Quote:
Originally Posted by McG
After having read the Players' Tribune articles, and now this, I wonder when the NHL and NHLPA will stop treating players as widgets or parts in a machine and treat them more as assets.
As a soccer coach at Tier 1 and Tier 2, I am very concerned about heading the ball, which would cause every bit as much damage as a punch. My children play on these teams, and I really worry about concussions affecting their lives.
I don't know how to remove the risk of head injury from the sports that we all love, without fundamentally changing the sport. Gridiron football would become flag/touch football, soccer would need to remove heading, hockey would need to remove high hits.
If you have the slightest interest in this topic, i recommend this excellent TSN article, and the two Players' Tribune articles.
Thank you to PeteMoss for the original post.
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Was trying to have this conversation with a coworker....just don't see how sports can exist as they presently do, into the future, knowing what we know about concussions and health concerns. This issue is not going away.
Changes have to be made. The head trauma stuff can't be shrugged off as 'oh well they're paid well, if the job comes with risks so what?'. Employers need to provide a safe environment to work in, doesn't matter what the environment is.
Football, Soccer, Hockey, for sure. Hell even in Basketball/Baseball you can take a shot to the noggin, but at least there it's rare, not a repeat occurrence. Things like MMA and Boxing? Probably should be out right banned. I know that'll be ulta unpopular, but we know that repeated blows to the head causes health issues....yet we just keep the sport 'cause what? we are entertained by it?
Not a popular position, and it may mean hard choices in the future....but I don't see this going away or how it can even remain status quo forever. I understand the billion dollar organizations are going to fight this tooth and nail, but IMO that just delays change, it is not going to stop it.