The lastest controversy in the NFL has to do with last Thursday's Browns vs. Steelers game. I'm sure that by now you have seen the vicious, helmet to helmet hit that Browns QB Colt McCoy took from Pittsburgh's James Harrison. Harrison has a history of these types of hits, and has since been suspended for 1 game.
The news that came out earlier this week is even more disturbing than the hit itself. Colt McCoy claims to not remember the hit, or anything about the game after taking the hit. He was also suffering from concussion symptoms after the game. Guys have had concussions before, so why is this a big deal? McCoy was only briefly evaluated on the sidelines, and allowed to return to the game.
When McCoy came to the sideline he was holding his hand, so that 's what the trainers checked. The Browns are claiming that the trainers never saw the hit (they were busy working on other players), so they didn't know to conduct the full concussion test on McCoy. Are you kidding me? Have you ever seen an NFL game? There are about 100 people standing on the sidelines, not to mention all of the people up in the boxes. You can't tell me that noone saw McCoy get hit in the head. I have to put this one on the head coach, you know that he saw McCoy get drilled in the head.
The NFL has taken an initiative against concussions. There are strict rules in place to check players before thye are allowed to go back into a game. Every team knows how serious the league is on this issue. It blows my mind that Cleveland let this happen. I know that as bad as the Browns are, even a concussed McCoy is probably their best chance to win. But that doesn't mean that you jeopardize a guy's career just to win a game.
I totally agree with Harrison being suspended for the hit (I feel 1 game is too light). However, I feel that the Browns organization needs to be fined or penalized as well. Allowing a concussed player back into a game is an egregious error. It's not like this happened in some rural high school game. This happened in the nation's most watched sports league.
Not administering a concussion test on because the trainers didn't see the hit is a horrible excuse. Own up to your mistake, because now you just look foolish.
I heard earlier that the NFL is pushing for a neurologist to be on hand at every game. I think it is a fabulous idea, considering how hard these players play. The sideline docs claim they didn't know he injured his head because he didn't tell them and they didn't know what to look for... I agree, something needs to change!
ReplyDeleteYes, they want an independent neurologist on every sideline. The bottom line is that everyone related to the team, including the trainers have their paychecks signed by the team. Everyone has a vested interest in winning the game. Sometimes people "look the other way" in hopes of a win.
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