Great video on concussions for parents, kids -- & NHLers

This is a great video that makes concussions easier to understand, prepared by Dr. Mike Evans of Toronto.  This is really worth watching for kids and parents -- and I suspect that a lot of NHL players could even benefit from it, too.

Evans is a great communicator and very passionate about what he does and the format he uses to deliver the information here is extremely effective.

Also for those looking to understand more about concussions is the new Sport Concussion Library set up by Dr. Paul Echlin. It's definitely worth checking out.

Also recently unveiled was the ThinkFirst Concussion Education Online.  Prepared by a committee of neurosurgeons, researchers, and leaders in sport-injury prevention, the course can be completed in less than an hour, from any location, with technical support available 24/7.  Participants who pass the course test can download and print a Certificate of Completion. 

It's critical for parents with kids involved in contact sports to understand this serious injury.

 

Is It Time To Start Penalizing Teams Who Put Players At Risk?

While some think Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison got off way too lightly with a one-game suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit that left Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy with a concussion, the main culprit has gotten off scot free so far.

It was the Cleveland Browns who by far committed the most egregious offence in putting McCoy back into the game just two plays after the violent collision left him flat on his back for a good stretch. They didn't even give the standard concussion protocol tests before sending him back into the fray. The explanation given was that the doctors didn't see the play because they were busy with other injured players.

Dr. Michael Cusimano, a neurosurgeon at St. Michael's Hospital and one of the country's foremost concussion experts, believes the time has come to penalize the teams who are needlessly putting players health at risk.

"People have to take responsibility," said Cusimano. "You can't hide behind this veil of 'I didn't see it' or 'I wasn't paying attention' or 'I was busy doing something else.' And that goes all the way from the league to the Players Association to the clubs to the sideline doctors. How can you say a doctor was too busy, especially at the NFL? All he has to do is look at the replay. It's all over the place. Every single level is shirking their responsibility."

Cusimano said what's needed for every level of the NFL and other pro leagues "is a disincentive or incentive that means something to them" when it comes to their management of concussed players.

"The club understands money and understands winning," he said. "But if you put in a rule where if you do something like that you lose those points, that might mean something to them, or it's a $10 million penalty. But right now it doesn't mean anything. The NHL and all these professional leagues are in the same boat and they're hiding their heads in the sand."

In some ways, the McCoy hit doesn't seem a whole lot different than the one Sidney Crosby took in the Winter Classic in that it was obvious to all that watched that it was significant and left him down on the ice for quite some time. Even Don Cherry thought Crosby was in trouble after the hit, yet he ended up coming back for that game and the next one. And look where he is now.

Maybe they need to look at holding players who take significant head hits out for the rest of the game, even if they aren't exhibiting concussion symptons. It's tough to know the real answer, but it's obvious what they're doing currently isn't working.

How important is the game they're playing in or the next game it might mean you're going to miss the next 30 or even the rest of the season and beyond, as in the case of Crosby? Consider the potential damage to the delicate brain and an athlete's future health and suddenly sitting an athlete for a game or two or three – until you are sure there are no post concussion symptoms – not only seems a wise one but a financially prudent one in protecting your asset. That does seem to be the only language these teams understand.

Instead, they minimize the injury by talking about “concussion-like symptoms” -- see colleague Joseph Hall's fine piece on this in the Star this week. What that does more than anything is put pressure on the athlete to come back early. You don't think a competitive athlete like James Reimer isn't affected when his team isn't willing to put the real name on his injury so people can truly understand what he's dealing with. It took his mother to explain the extent of what her son was trying to cope with – and weren't the Maple Leafs pleased about that?

In McCoy's case, his father is a football coach and he didn't hesitate for a second in nailing the Browns for mishandling his son's case.

Heck, even with someone with the medical accumen of Kim Kardashian would have known Colt McCoy was in trouble.

"I think if you had 10 non medical cases, probably 9 out of 10 would say that's a concussion," said noted concussion expert Dr. Charles Tator of ThinkFirst Canada. "It was one of the more obvious ones. So I don't get it. Was their doctor at the field when this happened or was he out having a hamburger or something. I don't get it. It really is puzzling. It's a real breach of conduct in my view. The player himself has to feel mismanaged.

"What would happen if he went back into play, got another concussion and died, got what we call the second impact syndrome, which is a devastating effect when the second impact comes before you fully recover from the first and you get either a terrible brain injury or you die from it. Wouldn't that player's family seek redress from the team? I think the answer's Yes. I think they're setting themselves up for significant repercussions if they don't follow the rules they put in place."

Both Tator and Cusimano had thought the NFL was making progress on the concussion front.

"Frankly, I'm a bit surprised," said Cusimano. "The NFL has lawsuits pending against them, they were taken to task in front of the U.S. Congress, they put $1 million towards the brain brank, so they looked like they were doing things. Then then allow this to happen. There's some failure of leadership there. The penalties have to be there and they have to act quickly and decisively. Otherwise, they're a laughingstock. They can't defend themselves."

 

These Fighting Women Deliver a Powerful Message

Maybe it was a fellowship of the ring kind of thing but wrestler Ohenewa Akuffo, boxer Mary Spencer and judoka Kelita Zupancic -- Canada's Women Warriors -- had an immediate chemistry when we got them together during the Olympic Excellence Series recently in Mississauga.

It was one of those chance things as Judo Canada's communications director Luc Beaudin, a passionate guy with a real creative bent (His colleagues kept an unofficial 'Book of Luc' during the Pan am Games), came up with the concept while we were setting up a photo shoot for Zupancic.

This would be a great video to show to kids as there are strong messages about being yourself and also chasing your dream.

Also included here are some parts of the discussion that didn't make the newspaper story:

Can you talk about young girls looking up to you and being a strong female role model?

Spencer: “I think it’s really cute when you get these really young girls who look like they should be in gymnastics or something. Maybe, they are in gymnastics. They come and they’re like ‘I think you’re doing so good and you’re so cool. I want to get boxing gloves and train like you.’ It’s like ‘Oh really, you’re a cute little gymnast but you wanna box. That’s awesome.’ Even for me, I don’t feel like it’s normal for younger girls but when they see me and other girls in my gym who have stuck with it and accomplished things and won titles, they’re inspired to try it. Wow, that’s really neat because when I was that age I didn’t have the opportunity to put on some gloves and go to a boxing club. But now they do. It’s kinda cool.”

Akuffo: “When I go to schools and speak, some schools have wrestling programs and it (attendance) goes up so much. Some of the girls or even some of the guys recognize the potential in it. It just makes me feel blessed to be doing what I’m doing because you just realize the impact or the handprint that you have and it’s a responsibility also to make sure that you conduct yourself in a way that if a young girl came up to you, you’d always be proud.”

Zupancic: “I have so many young girl cousins. I have 10 of them running around. Whenever I come home, they just run to me. They’re all starting judo now. They’re at that age. Just being a role model to them and showing how hard work can get them travelling the world, competing at the Olympics. A Canadian girl can do it.”

Do you ever get any neat fan letters from kids?

Akuffo: Getting ready for the Olympics last time, you got letters. You should see the writing. It’s so cute. It’s like ‘Wow, you know you story has touched others. That’s pretty remarkable.”

Spencer: “I got a homemade letter/card/piece of art from a 5-year-old girl this one time. It was cute because I’m like ‘Do you even know what boxing is. I don’t think you know what boxing is.’ But it didn’t matter because she knew I was doing well in my sport. It was exciting for her and she just wanted to say congratulations, go reach your goal. It was so cute.”

Zupancic: “I love the little pictures they draw. They try to draw the judo gi and the Canadian flag and it’s always against the American. It’s really funny.”

Did you guys often hear growing up ‘No, sweetie, you want to do ballet.’”?

Zupancic: “I did ballet. My parents saw me doing judo and said ‘Oh, this is her sport for sure.’”

Spencer: “I remember doing figure skating and I was on one half of the ice and the other half was boys’ hockey practice starting. I’m like ‘I don’t want to do this figure skating. I want to play hockey.’ My mom’s like ‘Put your dress on.’ I couldn’t convince her to let me play hockey but eventually I got to pick my own sports.”

Akuffo: “People were always like ‘Why wrestling? Couldn’t you do something else?’ They were always questioning my choice. And I’m like ‘You know what, it’s made for me and I’m okay.”

 

NHL blowing smoke harkens to Big Tobacco era

Reading Gary Bettman’s recent comments about there not being enough data to link concussions and the degenerative disease CTE, it reminded this corner of the Big Tobacco denials about cigarettes and lung cancer back in the day.

It sure seems like Bettman is blowing smoke on this one, refusing to commit to what many top brain surgeons are saying is the obvious.

At a time when the NFL is dealing with multiple lawsuits related to the treatment of concussions – the latest launched last week – the NHL might want to be seen to be as being pro-active as possible, even just to protect their owners.

The one thing they have going for them is the hockey mentality has tended to be less about litigation and challenging the status quo – hence all the chicanery Alan Eagleson was able to get away with for years.

One of those agreeing with Bettman last week was Dr. Ruben Echemendia, directed of the NHL’s concussion working group. This is the same guy who once told the Star the general medical consensus is that players should be kept out of the lineup until they're symptom free – unless it’s the playoffs.

Bettman might want to think about his legacy on this one, if not the players’ brain cells. More and more the consequences of repeated blows to the head is becoming frighteningly evident.

Does he want to be remembered as the guy who twiddled his thumbs while more and more players were knocked into future dementia as he waited for more to die so their brains could be studied to help him decide what to do about it?

Sounds of Silence: Bill Daly responded to the Star’s story on former Maple Leafs’ sports psychologist Paul Dennis’ call for an independent inquiry into the deaths of the three enforcers this summer and the suggestion that the league hasn’t done enough to look into the tragedies.

Dennis said he wrote the NHL and the NHLPA to offer his help with an independent inquiry, but while the players association responded they’d take it under advisement, he never did hear back from the NHL.

Daly wrote last week: “Sorry for the delay in responding, but I was on the west coast at our Board of Governors' meeting and I had to do some digging to see about the letter we purportedly haven't responded to yet.

“As for the latter, I can say that I have checked around internally, and no one recalls ever receiving or reviewing a letter from Paul Dennis. I'm not suggesting it was never sent, but I am saying that to the extent it was sent and received by the League, it never got to the right person for response.

“As for the substantive suggestion that we haven't done ‘enough -- or anything for that matter -- to look into the recent deaths,’ I would say the opinion is unfounded and unsupported by the facts. How can anyone make that assumption without having any knowledge whatsoever of what we have been and are doing -- including with respect to retaining an independent? We undertook to look into this matter thoroughly, and we are fully engaged in delivering on that commitment. We will make appropriate public comments and announcements if and when we have something to report. Until then, it will continue to be treated -- appropriately so in my view -- as an internal League and PA matter.”

Dennis replied: “My correspondence was sent to Brendan Shanahan. Since he's the vice-president of hockey development I thought that he would oversee that area of concern. Since the PA acknowledged receipt, I was quite surprised Mr. Shanahan did not.

“In your column, Randy, you quoted me as saying, ‘...if it is happening, they're (the NHL) keeping it to themselves.’ So I wasn't condemning them for not doing anything. I had no idea one way or another. I am very pleased to hear Mr. Daly's comments that the league is ‘fully engaged in delivering on that commitment.’ This is very good news.”

We’ll see about that. By keeping it internal and giving no details, they keep us all in the dark, which is exactly the way they like it.

Dennis later pointed out a follow-up New York Times article in which Rangers’ players refused to comment about the recent findings regarding CTE in Derek Boogaards’ brain.

Sean Avery told the Times: "We've been told not to talk about it...I certainly have opinions on it, but we've been told not to comment".

Goalie Martin Biron told the Times: "It's for the people in charge to really talk about, not so much us players.”

Dennis wasn't impressed.

“It reinforces the problem,” said Dennis. “This demonstrates the disconnect not only amongst players themselves, but between the athletes and management. Even more reason why they need an independent inquiry.”

Concussion Library Opens: Dr. Paul Echlin, one of the great advocates for concussion education, has made a huge contribution to the cause with the unveiling last week of the online Sports Concussion Library.

He was concerned about the lack of information for parents out there and wanted to create a resource to help educate them fully. It’s aimed at parents, athletes, researcher, medical practitioners, coaches, trainers and educational institutions.

One of Echlin's personal favourites is an interview with the Honourable R. Roy McMurtry that gives a 40-year perspective of hockey violence.

(The Associated Press photo is of Marc Savard, laid out on the ice after one of many concussions. It's not hard to come up with compelling concussion photos, that's for sure.)

 

 

Some alert Tweeters pointed out some glaring ommissions on the potential Lou Marsh Award winners list posted here Wednesday.

Thanks to Ian Mortimer for quickly noting that his Olympic champion teammate Adam van Koeverden should be right in the thick of it for his second Lou Marsh after his crushing victory in the men's K-1 1,000 metres at this year's world championships in Hungary.

Like Patrick Chan – who was given the nod for the trophy from this corner – van Koeverden had one of those other worldly performances that an athlete can only dream of in leaving the field in his wake to win by more than three seconds. It was Canada's first world title ever in the event.

Not only did he not get a mention here, but both CBC's Scott Russell and Sportsnet left him off their lists for athlete of the year, too. Talk about potentially feeling underappreciated.

He's also a role model off the water and is working with Clara Hughes currently on the Mali Youth Initiative for Right To Play. They've got a fundraising drive going to help break the poverty cycle through sport and play.

Here's a video with footage of VanKayak's world championship win and a post-race interview:

 

Just as bad, though, is that world champion cyclists Tara Whitten and Catharine Pendrel aren't getting much love from the year-end selectors, either. Whitten won her second world title on the track in the omnium event, while Pendrel took her first world mountain bike title.

Guess we all -- especially this guy -- need to do a better job on our homework.

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 If you want to get an idea of the effort going into Heather Moyse's transition from bobsleigh brakeman to track cyclist, watch this video from her website:

 

Patrick Chan said nothing wrong – in fact he’s dead right

Listening to a couple of commentators talk about Patrick Chan on the radio this morning, it sounded like he was going to have to surrender his Canadian passport before the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City this week.

They were talking as if the world champion figure skater had reportedly said he would rather skate for his parents’ birth country of China.

The only thing is he never said that. Not once in the Reuters report that is being cited as the source did Chan say any such thing.

Here’s the first block of quotes from Reuters:

"If you look at all the sports in China, the government is extremely involved and they are extremely proud of their athletes. People understand better what we do as skaters," Chan told Reuters in a telephone interview ahead of this week's Grand Prix Final in Quebec.

"Sometimes I feel we are not appreciated for how much work we put in. If my parents hadn't emigrated from China and say I had skated for China, things would have been very different. My parents wouldn't have had to make as much sacrifices as they have and there would be a lot more respect for what we do as figure skaters.

"I'm extremely well recognized in Korea just because of what I do on the ice and there is a lack of that in Canada because hockey is our sport and it will be for eternity. Figure skating has lost the draw and the attention (it used to have before)."

Okay, so what’s wrong with that?

Athletes are better supported in China and many other countries. Would he want to live and compete under that regime in China? Unlikely. But he’s NOT saying “I want to skate for China.”

He’s saying his parents wouldn’t have to make the sacrifices for him they’ve made here – which for them has meant going into debt and living apart as Chan trains in Colorado Springs, where mother Karen oversees things.

Let’s face it, Patrick Chan’s initials don’t stand for “politically correct.” He says what he thinks, but does not always think before he speaks. Better to have that than the robotic responses you get in most hockey dressing rooms.

Figure skating has lost its lustre and with it Chan’s chance to cash in on his world record breaking win at the world championships. It had to be disappointing to win so big and so impressively in Moscow and come home to a minimum of fanfare.

Let’s face it, very few people eve knew or cared there was a Grand Prix Final in Quebec City this week before Chan’s comments created a stir.

As for not being appreciated in his own country, he’s got some very good company – almost all of his fellow Olympians. Wasn’t that Olympic skeleton champion Jon Montgomery and teammate Mellisa Hollingsworth practically having to beg recently for a major sponsor for their federation just over a year after the Vancouver Games?

Most of our athletes and their sports are way more appreciated in other countries. Heck, the Canadian canoe and kayak team used to be sponsored by a Hungarian company.

Okay, here’s the other main quote from Reuters regarding his Chinese heritage:

"Several years ago I felt more Canadian but I'm slowly feeling more Chinese and feel I should be more proud of being Chinese and appreciate where I've come from. (This is because) of the support I get from the Chinese community in Canada," Chan, who is fluent in English, French and Cantonese, said as he took a break from his intensive training schedule.

"I do (wish I could have represented both China and Canada when I compete). That would be the ideal situation... in a perfect world."

What’s wrong with that? He DIDN’T say “I want to compete for China.” He’s gaining more appreciation as he gets older for his Chinese heritage and wishes he could pay it homage by competing for both.

The Chinese community in Toronto has given him huge support with at least two big fundraisers.

People are hammering Chan on this. Undoubtedly, Don Cherry will use him as a punching bag on Coaches Corner, though he should take note the kid does play hockey.

In Canada more than anywhere else, people should be able to understand his pride in his background.

Everybody loved it when wrestler Daniel Igali kissed the Canadian flag after winning Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, but a big part of his heart was still in Nigeria – in fact he’s a politician there now.

When Chan won big in Moscow, he was only carrying one flag. Take a look at the picture above to see which one it was.

 

Chan Should Be The Man For 2011 Lou Marsh Award

Next week at the Star’s offices, some of the country’s top sports writers, sports editors and broadcasters will gather – some via conference call – to select the winner of the prestigious Lou Marsh Award for Canada’s athlete of the year.

And make no doubt about it, the award named after the legendary Toronto Star sports editor is the year-end bauble that Canadian athletes want on their mantlepiece.

The debate is usually vigorous and this year will be no different considering the many qualified candidates – world No. 1 ranked shot putter Dylan Armstrong, speed skating world champion Christine Nesbitt, baseball standouts John Axford and last year’s winner Joey Votto, soccer stars Dwayne De Rosario and Christine Sinclair, double worlds swimming silver medallist Ryan Cochrane, world champion downhiller Erik Guay, world champion cross country skier Devon Kershaw, rider Eric Lamaze and the late Hickstead.

There’s others, too. Every one would be a worthy choice.

But if I had a vote – and I don’t – I would give it to world champion figure skater Patrick Chan.

Considering the quad is a big part of this equation, here’s my four reasons:

1) He dominated his sport more than any other Canadian. As one wag wrote of his world title win in Moscow – okay it was me – “The big Harry Potter devotee made the rest of the field look like muggles in winning by more than 22 points - the figure skating equivalent of four touchdowns.” He set three world records and even got himself in the Guinness Book of World Records.

 2) He walked the talk. He went in saying he wanted to dominate his sport a la Roger Federer and Tiger Woods – and he did just that.

3) He not only learned the most difficult jump in his sport, the quad, he became a master at it.

4) He showed immense maturity in coming back from a disappointing Vancouver Olympics – where he thought he already knew it all – and committed himself to the hard work of becoming a real champion.

Hey, the other athletes all have similar great qualities and accomplishments, too, but it’s Chan’s ability to crush the field at his biggest event of his season that should make him the first male figure skater to win the Lou Marsh since friend Kurt Browing managed the feat in 1990.

Rush to the Rescue: Anyone who knows Canadian Olympic bobsleigh bronze medallist Lyndon Rush won’t be surprised to hear he came to the aid of American rival Steven Holcomb earlier this week in France, when he didn’t have a credit card with the proper chip to pay for gas late at night while en route to their next World Cup in La Plagne.

“BIG THANKS to Canada 1, Team Rush for saving our butts in some random town in France when we had no way to get fuel,” wrote Holcomb on his Facebook page.

Rush does have that Dudley Do-Right kind of demeanour. He always helps his fellow man.

New Athlete Council: The 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games announced Wednesday an athlete council that will report directly to the organizing committee.

The council consists of: chair Carla Qualtrough, chair (para-swimming); Nathaniel Miller (water polo); Marie Dannhaeuser (para-swimming); Trevino Betty (athletics); Warren Sawkiw (baseball); Nicole Forrester (high jumper); Erika Schmutz (wheelchair rugby); Alexandra Orlando (rhythmic gymnastics), Jane Thornton (rowing) and John Hastings (kayak).

(Photo of Chan winning in Moscow/Reuters)