NFL players promise brains to concussion research

[samanthajane13]

BOSTON – Three active NFL players are joining former players in agreeing to donate their brains after death to a Boston University medical school program that studies sports brain injuries.

The donations by Matt Birk of the Baltimore Ravens, Lofa Tatupu (LOH'-fuh tah-TOO'-poo) of the Seattle Seahawks and Sean Morey of the Arizona Cardinals were announced Monday. Morey says his donation will help improve the safety of retired and future athletes.

The players' brains and spinal cord tissue will go to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy so researchers can better understand the effects of concussions. More than 150 former athletes, including 40 retired NFL players, already are in the program's brain donation registry.

The center was created in 2008 as a collaborative venture between BU and Sports Legacy Institute.

(This version CORRECTS Birk's first name to Matt.)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090914/...rain_donations

[samanthajane13]

Goodell defends NFL to Congress about concussions
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER and HOWARD FENDRICH, Associated Press Writers Frederic J. Frommer And Howard Fendrich, Associated Press Writers – 5 mins ago

WASHINGTON – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not acknowledge a connection between head injuries on the football field and later brain diseases while defending the league's policies on concussions before Congress on Wednesday.

That frustrated several members of the House Judiciary Committee, including the committee chairman, Michigan Democrat John Conyers, when Goodell told him the NFL isn't waiting for that debate to play out and is taking steps to make the game safer.

"I just asked you a simple question. What is the answer?" persisted Conyers.

Goodell replied by saying a medical expert could give a better answer than he could. But some House members complained later that Dr. Ira Casson, chairman of the NFL's committee on concussions, had not testified.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., gave Casson some exposure anyway, playing a clip of a TV interview in which he denied evidence of a link between multiple head injuries in NFL players with brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's.

Sanchez said that reminded her of tobacco companies denying a link between smoking and health damage in the 1990s.

Goodell testified alongside new NFL Players Association leader DeMaurice Smith, who said the union "has not done its best in this area. We will do better." Both men did agree to turn over players' medical records to the committee.

In addition, Conyers wants information on head injuries from the NCAA, high schools and medical researchers to better understand football's health risks.

Still, several Republicans questioned the point of the hearing. Rep. Ted Poe of Texas said Congress' involvement in football would mean the end of the sport.

"We'd all be playing touch football," he said.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., whose husband played in the NFL, asked Goodell how the league was addressing the welfare of retired players during current collective bargaining negotiations.

Goodell said it's a "priority for the owners and players to take better care of our retired players," but Waters cut him off, demanding specifics.

"We've heard from the NFL time and time again — you're always 'studying,' you're always 'trying,' you're 'hopeful,'" Waters said, pointing a finger in Goodell's direction. "I want to know what are you doing ... to deal with this problems and other problems related to injuries?"

When Goodell said talks between owners and players are in the early stages, Waters said it's time "for Congress to take a look at your antitrust exemption" and that she thinks it should be removed.

A 1961 law grants professional sports leagues antitrust exemption for broadcasting. That has allowed the NFL to sign TV contracts totaling billions of dollars on behalf of all its teams, helping transform the league into the economic powerhouse it is today.

When Waters was done grilling Goodell, she walked to the back of the hearing room and greeted Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown with a hug. Other former NFL stars present included Willie Wood, who sat in his wheelchair, a few rows behind the witness table.

In his testimony, Goodell said that the league has "reduced red tape, simplified the process for applicants and their families, and sped disability determinations."

Several retired players testified at the hearing, including former fullback Merril Hoge, who said a series of concussions cost him his career. After his first concussion, he said he never saw a neurological doctor and was cleared to play five days later.

"What happened to me would not happen in the National Football League today," Hoge said. "That does not mean we are all the way there. We are on the way."

Gay Culverhouse, former president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said NFL team doctors are not advocates for the players and called for an independent neurologist to be on the sidelines.

Dr. Robert Cantu, co-director of Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, said there is "growing and convincing evidence" that repetitive concussive and subconcussive hits to the head in NFL players leads to a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

"The public health risk is already here, and we cannot afford to wait any longer to make changes to the way we play sports," he said, calling for rule and technique changes.

His colleague at the center, Dr. Ann McKee, showed the committee images of brains of dead football players with CTE.

"We need to take radical steps" to change the way football is played, she said.

Dick Benson told the committee about the death of his 17-year-old son, Will, a high school quarterback in Austin, Texas, several weeks after a helmet-to-helmet hit in 2002. The following year, Benson founded the Will Benson Foundation for Sports Safety. He said the game needs to be changed to reduce physical contact, especially helmet-to-helmet contact.

"My one request is," he said, pausing to sob, "don't let it happen again."

Former running back Tiki Barber said he was concerned that high school players don't have the medical access that pros do.

"My ask of you is that you find a way to mandate that every high school athletic program has access to medical doctors who can diagnose, understand and treat concussions," he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091029/..._head_injuries

[samanthajane13]

AP IMPACT: NFL players hide, fear concussions
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – Wed Nov 18, 5:42 pm ET

Washington Redskins kick returner Rock Cartwright remembers his brain "shaking like a bell" when he was walloped in a game against the New York Giants a few years ago.

"You know how a bell vibrates? That's how my brain was going at that time," he said. "I think five minutes later, I came back to myself. I went back out there and played football."

What Cartwright never did when the hit happened? He never told Washington's medical staff his head ached.

He's not alone. Thirty of 160 NFL players surveyed by The Associated Press from Nov. 2-15 replied that they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion.

The AP embarked on the most extensive series of interviews about concussions since the subject became a major issue this season, talking to five players on each of the 32 teams — nearly 10 percent of the league — seeking out a mix of positions and NFL experience to get a cross-section of players. While not a scientific sampling, many of the players answered with startling candor.

"You get back up, and things are spinning," Giants backup quarterback David Carr said, "but you don't tell anyone."

Now the NFL wants players to keep tabs on each other and tell their teams if they believe someone else has a head injury.

Told of the AP's findings, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail that commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith last week about "the importance of players reporting head injuries, no matter how minor they believe they might be. The commissioner said that process needs to include players observing and reporting to the team medical staff when a teammate shows symptoms of a concussion."

What emerged from the AP's interviews was a wide-ranging, unprecedented look at the way active players think about head injuries in a world where "getting dinged" and "seeing stars" — and the potential long-term effects of concussions — are deemed a frightening but perhaps inevitable consequence of their job.

"Part of the game," Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said.

Indeed it is. In recent weeks, high-profile players Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles and Clinton Portis of the Redskins — neither of whom was surveyed by the AP — have been sidelined by concussions. Westbrook missed two games, then returned Sunday, only to leave in the second half with another concussion.

The NFL says its data shows an average of one reported concussion every other game — about 120 to 130 concussions per regular season.

Of the 160 players interviewed by the AP, half said they've had at least one concussion playing football; 61 said they missed playing time because of the injury.

"We're obviously concerned by the data and by the information," NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah said. "We believe that there's more relevant data and information that the league has on these issues that we'd like for them to share with us in confidence."

During the AP interviews, some players quickly replied they never had a concussion, then realized they weren't sure, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Chris Hovan, a 10-year veteran, who said: "I probably was just too young and too dumb to realize it."

Not that it's necessarily easy to miss — or mask — the symptoms.

"Everyone can clearly see that you have a concussion: You are walking around like you are drunk," Seattle Seahawks defensive back Roy Lewis said.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Bobby Wade told the AP he's never tried to hide a concussion but is sure it happens frequently in the NFL. "You see guys with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads," he said. "You see guys shaking their head trying to get it together. If there was a doctor evaluating them, I'm sure they would say, 'Your brain has taken trauma.'"

Players acknowledged staying on the field despite feeling "dazed" or "woozy" or having blurred vision, because, in Miami Dolphins guard Justin Smiley's words, "It's what you're taught."

Some talked about not wanting to let down the team. Others mentioned the importance of avoiding any sign of weakness in a sport where "warrior" and "gladiator" are viewed as compliments of the highest order.

And then there is the fear of losing a roster spot in a league where the absence of guaranteed contracts makes some players willing to sacrifice their well-being somewhere down the road for a paycheck in the here-and-now.

"If you're a 'bubble' guy, you might want to be out there," Tennessee Titans long snapper Ken Amato said, "so they don't have to bring someone else in."

Players spoke frankly about being afraid of getting the sorts of long-term problems seen in boxers; about hoping they will be able to remember their career highlights once they retire; about their wives' constant concern; about whether they'll be able to see their "kids grow up and have kids," as Houston Texans offensive lineman Eric Winston put it.

Others told of memory loss during and after games, of not being able to recall what particular play calls meant, or of "talking gibberish" to teammates on the field.

"The only thing I remember is coming out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game. And then — a big gap," St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora said of a concussion he got this season. "But I played the whole game, until the last series, when I started asking guys questions, and they looked at me like I was crazy."

Asked whether they worry more about concussions than any other injury, 30 of the interviewed players said yes.

"It's hard," Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk said, "to rehab your brain."

Vonnie Holliday, a defensive end for the Denver Broncos, likened the pounding his head takes to "being in a car crash 20, 30 times a game."

"I do often think about the damage I'm doing to my brain and my nervous system," Holliday said. "When does it catch up with you?"


Continued...

[samanthajane13]

Two-thirds of the players the AP interviewed said the NFL is significantly safer than it used to be with regard to the risk of concussions, thanks primarily to changes in rules and equipment, particularly helmets and mouthpieces.

But there are caveats.

"Players are bigger, faster, stronger," Baltimore's Birk said, echoing other athletes. "It's simple physics: Force equals mass times acceleration. It is a violent game, and there are inherent risks to the game itself. ... Collisions are becoming more intense."

About half of the surveyed players said they've been paying attention to recent news about NFL head injuries.

That includes a congressional hearing last month, when Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., said the NFL's resistance to accepting a link between multiple head injuries in NFL players and brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's reminded her of tobacco companies denying a link between smoking and disease. At that hearing, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., asked the NFL and its players' union to turn over medical records for an independent review.

As attention to concussions has increased, so have the efforts by the NFL and the players' union to address the issue — including working to update the joint letter and brochure they sent to all locker rooms in 2007 to educate players about head injuries.

Goodell told Congress he expects to announce "shortly" new funding for concussion research and that the NFL is trying to learn about "new practice techniques that will reduce the risk of head trauma outside of the games themselves."

Dr. Joseph Maroon, the Steelers' team doctor and member of an NFL committee on concussions, called the subject a "major priority" for the league. In a telephone interview, he cited an ongoing study in which helmet manufacturers' products are being tested and noted the NFL mandate of 2007 that every player undergo neurological testing in the preseason to establish a base line against which results can be compared in case of a concussion.

Dr. Thom Mayer, the NFLPA's medical director, said there are "good trends" in data he has seen, showing that "it appears that concussions are slightly down from where they have been" and that "it appears players are being held out, when they have a concussion, longer — maybe twice as long." He did not give specific numbers.

In the AP interviews, players with more than a half-dozen seasons in the NFL said the league, its teams and the union do take the issue more seriously now than at the start of their careers.

"They are more careful, the doctors and trainers," Chicago Bears defensive tackle Anthony Adams said. "They're better (at) watching for symptoms of what might be a concussion."

Still, concerns abound.

One player voiced his feelings this way: "It worries me, because I have aspirations after the game to work. I'd like to be able to remember everything. I feel like in some ways, my short-term memory isn't as good as it was, already. I don't know if that's from getting older. I don't know. But you only get one brain, obviously."

The words of a grizzled veteran? No. That's 26-year-old Colin Allred, a Titans linebacker midway through his second NFL season.

Other players discussed the difficulties of determining when someone does, indeed, have a concussion and nervousness about accumulating multiple head injuries.

"The unfortunate thing in our business, more times than not, is that either guys don't know it or don't let somebody know it and continually play through those kinds of situations, where it's week after week, it's hit after hit, where they're not coming out of games and they never get healed," said Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who's had two concussions in a 12-year NFL career. "And I think that's probably — and I'm just guessing — where the biggest effects are down the road, is guys that may not have a record that they had 10 concussions but probably had that or more so and just played right through it."

Several players said they refuse to allow themselves to contemplate the dangers of their sport because it would become impossible to perform well while devoting any shred of thought to concussions.

"You could easily die in a car," New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson said, "but you don't think about it, because you're focused on what you're doing."

There also is some dark humor.

One player joked about eating through a straw at age 45, and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said: "I tend to use it as an excuse with my wife when I forget something. She tells me to do something, and (I say), 'I've been hit in the head a lot, Baby. Sorry. I forgot.'"

Cowboys backup quarterback Jon Kitna spoke in more serious terms.

"I firmly believe you can be paralyzed on any play, and I believe there's going to come a time when somebody's going to die on the field from a hit on the field. Because the game is getting so fast, the big guys are getting bigger, and the little guys are getting littler, but the collisions are getting greater. That's the scariest thing for me," Kitna said. "What else are you going to do? Shut the game down?"

___

AP Sports writers Andrew Bagnato, Bob Baum, Gregg Bell, Tim Booth, Cliff Brunt, Dave Campbell, Tom Canavan, Mike Cranston, Schuyler Dixon, Josh Dubow, R.B. Fallstrom, David Ginsburg, Fred Goodall, Pat Graham, George Henry, Chris Jenkins, Larry Lage, Mark Long, Michael Marot, Brett Martel, Janie McCauley, Alan Robinson, Kristie Rieken, Andrew Seligman, Arnie Stapleton, Doug Tucker, Howard Ulman, Teresa M. Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., John Wawrow, Joseph White, Bernie Wilson, Steven Wine and Tom Withers, and AP freelance writers Dave Hogg, Josh Katzowitz and Mike Sharesky contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/...ng_concussions

[samanthajane13]

NFL union opposes call for reporting on teammates
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 55 mins ago

The NFL Players Association opposes commissioner Roger Goodell's call for players to tell their teams' medical staffs if they think a teammate shows symptoms of a concussion.

NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah tells The Associated Press on Friday that Goodell's suggestion is not an adequate solution.

Atallah says that instead of wanting players "to police each other," the league should make sure doctors keep a closer eye on players.

During interviews of 160 NFL players conducted by The Associated Press from Nov. 2-15, 30 replied they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion. Half said they've had a concussion playing football.

Goodell said players should observe teammates and report if there are signs of a head injury.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/...serve___report


Like having the rest of the team keep their eyes on each other is a BAD IDEA??

Are they planning on giving each player their own doctor to follow them around for a few days after taking a hit to the head????

Now who's being stupid here???

[samanthajane13]

NFL, union approve about half team neurologists
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – 9 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The NFL and its players union have approved independent doctors to evaluate head injuries for about half of the 32 teams so far as part of a new program.

The NFL Players Association medical director, Dr. Thom Mayer, told The Associated Press on Monday that "the quality of people brought forward has been first rate" and none of the doctors proposed by teams has been rejected so far.

Mayer and the NFL's medical adviser are vetting the doctors jointly.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to the AP that there is no deadline for implementing the new setup across the league.

The NFL said Sunday it is requiring teams to find outside experts in neurology to aid their medical staffs when players get concussions.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091123/...fl_concussions

[samanthajane13]

APNewsBreak: Chairs of NFL concussion panel resign
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – Wed Nov 25, 5:43 am ET

Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a wide-ranging memo about concussions to NFL teams, saying the co-chairmen of the league's committee on brain injuries have resigned and that he is examining potential rule changes "to reduce head impacts."

A copy of the memo was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press before the league issued a press release about its contents.

Goodell wrote that Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano, who have led the league committee on concussions since 2007, "have graciously offered to resign from those positions and to continue to assist the committee in its important work. We have accepted those resignations and are currently identifying their replacements."

Goodell said he wants to add new members "who will bring to the committee independent sources of expertise and experience in the field of head injuries."

Casson has come under attack recently from the NFL Players Association and members of Congress for criticizing independent and league-sponsored studies linking NFL careers with heightened risk for dementia and cognitive decline.

A message was left for Casson at his office. The NFLPA did not respond to a request for comment.

Goodell also said he met Monday with competition committee co-chair Rich McKay to review specific types of plays with an eye to evaluating possible rules changes "to reduce head impacts and related injuries in a game setting."

Among the other points addressed in the memo, which was addressed to chief executives, club presidents, general managers, head coaches, team physicians and head athletic trainers:

_Goodell wrote the NFL will "continue to invest in research designed to improve equipment safety, and we will urge players to make informed choices regarding the use of the most technologically advanced helmets."

_He noted that former NFL coach and TV analyst John Madden is leading a panel of coaches looking into reducing concussion risk outside of games. Among the possibilities under discussion: reducing offseason work, limiting helmet use and contact in practice, mini-camps and training camps.

_The league will hold a conference on concussions in Washington in June; team medical personnel "will be required to attend."

"Our game today is played with the understanding that medical decisions must always take priority over competitive interests. As a result, our sport has become safer for those who play it," Goodell wrote. "However, and particularly when player health and safety is involved, we always strive to do better."

Goodell publicly has been increasing his focus on concussions as the issue has drawn more attention this season, including at a congressional hearing in October.

Casson did not appear on Capitol Hill that day, and some House members complained when he did not testify. During the hearing, Rep. Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat, played a clip of a TV interview in which Casson denied evidence of a link between multiple head injuries in NFL players with brain disorders. Sanchez said that reminded her of tobacco companies denying a link between smoking and disease.

During interviews with 160 NFL players conducted by The Associated Press from Nov. 2-15, 30 replied they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion. Half said they've had at least one concussion playing football.

High-profile players such as Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles and running back Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins have missed games in recent weeks because of head injuries. Last Sunday, the two starting quarterbacks from last season's Super Bowl left their teams' games after taking blows to the head: Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals.

"I expect to advise you in the near future of additional steps that we have identified, both through our own work and in conjunction with outside experts and the NFLPA. These include new medical guidelines and research directed at the issue of long-term effects of concussions," Goodell wrote. "Our goal remains to make our game as safe as possible, to protect the health and safety of our players, and to set the best possible example for players at all levels and in all sports."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/...fl_concussions

[samanthajane13]

Now, if the WWE would be willing to adapt and make similar changes, Chris, Nancy and Daniel Benoit's deaths might not be in vain...

[samanthajane13]

Latest concussion doesn't worry Roethlisberger
By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer Alan Robinson, Ap Sports Writer – Thu Nov 26, 5:04 pm ET

PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger played one of the worst games of his NFL career one week after sustaining a concussion in 2006. He is days removed from his fourth concussion in four years, an uncommonly high number even for an NFL player.

Regardless, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is going through "a normal week" of preparation for a pivotal game at Baltimore on Sunday night and has every intention of playing.

"It's part of the nature of the beast of playing this game. It's a violent, physical contact sport and there's a chance you're going to get hit," Roethlisberger said Thursday. "You guys don't talk about the bruises we have all over our body. If I showed you a bruise on my shoulder and a bruise on my shin, it wouldn't get talked about as much. It's a violent sport we play."

Roethlisberger, who is having his best season statistically despite the Steelers' erratic play, is evidence of that.

The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback's latest concussion occurred when his head accidentally struck the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson while he was being tackled during Pittsburgh's 27-24 overtime loss Sunday.

The play was subsequently wiped out by a holding call.

"It just kind of felt like I got hit pretty hard. Kind of said, 'Let me catch my breath real quick,' and by that time the trainers were out there, so I didn't get a chance to get up," Roethlisberger said.

The concussion was his second resulting from a hard hit in 12 months; he also was hurt during an unimportant end-of-season game against Cleveland on Dec. 28. A third concussion occurred in Atlanta in 2006, only four months after a motorcycle crash in which he wasn't wearing a helmet left him with a concussion and numerous other injuries.

There is evidence of a cumulative effect on players who receive multiple concussions. In 2005, Kevin Guskiewicz of the University of North Carolina published a study of retired pro football players that determined players who had three or more concussions had a heightened risk of mild cognitive impairment after age 50.

Despite that, the NFL's most-sacked quarterback since 2004 isn't concerned about returning so soon because Steelers players must pass post-concussion tests before they can play again. The tests, developed by doctors and researchers based in the same sports medicine complex where the Steelers train, measure a player's memory, reaction and attention span before and after a concussion.

"I'm not worried because we have the best doctors," Roethlisberger said after going through his second full practice of the week. "If I can go out and pass thousands of these tests and show that I'm fine, then I'm not worried about it."

Both of last season's Super Bowl quarterbacks plan to play a week after getting concussions — Kurt Warner of Arizona does, too. Only this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams he is examining potential rule changes to reduce head impacts.

The league also plans to urge players to wear the most technologically advanced helmets, something Roethlisberger has balked at doing in the past.

The last time Roethlisberger played so soon after getting a concussion, he threw four interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — during a 20-13 loss to Oakland in 2006. He appeared to anticipate sacks several times, ducking before pass rushers arrived. Former coach Bill Cowher blamed the interceptions on poor judgment, not the concussion or any hesitancy.

With the Steelers (6-4) a game behind the Bengals (7-3) in the AFC North but effectively trailing by two games with six to play because of the tiebreaker, Roethlisberger no doubt feels an urgency to play Sunday. It's also an important game for the Ravens (5-5), who might be playing for their season.

Roethlisberger probably could have picked an easier week to return, given that the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is one the NFL's most physical. Last season, the Steelers lost running back Rashard Mendenhall and guard Kendall Simmons to season-ending injuries in the first of their three games against Baltimore.

"This has been a rivalry that's been heated and well-coached, well-played since I've been here, so it's going to be no different on Sunday," said Roethlisberger, who ranks fourth with 2,867 yards passing and third with a 68.9 completion percentage.

Roethlisberger also is third with 29 sacks, and his 221 sacks since 2004 easily lead all players. Except for the Rams' Marc Bulger (205 sacks), no other quarterback is within 47 sacks.

That's a lot of cumulative wear and tear on any player, even one as relatively young as the 27-year-old Roethlisberger. Not surprisingly, the Steelers anticipate Baltimore bringing considerable pressure, despite the fact the Ravens rank only 17th with 21 sacks.

"It's the same old Baltimore, it's the same story. Everybody wants to hit the quarterback," left tackle Max Starks said. "It's our job to keep him as clean as possible and have time to make throws."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091126/...sberger_s_risk

[samanthajane13]

Concussion expected to sideline Roethlisberger
By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer Alan Robinson, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 1 min ago

PITTSBURGH – Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to miss Sunday night's game at Baltimore because of a concussion.

Persons familiar with Roethlisberger's status spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the team has not made an announcement.

The development would force Dennis Dixon — who has thrown only one pass in two NFL seasons — to make his first NFL start in a game the Steelers might need to win to make the playoffs.

Roethlisberger practiced all week despite sustaining his fourth concussion since 2006 during a 27-24 overtime loss in Kansas City on Sunday. On Thursday, during his only interview of the week, he said he had been cleared to play, joking he passed "thousands of tests."

Roethlisberger, however, experienced headaches resulting from the concussion — his knee struck the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson as he leaned headfirst during a running play in overtime — and he began debating the wisdom of playing after consulting with the team's medical staff.

The Steelers continued to list Roethlisberger as questionable on Saturday, meaning there is a 50-50 chance he would play — creating the possibility Roethlisberger could decide at game time he is ready to go, if cleared by team physicians. There also is a possibility he would be listed as the third quarterback, allowing him to play in an emergency.

Foxsports.com first reported that Roethlisberger would not play.

Dixon, the former Oregon quarterback who has not played this season, took more snaps than usual in practice Friday — the first sign Roethlisberger's status might change. Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the team expected Roethlisberger to play, and there were no signs Wednesday or Thursday he wouldn't.

If Dixon does start, the Steelers likely would rely mostly on running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker and trim the amount of throws Dixon makes. Dixon was an excellent runner in Oregon's spread offense, but the Steelers — like every NFL team — limit their quarterback's running because of the risk of injury.

The Steelers (6-4), losers of their last two and a game behind Cincinnati (7-3) in the AFC North, were so convinced Roethlisberger would play, they did not sign an experienced quarterback even after backup Charlie Batch broke his left wrist a few plays after replacing Roethlisberger on Sunday. Their game plan for the Ravens (5-5) also was built around Roethlisberger playing.

Batch will miss most or all of the rest of the regular season. Tyler Palko, the former Pitt quarterback who didn't sign or practice with the team until Thursday, would be the backup despite going through only two practices.

Dixon's only game action came in a mop-up role against Cleveland in the final game of last season. He would be the most inexperienced Steelers quarterback to be thrown into a starting role since rookie Mike Kruczek replaced the injured Terry Bradshaw in 1976. Kruczek went 6-0 as a starter despite not throwing a single touchdown pass, and ended his five-season NFL career in 1980 without throwing a scoring pass.

Roethlisberger's apparent decision to not play comes in the same week the NFL has taken a heightened stance on protecting players from head injuries. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams outlining steps the league is tasking to reduce head impacts.

Roethlisberger also had two concussions in 2006, one in a motorcycle accident, and another last season in that Browns game in which Dixon played.

"It's part of the nature of the beast of playing this game," Roethlisberger said Thursday. "It's a violent, physical contact sport and there's a chance you're going to get hit. You guys don't talk about the bruises we have all over our bodies. If I showed you a bruise on my shoulder and a bruise on my shin, it wouldn't get talked about as much. It's a violent sport we play."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091128/...roethlisberger

[samanthajane13]

NFL changes return-to-play rules for concussions
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 2 mins ago

NFL teams now have new, stricter instructions for when players should be allowed to return to games or practices after head injuries, guidelines that go into effect this week.

In the latest step by the league to address a hot-button issue, commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to the 32 clubs Wednesday saying a player who gets a concussion should not return to action on the same day if he shows certain signs or symptoms.

Those include an inability to remember assignments or plays, a gap in memory, persistent dizziness, and persistent headaches.

The old standard, established in 2007, said a player should not be allowed to return to the same game if he lost consciousness.

Wednesday's memo also says players "are to be encouraged to be candid with team medical staffs and fully disclose any signs or symptoms that may be associated with a concussion."

Nearly one-fifth of 160 NFL players surveyed by The Associated Press from Nov. 2-15 replied that they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion.

The league said its concussion committee, team doctors, outside medical experts and the NFL Players Association developed the new standards.

NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah said the union is "encouraged by this new policy." He added that the NFLPA "will continue to examine these issues independently to recommend the best possible policies and procedures."

The new policy states, in part: "Once removed for the duration of a practice or game, the player should not be considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptotic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant."

Teams were told this month they have to find an outside neurologist who can be consulted on concussions, and NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday all of those independent doctors have been approved and are in place.

Since last month's congressional hearing on NFL head injuries, momentum has been building for changes in league policy. The revised return-to-play rules come about a week after Goodell sent a memo to clubs informing them that the two co-chairmen of the league's concussions committee had resigned and that he has been looking into possible rule changes.

On Wednesday, Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis was put on injured reserve with post-concussion symptoms, ending his NFL career. Lewis had previously said he would retire at the end of the season. His teammate, starting safety Brodney Pool, also went on IR after getting at least his fourth known concussion last weekend.

They were among 11 players listed on Wednesday's league-wide injury report with concussions. Another eight were listed with head injuries.

The two starting quarterbacks from last season's Super Bowl — Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Arizona's Kurt Warner — sat out last Sunday after saying during the week they planned to play despite getting head injuries the previous week.

"The evidence demonstrates that team medical staffs have been addressing concussions in an increasingly cautious and conservative way," Goodell wrote in Wednesday's memo. "This new return-to-play statement reinforces our commitment to advancing player safety. Along with improved equipment, better education, and rules changes designed to reduce impacts to the head, it will make our game safer for the men who play it, and set an important example for players at all levels of play."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091203/...fl_concussions

[samanthajane13]

Players hope concussion rules ease peer pressure
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich, Ap Sports Writer – Fri Dec 4, 3:51 pm ET

New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita is glad to see the NFL changing its concussion policies. Why? Because, he figures, the league is finally getting around to saving players from themselves.

"You almost have to take it out of the players' hands, because we're not going to make the most responsible decision," Fujita said.

"If I was in that situation in a playoff game, and I was kind of dinged and not functioning very well on the sideline, I'd like to think that someone might look out for my best interest," he said, "because I don't think I'd do that for myself."

In dozens of interviews across the NFL this week, The Associated Press found that players voiced nearly unanimous support for the league's latest moves on head injuries. Like Fujita, they're grateful to have extra sets of eyes looking out for them — and they're relieved to have a buffer against peer pressure about missing games or practices.

Put another way: With league- and union-approved independent neurologists now assigned to all 32 clubs, and stricter return-to-play guidelines instituted Wednesday, players hope teammates will be less likely to question their tenacity when they're kept on the sideline with a concussion.

"One of the things that has been so hard in this league for so long is playing with injuries and what constitutes being 'tough' and being 'courageous' and what constitutes being stupid and hurting yourself for the long-term," said Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who sat out last weekend with a concussion. "Anything that eases that part of it is progress, because, again, there's a mentality in the locker room. ... Sometimes there needs to be an outside force helping."

As Atlanta Falcons center Todd McClure put it: "If you come out (of a game), you're seen as 'soft.' That's the way it is. I think any type of protection like that to keep a guy out for a game would be big."

Nearly 20 percent of the 160 NFL players surveyed Nov. 2-15 by the AP replied that they have hidden or played down the effects of a concussion. Half of that group said they've had at least one concussion playing football; 61 said they missed playing time because a head injury.

A handful of the players AP reporters spoke with this week wondered whether the NFL's latest efforts could cause some to be even more unwilling to let on when they feel concussion symptoms. If the league is going to force someone to miss game time, this line of thinking goes, then players might be more likely to try to hide a problem, particularly late in the season, with much at stake.

"It might make it worse. It could be a Super Bowl game or a playoff game, where 'this game means everything.' For me, it depends on how bad it would be," explained Miami Dolphins guard Donald Thomas, who said he's never had a concussion. "If I can't function and I won't be worth anything to the team, I'll say, 'I can't go.' But if a man feels he can go. ..."

After all, as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Farrior said: "It's just a natural reaction for you to fib a little bit and not give all the doctors all the information, because you want to go out there and play. You don't want them to come back and tell you you're not able to play."

The NFL hopes that's not a popular sentiment.

"That wouldn't be very smart," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in a telephone interview Friday. "Players need to understand that it's not their call. They should report the symptoms, and let the doctors handle it."

Farrior's teammate Hines Ward caused a stir last weekend when he suggested Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger let the team down by sitting out with a concussion, forcing an inexperienced backup to start what turned out to be an overtime loss to the Ravens. Ward later apologized.

Roethlisberger and Warner — the starting QBs in last season's Super Bowl — are among several prominent players who missed games in recent weeks because of head injuries. They both sat out Sunday despite practicing in the run-up to the games.

Star running backs Brian Westbrook of the Eagles and Clinton Portis of the Redskins skipped multiple games because of concussions — Westbrook returned to action after missing time, then got hurt again, forcing him back to the sideline. Browns running back Jamal Lewis, who already had said this would be his final season, went on injured reserve Wednesday because of a head injury, closing his career.


Continued...

[samanthajane13]

Some players, such as Rams offensive lineman Jacob Bell, like the idea of the NFL being more proactive, even if new rules can affect personnel decisions.

"They need to do that, because as a player, you're not going to do it," Bell said. "You think, 'My headaches are gone. I can focus. I feel fine.' While in reality, there's still some stuff going on, and you don't know how long it's going to last."

Bell himself got a concussion in the preseason and missed the last three exhibition games because of it. When he returned to action, he had headaches for another week or so.

This week's games mark the first time that every team will have an outside doctor to consult on head injuries (the neurologists won't be at stadiums; they'll be advising in the recovery phase). They're also the first games to be played since commissioner Roger Goodell outlined new rules about what symptoms must disappear — including dizziness, memory loss, persistent headaches — before a player is allowed back on the field. The old standard essentially held out a player if he lost consciousness.

"They're really just being extra safe," Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga said, "and (you) have to give them credit for looking out for players."

Any further player-affecting moves on this issue by the league probably wouldn't come until the offseason, and some might have to be negotiated between owners and the players union in the collective bargaining process. Goodell met last week with competition committee co-chair Rich McKay to begin evaluating possible rules changes, and a panel headed by John Madden is examining reducing offseason work and limiting helmet use and contact in practice and training camps.

"It's on the radar. So that's progress. Has anything substantially been done yet? I don't think so. It's going to take time," said Ravens center Matt Birk, who has agreed to donate his brain for scientific study when he dies. "But it's great that there's a dialogue going on."

If the culture is changing — as the league insists, and many players concur — the transformation is hardly complete.

Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn got a concussion Sunday against the Jets, an injury his team didn't announce until midweek, when he missed practice. Still hounded by a headache days later, Munnerlyn said he had heard about the altered return-to-play guidelines.

His take?

"I don't like that," he said Wednesday. "I want to try to play this weekend."

Asked why, Munnerlyn replied: "Because it's football. It's my life. I love football so much. I've got to go out there and help my team win."

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick says he had one concussion in the NFL, when he was with the Falcons in 2004. He was back in action the very next week.

Does Vick wish he hadn't returned to the field of play right away?

"No, I didn't regret it," he replied, "because we won."

___

AP Sports Writers Jaime Aron, Bob Baum, Greg Bell, Cliff Brunt, Mike Cranston, R.B. Fallstrom, David Ginsburg, Chris Jenkins, Joe Kay, Jon Krawczynski, Rob Maaddi, Brett Martel, Charles Odum, Kristie Rieken, Alan Robinson, Andrew Seligman, Arnie Stapleton, Doug Tucker, Howard Ulman, Teresa Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., John Wawrow, Bernie Wilson, Joseph White and Steven Wine, and AP Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091204/...fl_concussions


Please disregard Vick.

He's been brain-dead for years...