alleycat_126

You can kick and scream, and fight and argue but in two playoff games last weekend concussions played a major part of a game.... The nfl stance is now to air more on the side of caution now than is needed. 5 years ago David bachtiari ( Green Bay) and Keenan Lewis ( our cb) would have been let back into the game no problem. In Keenan's case you could clearly tell he was alright, and probably would have signed a waiver if you would have let him back into the game. So now the NFL seems to be taking a stance that a player, is more important than any win or loss. What do you guys think?

You shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house, and if have a glass jaw you should watch your mouth..... cause I'll break your face!!! -50 cent

exile

I do not approve.

Sincerely,
Keenan Lewis

WhoDat!656

You can thank Kommisar Goodell and the lawyers!

SaintsBro

This is what I said at the time.

They should announce a new policy -- when a head injury happens, NFL approved team doctors will have to clear players in order to return to the game. Each team will have one designated team doctor, who travels with the team, is on hand for full contact practices, etc. Sounds reasonable enough, right?

Now here's my proposed twist on it. At the start of every game, the two designated team doctors will switch sides, so that, for example, the Seattle team doctor will now be examining the Saints players on the sideline, and vice versa.

Then, the team doctors will start removing every key opposing player from the game, one at a time, every time they get the slightest hit, the slightest excuse, to try and give their own team the advantage....sorry Brees you got tapped on the helmet there....sorry Marshawn, that was a blow to the head, you're out....this will keep happening back and forth, on every other play, until eventually there are not enough left players to play, and one team must forfeit....people will see how silly and absurd and arbitrary this whole prospect is.

The way it is now, you can have a team doctor on one team who is a serious professional, expert in his field....and another team can have a doctor who is basically Doctor Morgus, with a dirty white coat, who smokes cigars on the sidelines, specializes in dispensing Mexican Xanax, and graduated last in his class from the university of Rangoon. And has no ethics whatsoever and doesn't give a ****.

I am all for head safety, 100% for it, but this current system they have, is putting the outcome of games in the hands of doctors, who may or may not be ethical in regards to the team and the league that is paying their salary. A team with a less ethical doctor, has fewer players removed from the game. A team with a more ethical or cautious doctor, loses more players for longer. It's a distinct disadvantage.

TheOak

Keenan Lewis thought he was ok...

Keenan Lewis also said he didn't have a concussion, and did.

Precisely why Keenan Lewis is not allowed to make that call, and why the call has to be in the hands of a Physician and not a coach or a player.

SaintsBro - The teams already have a Doctor that travels with them. In regards to your last sentence..... Do you trust a Physician that may or may not be ethical or a cluster-phuck of a head Coach like Greg Shiano?

Mardigras9

And that is all.

WHODATINCA

The players are more important than the game. Sorry. It's just a game. Players should not be asked to risk their life for our entertainment -- and of course they are tough and brave. We also want smart players. Smart players don't want to be a vegetable, even for a ring, or $30M.

What are you guys, ex-boxers?

Boutte

They need to build a helmet that doesn't sit on the players head but rather is attached to the shoulder pads so the force is absorbed by the pads instead of the head.

When I played in HS I used to be able to hunch my shoulders so the pads lifted the helmet off my head. I could use the helmet as a weapon and get very little impact to my head. I'm convinced they could do that with the right design.

exile

Now this looks fun.



Hövding, An Invisible Inflatable Air Bag Bike Helmet (video) | Green Prophet

SaintsBro

Again, thank you for informing us feeble minds... I am not 13 years old - I know the teams have a physician that travels with them. My point WAS -- it's foolish to think as you seem to do, that a physician is inherently somehow more ethically pure or infallible to corruption or temptation. They are human. And not all at the same level of competence or integrity. The NFL had a joke of a physician as their chief "medical expert" on concussions for YEARS.