Pro football players have been their own worse enemy regarding concussions, since their macho culture is to downplay head injuries, in part because they want to stay off the bench and keep their gigs.
But at a conference Wednesday, the new co-chairmen of the National Football League’s head, neck and spine medical committee said they are looking for ways to change that attitude, so players are honest and report head injuries. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/06/02/sports/AP-FBN-NFL-Concussions.html?_r=1&ref=sports
Dr. Richard Ellenborgen and Dr. Hunt Batjer, the committee chairmen, were at a conference on brain injury held in Washington by Johns Hopkins Universiry. Representatives of all the NFL teams were present.
The committee is kicking around the idea of offering players financial incentives to report concussions, according to Ellenborgen. The NFL is also considering guaranteeing that players won’t lose their place in their teams’ lineups or rosters if they have to sit out some games due to a concussion.
The other idea being tossed around is putting a transmitter in each players’ helmet, to track every blow — small or big — that players sustain.
There are other options beyond those, such as trimming off-season practice time, making helmets safer and teaching players not to tackle headfirst.
But the bottom line at the conference was this: New studies are needed on football and brain injury.