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Does the NFL's Tua situation have concussion issue coming to a head? | HEY, WILLIE!

ken willis, the daytona beach news-journal
·3 min read

HEY, WILLIE!

As a result of the concussions to Tua Tagovailoa, there has been a lot of talk by the NFL’s “talking heads” that the league will now have to re-examine their concussion protocols. 

Do you really think this is going to happen?

DON

HEY, DON!

Yes.

Next!

Oh, OK, let’s expand on that a bit. 

Sometimes these things multiply and over time someone notices a trend and says, “Hey, we need to look at this.” But sometimes a higher-profile event triggers immediate changes.

Extreme example: In the year 2000, NASCAR lost three drivers to the same tragic injury (basal skull fracture) caused by headlong crashes into concrete walls. The ball of safety began rolling forward a bit.

The situation surrounding Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains a hot-button topic in the NFL.
The situation surrounding Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains a hot-button topic in the NFL.

At the very beginning of the 2001 season came the Dale Earnhardt crash — same type of crash, same fatal injury. The ball of safety was put on rails and given a shot of jet fuel.

Within a rather short period of time, “soft walls” and head-and-neck restraints were everywhere, the cars were upgraded to better withstand crashes, and other medical procedures were put in place to modernize the sport.

Tua’s headlines were expanded greatly — and the concussion issue was raised exponentially — because his second injury came in a Thursday night game (all eyes were on it) and it involved troubling visuals.

It would’ve been a big story regardless, but those two factors definitely front-burnered the concussion issue and pointed out the need for another round of problem-solving.

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HEY, WILLIE!

Concussions in the NFL. Concussions in NASCAR.

Is this what 2022 will be remembered for?

TODD

HEY, TODD!

Probably not. Check other sections of the news . . . lots of stuff going on around here, as well as over yonder.

And we still have a few months left of ’22, so buckle up, just in case.

HEY, WILLIE!

The born-again Jaguars didn’t last long. But Trevor Lawrence must have gone into the record book with those four fumbles.

They had me believing in them again, but I’ll keep my optimism turned down.

JD

One of four Trevor Lawrence fumbles during this past Sunday's loss in rainy Philadelphia.
One of four Trevor Lawrence fumbles during this past Sunday's loss in rainy Philadelphia.

HEY, J!

Another reader sent in a page from the NFL record book, and it turns out Trevor never really threatened the league record during his rainy-day pratfall in Philly.

He’s one of many — including Baker Mayfield, Matt Ryan and Kyler Murray — who have fumbled four times in a game (among retired players, Andrew Luck and Michael Vick also did it).

Seven others fumbled five times in a game, including Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning.

And sharing the record, three coughed up the ball six times in 60 minutes: Chad Pennington, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre.

All are quarterbacks, of course. A running back who threatens entering that list would be in Automotive AC Class by the time he puked up his third.

HEY, WILLIE!

I have to tell you I was quite impressed with your Steve Miller reference (Sept. 28 “Hey Willie!”).

I was a huge fan of Maury Wills, as he was my favorite non-pitcher Dodger. 

When I was playing Pony League ball I was in a horrible hitting slump. I adopted Maury's choke-up style of hitting and got six hits over my last two games of the season. Yeah, I was a slow learner. 

RICK

HEY, RICK!

Hadn’t heard “Pony League” in years. Turns out, it’s still a thing in parts of the U.S., as is the Babe Ruth League.

Around here, it all seems to fall under the category of “travel ball.”

Anyway, you haven’t lived until you’re slumping bad enough for the coach to tell you, “take two strikes and go to right.”

HEY, WILLIE!

I’m with you. I think we got a rare Talladega race, without a giant crash (maybe multiple crashes) because the drivers decided to second-guess the usual risk they might jump into.

There goes the TV ratings!!!

STEVE

This was the scene for nearly all of Talladega. No, that's not the norm.
This was the scene for nearly all of Talladega. No, that's not the norm.

HEY, STEVE!

We’ve learned a little about physics this season.

First, you stiffen the chassis and make the cars harder to break, which over time lowers the cost to maintain a fleet of race cars.

But upon crashing, some of that violent energy, previously soaked up by the chassis, now needs a new conduit. Eventually, all within the blink of an eye, the driver has to take his share, which is a bigger share than it was with the old cars.

You gotta think plenty of drivers had that knowledge tucked under their helmets Sunday at Talladega.

Two concussions and a broken foot are the recent injuries, though other drivers have talked about increased pain and soreness following “routine” wrecks.

Then there's the scary scene during Saturday’s Truck Series race where Jordan Anderson had to escape his burning Silverado — while it was still heading toward a wall!

Busy times for the Boys in R&D.

— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Tua gives NFL new focus; a Dale Earnhardt comparison | HEY, WILLIE!