The House Judiciary Committee has convened today to discuss the topic of brain injuries in football. Per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) opened the session with a personal observation.
“These
injuries are not the types of risks most players or their families
would ordinarily associate with the game of football. . . . My 13-year-old
son plays a game at 4:30. . . . Today. . . . The questions before us are
several: How serious is the problem? What can we do about it? And where
do we go from here?”
Conyers also said that the NFL “has largely sought to discredit” reports linking chronic concussions to long-term health consequences. That’s a contention that the league has, for obvious reasons, disputed.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) generally advised restraint. “While we need to take this issue
seriously, we should not jump to any conclusions. . . . Congress should not attempt to influence the
upcoming collective bargaining process the NFL and its players’ union
are about to undertake. We should also avoid the temptation to
legislate in this area. Football — like soccer, rugby and even
basketball and baseball — involves contact that can produce injuries. We
cannot legislate the elimination of injuries from the games without
eliminating the games themselves.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell also testified at the hearing; the league has released a transcript of his remarks.
After reviewing the steps the NFL has taken regarding medical care for current and former players, Goodell addressed the issue at hand. “We know that concussions are a serious matter than that they require special attention and treatment,” Goodell said. “And in this area I have been clear — medical considerations must always come first. Decision regarding treatment of players with concussions and when they can resume play must be made by doctors and doctors alone. We are changing the culture of the game for the better.”
Goodell also said that he has asked John Madden, who now serves as a consultant to the Commissioner, to help identify new practice techniques aimed at reducing the risk of head trauma in non-game conditions.
“Our goal will continue to be to make our game as safe as possible for those who love to play it and to give our retirees the support and respect they deserve,” Goodell said in concluding his remarks.
We trust that he means what he says. Regardless of how it all turns out, the fact that I’ve got my own 13-year-old who just finished his first year of playing the game makes me feel a lot better about the fact that the issue is being taken seriously. Though many fans fear that scrutiny in this area will lead to dramatic changes to the sport, there surely are ways to enhance safety without altering the fundamental nature of the game.
If Congress really wants to examine brain damage, it should start with an examination of Congress itself.
Ok, I guess Congress has nothing better to do. Now they want to dictate how football is played. Stay away from our sports. Football is a tough game that is also dangerous. The current congress is a bunch of IDOITS who steal from us taxpayers everyday.
Congress…what a joke they are. They have to stick their combined noses in everything. Not sure where in the constitution it says they need to get involved in issues like this.
I love how Congress does everything but its job. Americans, regardless of party affiliation, look at these clowns that we have put in charge. Wasn’t there a health care thing going on? Isn’t there a couple of wars going on? Isn’t the economy still struggling? Congress needs to keep its priorities in order. This is emabrassing. More so than the baseball steroid nonsense.
Dear Congress,
Quit wasting taxpayers dollars on crap like investigating sports and who a President is sleeping with…and do your damn jobs to right the economy and improve living conditions.
Sincerely
Asswipe (Pronounced Az-Wee-Pay) Johnson
While they’re at it, they should look at JaMarcus Russell’s brain to see why he plays like he has a concussion.
Better helmet technology is the answer. Congressional input is not.
Everybody thinks it’s a waste…until one of THEIR OWN kids gets knocked silly, then it’s a whole new ballgame. It’s a terrible thing to say, but there will have to be thousands of more head and brain injuries until people see the problem. Just like steroids, it’s not a problem until it enters your own house.
# bearsrule says: October 28, 2009 12:40 PM
Everybody thinks it’s a waste…until one of THEIR OWN kids gets knocked silly, then it’s a whole new ballgame. It’s a terrible thing to say, but there will have to be thousands of more head and brain injuries until people see the problem. Just like steroids, it’s not a problem until it enters your own house.
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I’m assuming that you are one of those knee-jerk reactionarys that now makes their children wear helmets while walking around the neighborhood and eating dinner.
If i was paralyzed with the fear that one of my kids may get a concussion or other serious injury from playing highschool or pop warner football, I simply would not let them play. Players today that claim ignorance of the risk of injury should not be allowed to play because they are too stupid. they see the risk, and the paycheck and decide its worth the gamble. When is congress going to look into the safety of auto mechanics because a large percentage wind up with arthiritis? or looking after lifelong secretaries with carpal tunnel? this pricks on capital hill are grandstanding because it gets their name in front of the public more. this is carefully calculated bullshit that does no good for the players, the league, the fans, or anyone other than the politicians themselves.
@bearsrule
You are missing the point. It’s a waste for our govt to be handling this sort of thing. It should be handled by the NFL and maybe the NFLPA. I am not sure what the govt will do since it cant do anything right anyways. Maybe they will ban the NFL because of brain injuries? I mean what else can they do?
# bearsrule says: October 28, 2009 12:40 PM
“Everybody thinks it’s a waste…until one of THEIR OWN kids gets knocked silly, then it’s a whole new ballgame. It’s a terrible thing to say, but there will have to be thousands of more head and brain injuries until people see the problem. Just like steroids, it’s not a problem until it enters your own house.”
Football is a high impact high risk sport when compared to the others. Much like boxing, cage fighting etc.
Nobody is forcing your kid to play. You don’t like the risks? Have your kid take up swimming and tennis.
40,000 people die each year on the highways. We’re in two undeclared wars. The economy is in the crapper. 40,000,000 citizens have no healthcare.
But it’s good to see that Congress has their priorities straight.
This is a dog and pony show. The risk of a handful of incredibly well-paid NFL athletes who have the means to insure themselves as well as access to fantastic health care, does not compare to the kids who may play a decade of football without getting a dime in return.
That being the case, it is foolish to expect the NFL, even if it is of a mind to do so, will have any great success at developing technologies to safeguard 13-year-olds.
As for enhancing safety without altering the fundamental nature of the game, I’m still waiting for the day when there’s objective and consistent application of roughing the passer.
Next they’ll want to investigate the NFLs lacking protection of QBs and people will call it the “Tom Brady Investiations”.
Wonder when they’ll start declaring certain teams “too big to fail” and take them over?
Don’t worry soon our sissified country will ban doing anything but sitting home and watching oboringama on television.
This is proof our government is compleatly disfunctional-
Great. These are the same 400+ people whose job it is to determine how much of YOUR money is spent where, and then BLAME everyone else but themselves for our (growing wildly) national debt.
These are the same socialists who want to control your health care, welfare, security, and minds, and NOW want to investigate brain damage!!! Talk about the pot calling the kettle…..
Congress is looking into what type of brain injury Goodell has after his decision to let the dog killing illiterate sociopath back into the league..