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Concussions and Contact Sports
I felt no joy watching Georges St-Pierre
punch Johny Hendricks in the face and that was strange.
As I watched UFC 167 on pay-per-view, all
the elements were in place to make Hendricks receiving a fist to the head a
highly enjoyable experience. It was in the second round and St-Pierre, who I’m
a fan of, needed momentum against an obnoxious Hendricks.
As St-Pierre’s punch connected with
Hendricks’ chin, I did not think of the fight’s implications; I thought about
Hendricks’ brain smashing against the side of his skull.
Ever since watching the PBS Frontline
documentary League of Denial: The NFL’s
Concussion Crisis, I have been thinking differently about athletes
receiving blows to the head.
The documentary deals with the NFL and its
denial of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in football.
League
of Denial includes stories from players like former
Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster, who died at the age of 50. In the documentary, Webster gets confused,
forgetting what he had just said in an interview and his wife talks about how
his personality changed drastically as he grew older.
New York Magazine claimed in an October headline
“You won’t watch football the same after League of Denial”.
I haven’t watched a lot of sports in the
same way since I saw the documentary.
All my favourite sports — hockey, football,
MMA and rugby — are contact sports. I love the way contact sports test athletes
both mentally and physically. Growing up playing contact sports, nothing was
more exhilarating than delivering, and possibly receiving, a big hit.
It is the love of the struggle, not
maliciousness that makes me a supporter of fighting in hockey. It’s why I
enjoyed watching headhunting defensemen like Scott Stevens patrol the blue line
for the New Jersey Devils. Violence in sports presents an opportunity for
athletes to show just how badly they want to win.
But as it turns out, athletes are also
human beings. Even though I like St-Pierre
and dislike Hendricks, I think both deserve to live long healthy lives with
their families.
As more information comes out regarding
brain injuries, it’s important for sports leagues and fans to think of player
safety and be open to change.
While the NHL banning headshots is a step
in the right direction, as a long-time supporter of fighting in hockey, I think
it’s time to have a serious discussion about fighting’s long-term effects on
players' brains.
I love contact sports, but I think changes need
to be made for the safety of the athletes.
Players are increasingly aware of health risks, but I do not want to
spend money and gain enjoyment by watching them ruin their lives.
The Projector: http://theprojector.ca/stories/view/mikes-scoresheet
