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Lillith
Forum Witch
Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 333
Location: Second Star to the Right
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 Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject: INJURIES - Comprehensive Talk (NOT latest injuries) |
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This topic is concerned with injuries to hockey players. We should NOT list the "latest" injuries to our teams - we can do that on the individual team threads.
I am concerned with injuries and how they affect our players. Please submit any information on injuries, treatments and effects.
I thought of this after I posted to the Eric Lindros Retirement thread. This potentially great player was sidelined by successive concussions. Why does this happen? How can it be prevented?
I'll start with CONCUSSIONS.
Please weigh in, thanks
Lil
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Lillith
Forum Witch
Joined: 20 Oct 2007
Posts: 333
Location: Second Star to the Right
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| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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Now on to concussions. Members here may think that I have an abiding hatred of Lindros. Not true. I have read quite a few 'background' pieces on Lindros. I wasn't as "up" in my knowledge on this guy as most of you are - so I searched for background when some of the 'issues' came up and his latest injuries happened.
What I learned from my searches (mostly Canadian) is that Lindros was exceptionally skilled in puck handling and "seeing" the ice. Comparisons to Gretzky were multitudinous. His strength and size were always mentioned. As well as the fact that he was a superb skater. High hopes, indeed.
And then....the concussions. Not the "issues". But concussions - many of them.
My question is WHY? In three sports there are frequent concussions: Boxing, Football and Hockey. In that order. Why is it that this most promising player in strength and skill suffered so many concussion?
I am not a doctor, but my sister is. I asked her about concussions. We discussed a certain hockey player. My sister told me that a minor first concussion can be worked through. In the case of an athlete, there might be subconscious repercussions in the fact that the athlete will (subconsciously) do things to avoid another injury - that very avoidance can throw the player off his game and learned skill in so much as to actually place him in danger of further injury.
Without the knowledge of the Almighty Power, I cannot possibly say whether this is the case. I do know that the San Francisco 49ers had, at one time, a Psychologist on board to address injury issues (i.e. getting injured players ready to play again). It has been a mighty long time since I lived in my home state, so this may no longer be the case.
So here is my take on Eric Lindros:
1) I do not know how severe his first concussion was
2) I do not know what, if any, psychological help he got
3) My opinion only - I surmise that he got NO psychological help-only a physical diagnosis
4) My opinion only - I surmise that Eric had repercussions from his FIRST concussion that affected him from that time on - and those were not treated.
5) Subconscious means that the person is NOT AWARE that something is affecting their life/profession
6) Because Eric, his parents and the NHL refused to acknowledge that the first concussion might lead to an inability to play 100% (as was expected) - everyone was 'mystified' as to why Lindros wasn't "at his best".
7) IMO - the psychological 'fear' (which was never addressed) resulted in his successive concussions.
And I believe this is tragic. I blame the NHL, I blame Lindros' parents. A person can overcome a concussion. An athlete must have therapy to overcome this and play again (where danger of another injury is possible).
My opinion is that Eric Lindros is a victim of an ignorant NHL and the greed of his parents
Concussions are successive - there is NO 'repair' of the nerves in the cranium. An athlete who must place him/herself into an arena where concussion is likely to occur must be 'rehabilitated' mentally to place themselves into that arena. It can be done. Physically is important - but mentally must be addressed as well. As I said before in the Lindros retirement thread - the San Francisco 49ers had a psychologist for that very purpose.
Most of us (in the real world), would say: I certainly will not place myself in THAT again.
These thinkings are not an option for professional athletes. In my opinion only, I feel that the NHL has not addressed the inner fears/avoidance of athletes who have suffered concussions. The owners of teams think: He'll get over it - he's an athlete. NOT SO.
I truely believe that the NHL MUST address this issue. Eric Lindros is their prime example of how a truely talented player can be obliterated by concussions.
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Bosc Ulrich II
OTP Resident Historian
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 2561
Location: Your own blue line!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:17 am Post subject: |
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Well, Lil, Av has informed you about Eric's inability to follow a basic rule, one which he admitted at his retirement when he said his only regret was "I would have practiced stickhandling with my head up a bit more."
Concussions were never really addresses until the past 10-15 years. It used to be that you got your bell rung, you got up and played. Dizzy and a headache was dizzy and a headache. The NHL has taken steps to address concussions and when players show symptoms, they can't be medically cleared to play until 7 days after they've stopped showing symptoms. However, some players and teams do themselves no favours by not classifying it as a concussion(one of the major issues with Lindros, his team doctors, and the resulting battle between Lindros and the Flyers) so that the player can come back. The most recent example being the Flyers, yet again
There's also an issue with declaring that the player has a concussion and his contract: A concussion basically makes his contract uninsurable:
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There may be another reason why NHL teams don't like to admit a player is concussed. Insurance issues.
There is a player in the league who just recently signed a long-term, multi-million dollar deal with a team. Many years. Big money. And the contract, in the event of a concussion injury, is un-insurable. That's because the player suffered one concussion in the minors and one in junior hockey. Neither were all that serious – a handful of games missed each time – and the player hasn't been concussed in more than three years.
But the insurance company won't insure the new contract for any injury related to concussion.
Owners' exposure on uninsured contracts is only going to escalate. If the long-term health and welfare of the players isn't enough to vault this issue to the forefront, then perhaps the economic impact will. |
And McKenzie kind of sums up the major problem with concussions and the response by the NHL and it's teams:
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I've said it before; I'll say it again: we don't even know the half of it when it comes to this stuff. It's quite possible there are going to be some pretty heinous long-term health issues for players who suffered multiple brain traumas and tried to play through. Everything from Alzehimer's to depression to Parkinson's. Terrible, terrible stuff.
Why NHL teams, or players, would risk all of the above for the sake of a simple, legitimate seven-day waiting period is beyond me. The human toll aside, I couldn't imagine a business doing a worse job of asset management than that. |
From a psychological standpoint? There is certainly those kind of effects. Lindros being an example where later in his career, he wouldn't initiate or risk much of any physical contact. However, there's a fine line. Sometimes when a player doesn't have a fear of it, he'll keep going back for more and keep getting more and more punishment. On one hand, getting over any fear can be bad for you, but not getting over that fear can make you a shell of the player you used to be, unable to physically compete in the game because of the risk of hurting your brain again. The fear can be a good or a bad thing for your health or your career. unfortunately, there are no easy answers...
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