Colorado Avalanche: Facing Concussions in Modern Hockey

Nov 7, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets left wing Adam Lowry (17) is hit by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas (3) during the second period at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

The Reality of Hard and Fast Sports

As a fan, I think part of what attracts me to football and hockey are how aggressive and competitive they both are. I certainly don’t want to see anyone struggling to get up after a hit, and I like that the NFL and NHL have tried to address this in both leagues.

Watching when concussions happen a lot of the time though, it’s usually hard to point at the guy responsible for the collision on the instant replay and think that they did it deliberately or out of malice.

I’ve been concussed four times in my own life, two of them from sports. None of those happened deliberately. None of them happened in anger. All were accidents from moving too fast. I hit my head against something I didn’t mean to.

Football and hockey are just hard and fast sports and sometimes, the action happens in the blink of an eye.
I really kind of doubt that we’ll develop some kind of helmet that negates what happens when a non-moving brain goes into sudden motion against the skull when a 200 pound pro athlete hits you at speed.

Maybe they’re working on it, but I just don’t see it happening. So something is going to have to give. And I think it’s probably our duty as fans to keep an open mind on whatever comes next. Tough decisions are coming ahead for athletes, managers, owners and us as fans.

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