You've Been Concussed

Hot topic in the NFL: Concussions. More now than ever, players in the NFL are being treated seriously for concussions and even concussion like symptoms. All positions are susceptible, and all positions are feeling the effects of missing time on the field. This is disrupting fantasy football, Vegas lines, and most importantly, the actual games, playoffs, and ultimately, the champion. So what are we to make of this seemingly over-heightened sense of protection when it comes to matters of the mind? Well I know where I stand.

Football players for decades have played under the code of toughness. You ask anyone that played football before 1995 what happened after they got their bell rung, and all they wanted was the 'how many fingers am I holding up' question to be asked. That's the easiest one. It's not too hard to count fingers. But don't ask them what state they're in or what team they're playing, they probably couldn't answer. All they wanted was some proof that had consciousness so they could get back on the field. The repercussions of the injury were not even an afterthought, they were a no-thought. This was football. This was the sport of men. You didn't let some knock to your head keep you. Broken fingers? Tape them. Sprained ankles? Toughen up. This is how football was.

Well when we look some of those players now retired, is there any way that it was worth it? Guys had to relearn how to read. I was going to list a ton of the effects of concussions and do research on what players are suffering from what problems, but someone forgot how to read. Isn't that significant enough? Think about that for 10 minutes, if you get the chance. Your professional takes such a toll on your body that you are dumbed down to the level of a 1st grader. Seriously. A forty-five year old man can't read because he got hit in the head too much. And people in the world are still okay with this?

So my thoughts on this topic: If I ever have a son, I will do everything possible to prevent him from playing football. I played two years in high school. I had some helmet-to-helmet hits, I felt dazed a few times. Did it ruin my mind, long term? Probably not. I don't know if it had any ill-effects on my body or mind at all. But I only played two years. Never even played varsity. Is there any way that you would want your son, as tough as you think he is, going back on the field when the possibility for serious, long-term injury is severely heightened? Anyone, and I mean anyone, that would be okay rushing a player back onto the field after a concussion, is legitimately dumb. If your dad is some old-school football jock that played through more pain than infantries, then maybe he took one too many hits to the head. Because there isn't a job, sport, profession, or activity in the world that is worth risking someones ability to function at a basic human level when there were methods of prevention available.