Concussion Controversy

" Baseball is America's pastime -- if there's a sport that can challenged that claim it's football football the number one draw and all the landed college football in the spotlight now. And in the NFL because of the serious injuries that some players sustaining. Specifically blood brain injury. Today on Capitol Hill the house judiciary committees holding hearings. On all of this and earlier this afternoon the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explained what that NFL is doing."

" We have pushed research we have -- education here many changes were game to the equipment. We have made significant changes I'm happy to put into the record with respect to the management of concussions. I think were doing a perfect job and a much better job much improved job."

" And consensus is it it is a much improved job but a study from the University of Michigan claims. Retired players are three -- four times more likely to say they were diagnosed with dementia in their fifties. In the general population. So with the league. And our parents didn't matter doing enough -- now host of fox NFL Sunday Kuerten a phase with a from from Los Angeles courtesy. Are you ship the event I know you've been watching these hearings today and what's your sense of how they're going what the message seems today."

" Well you know I think you look at it from two different perspectives. An American citizen that's disappointing to see that congress is wasting its time. At a time we're at war and economy is in shambles -- be battling over healthcare over professional football league. At the same time as a sports fan you're happy to see this issue is being addressed in some manner even though it probably is an issue really for the lead. And players' union to result amongst themselves and I think that's kind of the message that the league and even divorce Smith who's the executive director of the players union new executive director -- players' union. Has got have been stressing is that look. We know it's a problem. And the problem that the league and the players union specifically divorce documents that hasn't handle as well as it should in the past. But it's getting better and it continues to get better is just a matter of giving a little bit of time."

" You look back at them at some former football players and Aikman comes to mind and all of this. And all his concussions back in the day. And you know as as people reach their late forties and into their fifties and guess we're gonna hear a lot more of this you've got a lot of football playing friends I mean you must hear a --"

" Why -- is that they have. Bring the party is. A lot of people go to former players whether their careers in it through concussions or your neck injuries he and his whatever you talk to them none of them will give up. The experience of having played the National Football League could have been professional football player even if he said hey if you knew today if you do them you know today would you change it. I haven't met one guy that was say you know what I would give that up they -- wounded that accept the risks that go along with being professional football player I think that's why you get into. Someone else needs to step in and that's where the -- has done some things. You know they've gotten to where the decision is up to the team doctor whether or not a guy goes back in the game. After he has a concussion not up to the coast out of the player because the coach always want to play at a place a player himself always want to go back here where these kingdom are not. So you wanna put in the hands of the team doctor now from a former players. Aren't necessarily sure those conductors are entirely impartial and what you do need to do something to address. The player sometimes. Cause more true to themselves and some rules have changed to I mean helmets helmets a big deal these days. Yeah it is that not only you know the rules are where the team gets a penalty the players -- fine. And one of the things that the league and really emphasize that the -- over the last couple of years in the previous years even though the rules have been on the books. Is fining players for this even if they're not flagged in the game the league goes back and look at every single play. From the previous Sunday starting on Monday and if they see hit the big deemed to be excessive. They will find a player 1020000. Dollars you know depend whether it's a first offense second offense third offense. And they suspend players if they continue to do this and that has kind of curtail that little bit. They'll put the reality is it's a violent sport played by big guys at high speeds. And they've done everything they -- to this point. They continue to study and hopefully it will get better technology gets better they've implement -- you know two different type of helmet that should help cushion some of the blows. -- its its -- things that sometimes it's you don't wanna know how the sausage is made because what you find out. He creates more problems and that's kind of what league is right now I think they're trying to address it but. I don't know if they'll ever get to the point that there probably will totally be able to limit overall."

" You kind of doubt it -- for a curtain and if they watch you every single solitary Sunday on fox at noon eastern and 9 Pacific and I'll see this Sunday Kirk thank you. Always good companies that are."