Post by nerdinitupagain on Oct 29, 2010 12:29:04 GMT -5
I've been thinking about this the last few weeks with the NHL, NFL & MLB all doing more to protect their players from concussions. The Benoit murders were the first major concussion + head trauma mainstream media awareness incidents that I can pinpoint to. Chris Nowinski lead the way with this to really beef up study on brain trauma and it seems 3 years later, he's succeeded in getting public awareness for this issue.
MLB is more about player care since there are only a handful of ways you're going to get a concussion in baseball and only two of them are really intentional & dangerous events. Running over a catcher & a bean ball at the head, however, most beanings at direct at the back/shoulder as throwing at the head usually results in much longer suspensions.
The NFL & NHL have REALLY pushed this issue though, altering rules for hitting to limit shots to the head. The NFL requires players to have base line testing and any deliberate shot to the head for a head to head contact is likely to be met with a large fine, suspension and penalty. The NHL has responded with Game Misconducts for elbows to the head, suspensions (Donald Brashear is the first person I can think of two years ago in the playoffs who received a 4 game suspension for this), and after Matt Cooke's display of douchebaggery against Mark Savard last year which Savard is still recovering from... it's safe to say the NHL is not letting this issue slide. Players now have to have medical clearance to return from concussions as well.
WWE really were the first sports group to focus on concussions as a whole, and I would imagine that some of their ideas (baseline testing being one) have directly influenced these major sports leagues to change how things operate.
Now, this is in no way a Benoit sympathy post, I have no respect for the man as a person. Although a child hood hero, he's no longer someone I have any positive thoughts for.
My discussion points are as follows
Would we have this sort of mainstream awareness of brain trauma if Chris Benoit does not commit the horrendous murders followed by his suicide? And a side note... although there can be no forgiveness for what Benoit did, does the potential positive impact on thousands of athletes that reform in their sports has had, give you some sort of solace and comfort that the heinous acts at least have contributed to a better quality of life for thousands of pro and amateur athletes in an attempt to minimize the likely hood for similar incidents in the future?
If you feel this would have happened eventually despite the murders, why was the issue not taken seriously by anyone prior to the murders? The NHL and NFL are notorious for guys who have had their brains rattled too many times. WWE clearly didn't take it seriously with chair shots, head butts, and people such as Angle and Benoit who probably suffered double digits amounts of concussions over the years. Jerry McGuire even makes a point of this with the NHL Player in the beginning of the movie.... and up until last year, they were very fine with sweeping the issue under the rug.
I look not for opinions on Benoit himself, but on the impact on pro-wrestling and other professional sports that his acts have had.
MLB is more about player care since there are only a handful of ways you're going to get a concussion in baseball and only two of them are really intentional & dangerous events. Running over a catcher & a bean ball at the head, however, most beanings at direct at the back/shoulder as throwing at the head usually results in much longer suspensions.
The NFL & NHL have REALLY pushed this issue though, altering rules for hitting to limit shots to the head. The NFL requires players to have base line testing and any deliberate shot to the head for a head to head contact is likely to be met with a large fine, suspension and penalty. The NHL has responded with Game Misconducts for elbows to the head, suspensions (Donald Brashear is the first person I can think of two years ago in the playoffs who received a 4 game suspension for this), and after Matt Cooke's display of douchebaggery against Mark Savard last year which Savard is still recovering from... it's safe to say the NHL is not letting this issue slide. Players now have to have medical clearance to return from concussions as well.
WWE really were the first sports group to focus on concussions as a whole, and I would imagine that some of their ideas (baseline testing being one) have directly influenced these major sports leagues to change how things operate.
Now, this is in no way a Benoit sympathy post, I have no respect for the man as a person. Although a child hood hero, he's no longer someone I have any positive thoughts for.
My discussion points are as follows
Would we have this sort of mainstream awareness of brain trauma if Chris Benoit does not commit the horrendous murders followed by his suicide? And a side note... although there can be no forgiveness for what Benoit did, does the potential positive impact on thousands of athletes that reform in their sports has had, give you some sort of solace and comfort that the heinous acts at least have contributed to a better quality of life for thousands of pro and amateur athletes in an attempt to minimize the likely hood for similar incidents in the future?
If you feel this would have happened eventually despite the murders, why was the issue not taken seriously by anyone prior to the murders? The NHL and NFL are notorious for guys who have had their brains rattled too many times. WWE clearly didn't take it seriously with chair shots, head butts, and people such as Angle and Benoit who probably suffered double digits amounts of concussions over the years. Jerry McGuire even makes a point of this with the NHL Player in the beginning of the movie.... and up until last year, they were very fine with sweeping the issue under the rug.
I look not for opinions on Benoit himself, but on the impact on pro-wrestling and other professional sports that his acts have had.