Brain injuries dropped after Dartmouth eliminated tackling during practices Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens made the bold move 12 years ago to eliminate live tackling during all practices. It was a gamble because neither he nor anyone else knew if Dartmouth could still be competitive on game days after making the move. However, Teevens has plenty…
This was the first CFL game I’ve attended in person in nearly three decades
The Canadian Football League’s 2022 regular season is over. The Edmonton Elks had a bye week. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the BC Lions 24-9 on Oct. 28. Three final games were played on Oct. 29: the Calgary Stampeders beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 36-10, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beat the Ottawa Redblacks 23-16 and the Montreal…
It takes from the poor and middle class and gives to the rich
“The NFL is the richest sports franchise, full of billionaire capitalists demanding socialist handouts so they can make even more profits.” – Ralph Nader The billionaire owners of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills, Terry and Kim Pegula, have landed US$850 million in taxpayer dollars for the construction of a new…
American society loves football so much it avoids hard discussions about the sport’s safety
We found out recently that a bright young man with a big heart and promising future died because of football. Twelve-year National Football League veteran and three-time pro bowler Vincent Jackson, who died at age 38 in February, had stage 2 CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) his family announced on Thursday. CTE is a degenerative brain…
Fans returned in droves and the league’s economic engine is now moving in the right direction
The Canadian Football League had much to celebrate on Sunday. For one thing, this year’s Grey Cup was an exciting and memorable contest. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-25 in overtime to win the 108th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. (These teams played in the previous Grey Cup in…
The unvaccinated don’t seem to get that life is a team sport, not a me sport
Aaron Rodgers has every right to hold whatever thoughts and beliefs he might have about COVID-19 and vaccines. But that freedom ends when his actions have a negative – or potentially negative – health impact on others. What the unvaccinated don’t seem to get is that this game called life we’re all playing is a…
National Football League player Carl Nassib has given the battle against homophobia in sports and society in general a huge boost
Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive lineman Carl Nassib announced he was gay last week. He’s the first active National Football League player to do so. It was a landmark announcement that will help thousands of young LGBTQ athletes and non-athletes alike. It’s a milestone that has – and will continue to – garner a lot of…
Humanistic coaches focus on encouragement and positive motivation. They believe humans seek out fun and want to actualize themselves
“Fun is good.” – Mike Veeck, creator of a variety of innovative and fun baseball promotions Unfortunately, the vast majority of coaches, from the youth level to the professional level, adopt a militaristic coaching style. They believe a taskmaster mentality is how you get the best from athletes. It’s not. “Nothing, according to the research,…
U of A study shows anxiety, depression more likely among football players after a concussion than after other body injuries
Elite athletes report more anxiety and depression in the immediate aftermath of a concussion than those who have suffered an orthopedic injury, according to a concussion study that further builds the case that head injuries are an injury unlike any other. “Athletes get injured all the time and they have to deal with the stress of…
Why is the Cleveland baseball team waiting until 2022 to make the change? Let the healing begin now
Finally, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball (MLB) team says it plans to replace its racist Indians nickname. That’s great news. The Indigenous shouldn’t be used as nicknames and mascots for sports teams in the same way lions, bears and other animals are. Period. But why is the Cleveland organization waiting until 2022 to make the change?…