A little more than a month ago I spent some time jotting down my thoughts about the increase in concussions. I hate to regurgitate material, as there is so much out there on concussions already. As such, I will focus on my personal feelings, and leave analysis and evidence to the “professionals”.
I don’t need to remind you of the lengthy list of athletes who have suffered concussions, some very severe, in the last few years. Many contact sports, namely the NHL and NFL are front and centre in the debate over how to solve this crisis. By the way, sorry to offend, but if you are one who has his head in the sand over how severe this issue is, you might as well stop reading because this is an entirely one-sided article. What have they done? Certainly not enough.
The NFL’s crackdown came swift. Immediate rule changes, and very hefty fines were levied out by the NFL’s sheriff’s department. My beloved Steelers alone were fined a whopping $2 billion last year… give or take. James Harrison had to get a part time job as a Wal-Mart greeter just to offset his fines. Not to say all is perfect in NFL-land – just go ask Colt McCoy’s dad.
How about the NHL, you ask? Ha, good one.
The fifteen-minute timeout in a dark room was an attempt to make sure players were not allowed back into a game while displaying concussion symptoms (I bet the NFL will consider this soon in the wake of Colt’s injury). Okay, I like it, but there must be more. A panel looked into equipment changes and determined a change to shoulder pads would help. Jury is still out on that, but early indications show no noticeable difference in the number of concussions. So then where do we go from here? What is really at the heart of the problem?
There are two culprits, each likely irreversible. Hockey is built around speed. The reason why these bodychecks, even the legal versions, are so devastating is that they are delivered or received at breakneck (sometimes almost literally) speeds. Players’ bodies are like weapons when they are in top-flight. Another cause is “hockey culture”. Hockey is known as a tough, physical sport, and I can’t see how we can possibly change that, or if we even need to necessarily. That said, it’s also no excuse for us to allow what is going on to continue.
When will we call an end to the parade of hockey players with concussions, superstars or not, to cease? When will we, as fans, say “enough is enough” and force the NHL to make changes both swift and impactful? I have no doubt the league is looking to see an end to the concussion issue, as much for selfish reasons as for interest in players’ safety, but I just don’t think it’s taken serious enough.
I have said for years that I think ice surfaces should be expanded, similar to international size. Why? Simple. More room = less chance for collisions. It’s simple playground logic. It won’t solve the problem completely, but it will help. I concede that it would be very difficult to put in place on a short-term basis, but can be achieved in a longer-term plan. Perhaps a date can be agreed upon where all teams need to have expanded their surface if possible? Maybe all new arenas must allow for a larger ice surface?
What I am certain of is that a change needs to happen because things are slowly spiraling out of control. Despite several rather weak attempts to posture optimism by NHL execs, concussions are still on the rise. Sadly, the issue is not being taken seriously enough.
…and that is the last word.
