We Take a Break from our Regularly Scheduled Snarkiness…

Today, I’m going to take a break from trying to say funny things or bitching about Coach Larry to talk about something that I think needs as much attention as possible.

Concussions…

Let me start with a statement.  I have a two year old son.  And unless something seriously changes, I’m going to be hard pressed to ever let him play the sport of football. That is a very hard thing to say.  Football is a sport I love and if you’ve ever met me in person its clear it is one of the few sports I was born to play, (Hockey being the other which is as bad or worse for concussions).  Six foot tall slow stocky guys don’t get on the basketball court and I never was very good at baseball.  Maybe I could have been a Goalie in soccer but I grew up in Wyoming where soccer was communist, but I digress…

Each week there seems to be some new story on concussions.  Sidney Crosby the hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins (whom I hate but am amazed at watching) is probably going to have his career ended by concussions.  The other stories coming out are amazing.  Former Bears Safety Dave Duerson killed himself and had his brain donated to a program that studies concussions at Boston University because he knew he was no longer normal and thought he could help.

But my own reasons are very personal.  My first concussion from football came in sixth grade.  Playing in high school I can count three specific times I’m certain I received another concussion and that doesn’t count the times that every football player knows when they just get their “bell rung” a little bit.  The thing is, I never even missed more than 1/2 a practice and never missed a game.

However the even more troubling factor is that I look back and physical and mental things I just ignored, including issues with depression that I’ve dealt that seemed to start around that time. It seems now it could have quite likely come from those injuries.

With what we’re beginning to know, how could I as a parent possibly allow my son to take that risk.  I’m sure I’ll get called a pussy for this thought, but I don’t care.  This scares the hell out of me.

And then when read an article on teenage concussions like this one on Grantland.com today well it becomes more troubling.

Unless we can find a way to make the sport safer,