tackling misconceptions

I find that many are still misinformed about the injury problem in football, thinking improvements in padding, helmets, and other gear will adequately address it. Again, it's typically not the hardest hits that do the greatest harm.

"Contrary to popular belief, a concussion is not a bruise to the brain caused by hitting a hard surface. Indeed, no physical swelling or bleeding is usually seen on radiological scans. The injury generally occurs when the head either accelerates rapidly and then is stopped, or is spun rapidly.

This violent shaking causes the brain cells to become depolarized and fire all their neurotransmitters at once in an unhealthy cascade, flooding the brain with chemicals and deadening certain receptors linked to learning and memory. The results often include confusion, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea and, sometimes, unconsciousness.

Neurologists say once a person suffers a concussion, he is as much as four times more likely to sustain a second one. Moreover, after several concussions, it takes less of a blow to cause the injury and requires more time to recover."

And, there's a culture in football at every level of admiring and rewarding players who refuse to be deterred by concussion and other "minor" injuries. The NFL is finally acknowledging this problem, but whether it can be fixed is doubtful.

Read more about it here. (And here's something completely different.)

And when you're tempted to watch the NFL mayhem tonight, or whenever, consider instead checking the MLB network's schedule. Gaylord Perry is hurling spitters right this minute on channel 199 here.