Concussions and the Super Bowl

Over the past few years, traumatic head injuries, most notably concussions, have become a subject of deep concern, particularly as it pertains to the NFL. The league has come under public scrutiny and has garnered a great amount media attention over the issue, as research linking football to degenerative brain disease have become more and more conclusive. This is evidenced in the much-publicized suicide of Junior Seau, who had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

The issue of concussions was also one of the major issues discussed during Super Bowl Media Day. More than a few members of both the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens addressed the issue when prompted. Ravens safety Bernard Pollard made headlines when he came out and said that the NFL wouldn’t be around in 30 years because the rule changes created to make the game safer would ultimately turn fans away from it. He even went as far as predicting that we would eventually see someone die on the field of play.

Despite the conversation on the issue of concussions being so prevalent in the days leading up to the game, I didn’t exactly expect the issue to be brought up during the game itself. That is probably why I wasn’t exactly shocked when the issue was not brought up at any point during the approximately five-hour long CBS broadcast.

I am not sure if the decision not speak on the issue of head injuries was intentional, but I can definitely understand why no mention of it was made. Even though the issue of concussions in the game of football is an extremely important one, given the potentially disastrous toll they can take on a player’s physiological and neurological health, there is a time and a place for everything. The live broadcast of one of the most watched televised events on the planet wasn’t the place to open that Pandora’s box.

Unless there was a an extremely valid reason to do so, such as having a player carted off the field after a helmet-to-helmet collision, there was no reason to bring up such a weighty issue during what should be the most important celebration of the game of football.

Again, there is a time and a place for everything.

Primetime said what?

If you’ve been paying any attention sports over the course of the last year or so, you have probably noticed the intense spotlight that has been placed on the issue of concussions in sports, specifically to as it pertains the NFL.

Needless to say, the issue of concussions has played a major part in the narrative of the 2012 NFL season and has at some occasions taken center stage.  The tragic death of NFL legend Junior Seau definitely had a lot to with this. He made national headlines last May when he shot himself in the chest inside his San Diego home.

Upon his death, his brain was then harvested for research and it was discovered that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often seen in individuals with extensive histories of concussions and serious head trauma. Needless to say, that event paved the road for where we today in terms of realizing how serious of an issue concussions in sports have become.

However, not everyone feels that way.

A few days ago, as I searched the Internet looking for interesting news on NFL concussions, I came across an article featuring none other than Deion “Primetime” Sanders. According to Yahoo Sports blogger Kevin Kaduk, Sanders stated the following on an NFL Network Super Bowl pre-game show:

"The game is a safe game, the equipment is better. I don't buy all these guys coming back with these concussions. I'm not buying all that. Half these guys are trying to make money off the deal. That's real talk. That's really how it is. I wish they'd be honest and tell the truth because it's keeping kids away from our game."

He is probably referring to expansive class-action lawsuit the league now faces that involves some 4,000 former NFL players. The lawsuit accuses the NFL of downplaying the severity and long-term impact of concussions.

It was very interesting to see some backlash against the growing tide of blame and scrutiny that has caused the NFL to make some not so subtle changes to way it has marketed itself over the past few months.

To see it coming from Sanders, who is a retired Hall of Famer and considered by many to be one of the greatest players in NFL history also adds to the intrigue of this news bite. It also helps that he is one of the most visible NFL alumni, currently working as a commentator for the league’s flagship television channel.

His comments are already making waves across the sports world, so it remains to be seen what repercussions they will have, if any.

So...What is this blog all about?

I created this blog to be used as outlet for me to discuss one thing and one thing only: sports! It really is that simple. Over the course of the next few months, I will be sharing my findings, thoughts and opinions on various issues within the world of sports, and in the process, give anyone who cares to read them a small glimpse into my mind. This should be pretty interesting.