tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post4599348562735889168..comments2023-06-01T21:15:57.354-11:00Comments on The H Does NOT Stand For Habs: Over Their HeadsJ.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00012075493503316318noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-45842000000128103532009-05-29T07:31:07.045-11:002009-05-29T07:31:07.045-11:00I'm not sure the solutions you propose are enough....I'm not sure the solutions you propose are enough. Increasingly, I think that the only way to reduce concussions (and other serious injuries) is to reduce the number of games played in a season. Of course, in a league that relies on ticket (+concession sales) revenue, that's not likely to happen.<br /><br />Concussion, from Merriam-Webster online: <I>Etymology: Middle English concussioun, from Latin concussion-, concussio, from concutere to shake violently, from com- + quatere to shake<br />1 a: a stunning, damaging, or shattering effect from a hard blow ; especially : a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function b: a hard blow or collision<br />2: agitation, shaking<br /></I>As you pointed out, concussions have many serious health effects. I believe three issues are important to highlight:<br />1. Receiving one concussion makes an individual more likely to receive another.<br />2. Latter concussions appear to cause greater damage.<br />3. Brain injury can reduce an individual's ability of judgement.<br /><br />Combine this with the fact that the only way to heal a concussion is to rest and with the peer pressure to return to the game. <br /><br />It would be easy to say that players shouldn't be allowed to make the decision to return playing on their own, but it's a very personal injury that outsiders can't judge, so it's not that simple. The only solutions that appear to me are reducing the physicality of the game and/or reducing the number of games played. Since *ice* hockey is played on ice, some level of physical play (and the corresponding injuries) will always be present. And given how much whining there is about "changes to the game", cutting the schedule may be an easier solution.<br /><br />I've had a minor concussion (deemed minor because no evidence showed up on an MRI). It probably took me six months before I felt 'normal', although I was pretty functional within a week or two. But just thinking of that time makes me feel sick to my stomach. Perhaps another day I'll try to describe the sensations.Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589093465203769284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-18109558106174521582009-05-29T04:18:26.124-11:002009-05-29T04:18:26.124-11:00Once again, I agree with all; did you notice that ...Once again, I agree with all; did you notice that Primeau mentioned it all started to go really wrong for him when he got knocked out, then came back to play 2 days later -- exactly like Havlat did? <br /><br />The only problem is, if the NHL eliminates hits to the head, what's to prevent players from skating around with their head down all the time, making them very difficult to check?<br /><br />Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, I thought Ryan Dixon's off-season game writeup for the habs was spot-on:<br /><br />http://thehockeynews.com/articles/26446-THNcom-Blog-Habs-must-rethink-plan-of-attack-in-offseason.htmlWoodvidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16833433610225890451noreply@blogger.com