Politics and Pucks

Sidney Crosby usually doesn't garner a lot of praise from me, and today I'm going to change that. The other day, Crosby announced that he is not considering retirement following a concussion he suffered last season. Rob Rossi writes:

Crosby, out with a concussion since Jan. 5, skated yesterday morning for about an hour before speaking publicly about his status for the first time since April 29. He called playing this season "likely" and said he "wouldn't bet on" speculation that the concussion could force him to retire after scoring 215 goals and 572 points in 412 games in his six-season NHL career. Carrick said Crosby was referred to him last month because of lingering concussion symptoms that included "fogginess, dizziness, light-headedness and an inability to do different things at maximum function." After three weeks of treatment, Crosby said only the headaches remain — and those only after he approaches 90 percent exertion during workouts.

I applaud Crosby for sitting out with his concussion, and not rushing to get back on the ice. While to some this may seem like a back-handed compliment, I mean it sincerely. I really think this is one time where I think people should take note of his leadership. He suffered a pretty bad concussion and this is a major concern of NHL players, and he is doing the best he can to come back from it.

The league that really needs to take notice of this is the NFL. If the NFL's best player took a light concussion, they may be back in the next game. The culture of football is not favorable to people who sit out with "small" injuries, and that needs to change. If there's any sport that needs to take concussions seriously it's football. Many of their players suffer from these injuries, and they just blame it on the nature of the game. When the average career length is around 30 games (which is under 2 seasons), you have a serious problem. You might as well be a hall-of-fame player if you make it through 5 seasons.  It's a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

The NFL is addressing the problem, but not in a way that will solve the problem. They must change the culture of the game to do it, which is something that is doable. Maybe the league should reward coaches that bench concussed players. How about changing the rules that reduce concussions. I know that the second suggestion here is not a very popular one, but it would help the health of the players. The NFL should follow the NHL's lead and take concussions seriously. If one of the NHL's top players can take his time to be completely healed from his concussion, it shouldn't be wrong for a top NFL athlete to do the same.