Concussion Inc.
Page 24
4 December 2012..........
On Monday night, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III dazzled ESPN’s football nation with his ball-handling. But Griffin had nothing on the verbal wizardry of NBC’s Bob Costas, who a night earlier, during his halftime commentary on the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide, quoted columnist Jason Whitlock’s call for gun control reform.
In the culture-war fishbowl that is the New York media world (and to mangle a metaphor), Costas became a lightning rod. As new details emerged in the Belcher investigation, the focus was on how Fox News was calling Costas the most horrible person in the world for seeking to trample the Second Amendment and how MSNBC was calling Fox News the most horrible network in the world for calling Costas the most horrible person in the world.
And the NFL band played on.
Costas told the New York Times that “the criticisms of his commentary ‘hold no weight with me’ because the same people saying that that was an inappropriate time and place to talk about the gun issue ‘would have thought it was fine if they agreed with what I was saying.’”1
Well, actually, I agreed with what Costas was saying but I don’t think his commentary was fine — because it was a diversion from encouraging his audience, in a football broadcast, to think about the likelier far larger role of football in the murder of Kasandra Perkins and suicide of Jovan Belcher.
Even Dave Zirin, the sports editor of the Nation, who praised Costas to the skies for having a smidgen of substance (in contrast with Fox and CBS on Sunday football), is saying today on Twitter, “Terrible indictment of media that story of Kasandra Perkins & Jovan Belcher is now a debate about Bob Costas. NFL breathes sigh of relief.”
As Costas’s fellow gun control proponent, but one disappointed that he chose the easy and somewhat self-aggrandizing culture war instead of the truly instructive one right in front of his nose, I want to make another point: the Belcher case seems to me a pretty flabby prop for the gun control argument.
I wrote a book about the 2007 double murder-suicide of WWE’s Chris Benoit; no gun was involved there. Further, the Belcher reports show that he fired nine shots into his girlfriend, then tenderly kissed her. This was no 10-year-old kid pulling a firearm from the mantle and accidentally discharging it.
All in all, we need fewer reenactments of hardened cable-news crossfire on gun control, and more non-trivial discussion about the elephant in the room: the pistol that went off inside Belcher’s brain.
4 December 2012..........
In the past couple of days I’ve taken some new swings at my friend Bob Costas. I don’t want to exaggerate or grandstand by implying that we’re close pals. But we are fellow St. Louis sports mafiosi, he has done me some nice turns, and I have great respect for his body of work. On the latter, how could I not? Even if this is prettiest-lady-in-Siberia territory, it bears repeating that Costas, in terms of communicated intelligence about the world at large, is head and shoulders above his contemporaries in sports broadcasting.
As I’ve written, right-wingers went after Costas for talking about guns in his Jovan Belcher commentary on NBC Sunday night. Meanwhile, I and some others expressed disappointment that Costas, by his emphases, had put the ever-polarized gun debate at the center of the public conversation in the Belcher postmortem, and football’s more consensus-friendly pathologies (brain injury, painkiller abuse, celebration of violence, etc.) on the margin.
In a just-concluded phone conversation, Costas explained that he believes he did no such thing. Bob doesn’t want me to quote him, but I’ll try to transcribe his train of thought faithfully, in the hope that those of us who feel more or less the same way about the excesses of football in our society can keep the right target in the cross-hairs going forward.
Sorry, bad metaphor …
In Bob’s mind, he was delivering the absolutely strongest and most responsible editorial possible at that moment of known and verified information about the Belcher–Kasandra Perkins tragedy — within the all of 60 seconds of air time he was allotted. In the ensuing 36 hours, considerably more Belcher info has surfaced, and we will be hearing what Costas has to say about it — perhaps as soon as his Thursday show on the NBC Sports cable network.
Notwithstanding the attacks on him by yahoos, Bob does not even see himself, in this context, as advocating gun control per se. Rather, he was reflecting on the gun culture so prevalent in America, perhaps especially among athletes, and perhaps especially, especially among football players.
Finally, Bob points out that he explicitly concluded his commentary with an observation extraneous to the Jason Whitlock column he was quoting about guns. Costas said that in the next days, “Jovan Belcher’s actions, and their possible connection to football, will be analyzed. And who knows?”
Fair enough. I think I’ve made my point and I think Bob has made his. Onward.
7 December 2012..........
Matt Chaney, author of the superb but barely noticed 2009 book Spiral of Denial: Muscle Doping in American Football, is our most fearless historian of football’s harm. In a post at his blog last year, Chaney writes about the 1980 murder-suicide of retired Kansas Chiefs offensive tackle Jim Tyrer. Chaney calls Tyrer “one of the greatest offensive tackles in history,” who remains shut out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame only because “the league and media suddenly wanted to forget him.”2
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1 mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/at-halftime-costas-put-spotlight-on-guns-by-morning-the-spotlight-was-on-him/.
2 “Football Brain Trauma Can Twist Personality, Spur Violence,” blog.4wallspublishing.com/2011/06/16/football-brain-trauma-can-change-personality-spur-violence.aspx.
MY FRIEND GEORGE VISGER
24 June 2011..........
Former San Francisco 49er George Visger comments on my criticism of Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, co-chair of the NFL concussion committee:
I agree with you, but think Ellenbogen is trying to do the right thing. I played DT for the 49ers in ’80 and ’81 when I developed hydrocephalus from numerous concussions, and underwent emergency VP shunt brain surgery at age 22. My shunt failed (in Mexico fishing) just four months after we won Super Bowl XVI and my brother brought me home in a coma. I underwent two more brain surgeries 10 hours apart and was given last rites. I was also given the hospital bills, and had creditors on me for nearly five years till I successfully sued the 49ers for WORKERS COMP! I am now on brain surgery No. 9, multiple gran mal seizures and currently taking my sixth different seizure med since starting on them over 25 years ago. The side effects have been catastrophic on my everyday life.
Ellenbogen called me ~ 1 1/2 years ago when I called him out on Dave Pear’s blog immediately after he was hired. He and I correspond regularly now. He asked I submit suggested rule changes which he would present to the NFL Rules Committee. Many of my suggestions have been implemented today (much to the chagrin of players). Only difference I had was I wanted all fines for head-to-head hits levied at the owners, not the players.
I was one of four ex players and five NFL Hall of Fame players asked to speak at a press conference in Washington, DC, last Monday, prior to the Carl Eller vs. NFL lawsuit.
We need more folks like you not afraid to air the NFL’s dirty laundry.
George Visger
SF 49ers ’80 and ’81
Survivor of Nine NFL Caused Emergency VP Shunt Brain Surgeries
Benefactor of ZERO NFL Benefits
24 June 2011..........
There are a million concussion stories in the Naked City, and this blog can’t possibly tell more than a tiny fraction of them. But it is worth repeating over and over again the story of George Visger, whose football brain injury turned him into a real-life version of the protagonist of the 2000 cult movie Memento — someone robbed of the basic human function of short-term memory. Fortunately for all of us, Visger attacks his plight with grace, zest
, and educational meticulousness.
Visger isn’t hunting for the murderer of his wife — he just seeks a scrap of justice for himself. So far, going on 30 years, there has been none from the $10-billion-a-year National Football League. (I think it’s safe to upgrade from the “$9-billion-a-year NFL” after yesterday’s announcement of a 10-year extension of ESPN broadcast rights at a raise of nearly $1 billion annually.)
I originally referenced Visger’s case after he posted a long comment in response to a blog item. Yesterday Dave Pear’s Independent Football Veterans blog republished my report on confronting DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, at the Santa Clara University Sports Law Symposium.
John Hogan, the wise and indefatigable attorney for disabled players, added in a comment under my post that Smith also had failed to answer the specific question in Hogan’s own talk at the symposium about crater-sized loopholes in the new “neurocognitive benefit” the union is hyping in its collective bargaining agreement with the league. Hogan: “I don’t see it helping many guys. You have to be vested, under 55, and not on Line-of-Duty or Total and Permanent. That pretty much leaves out all guys who are working. But how do you perform sustained, competitive work if you have a significant neurocognitive impairment?”
That’s when George Visger jumped in again. The floor belongs to him:
John,
To answer your question, “But how do you perform sustained, competitive work if you have a significant neurocognitive impairment?”
I developed hydrocephalus (water on the brain) while playing DT with the ’81 SF 49ers, and underwent emergency VP shunt brain surgery. Four months after we won Super Bowl XVI, my shunt failed and I had two more brain surgeries 10 hours apart and was given last rites. Virtually no memory for nearly a year after. My first recollection was of receiving bills for the brain surgeries from the 49ers front office with the total circled “YOU OWE THIS AMOUNT.” (I was hoping for at least flowers and a cheesy card.)
After fighting off creditors for four years, the 49ers counsel forced me to take the stand while he grilled me at my Workers Comp hearing on what I did my last day of practice (we’re not talking malpractice or liability claim, just a simple Work Comp claim like ANY injured employee is entitled to). I won my case in ’86 and they offered me $35K to disappear. It sounded appealing as I was living in a dirt-bag apartment, swinging a hammer for $12/hour and bouncing at nights for $10k to survive. I told them to keep their money and I kept my medical claim open AND asked to finish my biology degree through Vocational Rehab. All injured employees are entitled to Voc Rehab. I had four years of bio at Colorado before being drafted in ’80 and wanted to finish. Thank God I kept the medical open and didn’t take the cash.
I completed my degree in biological conservation in 1990 while surviving four more brain surgeries (in ’87) and multiple gran mal seizures. During the four-and-a-half years it took to complete my degree, the 49ers Work Comp was responsible for every bill associated with my being retrained (books, tuition, mileage to school each day, mileage to doctors’ appointments, doctors, meds, counseling), and I received disability while I was in school full time or recovering from my surgeries. I had two additional knee surgeries during this time, including a Gore Tex ACL transplant, repairing the sloppy job the 49ers did in ’81. Everything covered but still not worth the price my family continues to pay for my having played two years in the NFL.
Twenty nine years later, I have now survived nine emergency VP shunt brain surgeries, multiple gran mal seizures, suffer from major short-term memory deficits, and have been diagnosed by Dr. Amen and Dr. Claydon as suffering from early onset dementia. I was on four different dementia medicines at once last year, to help me continue functioning as a self-employed environmental consultant. The side effects were worse than the treatment so I upped my hyperbarics and Omega 3’s and only take two Arricept/day to increase my neurotransmitters. I am functioning better than I have in years.
How to Survive with an NFL Caused Traumatic Brain Injury
I literally write down everything in my Rite-In-The Rain notebooks. Waterproof, fit in your back pocket. I have 30 years of these, 12–15 pgs/day. Each phone call, conversation, etc., goes in with time, who, what we spoke about, what I did at each project, when I left the office, mileage when left, time. Here’s an example from today. I’m on a Caltrans project I have been working on 14–19 hrs/day out of town the last two months.
9/9/11 Spent nite at Copelands. 267,092 (mileage) left @ 5:42
6:21 Site T-7A. 267,111. Traffic crew setting out signs, data
7:09 7A bell hole dug, contact ETIC for BMPs (DI protection)
7:21 7D 267,112 Done, no paint
7:29 7E 267,113 by Chevron, almost complete.
7:31 Called ARB – Clay sched?
7:33 Called Reynoldo vm
7:34 – 7:42 Called Phil Woltze – Arch. Survey L & M during const, spot check A & D, pre con survey F & I before exca. CALL PHIL BEFORE BREAK GROUND F 09/10
7:52 Site 7 F 267,118- started box, PGE onsite
8:08 Site 7 G 267,220- saw cut, exca. Dump, front load.
8:14 called Jeff E, Snelson Con Cord. T 44 not theirs. Thinks ARB
8:16 called Clay con cord Snel. rec’d Carlile.
8:17 Carlile, onsite in pm with backhoe, ex if USA’d.
8:20 – 8:47 Called Chris P – ARB super. Moving tanks in am T44 to 7/9. Need arborist at 44, cultural at 7/9. Discharge @ 100 gpm 9-5, 50gpm 5 – 9. Coord Lauren/Clay – ARB. Brkdwn tanks now. Need RTC, Encroach permit, discharge permit. Have ETIC install DI protect prior to mobe. Traffic control?? CONDUCT ENVIRO TRAINING FOR CREWS AT 7A TOMORROW 7:00. GET MIKE P FOR CULTURAL, REYNALDO, KEITH FOR SWPPP TRAINING.
You get the picture. Some days I have 22-plus pages of notes to read through before doing my data reports.
Every couple nights I read through the prior week’s work/life. After reading what I did last week 3–4 times I know what I did, even if I don’t really remember doing it. I will highlight important items with various colored pens I need to come back to (red = work, yellow = home, blue = other). This eliminates wasted time reading unimportant information.
For appointments I use Post-Its on my dash, my bathroom mirror, desk and screen of computer. When done, crumple up and toss on floor (very cathartic). Computer alarms go off at 14, 7, 4, 3, 2, 1 day intervals prior to appointments. The day of the appointment at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 hour intervals, then at 15, 10, 5 minute intervals prior. Despite all this, I will get busy on a report and even with 5 minute reminders, still miss meetings.
Tell people you work with or for to remind you of things. Everyone who works with me (clients included) knows to ask, “Do you have your notebook handy?” when they call. I’m not shy about letting people know what I’m dealing with (as you all can tell by now). Clients who are hesitant to use my services will quickly learn I plain and simply outwork others and cover their tails with my detailed notes. I have been subpoenaed for lawsuits years later, brought out minute-by-minute detailed information that even the regulatory agencies don’t have. No one remembers like they think they do. My notebooks are my memory banks.
Investigate anti-seizure/psychotic or other meds you may be on. My experience has been the side effects are usually worse than the symptoms. Many doctors will prescribe drugs as a “cover your ass” rather than what is best for the patient. If the drug is “standard of care” and you have problems, it relieves them of liability. Be proactive, don’t rely totally on professionals; doctors and attorneys (sorry John) are humans (at least some are). They’re not God and make mistakes. Look out for yourself or your loved one.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT). No drugs involved, just oxygen. I’m into my 90-plus treatments at one or more hour treatments, and began remembering things on my daily schedule after seven to nine treatments. I am a firm
believer in HBOT — best thing to happen to me in 30 years regarding my TBI.
Mega doses of Omega-3 fish oils and anti-oxidant fruit juices. I use Dr. Barry Sears Omega-3s as they are industrial-grade purified and his SeaHealth Plus anti-oxidant. Two capsules of the anti-oxidant/day reduces inflammation in all your tissues, especially neurons in your brain. Inflammation of neurons due to repeated head trauma (not just concussions but the 1,000s of subconcussive hits) causes early death of the neurons = dementia.(With Omega fish oil, make sure they are purified. Fatty fish store heavy metals and toxins in their oil. Ensure it’s been cleaned.)
Work your brain. We worked our bodies to keep in shape and you need to do the same for your brain. New buzz word: NEURO-PLASTICITY. Old school was once brain damaged, that’s it. Recent research has proven by working your brain you can literally grow new neurons into areas of your brain we don’t use and are not damaged. Humans only use 5% of our brains. Exercises such as using your left hand if right handed, changing your routines, and playing kids’ memory games causes you to concentrate more, which stresses your brain and causes it to grow new neurons or activate existing neurons that aren’t being used.
There are ways to function with TBI. The NFL certainly doesn’t want to take responsibility for putting their ex-employees in these situations, as it’s not only bad PR but costly.
Think what we could do if we all functioned at the capacity we are capable of. I hate to say it, but the last thing the NFL wants to see is a bunch of highly motivated players and families operating at optimum levels, calling them on their criminal handling of their injured employees.