Maybe I'm paranoid re Brady and concussions but I wonder what the league will do

[PatsWSB47]

I wouldn't put it past teams to add something on this in the pregame lists they give officials before upcoming games on what to look out for.

 

[borisman]

Maybe it would be best if Gisele, you know, stopped talking.

He had a concussion last year but that was from banging his head on the wall during the first 4 games so there was no one there, beside Giselle, to see it.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Literally the last thing in the world the NFL wants is to do is take their star players off the field due to concussions. It's bad for ratings and they want the issue to be buried as deep as it can.

Why would the NFL want one of its biggest and most marketable players off the field for any stretch of time after Deflategate?

EDIT: Vector beat me to it.

The counterpoint is that the NFL also does not want to have media narratives about how they "don't care about player safety" in 2017 when almost every football fan, and certainly every player, knows the term CTE. Therefore the NFL put the decision on when to pull players in the hands of 3rd party experts - avoiding that label by delegating the responsibility.

Those are the same experts who were essentially called out by Giselle's comments, as I mentioned in my previous post. Those are the people who will call Brady into the Protocol after contact that he'd prefer to just play through.

 

[Kontradiction]

The counterpoint is that the NFL also does not want to have media narratives about how they "don't care about player safety" in 2017 when almost every football fan, and certainly every player, knows the term CTE. Therefore the NFL put the decision on when to pull players in the hands of 3rd party experts - avoiding that label by delegating the responsibility.

Those are the same experts who were essentially called out by Giselle's comments, as I mentioned in my previous post. Those are the people who will call Brady into the Protocol after contact that he'd prefer to just play through.

And, if they spot an actual concussion or symptoms, they'll pull Brady. If Brady isn't exhibiting said symptoms, he'll stay in. This constant need for this forum to have some sort of persecution complex on the field of play with this team is insane.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

And, if they spot an actual concussion or symptoms, they'll pull Brady. If Brady isn't exhibiting said symptoms, he'll stay in. This constant need for this forum to have some sort of persecution complex on the field of play with this team is insane.

If you think the argument I've laid out in this thread for why I expect Brady, and likely all QB's, to be a point of emphasis for those in charge of initiating the on-field concussion protocol is demonstrative of a need for a persecution complex, then you're simply lumping me in with your preconceived notions or not paying any attention to what I've actually written.

 

[zydecochris]

I posted this in the prediction thread as well.

Anyone else think the concussion spotters have been ordered by the league to have very loose standards with Brady when it comes to removing him from a game - and in fact he likely will be getting pulled from one or more games this year by concussion protocol? Whether it's legit or not? Gisele's comments have allowed the league to put a target on him IMO.

I can see this happening in a critical moment in a game and we know now the league is dishonest about a lot of things and the fact that there are few owners will stop at nothing to see the Patriots get theirs.

Hopefully I'm wrong... if not - I hope JG is sharp and ready to go.

You are not alone in your speculation, on his "GM Street" podcast on the Ringer, Mike Lombardi recently theorized that the backup quarterback position is about to become much more important because starting quarterbacks will be missing way more time and games from now on due to being pulled by the league for more careful screening of concussions, and that goes doubly for Brady. He went so far as to say a team couldn't be a real contender nowadays without a strong backup quarterback, and he hinted this was one reason the Pats kept JG. I admit I'm a fan of Lombardi on "GM Street", but he certainly isn't infallible, and he even occasionally admits when he was wrong in the past and why. This theory that starting quarterbacks will be missing more time and games due to a more careful league mandated concussion screening was one of his most arguable theories IMHO, but it was certainly interesting. I guess we'll see.

 

[Froob]

If the NFL has any brains or common sense (which is certainly a lingering question) it'll leave TB12 alone....

I suspect only if its beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tom takes a head shot and hes down for a bit will the spotters follow their procedures.

They probably don't. If they were running MLB, NBA, or NHL they may have killed the league or close to it. They are lucky they have the golden goose and can't kill it no matter how stupid they are.

 

[rochrist]

I posted this in the prediction thread as well.

Anyone else think the concussion spotters have been ordered by the league to have very loose standards with Brady when it comes to removing him from a game - and in fact he likely will be getting pulled from one or more games this year by concussion protocol? Whether it's legit or not? Gisele's comments have allowed the league to put a target on him IMO.

I can see this happening in a critical moment in a game and we know now the league is dishonest about a lot of things and the fact that there are few owners will stop at nothing to see the Patriots get theirs.

Hopefully I'm wrong... if not - I hope JG is sharp and ready to go.

Now you know why JG is around.

 

[rochrist]

They probably don't. If they were running MLB, NBA, or NHL they may have killed the league or close to it. They are lucky they have the golden goose and can't kill it no matter how stupid they are.

Oh they can kill it. Trust me.

 

[Tony2046]

The NFL wants nothing to do with another Brady controversy. They've learned that Brady will fight them tooth and nail all the way to the supreme court. They do not want to drag a concussion issue into the supreme court. Everything that was revealed throughout the defamegate saga via court ordered released transcripts was embarrassing enough. A concussion battle seems like a very risky venture.

Two thoughts.

1. Imagine the **** storm if they pulled Brady from a game for a concussion protocol and Brady immediately gets a second opinion which reveals he did not suffer a concussion. Yikes.

2. I wonder what the gambling aspects of pulling starting QB's from a game after a big hit are.


Anyways, imo, if they pull Brady from a game it will because he has a pretty severe concussion.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I don't think the "League," as in "League Office," will do anything specific to Brady.

I do however think that Brady won't get the "benefit of the doubt" from the sideline physicians if his head hits the ground hard or if a Defender is called for a "helmet to helmet" on him. They won't nickle and dime him for a routine hit, but I think he will get pulled if his head is hit hard.

I'd put the O/U at Two for the number of times that TB gets pulled from a game to go through the concussion protocol this season.

If he goes through the protocol and he has a concussion then that will have been in the interests of his long-term health, IMO. If he goes through the protocol and he doesn't have a concussion, I imagine that it will be a "topic of discussion" in the Brady household.

 

[Simpelton]

Literally the last thing in the world the NFL wants is to do is take their star players off the field due to concussions. It's bad for ratings and they want the issue to be buried as deep as it can.

This. They can't touch Brady on this without creating a precedent they won't like. The 32 are too smart to be lured into that particular trap. There's reasons to be worried about what Gisele said, but league action is not one of them.

 

[Koma]

Perhaps, but I doubt the league wants to open that can of worms... they're dumb, but I don't think they're that dumb...

One thing the deflategate proved is that the leadership of the league is dumber than we think. They should want to avoid another situation like that, but you never know.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The NFL wants nothing to do with another Brady controversy. They've learned that Brady will fight them tooth and nail all the way to the supreme court. They do not want to drag a concussion issue into the supreme court. Everything that was revealed throughout the defamegate saga via court ordered released transcripts was embarrassing enough. A concussion battle seems like a very risky venture.

Two thoughts.

1. Imagine the **** storm if they pulled Brady from a game for a concussion protocol and Brady immediately gets a second opinion which reveals he did not suffer a concussion. Yikes.

2. I wonder what the gambling aspects of pulling starting QB's from a game after a big hit are.


Anyways, imo, if they pull Brady from a game it will because he has a pretty severe concussion.

Yes, once again, thank God for Judge Berman. He outed those ****wads because he smelled a rat. Too bad Kessler didn't let an Appellate Lawyer argue the Appeal...but that's all been discussed ad nauseam out here.

As for the protocol, at least from my own experience with my kids, there is a standard set of tests that are done to determine if someone has been concussed. The tests aren't rocket science, don't need fancy equipment and don't leave a lot of room for judgment. In Brady's case especially, I'm pretty sure those tests would be done in the presence of witnesses. So, a "second opinion" a day or hours later would be worthless.

In fact, concussions can take time, even a couple of hours, to reveal themselves, which is why a player isn't just tested on the sidelines and sent back into the game. Ironically, a test done a few hours or a day after the incident is more likely to reveal a concussion than a test performed in a lockerroom during the game.

I don't envy the doctors charged with deciding to pull a player...any player, but especially one whose absence is likely to influence the outcome of the game. But, if they are highly competent neurologists, they'll be arrogant SOB's and none of that will bother them.

 

[TB_Helmet]

And, if they spot an actual concussion or symptoms, they'll pull Brady. If Brady isn't exhibiting said symptoms, he'll stay in. This constant need for this forum to have some sort of persecution complex on the field of play with this team is insane.

And yet we keep coming back to this forum!

I'm not sure if it'll be Brady, but the first time the independent observing doctor pulls a QB in a big game for suspected concussions will be a HUGE deal (I don't think it's happened yet to a marquee player or QB so correct me if I'm wrong).

I guarantee you when that happens, and every other time it happens, the fans of that team will cry foul and think it's rigged against them.

Wasn't that rule put in place after Edelman came up wobbly in SB49 after a series of amazing plays?

 

[Kontradiction]

If you think the argument I've laid out in this thread for why I expect Brady, and likely all QB's, to be a point of emphasis for those in charge of initiating the on-field concussion protocol is demonstrative of a need for a persecution complex, then you're simply lumping me in with your preconceived notions or not paying any attention to what I've actually written.

They're not going after Brady on this one unless he actually has one. If they were going to do it, they would have issued punishment in the wake of Gisele's comments.

 

[Kontradiction]

And yet we keep coming back to this forum!

I'm not sure if it'll be Brady, but the first time the independent observing doctor pulls a QB in a big game for suspected concussions will be a HUGE deal (I don't think it's happened yet to a marquee player or QB so correct me if I'm wrong).

I guarantee you when that happens, and every other time it happens, the fans of that team will cry foul and think it's rigged against them.

Wasn't that rule put in place after Edelman came up wobbly in SB49 after a series of amazing plays?

Edelman was concussed on that play for sure.

 

[ivanvamp]

You think that, after how badly that turned out for them, they're going to yank one of their biggest stars from a game for B.S. reasons? Weren't the games supposed to be fixed in 2016 too because the league just hates Brady so badly? That was the big tinfoil hat talking point before that season kicked off. Can anyone remind me of the end result of the 2016 season for the Patriots again?

The reason the league wanted Brady out had nothing to do with ratings or anything like that. It had to do with jealous owners first wanting to stick it to the Patriots, and then the commissioner and ownership wanting to hold onto power. Those things haven't changed one iota.

But I don't think the NFL will go near this because they have been complicit in hiding concussion data and this would get real ugly. I *could* see them being extra vigilant with Brady and the Patriots in making sure they follow concussion protocols, however.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

If they were going to do it, they would have issued punishment in the wake of Gisele's comments.

One would certainly hope so, yet:

 

[PatsFanSince74]

One would certainly hope so, yet:

The League can't punish anyone, even their favorite target for Kangaroo Court Justice, for not reporting an injury.

Any "review" would have to be focused on whether Brady told the team and that the team then withheld the information, which would be a violation of the rules. Even if Brady did report a "concussion" to the team, he is in the clear if the team did not report it, as he is personally under no obligation to report an injury to the League. In short, no matter how much they might want to do so, there is no way they can penalize Brady for this.

If Brady, or any player, had what they subsequently knew had been a concussion* that they didn't report to their team, then I would question their personal judgment and whether they are getting (or getting but not taking) good advice about their own well-being and that of their families.

But, beyond questioning their judgment, it's none of my business whether individuals choose to put their long-term health at risk. That's between them and their families.

(*I said this out here when the story first broke and repeat it again: Gisele Bündchen used the term "concussion" during the interview with Charlie Rose, but we have no way of knowing whether she intended to use it technically in reference to what a neurologist would diagnose as a "concussion" or whether she was using the term loosely to refer to lesser forms of head trauma, which are themselves now understood to be dangerous, but which are not necessarily all "concussions.")