HEAD SHOT: ‘CONCUSSION’ FINE AS FICTION, SCRAMBLED AS FACT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, 2016) — With the NFL playoffs looming, THE PLANET switches gears and head-butts you with this pertinent topic.
As a film, Concussion works well, with solid acting, a decent narrative, and a plot centered on a timely topic. As fact, however, it falls way out of field-goal range. THE PLANET reminds the viewer to have the antennae on “Ray Walston High” anytime you watch a movie “based on a true story.”
Fact is, Concussion comes off as little more than propaganda those who wish to make the game of football more like girls’ field hockey.
Let THE PLANET make five points:
- The NFL and Safety — Over the past decade, the NFL has taken player safety to unprecedented levels. Equipment improvements have provided greater protection to head, trunk, and limbs. Helmet design approaches bridge building in complexity. Pads are lighter and more shock absorbing, cleats “grabbier” but more giving. To suggest that the NFL has been negligent on player safety is to retroactively apply today’s technology, knowledge base, and morality upon yesterday’s players in black, Lou Groza high-tops.
- What Gets Hurt Most? — The National Football League currently employes 1,692 players on 32 teams. Players make an average of $2 million, far less than the wimpy sport of baseball. Few of the players suffer concussions. Knee injuries and deep bruises occur far more frequently. According to meullersportsmed.com, 7.4% of NFL players suffered concussions this year. On the other hand, 50.4 suffered leg injuries, most frequently to the knee. Almost 17% incurred shoulder or arm injuries. The point here is that while concussions occur, they are far from the biggest league injury problem.
- Football is a Contact Sport — If you choose to play football, you will have to hit and be hit. It’s a game where after a big hit, in the immortal phrase of writer Dave Holihan, “the world stops at your skin.” Contact, hitting, blocking, and tackling are the essence of the sport. Its players are getting younger, faster, and stronger. Today, lineman average 300 pounds, with speed. Put that many bodies on a field running at each other at that kind of speed, and there will be injuries. Simple as that. Social engineering is the worst way to “improve” the game. Already, the rules have gone overboard in defining interference, illegal blocking and tackling, and other moves. Mothers, if you don’t want your babies to gets clotheslined, don’t let them play football. Everyone else, shake it off and get back out there.
- Fiction Isn’t Fact — People watch Platoon and think they know what Vietnam was like. They see Citizen Kane and believe they’ve nailed William Randolph Hearst. However, it’s never that way on the big screen. If and when you blow $8 or $10 on Concussion, go into the big, dark room expecting to be entertained but not enlightened. Don’t believe 90% of what you see. The other 10% you can send to The Boring Broadsheet.
- Just Put Them All in Bubbles — Across this sorry country, there are numerous legislative attempts to ban kids from playing tackle football. Most word the ban vaguely, saying it should be in place until children reach the “age of consent.” The Catholic Church puts the age of consent at 7. Most of the pending bills want that no-tackle age at 14, to which THE PLANET says nonsense. Kids, especially boys, have been rough-housing since civilization was knee high to Zeus. Today, however, there’s an anti-boy trend sweeping through the country, a “feminization” that, with a generation, will leave us with a world of women … and Bruce Jenners. Already, the sick response of today’s emasculated world of education and medicine wants to drug high-spirited lads into chemical ghettos. The kid’s got spunk. Shoot him up. He “suffers from” ADHD, as fake a a diagnosis as ever has been concocted. The move to ban boys from football is an aspect of a larger “War Against Boys.” None of this is good.
THE PLANET says send the boys out to the field, given them a football, and let them have at it. Or, put them all in protective bubbles with their computer screens to lose themselves in rotund, glucosed, electronic bliss. The choice is yours.
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“Don’t cross him. Don’t boss him. He’s riding high with his pain.” — Willie Nelson, “The Redheaded Stranger,” (1976).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views expressed in the comment section or opinions published within the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not those of PLANET VALENTI or endorsed in any way by PLANET VALENTI; this website reserves the right to remove any comment which violates its Rules of Conduct, and it is not liable for the consequences of any posted comment as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and PLANET VALENTI’s terms of service.
Go Patriots!
Science is paramount to medicine.
I feel sorry for the victims of the NFL’s concussions, including those who are mentally ill and those who committed suicide.
The Catholic Church does a disservice to medicine. They want every married couple to have about a dozen children and live in poverty.
What about the movie “Spotlight” about Boston’s Catholic Church sex abuse scandals?
The Catholic Church is never wrong because they are holier than thou!
“Sum for me, Nun for you!”
But the new Pope liked by the corporate media so everything is O.K.
I wish we all lived in “a perfect world”!
How much weight does the protective gear add to the total player weight? How much force does this add to the total impact?
I submit that the helmet, meant to protect head injuries, is the leading causation for concussions.
Pro football is already girls field hockey…you can’t touch qb’s…you can’t hit guys coming across the middle to catch passes…a rb can’t lower his head to take on a defender…you can’t hit a guy high and if you go low it’s considered a cheap shot
When people like Jack Tatum started targeting people and bragging how many he put out of the game something had to be done. It is supposed to be a sport not a gladiator contest.
But if you choose to go into the sport and get hurt I think that is on the player. They know what they sign up for.
Dusty,
I think most know now. But, in the past, I think the data was hidden from the players and they didn’t truly understand the risk.
Barry
All the Pro football players know the risks. They are willing to take the chance because they want the money and fame. Their choice I say. The same can be said of race car drivers and any other sport where risk is involved. Plenty of people take bigger risks than football offers. Skydiving, mountain climbing, military service and the list goes on.
I really see no harm in starting young kids off with flag football. They can progresses into tackle in their teens.
Barry once took a risk…..he jumped to a conclusion
This is totally of topic, but I am responding to someone yesterday who asked how I could be a Republican, but blame wealthy people in the area for destroying our local economy. It’s easy. All we have in this area are Democrats, mainly progressives and they are the ones giving more money to the schools each year. Many of them are wealthy which is why they aren’t bothered by higher taxes. Also I’m an independent.
Pat
The money allocated to schools is one thing. The management of these monies is another. We all see the reality, and know the children and programs are shortchanged, and outnumbered by the flagrant pile on in the Administration. This should be overhauled and righted.
Pat-One only need view the people at Tyers inauguration. Wall to wall Gobsigs. Raises in their property taxes mean nothing to them. Until everybody adopts a non Gobsig philosphy and each does their part in actively working to make the city affordable for all, nothing will ever change. Do not look for any changes fromTyer. She is and has been part of the establishment for a long time. and will continue the downward spiral. Real change can only come by building the Non Gobsig Network that has been spoken about.
The lovely Linda Tyer said that she will bring everyone together in unity to solve all of Pittsfield politics’ many problems and issues. She said he would have an open and inclusive municipal government based on mutual respect.
YET, all of her supporters are Jimmy Ruberto’s Good Old Boys! She is part of the Del Gallo, Doyle, Jimmy Ruberto political faction that is opposed by the Wojtkowski, Sara Hathaway, Dan Bianchi political faction.
You did not see Sara Hathaway or Dan Bianchi attending the lovely Linda Tyer’s inauguration. You did, however, see all of Jimmy Ruberto’s supporters smiling ear to ear.
If patterns of social behavior still mean anything, I would say that Pittsfield politics is going to continue its 40 year long downward spiral!
I agree. It was wall to wall GOB’s. These are the wealthy Democrats I’m talking about. The ones in control who have brought the city to its current terrible condition with poverty, crime and lack of jobs.
Pat,
This guy sums it up in a nutshell. It is spreading to many cities and towns like wildfire.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/letters/ci_29350548/letter-adams-cheshire-schools-prove-money-is-not
Wow! I missed that letter. It pretty much sums up the whole sad situation. The money is going to outrageous salaries of teachers and administrators in the schools and not to the education of the kids….that’s the problem. This is why the schools are failing the kids. Wealthy people send their kids to private schools. The poor are stuck with these money grubbing low performing schools. Something needs to be done about this that’s for sure.
“Based on a true story” means one thing – it isn’t true.
Despite improvements in technology and equipment and modifications to rules in the game on both the pro and a meter level, there’s just a rougher style of play now than in the past.Pro football players are a lot bigger than they used to be. Size and physical conditioning techniques have evolved to create an intense athlete. Awareness and better train g for coaches are slowly changing the culture of sports to better safeguard athletes against CTE. Football is a great sport. Go Patriots!!
The NFL needs to bring the rouge to the NFL
Amateur level
Maybe all the guys can dress like women; they already wear tites. When scoring a touchdown they pat each other on the butt.
The sissification of men can be traced to plastics used in the food industry. Bisphenol A or BPA leaches into the food and liquids men consume. It mimics the female hormone estrogen. It finds it way into about everything you eat or drink.
Political correctness is pushing to do away with gender labels. If a man wants to be identified as a woman, they are already passing laws to protect them. Easy free access to porn on the internet is seriously screwing up people’s minds. I bet sissy porn is very popular.
The Catholic church considers the age of consent at 7? Wow. That is shocking. Keep your children away from these people and scout masters too.
We are rapidly reaching a Sodom and Gomorrah like society. God destroyed those cities. He made known his feelings on such behavior in very non-politically correct terms.
“And you knew what you were then…
Girls were girls and men were men..
Mr. we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again…..”
– Archie & Edith Bunker
Even though the NFL did attempt to completely discredit the research linking CTE to concussions sustained from football. Yes, the movie is sensationalized, but with our deep traditions of revising history with titillating details, it still doesn’t mean the NFL isn’t a giant greedy non-profit machine.
The NFL is in denial. We are in denial. I love watching football, yes, but it isn’t safe for the players. It is our version of “The Running Man’. The players we glorify deserve to have a life expectancy after playing that is on par with our own. The NFL should legit address this so the legacy isn’t tainted.
Ohio State’s defensive end Joey Bosa will likely be a first round draft choice. He’s that good. In the Fiesta Bowl playing against Notre Dame Bosa was ejected for targeting- a new name for hitting an opponent head first. If Bosa had turned his head 3 inches to hit the Notre Dame QB with his shoulder and base of neck, or if the QB had stopped and Bosa went with the side of his head and shoulder, it could have broken Bosa’s neck though it is considered a legal tackle.This game is not soccer. Which leads me to ask when will someone who never put on a jockstrap want to rule out bouncing a soccer ball off your head? These guys who think football is patty cake would no doubt want to eject Chuck Bednarik for the hit he put on Frank Gifford in an old Eagles – Giant game.
Before hand held electronic games youngsters would play tackle football at the park or on the street and it was without adult supervision. This type of free play prepared one for high school sport and college was no different, where, by the way, targeting with helmet was taught. If opponents had a shifty halfback there was an area that couldn’t shimmy or shake and that is where the top of two legs meet. That’s where we were taught to put our helmet first going full speed. If the runner was a big boy you had to get him in the knees.
The first Olympic games were 776 BC. Back then a gent named Theotakes had 1300 boxing matches. As far as I know no concussion problems either. And you thought Ali was tough. More recent history on the importance of sports was a quote from General Wellington after defeating Napoleon: “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eaton”. There was no bigger fan of West Point football than General MacArthur.
Indeed people get hurt playing football. They get hurt falling out of trees and riding bikes. The way we’re going it may be a question of time before a homeowner or municipality or bike manufacturer gets sued for a kid falling off a branch or falling off a bike.
Chuck, I just talked to a guy that knew Theotakes primary physician and he is pretty sure the guy had a concussion. He says they tried to cover it up but he says he has an MRI readout to back it up.
Dusty, I can’t but think if Theotakes had a MRI the readout may have been similar to a story I read about Dizzy Dean. Dizzy was playing for the gashouse gang of the Cards in the 30’s and got beaned while batting. Pitchers had to hit in those days. They were worried about the hit in the head and took Dizzy to the hospital for an x-ray. The results were announced the next day in front page headlines. The headlines were something like this:” X-rays taken of Dizzy’s head. Results see nothing”. Here’s what I like about the story. Dizzy did not sue the newspaper for slander.
I hope he’s there when the GIANTS pick
In reality the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Prussia. The Brits have and always did have a penchant for taking credit for everything. As for MacArthur remember his farewell speech, “Old Soldiers Never Die” He was spot on with that quote. Young soldiers die. Also, its Eton.
Mr. G. will have 3 petitions for next CCmeeting. Briefly,1-Increase pub. session speaking to 7 minutes. This is the taxpayers time to talk and councilors should respond to specifics asked by taxpayer. 2- Kill the THS Project and ask city solicitor to research the escape clause in the contract signed by the city. Solicitor should report back to full council at the next CC meeting. accusing him of saying thinThe city should send out a letter to every taxpayer in the city of Pittsfield whether they support the building of a newTHS or not. Or,use the city automated emergency telephone system to do a random survey . The system is in effect and the time and date of the survey should be announced before it occurs. There should be no cost for this survey and we must know how the taxpayer feels about this topic especially with Sabic leaving and students opting to other educational choices. 3-ALLcity telephone lines should be recorded lines. Mr.G. was a victim of a city employee who stated he said things that he vehemently denies. If the call was to a recorded line this travesty would not occur. Ther is no reason that lines should not be recorded lines .They keep the city employees honest and would be a record of any city employee abusing the taxpayer. He is also going to send a letter to the districtand and superior courts asking that individuals who have business with the courts be allowed to tape record the preceedings. Again ther is no valid reason an individual who requests to record the preceedings should be denied. The court records and the individual should be allowed to record also. Again this is fair and creates a more fair proccess in the courts
A- only 3% supported you in the primary.
B- Surveys are expensive and should be prepared by an expert conducted with a statistically significant sample size. If Mr. G is so educated he should have taken research methods at some point and should understand this.
C- HAHAHAHA, don’t threaten employees, and you wont be accused of what you did. Not a single person would waste one bit of time fabricating that yarn.
SHH, don’t you get that Mr.G is not a Gobsig? Everyone seems to get this but you.Mr. G is trying to make thi ngs better for everyone in Pittsfield. You don’t seem to get that either. He’s out there acting and doing. And you are just posting. Stay with the Gobsigs,the G man doesn’t need anyone with your talents. What city position do you hold? Long live the Wizard. The taxpayers need you desperately. Thanks for your past and present contributions to Pittsfield. You stand alone and your efforts are greatly appreciated. get well soon.
You’re the biggest SIG of all, Gaetani. The only thing you really want is a multi-million dollar contract from the city. Everything else is all for show.
I am not Gaetani. However if you think the city would have done well by spending 150 million back in the 80’s instead of spending 33 million you must either be on the Metcalf & Eddy payroll or a member of the city council…..or maybe you’re just posting from Lach’s Lounge as happy hour comes to a close.
call a cab tonight….don’t chance driving home 655321.
P.S. are yu related to br549?
Seems to me those are all things he wants and not things I want. So he isn’t really looking out for me. Just himself.
What is you want then? The lowest quality from the highest bidder?
You gotta give him credit though. He’s the most persistent salesman in the world.
Why is it so hard for people to stay on point. Today it’s football.
Some women don’t like football so we talk about other stuff.
Sorry, football is so important ……. Can Belichick raise my taxes
Due to an old football injury I’m guilty of straying off subject myself. When is L T anointing her cabinet appointees, who’s coming and who’s going?
MI
Yeah we all have a case of distraction……Lol… Take your eye off the ball and you lose your grip…..Lol
Juan Pittsfield you are too clever
Twenty two years ago when seven leaders of American Tobacco companies were each asked one after the other: “Sir, do you believe that cigarettes are addictive”: each one said “No”.
Does the NFL today after all studies, believe that football is inherently dangerous and prone to cause concussions with its players?
No!
Sean, Of course they said “No”. They were executives making big bucks. I remember when this first started. I think L&M were butts most affected. This was in middle 50’s. Didn’t make an impact for another 40 years. People still smoke. How do you figure?
Your next paragraph. How does anyone know these guys were not abused as youngsters? Did they get hurt playing at the park? If they played high school football did they wear a helmet? How about Jr. High? We played tackle then. I know we don’t want to say their football major in college was responsible for a few head bumps and concussions. Much of their head bumps may have happened before they entered the NFL for a few million a year. Maybe they fell out of a tree and landed on their head.
Why is a football players problem a responsibility of the NFL?
Totally totally agree with the great Chuck G one of the great all-round athletes to come out of the berkshies.
Chuck’s last question, the answer is because today, no one has to take personal resposibility. You choose to play football, a violent sport. You get hurt playing said viloent sport. But its not YOUR fault. Its the league’s. You are a “victim.”
So true, Demitrius You are a victim even if you make and squander salary of millions annually.
Some College kids are not even making it to the NFL because of head injuries. It’s changing the dynamics so to speak, but there will always be Football. You are so right, it is not the NFL’s fault. You play the game you own the,rest….. Football players today are tougher and bigger….so are the injuries.
When I played for Smith we never had injuries
Football always has been and always be a violent contact sport…11 on 11…it’s unavoidable…it’s not checkers…people are gonna get hurt in all different ways…head, knee, leg, arm, foot…it’s unavoidable…it’s an unfortunate side effect of a great game…all players enter with eyes wide open
Chucky G…imagine guys like Tommy Nobis, Ray Nitschke, Mike Curtis or Dick Butkus trying to play in today’s game?!
Mr. X
These guys would be playing today not taking greenies, uppers, or whatever else they call the junk some of them are taking to give an advantage. They would be great without the garbage.
Macy’s joins Best Buy, Persnickety Toys. Buba Louies, Adrians, The Tyler and even Del Gallos and Sabic in a requiem to Pitts and vicinity. More to come for sure.
Pittsfield is losing even more jobs in 2016! Pittsfield politics better raise some more taxes again this year.
NEWS ARTICLE:
“Macy’s at the Berkshire Mall to close, company says”
By Tony Dobrowolski, The Berkshire Eagle, January 6, 2016
LANESBOROUGH – Macy’s — an anchor tenant of the Berkshire Mall since 1994 — will be closing, the company announced on Wednesday.
The Berkshire Mall Macy’s is among 40 stores nationwide that will close in the coming months, according to the national department store retailer. The company operates 770 stores.
The local store’s 58 employees were informed of the company’s decision on Wednesday.
In September, Macy’s announced that it planned to close “underperforming” stores in early 2016. Four of those stores located in Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have already closed. The remaining 36 will start clearance sales on Monday, Jan. 11, that will run for the next eight to 12 weeks.
Macy’s is the second of the Berkshire Mall’s anchor stores to close in the past four months. Best Buy closed on Oct. 31 after the company declined to renew its lease with the mall’s management company.
The Berkshire Mall Macy’s contains 110,000 square feet of space.
The mall’s management company, Dallas-based real estate holding company COMM 2005FL10 Berkshire Mall LLC, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
In a statement, Macy’s said the nationwide store closings are part of a series of cost-efficiency and process measures to be implemented early this year that will reduce SG&A expenses by $400 million, while still investing in growth strategies, particularly in omnichannel capabilities at Macy’s and Bloomingdales.
SG&A is an accounting term that refers to selling, general and administrative cost, a major nonproduction cost that is presented in an income statement, according to a business website.
“In light of our disappointing 2015 sales and earnings performance, we are making adjustments to become more efficient and productive in our operations,” said Macy’s Chairman and CEO Terry J. Lundgren.
“Moreover, we believe we can operate more effectively with an organization that is flatter and more agile so we can pursue growth and regain market share in our core Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s omnichannel businesses faster and with more intensity,” he said.
In a separate announcement, Macy’s stated that comparable sales on an own plus licensed basis declined by 4.7 percent in November and December, compared to the same time period in 2014.
About 80 percent of the company’s year-to-year decline in comparable sales was attributed to shortfalls in cold-weather goods such as coats, sweaters, hats, gloves and scarves, Lundgren said.
“The holiday selling season was challenging, as experienced throughout 2015 by much of the retailing industry,” Lundgren said. “In the November/December period we were particularly disadvantaged by the historically warm weather in north climate zones where Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are well represented.”
Regionally, Macy’s is also closing its store at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, and a main store, and two stores in Enfield, Conn.
Contact Tony Dobrowolski at 413-496-6224. tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com @TonyDobrow on Twitter.
How about Modern Mold on East St. I heard that they might be going to Florida sometime this year. True or False.
Football has a real problem with head injuries and the NFL for years did nothing but attack the research. Today they do not. The concussion protocol is a critical part of this but so are the helmets that record the cumulative effects of hits. The helmets we had at SJHS were just plastic on the outside and a web in the inside. Today they are much more sophisticated. I never had a concussion but some of the guys I knew did including Dave McNiece who was a good, tough linebacker, inducted in the Hall of Fame. He paid a terrible price his hits at the end of his life. We don’t know why guys like him paid such a high price and why guys like me paid nothing.(yet)
Thanks Chuck. I remember you playing for the Crusaders! On the line, right? Hope you are well. Have a great 2016! Do you ever get back to Pittsfield?
Thanks for the heads up, Dowgerhat. One had to be suffering from a severe concussion not to see this coming. A weekly walk through Macy’s past months was a give away. Now here’s the deal for our new administration and our public. Don’t spend 6 months faulting GE for a local retail failure. Others will follow. Once before I mentioned an economic environment of “creative destruction”. We are in it now. We have elected brains and energy. We are counting on you and have confidence in you.
Remember those St. Joe players well..McNiece, Traczinka, Denny Kelly, Franky, man I remember when They would take the field at Wahconah Park, get out of the way. I believe Bears Dick Butkus drank a case of beer before each game…..Lite…
I’m in Pittsfield for three or so weeks a year, including over Christmas. I was a lineman my sophmore and junior year, a running back my senior year but I broke my leg in a scrimmage at Monument Mountain. It was hairline fracture but it put me out for three months.Players feel no pain when the adrenaline is high and I walked off the field with my broken leg which a few minutes later was shaking. Players also want to get into the action asap. I got the cast off at the end of October and was raring to get into a game. I’m forever indebted to Coach Potter for not letting me play against PHS. I might have been crippled for life. We thought of concussions as “head stingers”, sort of like an insect bite that, sure could be severe, but we could “shake it off”. Medical knowledge has advanced enormously we need to use it. At IU the helmets have a sensor which accumulates the shocks and the players are pulled out it it gets too high. I don’t know if the movie is accurate but the problem of CTE is real.
Coach Potter was one,if not the finest Teacher along with Mary Matthews one could ever have. Tom was a gentle soul in the classroom and a great History Teacher, loved that guy!
i’ve got a yearning for Scrambled eggs, to Adrian’s!
Was an arrest ever made in the fatal shooting stemming from Pittsfield’s now infamous 4th of July massacre ?
Excellent discussion.