Concussions

Violence in Sports
Concussions

By: Emily Forloines & Alex Wenrich

               In class we discussed the topic of sport having unhealthy risks such as concussions, Alzheimer’s, and early death. Consequently, concussions are a trend on the rise and show no sign of stopping. On February 23^rd 2013 a total of 23 players in the NHL had concussions (cbssports). That happens to be 4% of the players in the NHL. Even though that doesn’t seem like very much, but that is almost one player per team. Concussions that are being sustained are not from the fist fighting aspect of ice hockey, they are from checking from behind, having poor icing rules, and players not keeping their heads up while skating. 

               Some players are still signed long term to teams and have not stepped on the ice in uniform for years, because the team cannot afford to buyout contracts due the agreements the NHL has with the NHLPA. On December 1^st 2009, Boston Burins forward Marc Savard was extended to a 7 year $28.05 million dollar deal. One year later on January 23^rd, Savard received a body check that changed his career. He has yet to step on the ice since. 

              Philadelphia Flyer Eric Lindros had the talent to do anything imaginable on the ice during his young playing career. Many writers and scouts compared Lindros to Wayne Gretzky. During the 1999-2000 playoffs, the flyers were facing their rival the Devils from New Jersey. Scott Stevens was the hammer of the New Jersey Devils defense. Rules were very loose and did not defend players very well. Lindros skated through the neutral zone with his head not up, and skated into Stevens. Stevens left his feet and through his elbow into the passing Lindros. In the modern rules Stevens would have been ejected, fined, and suspended. Lindros was forced to take the whole next season off due to Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). 

As the years pass new players enter the league and try to make names for them selves. Raffi Torres was never a lean player in the NHL. He was a repeated offender for illegal hits to the head. Brendan Shanahan, league disciplinarian, is in charge of handing out suspensions and fines in the league. His philosophy is like an inverted pyramid; the more you repeat the same act the higher the fine and the longer the suspension. The highest suspension that Torres was dealt was a 25 game suspension after lunging at Chicago Blackhawk Marian Hossa. 

According to Coakley’s text, page 202-203 talks about violence and masculinity in sport. Coakley states, “if we want to understand violence in sports, we must understand gender ideology and issues of masculinity in culture.” Players can still have the mentality to be physical if the NHL sets new rules, higher fines, and longer suspensions.  If you reflect on these past cases the league made improvements. During the 2013 season the goal is to reduce the amount of concussions sustained in the NHL. Commissioner Gray Bettman met with the NHLPA and disused that all new player must wear a case or visor around their helmets. Current players were grandfathered into the rule if they chose not to follow this safety trend. Secondly, the NHL and NHLPA adapted to a hybrid icing to minimize the number of blindsided hits into the board. Thirdly, in the grass root programs youth player have stop signs sewed to their backs reminding the opposing players that it is illegal to hit from behind. Finally the league is trying to ban fighting in the NHL just like they have in the Olympic games. They believe that this will be the most important rule ever to be passed through the sport.