David Bingham, goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes, sustained a seemingly serious head injury this Saturday in a match against the New England Revolution. As the ball was crossed in to the 18-yard box, Bingham and a teammate both dove for the ball head first, the defender getting there first and clearing the ball and Bingham coming in just afterwards.
The players’ heads collided and the defender remained standing while Bingham was left facedown on the ground. His arm folded beneath him, he lay there for a good ten seconds without moving, almost certainly unconscious. After minimal inspection from the team trainer, Bingham remained on the pitch and played the remainder of match.
Why weren’t more precautions taken before letting Bingham back on the field? After all, he was clearly unconscious for more than a few seconds, a sure sign that, at the very least, the standard concussion test was required before letting him return immediately to play. This question is being asked of soccer leagues all around the world. However, it’s a problem that transcends soccer.
In fact, it is becoming a point of serious controversy in heavy contact sports like hockey and football. A number of NHL players have taken legal action against the league for the effects of neurodegenerative diseases as a result of repetitive head trauma. NHL is not known for being particularly proactive about this issue. Helmets weren’t even required until the 1979 season, and even then, only new players had to wear them while returning players could elect to go without head protection. Part of the issue is that NHL hockey culture discourages safety precautions. For example, many considered it a sign of weakness to wear a helmet in the years after 1979.
Even today, a similar sentiment is held about goaltenders who wear neck guards. Furthermore, “enforcers” (players known for defending their team’s honor in fistfights) tend to not wear visors on their helmets. Recently, though, former players have been banding together in the name of safety to file a suit concerning thousands of NHL veterans. There are numerous cases among these thousands of players in which the effects of neurodegenerative diseases have led to depression and even suicide.
In February of this year, former NHL player Steve Montador, whose career was cut short by an accumulation of concussions, was found dead. His brain was donated in the name of investigation of this issue. Upon analysis, it was determined he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., much like many of his fellow former NHL players found dead before reaching their 40s.
In a more positive light, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland retired from professional football this year in the name of avoiding the long-term neurological ramifications of an NFL career. Borland was a rookie in the NFL last year and had an extraordinary performance for the 49ers. It had been clear that he would be an important cog in the team’s defense this year, but his decision took everyone in the league by surprise. With two previous concussions going into his NFL career, Borland also mentioned having played through what felt like a concussion in practice.
When asked about his decision to retire, Borland said, “I feel largely the same, as sharp as I’ve ever been. For me, it’s wanting to be proactive … I’m concerned that if you wait ’til you have symptoms, it’s too late … There are a lot of unknowns. I can’t claim that ‘X’ will happen. I just want to live a long, healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise.”
Leagues like the NFL, the NHL, and other contact sports associations will need follow this proactive school of thought in preventing head trauma if they don’t want to be sued out of their livelihoods, and more importantly, if they want their players to live past 50.