Brady: My medical (concussion) history isn't anyone's business

[Simpelton]

Joker: My last response to any post of yours is a long, long time to say simply this: Your rage is your problem, not mine. Your inability to to take arguments any way other than personally is your problem, not mine. And I hope to God that you wind up getting whatever help you need to help to resolve whatever issue is actually behind the anger you're failing to take out on me.

 

[Ring 6]

I never claimed I had proof, but my insights into this team are greater than some random person, and also far greater that yours, but that's another matter.

I'm sure you think that. I'm sure you believe you know Tom Brady and are an expert on how he thinks.

Done with this.

 

[Simpelton]

How positive are you that he doesn't? Internet anonymity goes both ways.

 

[Ring 6]

You obviously don't have the first clue what I am saying. No surprise.

Oh I know exactly what you are saying. That's why I disagree.

But thanks for resorting to personal insults so I can be done with you now.

 

[XLIX]

Here's where I disagree with you. I believe Brady absolutely would conceal, has concealed, and will continue to conceal minor concussion issues, as would, and has, every athlete in the NFL.

Not every concussion is an obvious injury. Not every concussion is a Concussion. We have systems set up to catch the big ones, but what about the little ones? Is Brady supposed to report every time he gets his bell rung? Every time he gets hit hard enough that he's seeing stars or a bit weak in the knees for a minute or has trouble refocusing his eyes for a few seconds after the hit? Because each of those is also a concussion, and each one contributes to the cumulative repetitive injury effect that is CTE. But this kind of little-c concussion is simply something every player in the NFL gets to deal with in a contact sport where the goal is to get the opponent to the ground by any legal means. There is no way to reform the sport of football to avoid minor concussive events.

The guys who are having the worst time with CTE aren't the guys who got their bell rung one, big time. It's the guys who got rung a lot of little times. Again, is Brady supposed to report every time he has minor concussion like symptoms for a few seconds after a hit? Of course not, that's nonsense, half the team would be reporting issues every single game.

I think that's the central point that people are kind of groping around. What is a concussion and what is a Concussion. Because failing to report a concussion and failing to report a Concussion are two different problems, and it's a tough area for an athlete who's trying to focus on competing in the league to really get a handle on and try to answer. Because Concussions, the big ones, the major damage that can wreck a player's career if it's not taken care of immediately, are absolutely the league's problem, but every little concussion, every little brain bruise that simply happens in a contact sport like football, probably is not.

I think it's entirely possible that Giselle, worried about the cumulative effect of 16 years of being dinged in the head a few times a game, spoke out about Brady not reporting concussions, and the media leaps to the conclusion he isn't reporting Concussions. As in he's taking big injuries to his brain and trying to play through them which isn't happening. And it's going to be hard to be specific enough to talk the media around right when they're pursuing the "big" story as hard as they usually do.

It's a very tricky point. I remember reading some article that said the average lineman gets 3 concussion per game. But those are, as you say, "minor concussive events." So you have an excellent point in asking "what is a concussion and what is a Concussion?"

 

[XLIX]

Oh I know exactly what you are saying. That's why I disagree.

But thanks for resorting to personal insults so I can be done with you now.

LOL!! You literally just can't control yourself, can you?

"Done with this" - AndyJohnson, 2 minutes before making yet another post telling us all "I can be done with you now."

Another AndyJohnson post coming in 5... 4..... .3...............

 

[Ring 6]

LOL!! You literally just can't control yourself, can you?

"Done with this" - AndyJohnson, 2 minutes before making yet another post telling us all "I can be done with you now."

Another AndyJohnson post coming in 5... 4..... .3...............

Not sure why it is so difficult for you to understand. You replied twice to me I responded to each and I am done.
I understand your need to fight on a message board but you will need to find someone else.

 

[XLIX]

Not sure why it is so difficult for you to understand. You replied twice to me I responded to each and I am done.
I understand your need to fight on a message board but you will need to find someone else.

"Done with this" - AndyJohnson
"so I can be done with you now." - AndyJohnson, 2 minutes later
"I am done" - AndyJohnson, 47 minutes later

Folks, this is a man with absolutely no self control whatsoever. Pretty pathetic to watch, in fact......

 

[Simpelton]

Ahh the siren call of the Last Word... it can be tough to resist.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

If Brady was concussed during any game last season it didn't show up in his performance.

A concussion, especially a milder one, does not necessarily have immediate effects. You can think you got banged up a bit but not concussed and then a day or two later the symptoms start.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

A team has a right to know the medical status of the players to make the best decisions regarding whom should play, both for safety and for competitive reasons.

A team/coach only has whatever right to know the player's medical status that the player's contract (including by reference the CBA) gives the team/coach. The CBA's out there -- what does it say?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Furthermore, I do not believe for a second that Brady had a concussion AND he kept it entirely to himself.

I can totally believe he kept it from the team. That's not the same as keeping it "entirely to himself". I fully expect he has spoken to his personal, independent physician(s).

 

[Tony2046]

A concussion, especially a milder one, does not necessarily have immediate effects. You can think you got banged up a bit but not concussed and then a day or two later the symptoms start.

It's a dilemma. Concussion symptoms vary and overlap with other conditions such as a migraine headache for example. The symptoms also vary from undetectable to incapacitating depending on the degree of the concussion. So I can't see a player who isn't sure whether he has a headache or a mild concussion running to the sidelines to ask a "specialists" (who may side on caution) during a playoff run.

It's funny because the impact monitoring stuff is available today and could be easily implemented into every players helmet for live monitoring. Which could be used to trigger a visit to the sideline specialist.

But hey maybe it's better to let Brady absorb the responsibility for enforcing the concussion protocol rules.

Shockbox Football Helmet Impact Alert Sensor

 

[Tony2046]

Joker: My last response to any post of yours is a long, long time to say simply this: Your rage is your problem, not mine. Your inability to to take arguments any way other than personally is your problem, not mine. And I hope to God that you wind up getting whatever help you need to help to resolve whatever issue is actually behind the anger you're failing to take out on me.

That's pretty ballsy of you to call out Joker like that without actually calling @Joker out.

 

[XLIX]

I can totally believe he kept it from the team. That's not the same as keeping it "entirely to himself". I fully expect he has spoken to his personal, independent physician(s).

If it was a mild one or one that he honestly (at first) didn't even realize he had, I would believe that.

 

[DarrylS]

Aren't there HIPPA protections regarding a Football Players medical history??

While channel surfing last night saw some pompous ass on ESPN railing about this, slow day in sports I guess..

 

[Jackson 2]

Aren't there HIPPA protections regarding a Football Players medical history??

While channel surfing last night saw some pompous ass on ESPN railing about this, slow day in sports I guess..

Well, today must be another slow day, because on Mike and Mike right now they're discussing this as if it were the reoccurrence of 9/11, and I don't say that flippantly.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Aren't there HIPPA protections regarding a Football Players medical history??

Not if a player has contractually or otherwise agreed to allow his doctors to share medical info with the team. HIPAA protections are waiveable at the patient's option.

 

[bormio]

Not if a player has contractually or otherwise agreed to allow his doctors to share medical info with the team. HIPAA protections are waiveable at the patient's option.

I am a physician and would NEVER share a patient's medical information with their employer without the patient's understanding of what I was doing and them agreeing to it - no matter what arrangement or contract they had with the employer. JPP kept his hand information from the Giants for the longest time because it was his desire and his doctors honored it.

 

[sb1]

But if he told the team about it, they are. None of us know the truth but I don't believe for a second Brady got a concussion *and* he withheld that information from the team, head coach, and trainers.

Gisele should have kept her yap shut.

Actually I can very easily believe it if it's not obvious and can be concealed. Otherwise we are talking about Brady entering the protocol and sitting knowing fully well there's a guy behind him on the depth chart who has shown he may have what it takes to take the reins of this team. Do you really think Brady would let that happen without a "fight"?

I hope he isn't deliberately hiding them but it's possible that he is. It will be interesting to see what happens to guys who hide concussions if there ever are CTE suits against the league.

Of course if he did tell the team and they didn't put him in the protocol then I expect they will be severely punished and this time it's indefensible. Probably puts a permanent stain on this team's legacy and especially Bill's.