Head Games

I read earlier this week about a hockey player- Derek Boogaard- who died from an overdose of oxycodone and alcohol. His family is suing the NHL because team doctors supplied the pain-killers. I think though, given the attorneys handling the case, the focus of the suit will be why he needed those drugs in the first place because the same firm is handling a suit in the name of late football player, Dave Duerson. There is a lot of concern and pending litigation in football about head injuries and how the league handles them.

Derek Boorgaard was an enforcer. He was a fighter. It's part of the game of hockey. At 6'7" and 270, his job was to protect his teams better players from the bullies on the other teams. He had @174 professional fights, including his time in the minors and @70 of those were known NHL fights. They've been debating for years about fighting in hockey and whether it's an integral part of the game or a gladiatorial sidelight. I've always kinda saw it as a part of the game because the players accepted it as such. Say what you will about football but, second for second, hockey is THE most physical of the major sports. It's the only sport with a dental plan. The lack of teeth isn't just from fighting. Errant pucks, elbows and stick factor in as well.

But, fighting. In a sport where each guy is wearing padding here and there and where helmets are now mandated by the league makes fighting interesting and a bit difficult. I'd expect more broken hands than cracked skulls but, I guess those helmets come off on accident and on purposedent.

Seems like a (pun-intended) no-brainer but, hitting people in the head is a very bad thing to do.

I watched a video on the internet about a girl fight at a Waffle House and looked at several other Waffle House fight videos on YouTube. There are thousands of videos of fights all over the world to view there. If anyone ever asks again: "Can't we all just get along?"  The answer is, no, not really. Not according to YouTube.

Fights happen and they are chaotic by necessity. People are often fighting for their lives because there are no rules. It may be a fight over a girl or a parking space but, that doesn't mean one or both parties shouldn't take it seriously. Look at the various forms of cage-fighting/MMA these days. Beating someone about the head is accepted even when the guy is on the ground. This isn't the sweet science of boxing where your opponent goes to the canvass and you go to your corner. You have to finish him or her off. Feet are okay too. I remember seeing that happen when I was in high school. Two dudes I didn't know had a quick fight between classes over God knows what. Dude A got the best of Dude B, who went down fast. A finished off B with a Dingo boot to the head and stormed off. I had seen and been in many fights and never saw that before. It seemed so uncivilized.

Dude B survived and got up and on to class with his life. Maybe his pride was hurt more than his head? Who knows? Aside from it being cold-blooded and un-necessary, I had just thought it dirty until many years later when my little brother had a brain tumor. The doctors asked if he had ever suffered any head trauma. It wasn't conclusive but, mom recalled he had fallen out of a grocery cart when he was a toddler. He had also played football in HS. It just made me think of Dudes A and B and all the accidental knocks we take as kids that could manifest as tumors years later. Too many hits to the head have caused dementia in fighters and pro ball players as well as suicide. Geez- why do it on purpose to someone? Why take the head trauma even for the financial payoff and short-lived glory that is professional sports? And, for God's sake- why risk killing someone for the glory of a YouTube video and the excitement of the crowd?