Concussion crackdown will spell doom for some
Many players with head injuries will be considered tainted and be exiled
 Donald Miralle / Getty Images Already 30 and on the last legs of his career because his legs have gone through too much wear and tear, Brian Westbrook's unavailability because of a concussion problem makes him a possible liability in 2010. |
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It's no coincidence that, less than a month after Congress stuck its nose into the problem of brain injuries in pro football, NFL officials have implemented strong measures aimed at taking care of the situation.
Just before Congress was to take care of it for them.
And so, on Tuesday, the NFL rolled out seven tangible steps to reduce concussions -- and to ensure that players sustaining concussions won't play until cleared to do so by an independent specialist.
Many questions remain, including the manner in which the independent specialist will be hired and the ability of the team to hire a new independent specialist if the coach becomes frustrated by an independent specialist who is too darn independent with his recommendations. More immediately, it remains to be seen whether key players like Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be cleared to play in key games this weekend despite concussion symptoms that they would choose to ignore because they believe playing is more important than any minor (in their possibly impaired minds) risks to their long-term health and well-being.
Under the new procedures, a player's wishes won't matter, in theory. But theory and reality could be banging heads if a player thinks he's fine but the specialist digs in his heels.
At the other end of the spectrum are the more fungible players, guys like Raiders linebacker Jon Alston and Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. The Contra Costa Times recently reported that Alston, primarily a special-teams player, possibly has been playing despite concussion-related symptoms. It's less a badge of honor to play in those situations than it is a stain of cowardice not to do so. Besides, guys who can't play get replaced -- and then it's time to find a job that entails far less physical risk but pays far lower wages.
And that's the reality Westbrook faces. Already 30 and on the last legs of his career because his legs have gone through too much wear and tear, Westbrook's unavailability because of a concussion problem makes him a possible liability in 2010. All things being equal, a player at a given position with a concussion history will be viewed as less desirable than a player with no such baggage. With Westbrook's attractiveness already diminished by a history of injuries other than concussions, his recent struggles with head injuries likely will seal his fate.
As a result, player assessments now will include the question of whether and to what extent a player has a history of concussions. For those who do have that history, a stigma will apply and it will be overcome only if the player possesses rare skills. Otherwise, the coach will opt for someone with roughly equivalent talent and a clear medical history from the neck up.
In the end, the careers of some players will be shortened. Not the great ones; coaches will be patient with the periodic absences if a player will be truly difficult to replace. But the non-stars who see stars might find themselves out of work far sooner than they otherwise would have in the days that "dings" were shrugged off like bruises.
Other measures being considered, such as no-contact practices without helmets and rules changes aimed at reducing head-on collisions, will go a long way toward reducing the opportunities for head injuries. But head injuries in football will remain inevitable. Players will suffer concussions and, unlike in past years, such players will now be tainted.
And that's the real tragedy of this newfound sensitivity to head injuries. In an effort to prevent brain cells from dying, dreams will be prematurely killed.
In the grand scheme of things, it'll be a small price to pay to preserve the fundamental essence of the sport. But with a seemingly endless supply of former college football players who can fill out the bottom of a roster, players who suffer too many concussions simply won't be in the NFL for too much longer.
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