Comments Thread For: “Fighting Words” – Concussions, the NFL, and Boxing

[BattlingNelson]

The point here is that so little is known about the long-lasting effects of concussions. Boxers likely suffers countless concussions in sparring let alone the fights and most is likely dismissed due to the macho nature of the sport. I'm sure a little more cautious approach would be beneficial in regards to fighter health long after their careers are over.

We can listen to athletes some 10 or 20 years after their careers are over and we can also recognize who where fighters by hearing their slurred speech and sentences spoken without ends. I always hate that and hope they where aware that the very nature of their sport always meant that most would end up like this.

More research in headinjuries might ensure fewer braininjured fighters and fewer fighters with speechimpediments in the future.

[pistol whip]

All these athlete's knew what they were getting into before they made the decision to play their sport. They seen the slug fests on TV, they see the big hits on the gridiron, they know what their sport is about.

Leave the game alone!

LOL I laugh at ridiculous numbskull sports fans like you who think there entertainment is more important then the health of an athlete.

Seriously do you even have a soul?

[antrob]

LOL I laugh at ridiculous numbskull sports fans like you who think there entertainment is more important then the health of an athlete.

Seriously do you even have a soul?

No one is forced to play any sport. They all signed up for it. If your so concerned about the safety of athletes, why do you watch boxing, which is the most violent sport out there? LOL, I laugh at hypocrites like you.

[Red_Menace]

The problem is most people don't know how to recognize a concussion and have absolutely no idea how serious they are. I mean, anyone that's boxing now should know how bad it is. Football is another story. Everyone knows that football causes problems with mobility because of all the wear and tear. But I don't think many football players have really understood how bad it is for their brain.

I'd encourage every football fan to at least read this:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell

As for boxing, I think they could make the changes to make the sport safer and still keep it exciting. For one, bring back the three knockdown rule, or something like it. They could shorten the count. They could limit the number of knockdowns in a single round. They could change the way fighters are monitored between rounds and between fights. How did James Toney get sanctioned to fight in the UFC in Nevada when he's clearly slurring his words now? Boxing will never be safe, but it could be safer.

[Dave Rado]

No one is forced to play any sport. They all signed up for it. If your so concerned about the safety of athletes, why do you watch boxing, which is the most violent sport out there? LOL, I laugh at hypocrites like you.

Most boxing fans have compassion for boxers and concern for their welfare. That's why the ref's no. 1 priority is to protect fighters' health, including protecting them from themselves. That's why we have ring doctors who can stop fights. That's why there is far more medical equipment at fights than there used to be. That's why gloves were introduced. That's why there are strict regulations about the taping procedure. That's why there are strict regulations about how quickly a fighter can be taken to the nearest accident and emergency hospital, and fights cannot be licensed if they don't meet those regulations. That's why commissions have to medically clear fighters to fight, and why fighters have to have a long lay-off following a knock-out. That's why the bottom rope is much looser than it used to be. That's why fights are now 12 rounds instead of 15 (and why unlimited rounds fights were abolished). And that's why we no longer have same day weigh-ins. Are you seriously in favour of scrapping all these regulations?

Being a boxing fan is indeed contradictory and ambivalent for most people. But ambivalence is not the same thing as hypocrisy. There is an elemental human instinct that appreciates two human beings putting everything they have on the line in a violent and dangerous sport; the courage, skill, intelligence, the element of danger and the one-to-one nature of it, where it's just you against one other person battling for supremacy. That doesn't mean you have to lose all human compassion in order to be a fan. If it really did mean that, then I would be in favour of banning the sport completely.

[antrob]

Most boxing fans have compassion for boxers and concern for their welfare. That's why the ref's no. 1 priority is to protect fighters' health, including protecting them from themselves. That's why we have ring doctors who can stop fights. That's why there is far more medical equipment at fights than there used to be. That's why gloves were introduced. That's why there are strict regulations about the taping procedure. That's why there are strict regulations about how quickly a fighter can be taken to the nearest accident and emergency hospital, and fights cannot be licensed if they don't meet those regulations. That's why commissions have to medically clear fighters to fight, and why fighters have to have a long lay-off following a knock-out. That's why the bottom rope is much looser than it used to be. That's why fights are now 12 rounds instead of 15 (and why unlimited rounds fights were abolished). And that's why we no longer have same day weigh-ins. Are you seriously in favour of scrapping all these regulations?

Being a boxing fan is indeed contradictory and ambivalent for most people. But ambivalence is not the same thing as hypocrisy. There is an elemental human instinct that appreciates two human beings putting everything they have on the line in a violent and dangerous sport; the courage, skill, intelligence, the element of danger and the one-to-one nature of it, where it's just you against one other person battling for supremacy. That doesn't mean you have to lose all human compassion in order to be a fan. If it really did mean that, then I would be in favour of banning the sport completely.

My stance is that boxing and football is as safe as it's going to be right now. If you start to add more regulation, then you're starting to take away from the game. If you don't like the way the game is then don't watch or play.

This isn't about not having any compassion for these athletes. There are rules in place to protect them. But you can't go overboard and try to prevent every possible injury that can happen before you start to ruin the game.

[snake]

Evander Holyfield fought for the title after only 12 fights too.

It's interesting how apparent the talent difference is early on between the truly great and the possibles. Do boxers really need 30 fights before stepping up? Does building a record really matter? Why do some boxers need to be brought along extremely slowly, while others are champions right out of the gate? Talent gap is noticeable for sure between the good and great early on.

[Dave Rado]

My stance is that boxing and football is as safe as it's going to be right now. If you start to add more regulation, then you're starting to take away from the game. If you don't like the way the game is then don't watch or play.

I don't know much about American football, but in the case of boxing I don't buy it. I'm sure many people thought the same as you do 50 years ago, but many new safety regulations have been added since and they haven't seriously diminished the sport. An obvious example of something that could and should be done now is serious drug testing and far greater penalties for drug cheats. The attitude of the boxing commissions to drug testing is disgusting. Longer enforced lay-offs following concussion wouldn't harm the sport either, and nor would banning people who are obviously suffering from incipient brain damage, such as Holyfield and Toney, from fighting. And many of the regulations were introduced as a result of increased medical knowledge, the looser bottom rope being a good example, so there is no reason to suppose that as medical knowledge continues to increase, other improvements of that sort can't be made.

[Dave Rado]

Evander Holyfield fought for the title after only 12 fights too.

It's interesting how apparent the talent difference is early on between the truly great and the possibles. Do boxers really need 30 fights before stepping up? Does building a record really matter? Why do some boxers need to be brought along extremely slowly, while others are champions right out of the gate? Talent gap is noticeable for sure between the good and great early on.

It's not that simple. Ward took 5 years to step up to meaningful competition, but many think he is a potential great.

[Pullcounter]

sigh... I guess for competition, americans will be forced to watch this