Archive: Medical
Decisions Decisions
While most will never face Freeney's specific choice, we make similar decisions every day.
By Dr. Matthew Prowler | February 4, 2010; 06:05 PM ET | Comments (0)
If he can play, play
Some would think that this game is worth playing in at all costs. Hoisting that Lombardi trophy seems to work miracles as a pain reliever.
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | February 3, 2010; 11:27 AM ET | Comments (0)
Safety first
Players caught up in the moment may not have the clearest perspective on their long-term futures
By Michael Oriard | February 3, 2010; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (0)
Talk to the ankle
Playing for the moment -- a Super Bowl moment -- may be well worth it in the eyes of the players and fans but, in the long run, it's more about quality of life later.
By Mackie Shilstone | February 3, 2010; 06:54 AM ET | Comments (1)
Play Freeley
If this was a regular season game, maybe Freeney would sit out. It's the Super Bowl. He won't.
By Dave Goldberg | February 3, 2010; 06:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
Be deliberate, Brian
Part of properly communicating a decision is about communicating the process that brought you to that decision.
By Jason Maloni | December 16, 2009; 12:04 PM ET | Comments (0)
Brian's choice
It's his career and his future, whatever he wants to make of it.
By Josh Zerkle | December 16, 2009; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (0)
A train wreck
Hopefully, Brian will decide when enough is enough, before he meets that ultimate wreck
By Mackie Shilstone | December 16, 2009; 10:34 AM ET | Comments (0)
Players' Choice
If the NFL were to continue to soften the rules I can guarantee you they will lose a part of their audience.
By Robert Littal | October 28, 2009; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (3)
Don't Need Concussions
Rule modifications and equipment modifications won't make football worse -- the heightened interest in head injuries will lead to a better product on the field.
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | October 28, 2009; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (1)
Let the Hearings Begin
Is the future of the NFL at stake in these hearings? Absolutely. Violence is not incidental but fundamental to the appeal of the game.
By Michael Oriard | October 28, 2009; 07:46 AM ET | Comments (5)
Fans Must Fight Back
Stand up loudly against the mistreatment of old NFL heroes. Only until you protest, will changes be made.
By Brent Boyd | October 28, 2009; 06:55 AM ET | Comments (2)
Football Hurts
The only way to end concussions in the NFL is to shut down the league.
By Dave Goldberg | October 28, 2009; 06:21 AM ET | Comments (8)
Modern Gladiators
It's hard to imagine a Hank Williams Jr's: "Are you ready for some Flag Football? "
By Dr. Matthew Prowler | October 28, 2009; 06:10 AM ET | Comments (5)
Call me an NFL Rubbernecker
So we watch for big hits? Players know what they are getting themselves into when they strap on a helmet.
By Dan Levy | October 28, 2009; 06:07 AM ET | Comments (8)
Leadership Needed From 280 Park Ave
Only by showing leadership can the NFL win this one. In sports, as in business, sometimes that's a tall order.
By Jason Maloni | October 28, 2009; 06:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
NFL Doesn't Help Books
The League could always do better job but I don't believe the NFL is interested in accommodating sports books or any Fantasy Leagues.
By Johnny Avello | September 18, 2009; 02:41 PM ET | Comments (0)
Mums the Word
I see no problem with being secretive about the kind of information a team reveals.
By Chris Richardson | September 18, 2009; 11:03 AM ET | Comments (1)
Play It Safe
Maybe it is better to only play those players who can do so without pain or potential for re-injury.
By Mackie Shilstone | September 18, 2009; 07:41 AM ET | Comments (0)
American Gamesmanship
Eric Mangini's little games with the weekly injury report reflect a common practice in the NFL, and show that a $125,000 fine is simply the cost of doing business.
By Michael Oriard | September 18, 2009; 07:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
Andy Reid Will Adjust
Unfortunately for Donovan McNabb's fragile psyche, the Eagles will be fine for a couple of weeks without him.
By Sean McCann | September 14, 2009; 11:33 AM ET | Comments (3)
They've Done It Before
The Eagles have a system in place that allows them to win without him for brief stretches of time if need be
By Doug Farrar | September 14, 2009; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (0)
No McNabb, No Chance
Philly's Super Bowl aspirations hang on the health of Donovan McNabb.
By H. Gore | September 14, 2009; 09:05 AM ET | Comments (6)
The Bird (& Rib) Cage
The defense might carry them to the playoffs, but they need McNabb to win when they get there.
By Zach Leibowitz | September 14, 2009; 08:27 AM ET | Comments (0)
Hack the Ribs, Saints
If McNabb plays, his ribs will have bulls eyes on them.
By Mackie Shilstone | September 14, 2009; 01:45 AM ET | Comments (0)
Temporary Survival
In the short term the Eagles can get by without McNabb, but niether VIck nor Kolb is ready to replace him permanently.
By Jason Brewer | September 14, 2009; 01:27 AM ET | Comments (1)
Fear Not, Philly
Eagles fans should relax. Even if McNabb is out for an extended period, the team will still be in playoff contention
By Robert Littal | September 14, 2009; 01:14 AM ET | Comments (2)
McNabb Takes a Little Ribbing
With the added protection of a well padded flak jacket, he shouldn't have any drop in performance.
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | September 14, 2009; 01:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Depends on Degree
The time he misses will depend on the severity.
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | September 11, 2009; 11:25 AM ET | Comments (0)
Ben Matters More
Troy is nice to have, Roethlisberger is irreplaceable.
By David Hill | September 11, 2009; 11:01 AM ET | Comments (0)
Death Not an Inherent Risk
Despite Carson Palmer's comments, I disagree 100 percent with the notion that death is an inherent risk in football.
By Roman Oben | September 9, 2009; 02:31 PM ET | Comments (2)
A Death Would Change Football
If a death were to occur it could result in a dramatic shift in NFL policy.
By Jason Maloni | September 9, 2009; 11:51 AM ET | Comments (3)
Isn't That Why We Watch?
We root for men from our city to beat men from your city into submission.
By Dan Levy | September 9, 2009; 11:19 AM ET | Comments (2)
Death Won't Kill NFL
In fact, if a player were to die on the field it might improve ratings
By Chris Richardson | September 9, 2009; 10:18 AM ET | Comments (0)
Expect a Football Fatality
I believe Palmer is right. One day the NFL will experience a death on the field
By Josh Kirkendall | September 9, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Gladiators Die
Nothing will change after a player dies on the field, other than the cache of having whiffed death.
By Adam Hoff | September 9, 2009; 08:37 AM ET | Comments (0)
Dying From Football
What kills and maims in football is just the underside of what makes NFL football the country's favorite spectator sport.
By Michael Oriard | September 9, 2009; 08:12 AM ET | Comments (0)
The Quick and the Dead
With the speed of today's players, it is not out of the realm of possibility that a death could happen in a game.
By Joe Reedy | September 9, 2009; 08:03 AM ET | Comments (0)
Football Kills, Deal With It
If they don't want to put their lives in danger, they can choose a different line of work.
By Larry Brown | September 9, 2009; 08:02 AM ET | Comments (0)
Play at Your Peril
I think the potential dangers of high blood pressure is the real killer in the NFL.
By Mackie Shilstone | September 9, 2009; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
New Rules to Stop Death
It's necessary to adjust the rules to compensate for the "athletic freaks" we see out on the field now.
By David Fucillo | September 9, 2009; 07:59 AM ET | Comments (0)
Double Your Durability
The feature back may not be completely dead but the two back system is more popular because of the beating that running backs take in the NFL.
By Jimmy Morris | August 17, 2009; 11:16 AM ET | Comments (0)
Blame Mike Shanahan
Not only can Mike Shanahan be blamed for the downfall of the Denver Broncos, fantasy owners should blame him for ruining the feature back.
By Dan Levy | August 17, 2009; 06:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
Depressing Conclusions
While it is accepted that cognitive and mood changes can result from head trauma, there is still great uncertainty within the medical field about how to define brain injury and even greater about how to treat it.
By Dr. Matthew Prowler | June 10, 2009; 12:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
The NFL Ignored Us
Just as the tobacco companies fought like hell to deny links to cancer; the NFL is desperately, and corruptly, trying to deny liability for the carnage left behind by decades of head injuries.
By Brent Boyd | June 10, 2009; 10:06 AM ET | Comments (2)
We Didn't Know Any Better
In the 70's and 80's coaches didn't know any better -- players would get knocked out in the first quarter and be playing in the second.
By Dick Vermeil | June 10, 2009; 10:03 AM ET | Comments (1)
Study Film, Damage Brain?
The league makes concussed players leave the field, but could studying tape the next day be just as dangerous?
By Mackie Shilstone | June 10, 2009; 09:47 AM ET | Comments (0)
Never Safe Enough
The NFL is doing what they need to do, but need to keep doing it, even after players retire.
By Keenan McCardell | June 10, 2009; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Teams Keep Quiet When Players Have Their Bell Rung
The NFL has done a dismal job of identifying and treating one of the major post concussive symptoms, depression.
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | June 10, 2009; 09:06 AM ET | Comments (0)
More Needs to Be Done
It is time for the football, from Pop Warner to the NFL, to make significant and drastic advances in the handling of concussions.
By Peter Schaffer | June 10, 2009; 08:33 AM ET | Comments (1)
Very Little Has Changed
Concussions need to be handled by an independent physician in as objective a manner as possible rather than a conflicted team staff.
By Doug Farrar | June 10, 2009; 08:12 AM ET | Comments (0)
Teach Your Children Well
A parent coaching football is no different than a parent coaching swimming.
By Dan Levy | June 10, 2009; 07:40 AM ET | Comments (0)
Injuries Can't Close OTAs
Every year a prominent player is injured in the supposedly non-contact Organized Team Activities that occur throughout the "off-season," leading to a groundswell of support to eliminate the workouts entirely, or to at least redefine the "voluntary" nature of the workouts.
By Rob Rang | June 4, 2009; 03:16 PM ET | Comments (0)
OTAs Command Control
If teams stopped all OTAs, minicamps and conditioning programs the quality of the league would not drop. But the coaches would feel like they have less control. Because of that, they will continue.
By Les Carpenter | June 4, 2009; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (1)
Baseball Is History and History Is Passé
Baseball, like our current economy, has been run as an institution that thought itself impervious to decay and decline.
By Jim McCormick | February 9, 2009; 02:36 PM ET | Comments (1)
Can't Make the Club in the Tub
Balancing the conflicting interests of team, sport and well being is the responsibility of not just the player, but his agent.
By Peter Schaffer | October 29, 2008; 05:56 PM ET | Comments (0)
Money Creates Security
It's different today because of the money and the salary cap. If I didn't play, someone might take my job.
By Joe Theismann | October 29, 2008; 01:51 PM ET | Comments (9)
Hurt or Injured?
There is always a delicate balance between taking a short term risk by allowing the player play versus sacrificing the future of the team
By Dr. A. Brion Gardner | October 29, 2008; 01:32 PM ET | Comments (0)
