Lawyer Overrules Replay Booth.......

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Re: Lawyer Overrules Replay Booth.......

Postby donovan » Sat Oct 13, 2018 7:20 am

For my two cents worth. I like the example of the egg carton and the egg because it does show how the carton protects the shell. The skull is like the egg carton. I think that is where the similarities end. If you shake an egg as hard and as much as you can, you will not break the yolk. Every one of us has tried to scramble an egg by shaking it thinking we had discovered a more efficient way to make scrambled eggs. Seems so reasonable, I might try it again this morning. The brain, when shaken, can cause death, as we read about, unfortunately with small children.

This is my understanding. Sports concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury. It is not a “bruise” to the brain, rather a trauma. Unlike the egg "white" the brain is surrounded by a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid and has three main functions: it protects the brain from trauma, supplies nutrients, much like the egg white, to nervous system tissue and removes waste products from cerebral metabolism. This is commonly called "water," as in 'water on the brain.' The consistency is much like water and the amount is closely regulated. (By the way, this is the same fluid that protects the spinal cord.)

So when the head is hit or there is a sudden stop, the brain mass hits against the skull.

The best explanation I know is from Dr. David Hovda of UCLA.

"When there is a sufficient blow to the brain, the membranes of the affected nerve cells in the brain are stretched or twisted, allowing potassium to exit those cells, which triggers those cells to depolarize, thus the phenomenon of seeing stars if the affected area is involved with sight or ringing in the ears if the affected area is involved with hearing. The exit of potassium (K+) peaks approximately two minutes after the incident but continues for another 3-4 minutes.

Then, until the chemical balance is somewhat restored, those neurons (nerve cells) are unable to fire again. Furthermore, in a protective reflex of sorts, surrounding cells begin to shut down, causing “spreading depression.”

If enough cells become depressed, confusion, amnesia, and even loss of consciousness result.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to recover, the brain starts using up massive amounts of blood sugar and will continue to do so for as long as 30 minutes. This overuse of this glucose results in the production of lactic acid which, in excess amounts, inhibits brain function.

A demand for glucose by the brain, such as when one is studying, logically causes an increase in blood flow to the brain. However for reasons not entirely clear, within two minutes of a concussion, the body decreases blood flow to the brain by up to 50 percent. This process continues unabated for 3-4 days but fully normal blood flow may not resume until an average of 10 days has passed. Consequently, at precisely the time the brain needs extra fuel to repair itself, it ends up getting less.

Meanwhile, the exit of potassium allows calcium to enter the neuron. And while the exit of potassium ceases in minutes, it takes the cell 2-4 days to rid itself of the energy-inhibiting calcium.

While the immediate chemical reaction of the brain to the concussion is brief and generally completed in 30 minutes, it takes days for the individual cell and the brain as a whole to restore that chemical balance which was lost so quickly. Until that balance is restored, the brain doesn’t work as well and is particularly vulnerable to re-injury."

So when I suggest doing away with helmets, which I really don't believe we should do, is because the brain knows its vulnerability and with direct the body to protect the brain, at all costs. (One of the reasons we lose our hearing is because loud sounds can destroy brain neurons, so the brain "kills" the stereocilia in the cochlea.) It is why we don't bang our heads on purpose. Put on a helmet and we believe it will protect us and it becomes okay to have unlimited head trauma.

What's the solution. Just what Mountainman said, make sensible rules and enforce them. Stop the idea that violent clashes are better than something else. Personally, I am not for governmental control, but civilized people should not be involved in boxing, ultimate fighting, etc. It is barbaric. Likewise, sports games need to be designed to avoid traumatic brain injuries.

In higher institutes of learning, that has to start with Boards of Trustees hiring Presidents that are not testicularly challenged.
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Re: Lawyer Overrules Replay Booth.......

Postby Spence » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:12 pm

I know you don't really want to get rid of helmets, but the thought behind it is good. And I agree that the key is to agree on a set of rules and protocols and follow them. I don't think you need a group of non testicularly challenged presidents to implement it. The lawyers advising them are going to be "proactive" implementing the safety rules to fend off potential law suits from former players.
"History doesn't always repeat itself but it often rhymes." - Mark Twain


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