Wednesday, December 15, 2010

NHL Fails To Prevent Concussions

Concussions are increasing in the NHL. With Colin Campbell's corruption now widely known, the fault has to be partly his, and partly the NHL's for failing to fire him.

Part of the reason that concussion rates have risen is that they are being reported more, but the rate should be declining.

As the CBC notes, "The number of concussions reported by NHL players remains unchanged from last season despite the league's attempt to reduce the injury by creating a rule outlawing blindside hits to the head. Dr. Ruben Echemendia, the NHL's neuropsychologist, said Friday that 33 concussions had been reported as of Dec. 1 — the exact same number as a year ago. However, he was quick to note that it doesn't necessarily mean the rule change has been ineffective."

"The league has been tracking concussions since 1997 and typically sees about 75 reported each season — roughly half of which are the result of blindside hits."

It is absolutely true that individual players are taking consussions more seriously than ever before, as Tavares' story shows.

Still, it's a problem that the rate of concussions has not decreased.

The NFL is ahead of the NHL in researching the problem because about 61 percent of NFL players have had at least one concussion in their career, and some quarterbacks suffer a concussion every year. Evidence suggests that concussions are linked to Alzheimer's, but the link has not been proved. The possibility is as ominous for current NHL players as it is for current NFL players.

The NFL however, will find it harder to prohibit head shots than the NHL, as a recent NY Times op-ed by an ex-NFL player noted.

The Mayo Clinic says that the NHL should ban all hits to the head.

The injury that the NHL won't ever be able to stop completely is this: the skate to the neck. Here's what the stitches look like.

Lack of consistency

Still, the NHL is making its job needlessly tough by failing to suspend players in some obvious cases. Carcillo, for example, was surprised to avoid a suspension for this hit.

Of course, with Colin Campbell using his position to settle grudges rather than establish consistent rules, it's no surprise that the policy is inconsistent and even ridiculous.

Another source of concussions is hits from behind, especially boarding, but with the NHL failing to establish a policy on head shots, it's no surprise that other areas of concerns, such as hits from behind, are virtually ignored. Recently, NHL veteran Michael Nylander, playing in the AHL, had his neck broken due to a hit from behind and his career may be over.

Of course, the NFL is facing criticisms too. It's possible that changes to helmets could help -- personally I think they should be softer, more like protection and less like a weapon. But the NFL is not looking into the possibility at this time. Injuries mean that the NFL should not play more games and should cancel overtime, allowing games to end in a tie.

I hope that the leagues solve their problems. As one commentator said, "Just as football players have to get back to leading with their hands and arms, wrapping up tackles with old-school fundamentals instead of going for the kill shot, hockey players have to learn to stay low, stay in sight and hit appropriately. Concussions can’t be eliminated, but they can be reduced. It will take time, but it can happen."

What that article did not say is that the NHL needs someone who is not corrupt to lead the change.

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