What is to Become of Football?

83 more former NFL players add names to concussion lawsuit, so writes Sports Illustrated writer Scooby Axon, including ex-Redskins running back Clinton Portis.  There are now over 4500 former football players in that lawsuit.  As athleticism, size and stakes have grown, so have the severity, frequency and consequences of big hits.  So this ignominious list will no doubt balloon further, as much a legal quagmire as a sports tragedy.

Clinton Portis

  

I find out that PBS Frontline will air a program on October 8th this Fall - League of Denial:  The NFL's Concussion Crisis.  I've encouraged friends to mark their calendars.  Forbes has shown that the NFL is, by a large margin, the most valuable industry in big-time American sports.  So with its business monolith, how much will it truly deal with this concussion crisis.  I mean, seriously.  

The National Football League, a multibillion-dollar commercial juggernaut, presides over America’s indisputable national pastime. But the NFL is under assault as thousands of former players and a host of scientists claim the league has tried to cover up how football inflicted long-term brain injuries on many players.

What did the NFL know, and when did it know it? What’s the truth about the risks to players? What can be done?

All, weighty points and questions from FRONTLINE and ESPN Investigate the NFL’s Concussion Crisis.  One has to do with accountability.  Another has to with medicine.  The third is a collective call for sports strategy, emerging technology and societal wisdom to do something.

It's a colossal quandary, I'd say.  One, for which denying, ignoring, and minimizing are our primary responses.

You know how something takes you or grabs you.  For a while afterwards, what you think and what you see are shaded by that something.  So it was with me, when I watched Football High on PBS Frontline.  I was just flipping channels yesterday evening, after 9 o'clock, and even though I'm keen mostly on professional sports, this program effectively grabbed me.

These athletes were all young men.  Still developing, physically, mentally and socially.  Taken by the hopes, dreams and camaraderie of football.  Brutalized, too, in one way or another, by football.  Inculcated with an attack mentality vis-a-vis opponents.  Didn't I hear that this was just a game?    

How big a problem are high school football head injuries? 

At least 60,000 concussions occur every year on high school football fields. But now there's a new piece of the story: Researchers' neurological tests are showing that young players who never reported symptoms of a concussion, but had taken sub-concussive hits, have suffered significant damage to their memories. As the season wore on, these players performed increasingly worse on cognitive tests.

I found this fact especially disturbing in an altogether disturbing story.  Every play in football is a hit, especially for the linemen on both sides of the ball.  Those players who work the trenches of the game and scrum for positioning.

It is for them that the cumulative impact of sub-concussive hits can be staggering:  Many more players are involved, many more hits are involved.  

What is to become of football, then?

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Nicknames Gone Amok for Tom Brady

Tom Brady's Wicked Accent

How about some baked beans? 

Matt Damon, shame on you!

Oh, yeah, I take a Zumba class.  I can dance-kick him. 

Tom Brady gets really hot under the collar, loses his patience, and storms off.  But in the meantime, he's prompted some standup-awesome one liners from his fellow actors.

Tom Brady:  On Set With A Super Fan

Man, I fucking love that guy!

Mike Mitchell is the super fan, and this video must've been boatload-fun to make.  Probably there was a general script, but I gathered it was mostly Mitchell doing his thing and Brady playing along.  Then, it was some deft editing, which made the video look like the rough yet appealing fare we see a lot on YouTube.  

Funny or Die Tom Brady's Best Friend from Under Armour

I call him "Tommy."

"Tom Bomb."

"Tomahawk."

"Brady Bunch."

"Tom.a.to Soup."

"Shady Brady."

"Tommy Salami."

"That's Tommy Salami, being Tommy Salami. He always does that."

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Good Football Drama Continues for the Bears

The curious, da'Coach 

Rick Telander throws in a few choice bits in his Sunday Stew:  Mike Tice gets a yay for the neigh.  I say, If you're fundamentally a good coach, you'll do well wherever you may coach.

Are you a good coach?

• Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron, questions answered.  
• Papa Bear, question answered long-ago.  
• Mike Ditka, a curious case.

Mike Dikta, circa 1986

Iron Mike is the winningest coach in the post-Papa Bear era, but his one-and-done Super Bowl was a major disappointment.  His Bears of the late 1980s were poised to nab two or three more Vince Lombardi trophies... (sigh)  Then, he tanked as head coach for the Saints.  Still, Iron Mike has done well as a straight-shooting analyst and a commercial staple.

• Mike Tice, no comment.

Not quite West Coast

Adam Jahns reports Bears’ defense believes Marc Trestman’s new-look offense stands up.

‘‘I feel like we’ve kind of been West Coast before, but they’re very West Coast now,’’ [safety Chris] Conte said. ‘‘They’re spreading the ball out. The wide receivers are going to be heavy in the offense, and we’ve got some good tight ends that help open up the passing game, too. I think there’s going to be a lot of passing out of our offense. Jay Cutler is doing a great job.’’

What I want to know, Is it the Air Coryell West Coast offense or the Bill Walsh West Coast offense?  Oh, never mind.  It's the Marc Trestman Midwest Plains offense.

Matt Forte, in the spotlight

I say, Any successful passing game is complemented by a successful running game.  Sure, the focus has been on the QB, the wideouts, and the tight end.  But Matt Forte and his running mates in the depth chart are the pivotal figures in the Midwest Plains offense.

As the world turns

Good football drama coming out of the preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers, as evidenced in Mark Potash's post-game focus on Jon Bostic pushing D.J. Williams for starting MLB spot.

While [rookie middle linebacker] Bostic probably made his share of mistakes, he also made the kind of big play that automatically earns you a better look. Bostic ­intercepted a Cam Newton pass in the first quarter and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown.

Jon Bostic, great hands, great attitude

The injured DJ Williams is slated to follow in the footsteps of the long-time Bear-in-the-middle Brian Urlacher.  But in his place, Bostic quickly made the 2013 Bears defensive debut look like the beastly 2012 Bears defense, that is, with a Pick 6 in the first quarter!

With Williams still week-to-week, Bostic took the first step toward challenging for the starting job. At this stage, it’s possible he could win it by the first game of the regular season. 

‘‘I’m not even looking at that,’’ Bostic said. ‘‘I’ve got to get a lot better before I can even think about being the starter and running out with some of these guys that have done all these great things around here. I’ve got a lot of stuff to learn.’’ 

Bostic is aware of his opportunity. But he doesn’t want to get carried away. Williams still is the Bears’ starting middle linebacker. 

‘‘I’m trying to take it day-by-day,’’ Bostic said. ‘‘Look at the film and just try to improve on the mistakes and get ready for practice on Sunday.’’ 

But should Williams be nervous? 

‘‘No, D.J.’s a vet,’’ [linebacker James] Anderson said. ‘‘They go out and put stuff on film, and the coaches make decisions. That’s the nature of the business.’’

I say, Bostic has a mature attitude for a rookie, which will always hold him in good stead in a veteran milieu that demands he earns his stripes.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Graft Reconstruction of Ulnar Collateral Ligament

30 for 30 Shorts:  Tommy and Frank

Graft reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow is better known in baseball, simply, as Tommy John surgery.  Which should really be Frank Jobe surgery, after the surgeon who devised this career-saving medical procedure.

This documentary by ESPN tells a wonderful story of patient and physician.  Jobe reluctantly agreed to do a procedure that sounded more experimental than established, and John, perhaps desperate to resume his baseball career, wanted to have it done.

The things was, Jobe could do the procedure, and John would just an unlikely to ever pitch again.  He added that, if he didn't do it, then for sure John would never pitch again.  The odds of success apparently were 1 in 100, based on Jobe's scant experience and knowledge about the experience.  With the known and unknown risks laid out duly on the table, they went forward.

(image credit)

(image credit)

Sports is a thrill to perform, and it's a thrill to watch.  But it puts extraordinary stress on particular parts of the body, depending on the athlete's specialty:  the feet, from dancing en pointe; the elbow, from playing tennis; and the head, from the pounding of boxing.  So medical research and procedure have had to evolve along side sports, in order for these athletes to have any hope of plying their trade.

John had surgery on September 25, 1974, and spent the 1975 season in rehabilitation.  In 12 seasons prior to it, he won 124 games.  But he won 164 games, in the 14-season second-half of his career.  So this wasn't just a resumption of his pitching, but also an improvement of his career.

There is another key figure in the Tommy John story, whom we don't often hear about - Mike Marshall.  He was Dodger teammate of John, and won the Cy Young in 1974 as a relief pitcher and was an All-Star in 1974 and 1975.  Here is a bit on him from Wikipedia:

Marshall teaches and advocates a pitching method he developed that he "believes could completely eradicate pitching-arm injuries."  He wants pitchers to have a smooth transition. To pitch[,] the arm has to externally rotate (hand lays back) before the ball accelerates. With traditional pitchers[,] the thrower often lifts his elbow before his hand (also called scapula loading); this leads to the ball coming up late and the arm to externally rotate late. The elbow will be accelerated forward while the hand still goes backward, which creates enormous stress on the arm. 

Marshall instead wants pitchers to externally rotate early as they swing their arm up. That means the will lift the hand before the elbow, so that the wrist faces away from the body and up, the hand is above the elbow when the front foot touches the ground, which leads to a smooth transition without a "forearm bounce," as Marshall calls it (Marshall believes this causes UCL injuries, which require Tommy John surgery). He wants to first lay back the forearm and then accelerate by rotating the body instead of bending over, in order to protect the elbow against injury.

John worked with Marshall, as part of his rehabilitation in 1975, before coming back to MLB pitching in 1976.  

About 500 pitchers have had Tommy John surgery, in the nearly 40 years since Jobe's pioneering.  Presumably they all returned to the mound with solid, if not resounding, effectiveness.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD 

Veteran Bears Vet at Camp Confidential

Things are going well for the Bears at camp so far. But the biggest questions will only be answered, once real football games start.  Camp Confidential:  Chicago Bears is a great article by Jeff Dickerson, with ESPN Chicago, but the real man in the hot seat is GM Phil Emery. Will the big changes he made (e.g., bringing Marc Trestman in, along with key players) work out? Will the risks he took (e.g., firing Lovie Smith, mishandling Brian Urlacher) pay off?

Jay Cutler

"It’s been going well," Cutler said. "There have been ups and downs. That’s any training camp. Guys are learning the offense and we’re moving along. Just the verbiage is the most difficult aspect. Any time you go to a new offense guys are going to be in similar positions on the field. It’s just learning the verbiage and being able to spit it out."

Cutler doesn't have the most endearing personality around, but I think he's learned to position his remarks more positively with the media.  All eyes are definitely on him.  At least he has the favor of Emery and Trestman, for his talent and potential.

Brandon Marshall

"I am [looking forward to having more weapons]," Marshall told ESPNChicago.com. "It was tough sledding last year. I think that's why I had to have the surgery. I had two or three guys on me every single play, but bringing in big boy Martellus, I don't think the league really knows how good he is. I didn't know, and that was one of my great friends in the league. So I'm excited to see him; he's going to be awesome this year for us."

Marshall was definitely a lone duck and a sitting duck out there.  Defenses knew that Cutler would go to him, time and time again, so they stacked up on the poor guy.  With second-year wideout Alshon Jeffery back from injuries, and the gregarious Martellus Bennett coming in with much better than hands at tight-end than his predecessor, plus Matt Forte figuring to catch more coming out of the backfield, Marshall can expect to have another great year with a well-balanced offense.

Lance Briggs

"It’s tough [without Urlacher]," Briggs said. "But we’re all grown men. We have to move on."

Briggs now assumes play-calling duties, from his weak-side linebacker post.  I imagine it's unusual to have a player other than the middle linebacker calling the shots, but new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker must've looked to a veteran star like Briggs to take that on.  From the sounds of it, the defense will be business-as-usual:  smart-playing, hard-hitting and ball-hawking.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Spotlight on Goaltending for the Blackhawks

Henry Du posted this today in our Blackhawks Fans Community on Google+:

+Ron Villejo's question about the Hawks' prospects reminded me that I should share this site with you folks if you are curious about where Chicago's draft picks are in the system.

Good site - Hockey's Future

I commented,

Wow, awesome site, Henry! 

That was my sense from the news that the Hawks have really good talent coming up the ranks at the center position. But I hadn't even thought much about prospects at goaltending, except for Raanta. 

Annti Raanta 

I was hoping Emery would stay, as his superb play allowed Quenneville to conserve Crawford. Crawford played the fewest games, going into the playoffs, among the goaltenders he faced: Howard, Quick and Rask. I'd argue that even though Emery didn't play a second of playoff hockey, he was a key contributor to the Cup win. 

We all hope that Khabibulin will be just as strong of a contributor in the backup role, as there won't be any goalie controversy this coming season. Of course, strong play on his part will also ease pressure on Raanta and allow him to develop, as planned, and get used to playing North American hockey. So big questions surround the veteran goalie. 

Nikolai Khabibulin

I didn't realize that the Hawks were weak on goaltending prospects. Raanta, Whitney and Simpson have respectable talent scores (7.0) but the probability of realizing their potential is low (D). I have to study the assessment methods and process, but it's important to note that "a player's potential is extremely fluid." The Hawks seem to be good at developing young players and preparing them for a strong future. 

Nicely written, +Ron Villejo. And about the goalies, just remember: Chicago's model is like Detroit's -- serviceable goalie. So, we don't need any blue-chipper goalies per se. 

With all the back-to-back games this coming season, I think Bulin will see at least 15-20 games...which is not bad for his age. Just hope we get the Bulin that almost cost Chicago their "streak" last year and not the inconsistent one that played for the Oilers after he came back from injury.

+Henry Du Thanks, Henry! Because of the Olympics, I guess, we're going to have another compressed schedule. Well, the Bulin Wall is coming to a superb hockey team, with a good mix of veteran and young talent and with a great commitment to winning. I don't know what he's like off-the-ice, but I'm sure Quenneville will be looking to him, in part, to be a role model and a mentor. 

Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup Rally - Videos

#1 Getting there

#2 Gathering there

#3 Parading there

#4 Seeing Stanley Cups

#5 Milling about

#6 Reliving the Cup run

#7 Singing the National Anthem

#8 Taking the stage

#9 Congratulating the organization

#10 Congratulating the team (Part 1)

#11 Congratulating the team (Part 2)

#12 Leaving there