On this side of the Atlantic, a spotlight has recently been shone on the issue of head injuries in sports such as rugby and football.
The frequency with which players are allowed to carry on playing despite displaying symptoms of concussion is a definite cause for concern on the pitch.
The conversation about the subject is getting louder in the United States too, as NFL players’ experience with concussive injuries receives more publicity now that people are more aware of the long-term harm that exists.
One of the biggest concerns about concussions among professional sportspeople is that we so often see the competitive drive of athletes give them the impression that they are able to play through any injury. As well as that, a potential conflict exists as teams understandably want their best players on the field so there is a risk that coaches will give them the benefit of the doubt.
Teams must start taking concussion seriously!
But the New England Patriots could find themselves in some trouble following some eye-opening comments from Gisele Bundchen, the wife of their star quarterback Tom Brady.
Gisele took to CBS This Morning on Wednesday to reveal that her husband has had a worrying history with head injuries.
“[Football] is an aggressive sport. Like he had a concussion last year,” Gisele said.
#NEW: @giseleofficial told @CharlieRose on @CBSThisMorning that Tom Brady had a concussion last year. "He does have concussions." pic.twitter.com/K4B8ixDN9X
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 17, 2017
“He has concussions pretty much every year, I mean we don’t talk about that, but he does have concussions.
“I don’t really think it’s a healthy thing for your body to go through that.”
Just as concerning as the sheer number of concussions that Brady is said to have suffered is the fact that, apparently, his most recent was not reported by the Patriots.
Not once last season was a Brady concussion listed by his team, which went on to win the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion in February.
The fact that the most recognisable player in the NFL may have been allowed to suffer with and potentially play through unreported concussions doesn’t paint the NFL’s apparent increase in concern for player safety in the best light.
Last season, Brady was on the injury report for thigh, knee and ankle injuries
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) May 17, 2017
“I don’t really think it’s a healthy thing for a body to go through,” Gisele added. “That kind of aggression, all the time, cannot be healthy for you. I’m planning on having him around, doing healthy things when we’re like 100, I hope.”
Last July, the NFL introduced new concussion protocols which would see teams who do not report players’ serious head injuries potentially fined and docked draft picks.
If Brady did indeed sustain a concussion last season and it wasn’t listed by the Patriots, it could come as another unwelcome controversy for Bill Belichick’s side.
