Ken Whisenhunt Asks you to Define "Define"

by John Morgan on Sep 30, 2008 3:23 PM PDT Comment 17 comments

As in, "define concussion".

Will Carroll isn't universally respected, but I like someone who believes something and swings hard.

Ken Whisenhunt said on Monday that he wasn't sure if Anquan Boldin had suffered a concussion. Someone please buy him a clue, because there's no clearer sign of a concussion than a loss of consciousness. Boldin gave the classic sign of that, the "locked arms," as he fell to the turf on a frightening hit that rang out into the tunnel late in Sunday's game. My pal Jenn Sterger, who works for the Jets, said it sounded like a gunshot and Boldin went down about as hard. Not only did he take a pair of hits, one to his helmet, he also went stiff into the hard Meadowlands turf, getting a bit of a head whip. Boldin will be fine in the long term, though he continues to undergo tests and is being watched closely. If Whisenhunt doesn't know that was a concussion and if the NFL is going to allow him to play word games, he's putting his players in danger and should be removed. Yes, I'm serious. (It's also important to note that the NFL is taking this seriously, fining Eric Smith and suspending him a game for the head-on hit.)

I'm as much a believer as anyone (well not anyone) in playing tough and that hurting yourself and sacrificing your body is part of the NFL, but this is a man's brain and you don't play through brain pain. Anquan Boldin is a play-tough knucklehead that I'm sure will fight his way back on the field, and by the sounds of it, his coach is just as fool-brave. This will end badly. That ending won't be today or this season, but twenty years from now when new beat reporters are reporting newly beatup new players and Bolden is babbling somewhere. Probably TV.

Anyway, I read the Black & Blue looking for info on Deion Branch. Branch's capabilities, something I'm woefully unqualified to project, are a huge story and I've yet to read anything illuminating on how he will play or how much he will play.

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Good God.

That’s just mind-bogglingly stupid. Concussions/head injuries should never be taken lightly.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 3:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't like the suspension.

Boldin’s head was clearly lowered by the hit in the backside. Smith was already in the air and would have hit Boldin right between the numbers if he hadn’t been pushed into an awkward position by the other tackler.

by michaelfox99 on Sep 30, 2008 4:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

The suspension was unwarranted based on the footage I saw. Not only did the backside hit lower Bolden’s head but it snapped it forward INTO Smith’s, which dazed Smith as well. Might as well suspend Boldin for hitting Smith.

Defender’s hit receivers; it’s what they do. The helmet to helmet in this case is incidental and while I think that everything should be done to minimize injuries (including mandating the use of new helmet technology), the last thing I want to see is defenders lay off ballsy receivers coming over the middle.

by Azimeir on Oct 3, 2008 1:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he's lucky he's babbling somewhere on TV

If he’s not so lucky, and most concussion victims aren’t, he’ll potentially be dealing with severe depression, sleep and memory issues, dementia or parkinson type symptoms.

I know the NFL has done a lot to crack down on concussions but I think this is a case where they can’t go too far. There needs to be a system in place to save the players and coaches from themselves, maybe something along the lines of withholding a player for a minimum amount games depending on the severity of the concussion. The effect of concussions in the short and long term need to be taken more seriously and looked at differently than the normal slew of injuries an NFL player endures.

by Nate Dogg on Sep 30, 2008 4:38 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

yeah, totally

it’s the brain. You can replace or make due with a bum knee, but brain-replacement is probably…. a ways off.

With mandatory sitouts though, there would be increased pressure to hide or ignore concussions on both coach and player. The NFL needs to make sure that independent doctors have the authority to evaluate and reject players.

by Will Kier on Sep 30, 2008 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Somehow I missed the part that was bolded

I certainly don’t think a coach should be removed from his job, in case anyone thought I was endorsing measures that extreme.

by Nate Dogg on Sep 30, 2008 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would guess Will Carroll is being rhetorical.

I think his point is that a player’s health is of greater importance than a coach’s job.

by John Morgan on Sep 30, 2008 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Helmets these days..

are popping off constantly. Its only a matter of time before something drastic happens if this continues. I wonder if this is really happening more than earlier, or if it is just being more paid attention to. It sure seems like they are popping off more. Shouldn’t be that difficult to design a helmet that doesn’t pop off…

by michaelfox99 on Sep 30, 2008 4:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

More attention

People are starting to realize that it’s not really that funny when someone can’t tell you what day it is.

by Nate Dogg on Sep 30, 2008 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you talking about Nick Saban?

Nick Saban was talking about Alabama being #2 at a press conference. He said he didn’t know what their ranking was and didn’t care. He said the rankings don’t matter in late September. He then made it clear he didn’t know what day it was. He asked who was ranked #2 this time last year and no one knew and he said, ‘exactly’ (paraphrase).

Nick Saban is the man.

by michaelfox99 on Oct 1, 2008 7:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They probably wouldn't pop off so much if players would keep them buckled.

I see lots of players with two of the four straps unsnapped.

by Phildopip on Oct 1, 2008 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How stupid does the NFL think we are, they are actually making researcher waste time on determining if the long-term affects of concussion are bad for you. Where is the public outrage, new research connects blows to the jaw or facemask, like Boldens, to those recieved by boxers. The boxers “Glass Jaw” or TMD is not limited to boxers, the N.E. Patriots are sceened for TMD prior to the fitting of an orthodontic retainer like mouth guard, no player should be with out. www.mahercor.com

by Stevieboy777 on Sep 30, 2008 9:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The hit was frightening

I was at that Jets game. The situation was a bit scarry. Almost all the players kneeled and looked as they were praying.
WRT concussions, I think NFL should impose a rule that a player knocked out on the field has to sit out for a minimum time and/or until he is cleared by neutral doctors to play again. I think for pro boxers, after each knockout, they are suspended from fighting for several weeks if not months. NFL needs something like that (MLB might need that, too, after Corie Koskey and Mike Matheny were forced to retire due to concussions).

PS: Info for fellow Seahawks fans planning to go to the Giants game: They won’t let you bring backpacks into Giant stadium, even though that is not printed on the tickets.

by vj on Oct 1, 2008 8:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs