Thread: Concussions on the rise or just better reported?

i think both contribute. i heard on xm yesterday morning driving to work that they are working on softer pads also.

Originally Posted by Hipcheck

great clips...but it doesnt answer the question I posed which is-

Do you think he will have a greater chance of getting a concussion then in the 80s? Would more players be taking runs at Gretzky in todays NHL then the 80s NHL?

most def. There was a reason Marty came to LA with 99

So I'm listening to an old episode of Hockey Central and I'm hearing Daren Millard talk about "why can't we make better helmets" to help prevent concussions and Kypreos is telling him that the helmet protects the skull... there's nothing a helmet can do to protect the brain.

And it's like Millard just can't ****ing process that information... at all.

And then I thought about this thread. Then I started getting kind of pissed off.

Because I've never heard anybody try and discuss the issue of concussions from a broad angle.

Everybody seems to have their one little bugaboo that they want to focus on whether it's helmets, the red line, the instigator penalty, the increased size/speed of the players.... it seems like nobody wants to look at this with any kind of diligence. They just want to spout off about their pet peeves.

Here's a question...

if, as we're told, concussions get cumulatively worse and more likely... then what's been going on in Chris Prongers career that he's now out with a concussion? Should we just believe that a 6'6 220 lb killing machine who hits everything that moves is really suffering the FIRST concussion of his life? I find that insanely difficult to believe.

I'm rambling... but dammit the overly simplistic views of this topic piss me off. See my signature.

Originally Posted by Dr. Naysay

So I'm listening to an old episode of Hockey Central and I'm hearing Daren Millard talk about "why can't we make better helmets" to help prevent concussions and Kypreos is telling him that the helmet protects the skull... there's nothing a helmet can do to protect the brain.

And it's like Millard just can't ****ing process that information... at all.

And then I thought about this thread. Then I started getting kind of pissed off.

Because I've never heard anybody try and discuss the issue of concussions from a broad angle.

Everybody seems to have their one little bugaboo that they want to focus on whether it's helmets, the red line, the instigator penalty, the increased size/speed of the players.... it seems like nobody wants to look at this with any kind of diligence. They just want to spout off about their pet peeves.

Here's a question...

if, as we're told, concussions get cumulatively worse and more likely... then what's been going on in Chris Prongers career that he's now out with a concussion? Should we just believe that a 6'6 220 lb killing machine who hits everything that moves is really suffering the FIRST concussion of his life? I find that insanely difficult to believe.

I'm rambling... but dammit the overly simplistic views of this topic piss me off. See my signature.

pls do not generalize and lump everybody in the same barrel. if you feel the views are simplistic, maybe its because it was an answer to a post. or maybe (as i have stated in SirJW's post, that i have a suggestion and it is not the end all be all) to mitigate concussions.

you do bring up a very good point wrt protecting the brain as opposed to the skull. examples are that mc helmets are being tested and rated differently because i think the industry has found out that the helmets were getting so hard that they were transferring the energy to the head as opposed to protecting it (the article was called "blowing the lid off")

it has affected the type of helmet i now use when i ride.

another simplistic view based on your post, maybe changing the design to a helmet that will give if a certain amount of impact is imparted on the helmet, thus not transferring the energy to the head. players would have to change helmets often. some of the design issues of course would be how to verify integrity of the helmet after each game and when to replace. again, simplistic, but if you add up the simple fixes, maybe the goal can be achieved.

Originally Posted by kingnut

pls do not generalize and lump everybody in the same barrel.

Sorry that wasn't directed at you... it was more at Daren Millard.... who of course isn't even aware of this board.

Originally Posted by Dr. Naysay

Sorry that wasn't directed at you... it was more at Daren Millard.... who of course isn't even aware of this board.

no worries. even if directed at me i have developed thick skin working in the aerospace industry for 23 years.

oh i'm quite certain that ain't pronger's first (big) concussion. they're just now being thuper duper uber cautious with a lot of these guys and even then, some of them aren't following protocol. colby armstrong.

Originally Posted by lunchbox

oh i'm quite certain that ain't pronger's first (big) concussion. they're just now being thuper duper uber cautious with a lot of these guys and even then, some of them aren't following protocol. colby armstrong.

unfortunately you can add lappy to the list

Originally Posted by kingnut

most def. There was a reason Marty came to LA with 99

Well, thank God someone finally says what I've been trying to tell them all these yrs since the nite of that stick call. The Habs needed Marty out of there because yes, he sure was running interference for Gretz. There were a lot of illegal sticks back in those days and so he was the perfect target to call on. As I've tried to tell people when they get on Marty's case, about 3 or 4 yrs ago, before the ASG's, Luc and Pat LaFontaine were being interviewed, can't remember by who. Of course, the subject came up abt Marty's stick. Luc chuckled that way he has, and said oh yeah, when that was called and while the measuring went on, you could hear sticks breaking over on the Habs bench. I just wish he'd spoken up sooner and do so again for all the McSorley haters.