Concealing Concussions Debate Heats Up

Added on Jul 11, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

Preventing or limiting concussions has been a huge issue in the NFL over the last few years. In fact, Commissioner Roger Goodell has made it a top priority during his reign to ensure the present and future health of athletes. Unfortunately, for the scores of ex-players who are living with the long-term effects of brain trauma, this recent effort to curtail these types of injuries is too little too late.

There has always been a “suck it up” mentality in the world of professional football. No player wants to be labeled weak or soft. This was especially true in the old days, when the idea of sitting out a game after getting your bell rung was considered unmanly.

As more and more former players come forward accusing the league of willingly covering up or misdiagnosing concussions, the debate over who knew what continues to rage. Giants co-owner John Mara is sympathetic toward those who continue to suffer from the lingering effects from a career of violent collisions. However, he refuses to believe that coaches, doctors and owners turned a blind eye to concussions.

“I’m on the health and safety committee, we have more medical committees looking into it,” Mara said. “We’re just starting to gather more information about it. And I’m very confident we’re doing everything we can do right now to find out more about it.

“But the notion in these lawsuits that we knew there were long-term effects and we withheld that information is ridiculous. Is there some kind of cause and effect? I don’t know, I’ll let the medical experts tell you that; common sense would tell you that there is. But to say we knew it and withheld it, I really find that objectionable.”

Of course Mara isn’t going to admit he or his peers were complicit in any sort of wrongdoing. That said, if you’ve read the book You’re Okay, It’s Just a Bruise by ex-Raiders team doctor Rob Huizenga, you know the concealment of injuries has been going on for decades, and not just in Oakland/Los Angeles.

Only the painfully naive would believe that players weren’t lied to about the severity of concussions and other injuries. In a sport where every game truly does matter, rushing key performers back on the field before they are fully healed is par for the course. Or at least it was.

Source: NFL.com