Injuries, Especially When it Comes to the Head, are a Dicey Subject
In 2009, I was asked to take over the Sixers beat for the legendary Phil Jasner. Once I agreed to do so, I got a call from Phil in which we talked for two hours, with him wonderfully explaining to me the nuances of covering a beat – from what hotels and restaurants he frequented to the most reliable public relations people in the league.
And there was another statement by Phil in that conversation that will last with me forever and that was “Never assume you know how hurt or not hurt a player is.”
Phil passed away not knowing how many times those words of advice have been my guideline, not only during my writing career but also in delivering my thoughts on the radio.
After all I covered the knee injury of Andrew Bynum, the various injuries of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, all while many in the city questioned the organization and those players about their handling of the injuries and their want to have the players on the floor.
I bring this up in relation to the gruesome injury suffered by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Monday night in Cincinnati, where he was slammed to the ground and suffered brain trauma – as described on the Amazon Prime broadcast. This happened just four days after Tagovailoa walked wobbly to the line of scrimmage after a hard hit against the Buffalo Bills.
First and foremost we hope for a full recovery for him and that he doesn’t return to the football field until he is more than ready.
The questions that most of us have is – Did the Dolphins put him out on the field knowing that he suffered a brain injury just four years prior?
I don’t know the answer to that. None of us does. I do find it hard to believe that a medical staff would put a player, even the franchise quarterback overseeing a 3-0 team at the time, into a position of harm the way many think the Dolphins did.
Now, Tua insisted that his injury was a back problem. He called head coach Mike McDaniel on Monday night, talking through a game plan for Thursday’s game with Cincinnati. The conversation seemed to convince McDaniel that Tua’s cognitive state was sound. Again, the player said he had a back and not a head injury.
This is all still so murky, as we know. Hopefully, lessons are learned, and quickly. As much as players want to play and not be sidelined due to injury, when it comes to the brain, there is no other way to go than to take the cautious approach. And it’s past time for all athletes and all medical staffs in all sports to practice that.
