By Ronald N. Guy Jr.
On May 12, 2011, the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings
met in game seven of NHL’s Western Conference Semifinals. The Sharks had jumped out to a 3-0 series,
but being the heart-full champions and playoff stalwarts that they are, Detroit
battled back to even the series at three games apiece. Entering the decisive seventh game, San Jose
had home ice, Detroit had the momentum: it was anyone’s series.
Home ice prevailed.
The Sharks thwarted a late Detroit rally to win 3-2. During the captivating series both teams
displayed a resiliency and determination that I long to see in my beloved (but
habitually choking dog) Capitals. As
enthralling as game seven was, the outcome, at least for someone with no rooting
interest in either team, took a backseat to more serious contemplation halfway
through the contest.
During the second period, Detroit’s Danny Cleary was
accidentally blindsided by teammate Jiri Hudler. Hudler clipped the side of Cleary’s face as he brushed by his
unsuspecting teammate at full throttle.
Cleary, instantly senseless, fell limply slamming his head onto the
ice. After a few motionless moments,
Cleary regained adequate faculties to wobble off the ice with considerable
assistance.
This scene – a concussed athlete staggering off the stage -
has become too familiar. Better
diagnosis combined with bigger, stronger and faster athletes have contributed
to a concussion epidemic in violent sports.
For its popularity and viciousness, football is most synonymous with
head injuries. Hockey, though, is
certainly in the dubious discussion.
With twelve players loose in a boarded arena, equipped with sticks and
whacking a frozen chunk of rubber at 100 mph, is it any wonder?
And yet, while these sports share this serious problem, the
primary line of concussion prevention – helmets – have traveled very different
evolutionary paths. NFL helmets have
changed dramatically over the last 20 years.
Gone are the comical single-bar facemasks of Joe Theismann fame and the
loose-fitting shells from prior generations.
The outer shell, padding, facemasks and chinstraps of NFL helmets have
experienced a dramatic transformation.
And in this corner we have the static NHL helmet, lacking any recent
noticeable change and resembling a bike helmet more than a protective device
worthy of hockey’s physicality.
While the hockey helmet itself is limited, NHL players could
choose to wear full “cages” (composite frames or full plastic shields) that
provide protection to the entire face and jaw area. Such contraptions are required for college and high school
players. Despite these alternatives,
most NHL players, valorous roughnecks as they are, compete with nothing more
than a loosely fitting lid and the occasional token visor. With all due respect to Franklin Roosevelt,
there is more to fear than fear itself for athletes prone to concussions; it’s
called chronic traumatic encephalophathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that’s
increasingly common in athletes who have experience multiple head traumas. CTE symptoms include memory loss, mood
instability and depression and it has almost certainly been a contributing
factor in the pre-mature death - some via suicide - of retired athletes.
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