\/news\/Concussions+ruin+quality+life+young+athletes+CHEO+research+finds\/7304117\/story.html#ixzz27fxmwP1P<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 26, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents of Cliffside Park football player who died during practice settle with school district<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The parents of a former Cliffside Park<\/a> High School football player who died after sustaining a head injury during practice four years ago has reached a $125,000 settlement with the school district\u2026. Dr. Sandra Gutierrez, of Roselle, noted that someone not fully recovered from a mild concussion, if hit again, could have \u201ccatastrophic\u201d results and concluded that he suffered from second-impact syndrome. She cited massive brain swelling, multiple brain herniation, hemorrhages and brain compression, as well as second-impact syndrome, as Morales\u2019 cause of death. \u201cCliffside [Park] High School is responsible for employing the proper staff, and offering them and mandating of them the proper training and attention to detail to ensure the safety of teenagers,\u201d Gutierrez wrote in her report. \u201cThey are accountable for the consequences of failure to meet these obligations. Douglas [Morales\u2019] death would have and should have been prevented had these measures been in place.\u201d http:\/\/www.northjersey.com\/cliffsidepark\/Parents_of_Cliffside_Park_football_player_who_died_during_practice_settle_with_school_district.html?c=y&page=1<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 25, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL Adopts X2IMPACT Concussion Management Software Seattle company provides NFL with new cloud app<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

X2IMPACT, a privately funded Seattle company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the National Football League to supply its Concussion Management System (CMS) software application for use by certain teams of the NFL during the 2012 football season. The X2IMPACT CMS is a touch-screen-based application built for iOS and Windows 8 operating systems and is equally suitable for use at the field of play or in clinical office settings. Harnessing the power of cloud computing, the X2 CMS securely serves concussion assessment data and provides authorized team health care providers with instant access to each of their players’ past and present information. http:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/id\/49159961<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 24, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The truth behind the death of Vikings legend Wally Hilgenberg\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

J<\/em><\/strong>ust days before his death in 2008, Wally Hilgenberg was lifted into a chair for one last family portrait. Daughter Kristi stood behind the former Vikings linebacker and held his head, so that it would not slump to the side. His two football-playing grandsons, Luke and Austin, flanked him on the front porch. Through 16 seasons and four Super Bowls, Hilgenberg had played a vicious game with a devil-may-care attitude. On the last Christmas he was alive, confined to a wheelchair and slipping to a point where he could only communicate by blinking his eyes, he gave each of his four children one of his Super Bowl rings. The preliminary diagnosis for his death at the age of 66 was Lou Gehrig’s disease. But two years later, doctors in Boston, where Hilgenberg’s brain was studied and still sits in storage, suggested something else: that Hilgenberg instead died from repetitive brain trauma brought on by more than 20 years of high school, college and pro football. Now, his family, which owed so much to football, is deeply conflicted by it. “Football is bad.\u00a0It’s really, really bad,” said Eric Hilgenberg, who played football, as his father did, at the University of Iowa. http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/sports\/vikings\/169912286.html?refer=y<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 23, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

‘Bounties’ split Tustin Pop Warner club<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Four months before the world heard about the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal, two Pop Warner football coaches in Tustin began offering cash to their 10- and 11-year-old players for making big hits and knocking opponents out of games, according to an assistant coach, a parent, interviews with players and signed statements by two players. Tustin Red Cobras head coach Darren Crawford and assistant coach Richard Bowman, whose powerhouse squad went undefeated during the 2011 regular season, told their team to target specific players on the youth football teams from Yorba Linda, Santa Margarita and San Bernardino, said then-assistant coach John Zanelli and three players interviewed by the Register. http:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/articles\/players-372404-zanelli-crawford.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 21, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL veterans with local ties sue league<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Legal experts say it could be years before the case is resolved. The NFL has said the discovery stage of the litigation alone might take until 2018, because the league will have to take depositions from all of the 3,500-plus players involved. \u201cThe parties are in for a long litigation battle,\u201d says Paul D. Anderson, a legal analyst who runs the website NFLConcussionLitigation.com. \u201cThis will likely take several years to complete. However, in high-stakes litigation, things can change quickly, which may force the other side to settle. Really, though, only time will tell.\u201d In the meantime, Brown and Johnson worry about their fellow NFL veterans who are struggling with neurological disorders as a result of their concussions. \u201cThis lawsuit is not all about the money,\u201d Brown says. \u201cIt\u2019s about education, it\u2019s about protecting others, and it\u2019s about cleaning up the game. It\u2019s also about helping former players. I mean, have some compassion for the players who helped build this game to what it is.\u201d<\/em> http:\/\/www.hpe.com\/view\/full_story\/20171633\/article-NFL-veterans-with-local-ties-sue-league-<\/a><\/p>\n

Sept. 20, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL players’ concussion litigation – new ‘Big Tobacco’ – moves forward in Philly<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Anderson, a recent law school graduate who is not yet a licensed attorney, viewed the idea of creating a site to keep people up to date on the litigation as a great way to break into the world of sports law. “In law school you get to learn the law but don’t really get to see the practical side,” Anderson said. Anderson shared his take on the current state of the concussion litigation during a recent interview. Citing a recent Pennsylvania Record story about Judge Brody, the federal jurist overseeing the NFL case, refusing to dismiss claims against the Kellogg Company by a former worker, Anderson discussed why he feels the football players’ litigation would at least make it to the discovery stage. “It appears that she [Brody] may be willing to allow the parties to get into discovery,” Anderson said, drawing parallels between the Kellogg case and the NFL litigation, with the judge recently allowing discovery to proceed in the former case. In the NFL case, Anderson said the plaintiffs would likely have to prove that their claims are independent of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA); the NFL would probably argue that there is no way to decide this issue without looking at the CBA. The plaintiffs, Anderson said, will likely argue that the case involves “straight up” common law claims. “It’s going to be a back and forth battle to persuade Judge Brody that she’s not going to have to look at the CBA and that the claims are independent,” Anderson predicted. The legal observer said there are no specific Third Circuit Court of Appeals cases similar to this litigation that would bind Brody, so it truly does remain to be seen how things will unfold from the bench.<\/em><\/p>\n

“In high stakes litigation, things can change at any moment,” Anderson said.\u00a0<\/em>http:\/\/www.legalnewsline.com\/spotlight\/237346-nfl-players-concussion-litigation—new-big-tobacco—moves-forward-in-philly<\/a><\/p>\n

Family sues Highland School District over son\u2019s brain injuries<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Preventing preventable brain injuries in sports is what this case is about,” said Richard Adler, who is representing the Newman family and is also a board member of the Brain Injury Association of Washington, which teamed up with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the NFL and others to help pass the law. “We\u2019re just hoping everybody can learn a little something, or a lot, from what happened here.” Mark Anderson, superintendent of the Highland School District in Cowiche, 10 miles northwest of Yakima, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The suit did not cite a damage figure. Matthew Newman was 17 years old and the starting quarterback for Highland when he was injured during a game against Naches Valley on Sept. 18, 2009. Coaches later said Newman popped up after being hit, ran a pass play then appeared to have difficulty focusing when the next play was called in. When he complained of numbness in his legs and a headache, medics were summoned to the field. http:\/\/www.yakima-herald.com\/stories\/2012\/09\/19\/family-sues-highland-school-district-over-sons-brain-injuries<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 19, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Replacement officials starting to raise risks but NFL remains unmoved<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

During the game, they made like a bad call or something, the ref, and I see Ray Lewis like pump his chest up, trying to scare him,” McCoy said. “Don’t you know (the ref) started stuttering? I’m like, ‘What’s this?'” There are many other examples. “There’s a lot of people in the league that would rather break the (referees) union,” Hall of Famer Steve Young said after the Monday night debacle. ” … They feel like (officiating) is a commodity. But more importantly, everything about the NFL now is inelastic for demand. There’s nothing (it) can do to hurt the demand for the game. So, the bottom line is they don’t care. Player safety? Doesn’t matter in this case. Bringing in Division III officials? Doesn’t matter. Because in the end, you’re still going to watch the game.” “It’s sad. This is so sad. It’s hard to watch,” said one referee source. “It’s an insult to the profession and to the men who worked 20 years to be professionals. After this weekend’s catastrophes the (NFLRA’s) phones should have been ringing off the hook (Tuesday) morning. Paul (former commissioner Paul Tagliabue) wouldn’t have ever let it come to this. Under Roger (Goodell), the owners have become arrogant, power-crazed. “I’ve been around the league a long time, and this isn’t how it was. And what it was is how it got to be so good. They aren’t open to real negotiations in any sense. It’s about busting a union just because they can. This has to stop. Someone has to be the voice of reason, and soon. They’re playing Russian roulette. Someone told me it’s going to take career-ending injury to a franchise quarterback to get them to have a reasonable conversation. That makes it hard to sleep at night.” http:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nfl\/story\/20223122\/replacement-officials-starting-to-raise-risks-but-nfl-remains-unmoved<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 18, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former CFLer Doug MacIver had CTE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

At 58, MacIver was suffering from \u201cmoderately advanced\u201d chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died Jan. 26. His condition would have worsened had he lived\u2026.Doctors said an external examination of MacIver\u2019s brain showed no abnormalities. Once dissected, the inside of the brain told a different story.\u2026.\u201cIt\u2019s safe to say brain trauma is the only known cause for CTE,\u201d said Chris Nowinski, CSTE co-director, who declined to speak directly about the MacIver case but did underline its importance. \u201cMost everything we\u2019ve learned the last two years has come through studying the brains of athletes and others,\u201d added Nowinski, a former professional wrestler. \u201cWe learn something new from every case because each individual is unique.\u201d http:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/sports\/football\/former-cfler-doug-maciver-had-cte\/article4550558\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 13, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

North Hollywood High student gets $2.4 million over broken neck during football tryout<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A North Hollywood High student who suffered a broken neck during a football tryout has been awarded $2.4 million in an arbitration judgment against Los Angeles Unified.\u00a0<\/em>Johnny Rider was not wearing a helmet or other protective gear when he ran head first into padded blocking bags during the tryout in July 2008, according to the decision issued Friday by court arbitrator Alexander Williams III. Although he was not paralyzed, Rider suffered a cervical spine fracture that required surgery. http:\/\/www.dailynews.com\/ci_21465174\/north-hollywood-high-student-gets-2-4-million?source=most_viewed<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sifton teen guilty of setting his home on fire<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The question before a Clark County judge on Wednesday: Did the Sifton teenager’s brain injury prevent him from forming the legal intent to commit first-degree arson? Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis said the evidence was clear: Smith acted “knowingly and maliciously.” “He intended to do it,” the judge said. “He was aware his actions were going to cause the fire.” After hearing testimony in the daylong trial, Lewis found Smith, now 17, guilty of first-degree arson. The teen will be sentenced on Oct. 2. In juvenile court, judges, not juries, decide a defendant’s fate. The judge heard testimony that Smith allegedly set the fire after fetching a gas can from an outside shed and pouring the flammable liquid into a cup to bring inside the house. Then, he dumped the gas into a recycling bin, igniting the fire.\u00a0http:\/\/www.columbian.com\/news\/2012\/sep\/12\/teen-guilty-of-setting-his-home-on-fire\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 12, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Court Sacks NFL Retiree’s Disability Benefits Claim<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The NFL does not owe “Mean” Gene Atkins extra retirement disability benefits for injuries he claims stem from his 10-year career in professional football, the 5th Circuit ruled Tuesday.\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A three-judge panel declined to revive a federal lawsuit filed by Atkins, a former cornerback and safety with the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints.\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In July 2010, Atkins sued <\/a>the Bert Bell\/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan, the NFL Supplemental Disability Plan and the Management Trustees of the NFL Player Retirement Plan in Austin Federal Court, claiming they “are liable to him for additional disability benefi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0ts because his disabilities arise from his 10-year NFL career.”\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In his claim for disability benefits, Atkins listed a right shoulder injury; chronic pain in his shoulder, head, neck, arms and hands; mood swings and depression – all of which he attributes to his career in professional football from 1987 until 1996.\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Atkins said he worked at a Target store for a few months but had to stop due to “crippling headaches, shoulder and neck pain, limited range of motion, and numbness in his hands.”\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The retirement board referred his claim to a clinical neuropsychologist, who concluded that Atkins suffered from illiteracy, borderline mental ability and depression, none of which could be directly tied to football.\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The board then decided that Atkins was eligible for “inactive” player disability benefits, rather than the more generous “football degenerative” benefits he sought. Atkins was unable to persuade the board to reclassify his disability benefits. http:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/2012\/09\/11\/50173.htm<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sept. 11, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Searing Concussion Claim Against Texas High School Football Coach<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A high school football coach and school district showed “no concern” for a player who suffered so many concussions he is permanently disabled at age 20, the man claims in Federal Court.\u2028\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Blake Allen Ripple sued Marble Falls Independent School District and Cord Woerner, his former head football coach and athletic director at Marble Falls High.\u2028Ripple says he is so disabled he cannot even go to a rehab center “due to constant vomiting.”\u2028\u00a0Marble Falls is about 45 miles northwest of Austin.\u2028”At one time Ripple was a National Honor Society Student and ‘Academic All-District,'” the complaint states. “Now he is unable to live independently, let alone go to college. At one time was one of the highest rated linemen in the Central Texas area and was receiving interest for scholarships from a number of Division I colleges.”<\/em> http:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/2012\/09\/11\/50158.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Head injuries take center stage Saturday, but what can be changed?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s getting more and more close to a motor vehicle accident,” said veteran college athletic trainer Robb Williams who has experience with the NFL, Major League Baseball and Olympics. “It’s not quite like that, it’s become more and more like bull riding. It’s not if [a serious head injury] is going to occur, it’s when.” In the name of quality football, then, we’re apparently willing to put up with a lot more carnage. While advances in treatment, medicine and awareness have reduced the overall number of cervical cord injuries in recent years, it has been less than two years since Rutgers’ Eric LeGrand was paralyzed. Last year, Louisville’s Anthony Conner broke his neck and recovered. On Saturday alone, though, Wyoming’s Smith was knocked unconscious. Wilson’s availability is unknown for Arkansas’ SEC opener against No. 1 Alabama. Let’s hope that Walker doesn’t become another paralysis statistic. http:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/collegefootball\/story\/20142126\/head-injuries-take-center-stage-saturday-but-what-can-be-changed<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 10, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Getting their bell rung<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In MMA, fighters who get knocked out are forced in some states to sit out, at the minimum, 30-day mandatory suspensions. In other state governing bodies, such fighters can be held out of competition for 90 days. Does it seem odd that when it comes to college athletes, players who get knocked out may be allowed back into action in a week?… Rolle said this is why the debate over paying college athletes gets so heated. \u201cWe feel like we were treated like commodities and there are some huge risks that you take. “I started seeing more and more brain diseases pop up over and over again. More studies are coming out. Obviously, they aren’t universally conclusive, but as a player, you hear about it and you read about it, but you can’t really think about it when you’re on the field, because it’s gonna slow you down.\u201d http:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/collegefootball\/blog\/bruce-feldman\/20140521\/getting-their-bell-rung<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 8, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Why concussions won\u2019t bring down the NFL<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

What we do not know is why it affects Dave Duerson one way and Gary Fencik another. Duerson deteriorated so quickly, yet hard-hitting teammate Fencik still sounds and acts like the same kid who came out of Yale 36 years ago. What we do not is why NHL enforcers such as Wade Belak (age 35), Derek Boogaard (28) and Rick Rypien (27) all died in the summer of 2011 from issues related to their NHL careers, yet Keith Magnuson \u2014 who probably took as many punches as anyone ever has in hockey \u2014 was as sharp as a 20-year-old at 56, before his death in a car accident while a passenger in 2003. What we do not know is why Muhammad Ali is as he is, yet Lennox Lewis at 47 speaks the King\u2019s English as properly as he did \u2014 perhaps even better \u2014 than when he became a professional boxer. What we absolutely do know is that getting hit in the head repeatedly is bad, something your mother probably ingrained in you by the time you were 10. But there\u2019s absolutely no understanding of why it doesn\u2019t impact some as much as others. http:\/\/www.dailyherald.com\/article\/20120908\/sports\/709099915\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 5, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Roger Goodell on player safety: ‘We all have to do more’<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The NFL announced the largest donation in its history on Wednesday — $30 million to the National Institutes to Health. The funding is to be used at the discretion of NIH, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This act of generosity was not generated in a vacuum. Last week, the league announced a partnership with the U.S. Army in pursuit of a similar core goal — gaining a greater knowledge of the brain injuries that affect players and soldiers. Around the same time, the league filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking damages for 3,400 ex-players and family members who assert the league has been negligent in dealing with concussions.The latest initiative has earmarked money not just to help football players, but athletes across all sports, and will help establish the new Sports and Health Research Program within the NIH. On the eve of the landmark move, Commissioner Roger Goodell sat down to speak with NFL.com. http:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/story\/0ap1000000058439\/article\/roger-goodell-on-player-safety-we-all-have-to-do-more?module=HP11_headline_stack<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

NFL circus comes back under growing concussion\u00a0cloud<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Every week, there is more. More about how many concussions are hidden, how many cannot be hidden, how little anybody can do to stop them without significant alterations in the game itself. There are more stories emerging about high school players who suffered concussions, became depressed and committed suicide. There is the slow drumbeat of suicides by former players: Terry Long, Ray Easterling, Dave Duerson, Junior Seau. The first three were suffering from various stages of dementia; the latter two shot themselves in the chest rather than the head, and Duerson said in a suicide note that he wanted to donate his brain to be studied for evidence of trauma. Seau didn\u2019t leave a note. http:\/\/sports.nationalpost.com\/2012\/09\/04\/nfl-circus-comes-back-under-growing-concussion-cloud\/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 4, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My Personal Struggle With The Future of Football<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I realized this weekend, during college football\u2019s opening weekend, that I can\u2019t watch the game the way I used to. Not after a summer filled with reports about the dangers of the game, a suicide perhaps caused by concussion-related depression, and a dispute over player safety. I notice every bone-crushing hit, every whip of the head, every helmet-to-helmet clash in a way I never have before, and I wince not just because my favorite team\u2019s best player might be hurt, but because somewhere, at some level, young men are racking up seemingly routine hits that will affect them for the rest of their lives.\u00a0<\/em>The thing that makes me wince hardest, though, is that I still watch.\u00a0<\/em>Football isn\u2019t our most beautiful game, but it is our most pure. It combines speed, grace, and unadulterated brutality in a way that no other sport does, and there is something uniquely attractive about that. But I\u2019m starting to question whether I should find that attractive, or whether I should even watch at all. http:\/\/thinkprogress.org\/alyssa\/2012\/09\/04\/788901\/my-personal-struggle-with-the-future-of-football\/?mobile=nc<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Sept. 1 ,2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Football harms; colleges must help<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Colleges sell dreams and ignore nightmares. Few student athletes are given comprehensive insurance for varsity athletic injuries. Many have inadequate policies. And college athletics nearly ignores the need for lifelong disability policies to cover paralysis or concussive dementia.The NCAA tacitly allows teams to balance students’ health with the teams’ interest rather than insisting that programs be designed to ensure that students’ health always comes first. Its policies with regard to preathletic assessments or helmet sensors to monitor concussive force are nonexistent or lax. By not requiring colleges to provide comprehensive and long-lasting insurance, it has pushed the cost of students’ injuries and disabilities onto students, their parents and society at large. http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/opinion\/168215406.html?refer=y<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Longform Guide to Football in Crisis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Journalists\u2019 interest in football violence is nothing new, as this grim illustration<\/a> from an 1891 issue of Harper\u2019s proves. But over the last few years, as the science has improved and the suicides have mounted, the NFL\u2019s concussion crisis has become something of its own beat. An issue that didn\u2019t exist 10 years ago is now inextricably linked with the sport\u2019s future, and reporters across the country have been trying to make sense of it. Some highlights:\u00a0http:\/\/www.slate.com\/articles\/sports\/longform\/2012\/09\/football_concussions_and_what_they_mean_for_the_sport_s_future_a_longform_guide_.html?tid=sm_tw_button_toolbar<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 31, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former USC lineman Armond Armstead sues school, others<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Former USC football player Armond Armstead filed a lawsuit against the school and other defendants Thursday, claiming he received improperly administered painkilling injections that caused him to suffer a heart attack and hurt his chances for an NFL career. The University Park Health Center and James Tibone, the Trojans’ team physician, and an unnamed pharmaceutical company also are named as defendants in a 38-page lawsuit that was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit also claims that USC representatives concealed the injections from other physicians and also hindered Armstead’s attempt to transfer to another school for his senior season and to be drafted by an NFL team. http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/sports\/college\/usc\/la-sp-0831-usc-armstead-lawsuit-20120831,0,1548637.story<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 30, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Game Over<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This fall, for the first time I can remember, I won\u2019t be watching football. I\u2019m going to miss it. I\u2019m going to miss sack dances and perfect spirals; leggy cheerleaders in long boots and creeping stadium shadows in the late afternoon; self-serious, mansplainin\u2019 studio analysts and the flexing, glowering Fox football robot. I\u2019m going to miss thrilling to Tim Tebow\u2019s game-winning overtime touchdown toss in last year\u2019s playoffs; I\u2019m going to miss giggling at, like, 75 percent of his other passes. Mostly, I\u2019ll miss the escape.\u00a0\u2026. Currently, about 3,000 former players and surviving family members are suing the NFL, essentially attempting to hold the league liable. I have no idea if the plaintiffs will win in court. I know they have a moral case. I also know that the various lawsuits — and really, anyone who cares about football should try reading a few — make it awfully hard for me to feel good about the sport, about all the rationalizations that go in to being an informed, socially-aware football fan: http:\/\/www.sportsonearth.com\/article\/37580666\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Teams face workers’ comp\u00a0threat<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

More than anything else, said one insurance broker who has worked with an NFL team on its workers’ compensation benefits, the workers’ compensation reality could be the one item that forces significant changes to how the game is played on the field. Linemen, for example, might not be allowed to crash into each other from three-point stances in the near future, said Duke Niedringhaus of J.W. Terrill, a St. Louis-based insurance firm that has brokered workers’ compensation insurance for NFL teams. And while others disagree with that assessment, there is agreement among insurance, NFL and legal sources that workers’ compensation issues are yet another looming financial cloud for teams. http:\/\/espn.go.com\/espn\/otl\/story\/_\/id\/8316657\/nfl-teams-facing-large-bills-related-workers-compensation-claims-head-injuries<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 29, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bryan Namoff files $12 million lawsuit against D.C. United, claiming medical negligence involving career-ending concussion in 2009 MLS match<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The complaint, filed in D.C. Superior Court, alleges United was \u201cnegligent in its management, care and treatment\u201d of Namoff after he was injured in a game at RFK Stadium on Sept. 9, 2009. He played three days later, which ultimately was the final appearance of his nine-year career. Namoff, now 33, says he suffered brain damage and cognitive, memory and sensory loss. He also has permanent headaches and fatigue, sleep problems and hypersensitivity to motion, the lawsuit says. Namoff\u2019s wife Nadine is a co-plaintiff. They are seeking $10 million for medical negligence and $2 million for the impact on their marriage. Namoff has not been able to work in two years and has continued to incur medical expenses. http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/soccer-insider\/post\/bryan-namoff-files-12-million-lawsuit-against-dc-united-claiming-medical-negligence-involving-career-ending-concussion-in-2009-mls-match\/2012\/08\/29\/786b86c6-f1db-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

League seeks to dismiss\u00a0lawsuits<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The two sides will have until mid-December to argue their case. “The judge’s job is to determine whether the players’ claims arise out of the collective bargaining agreement or if those claims are independent of the agreement itself,” said Paul D. Anderson, a legal analyst who runs the website NFLConcussionLitigation.com. If the players prevail and the lawsuit proceeds, the NFL already has said it would need about six years to determine the viability of each plaintiff in the case before proceeding to trial. Since 2007, the NFL has offered those players whose head injuries have resulted in dementia to enroll in the 88 Plan, named after John Mackey, a former tight end who suffered from the symptoms. The plan pays for $100,000 a year worth of medical costs if the ex-player is living in a hospital or an assisted living community, and $88,000 a year if he is living at home. Since 2007, the league says it has distributed more than $18.6 million to former players. http:\/\/espn.go.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/8314320\/nfl-seeks-dismiss-more-140-concussion-lawsuits<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 28, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NFL Youth Football Fund faces\u00a0crisis<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, with youth football in peril due to the health and safety concerns of parents, the piggy bank is almost empty. An ESPN review of tax forms for the non-profit NFL Youth Football Fund shows that nearly all of the $175 million endowment has been spent. Forced to dip into its reserves after NFL support was halted, the foundation saw its assets fall from $84 million in 2006 to $19 million in 2010, the most recent tax year on file. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said another $13 million will be drawn from the fund this year. Aiello declined to say how much money — if any — will be left in the fund after the latest checks are written, only that the NFL is in a period of “re-assessment” and will continue to support the grassroots program.”Our commitment to youth football is going to be stronger than ever following the re-evaluation,” he wrote in an email to “Outside the Lines.” “How can funds best be spent to both grow the game and add a health and safety focus? That is the question.” http:\/\/espn.go.com\/espn\/otl\/story\/_\/id\/8294350\/nfl-youth-football-fund-once-flush-millions-faces-safety-crisis-depleted-funds-options<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 27, 2012<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Albert Breer from NFL.com confirms what I said last week following the misleading report from the LA Times<\/a>:<\/p>\n

On Seau’s autopsy report showing no sign of brain damage. This examination did not look for #<\/s>CTE<\/strong><\/a>. Next stage will at Natl Inst of Health.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Paul D. Anderson, JD (@PaulD_Anderson) August 21, 2012<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Presence of CTE in Junior Seau’s brain unclear after autopsy<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The initial coroner’s report proves very little when it comes to Seau’s condition as it related to CTE, two sources with direct knowledge of the concussion lawsuit against the NFL and the medical process, said Monday. “It’s very important to emphasize that this was the coroner’s report, not the CTE study,” said a medical source involved with the lawsuit. “People with CTE, even in their 40s, rarely if ever have gross abnormalities with their brain. You can’t determine whether there’s CTE through an autopsy.\u201d http:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/story\/0ap1000000055366\/article\/presence-of-cte-in-junior-seaus-brain-unclear-after-autopsy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 26, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Concussion test may not be\u00a0panacea<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“It is a major conflict of interest,” says Christopher Randolph, professor of neurology at Loyola University Medical Center near Chicago and former team neuropsychologist for the Bears. “The people looking at this test tend to be the same few who are invested in it. What if they’re offering something that turns out to not be important? What if their research results are incompatible with their perception of their product?” \u2026. When one considers that 3 million ImPACT tests have been administered at the middle school and high school levels alone, according to a press release promoting ImPACT’s involvement with Dick’s, it becomes clear that ImPACT isn’t just a marketing machine, but a cash-flow juggernaut. If each of the company’s partners has just one credentialed consultant, ImPACT would take in up to $10 million a year, not counting sales of its tests. And each of its revenue streams is like an annuity, generating money year after year without ever requiring more work. That’s why ImPACT often gives away the first year of testing for free; once a school or a doctor has baseline data for a group of athletes, they are sure to keep paying so they can evaluate injuries and bring new players into the system. So while the relationships Lovell, Maroon and Collins had with NFL teams gave ImPACT a tremendous head start in the testing industry, its business model has accelerated its success. http:\/\/espn.go.com\/espn\/otl\/story\/_\/id\/8297794\/neuropsychological-testing-concussions-not-panacea<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 22, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

SN concussion report: NFL career worth it? Two Hall of Famers say no<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The physical cost of playing in the NFL has been evident for decades. In recent years, the mental health problems related to concussions have come to light, and they are widespread. Sporting News surveyed 125 former players, and 115 of them said they suffered at least one concussion. Of those, 76 said they are dealing with mental health symptoms that could be related to concussions, though many said they could not definitively tie their problems to concussions. The issues range from short-term memory loss (56 players) to headaches (19) to depression (12). Sporting News asked the former players if, knowing what they know now, they would do their NFL careers over again. DeLamielleure was one of nine players\u2014and two Hall of Famers\u2014who said no. A tenth player said, \u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d and a third Hall of Famer said \u201cdon\u2019t know.\u201d Three of the men were teammates on a Super Bowl winning team. Another, Tyrone Braxton, won three national championships and one runner-up at North Dakota State, and he played in four Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, winning two. He is in social work now and wishes he had done that as a young man instead of playing football because it\u2019s more beneficial to society.\u00a0http:\/\/aol.sportingnews.com\/nfl\/story\/2012-08-16\/nfl-concussions-report-brain-damage-effects-former-retired-part-iii<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 21, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

SN concussion report: Losing grip on reality a fear that never stops<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ken Clarke shakes his head side to side, like he would as he walked off the field during training camp when he played in the NFL. Those were brutal sessions that left him with constant headaches. \u201cI would think, \u2018Man, my brain feels like it\u2019s moving, like it\u2019s knocking into the side of my skull.\u2019 \u201d\u2026 If fear can be called a symptom, it\u2019s the most prevalent problem former players face due to concussions, a Sporting News survey of 125 former players found. Eighty-five of them (68 percent) said they are afraid they will degrade mentally\u2014or that they have already started to. That\u2019s a startling number, considering \u201conly\u201d 76 of them said they have at least one mental health symptom that could be related to concussions. Nineteen players who reported no symptoms still worry about their mental health going forward. http:\/\/aol.sportingnews.com\/nfl\/story\/2012-08-16\/nfl-concussion-effects-former-players-dementia-brain-trauma-report<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 20, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

SN concussion report: Living through the fog of football<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Koch is one of 125 former NFL players who took part in a Sporting News survey about the impact of concussions. The results suggest far more players suffered far more concussions than previously has been reported. The consequences are far-reaching for the players and their families. Of the 125 players, 115 reported suffering at least one concussion. Of those 115, 76 listed at least one mental-health symptom that could be related to their head injuries, though many said they could not definitively tie their problems to concussions. The most common ailment among the former players is memory loss\u201456 players listed it as a symptom. Other common problems include headaches (19), depression (12) and mood swings (seven).<\/em> http:\/\/aol.sportingnews.com\/nfl\/story\/2012-08-20\/nfl-concussion-sn-report-story-survey-retired-players-depression-brain-trauma<\/a><\/p>\n

Aug. 17, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Woman Who Would Save Football<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

To date, she has found ravages of CTE, the neurodegenerative brain disease that has become her life’s work, in over 70 athletes, nearly 80 percent of those she has examined. Among them: 18 of the 19 NFL players she has autopsied; three NHL enforcers; and a boy just 17 years old. McKee, who received $1 million in funding from the VA as well as a home for her lab, has also documented evidence of CTE in combat veterans exposed to roadside bombs.<\/em>1<\/em> \u2026 <\/em>She photographs every brain before autopsy and memorializes slivers of tissue in irrefutable portraits of disease that line the hallways of her lab. Exhibit A: a montage she created from sections of 27 damaged brains, white matter arranged like so many Marilyn Monroes by Andy Warhol. “This is Eric Scoggins,” she says. “This is Wally Hilgenberg. This is Mike Borich, a college player. We got it from the coroner, so it’s not a complete section. This is John Grimsley. This is Dave Duerson. Up here we have Derek Boogaard, the hockey player.” \u2026 When I see a brain that’s been damaged, it hits you like \u2014 ” She stops. “You see tearing of certain structures. You see holes where they shouldn’t be. You see shrinkage.” http:\/\/www.grantland.com\/story\/_\/id\/8218700\/neuropathologist-dr-ann-mckee-accused-killing-football-be-sport-only-hope<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 16, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Senators applaud FTC action against false claims by Brain-Pad maker<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I applaud the FTC for taking action to stop Brain-Pad from making marketing claims about whether their mouth guards can reduce the risk of concussions,” Rockefeller said in a statement Thursday. \u201cIt is disturbing that certain sports equipment manufacturers could be exploiting parents’ concerns to make a profit. I hope this action by the FTC will send a message to other companies that they can’t use claims that aren’t backed by science.” \u2026 “Increased awareness of the dangers associated with sports concussions is extremely important,” said Udall. “But as the Brain-Pad settlement proves, some companies seem to be taking advantage of the fears of parents, coaches and athletes. The real danger behind anti-concussion marketing claims is in giving young athletes and their parents a false sense of security.\u201d http:\/\/thehill.com\/blogs\/floor-action\/senate\/244017-senators-applaud-ftc-action-against-a-companys-false-claims-on-concussion-prevention<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 14, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Football finally focusing on\u00a0practice<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Won’t limiting contact turn football into a wimpy sport? Aren’t two-a-days and Oklahoma drills how players prove their manhood? Traditionalists are saying this. Traditionalists once opposed the forward pass; traditionalists once said football players should be forbidden to drink water in heat. Traditionalists have said a lot of really stupid things\u2026. Will the NFL lose concussion litigation? Numerous lawsuits involving more than 2,700 former players are tracked here<\/a>. Some former players likely suffered neurological harm that was improperly treated, or could have been avoided if the player was kept off the field after showing symptoms of head trauma. Some former NFL players may have conditions associated with improper orthopedic care or overuse of injected or oral painkillers supplied by their teams. Some former players may have degenerative conditions associated with aging — problems that would have happened regardless of athletics. Some former players may simply be hoping for one last payday from the NFL. There’s an air of billboard hucksterism to the eagerness of lawyers to cash in<\/a>. Practically everyone has “long-term health issues.”\u00a0<\/em>http:\/\/espn.go.com\/espn\/playbook\/story\/_\/id\/8265669\/pop-warner-rules-limiting-contact-practice-show-football-taking-head-injuries-seriously<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 13, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Patrick Larimore medically\u00a0retires<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mora said it was a difficult decision for Larimore, but also a wise one for his long-term health.\u00a0<\/em>“Just because of what’s going on in the world of concussions, and the things that we’re finding out on a daily basis, I think you always have to be prepared for this when a guy is suffering multiple concussions and he plays that position,” Mora said. “When you’re a middle linebacker or an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman, you can’t play games without collisions. Unfortunately it took its toll on Patrick.” http:\/\/espn.go.com\/los-angeles\/ncf\/story\/_\/id\/8265858\/ucla-bruins-patrick-larimore-chooses-medical-retirement-due-concussions<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 12, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Is Football Wrong?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This still seems fantastical: The NFL is the biggest, most watched, most profitable sport in the United States, and the coverage of the 2012 season kickoff and beyond will be as massive and overwhelming as it always is. (Including in this magazine.) But as the evidence mounts and the voices become louder, every NFL observer has to, at one point, ask himself: Is it immoral to be a football fan? Can an intelligent, engaged, socially conscious person put the way he sees the world in every other context aside because he enjoys watching the Giants on Sunday? Those are legitimate questions, because you can\u2019t just pretend anymore. Every time there\u2019s a big hit on the field, I can\u2019t keep my human side\u2014the part that wonders what that\u2019ll mean for the player when he\u2019s 45\u2014quiet anymore. Forget your own kid playing football. The \u00adquestion is whether anyone\u2019s kid should. http:\/\/nymag.com\/news\/sports\/games\/nfl-fans-2012-8\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aug. 12, 2012<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My interview with Tony Iliakostas’s Law and Batting Order Show<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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