Concussions and Texas Tech Football

As Texas Tech is my 2nd favorite college football team (after Ohio State) I’ve been intrigued by the recent story that coach Mike Leach has been suspended after mistreating a player after receiving a “minor” concussion (all the news reports say “minor” but as far as the human brain is concerned, there’s nothing minor about a concussion).  Leach insists he didn’t do anything wrong, if the allegations are accurate, however, it speaks to the “suck-it-up” culture of football that quite often leads to permanent brain damage.  Malcolm Gladwell had a great article in the New Yorker a couple months ago about the long-term effects on the brain for so many pro football players.  It’s not a pretty picture.  (You really should read it—classic Gladwell, in this case how football players sacrifice their bodies and long-term health much like the dogs in dog fights).  

It’s good to see that Texas Tech is taking the issue of player concussions and their long-term health and safety quite seriously even if Mike Leach is not.  [Wow, just heard he got fired-- perhaps a little too serious for the best coach TTU will ever have]

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