Over the past week The Sporting News has run a series about concussions; based on a survey of 125 former NFL players. Granted the series was very informative, it again targets a sport that only shares responsibility in the concussion epidemic. Staying too focused on one sport will only delay or even overlook the other problems across an active life.
I guess I have been on a kick lately to reinforce that the majority of all concussions do not come from organized sports. Rather, traumatic brain injury (minor or major) occurs most often in recreational activities: bike riding, horseplay, wheeled activities, pick-up sports, etc. The massive issue is not the concussion but the miss-identification and mismanagement of the concussion during sports.
Regardless it is worth the time to read all the articles in the series which are:
- Three about the players and survey (Fog of Football, Am I Next?, Not Worth It)
- What it means for the game
- Could the NFL lose every thing
- Keeping the next generation safer
- Coaches weigh in
The Concussion Blog 