An un-precautionary tale

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It’s amazing how much attention is given to football-related concussions these days. The last football game I ever played was 24 years ago, and I still don’t remember the fourth quarter.

According to the game film I watched a few days later, my legs were undercut by a gutless Sunny Hills defensive back while I jumped to catch a pass. That caused the back of my head to slam into the worn-thin grass surface. I remember waking up, thinking I’d never been laid out on a football field before and it wasn’t going to happen now, then walking to the sidelines as smelling salts were shoved under my nose by an assistant coach. Somehow, I held on to the ball, which ended up wedged between my upper arm and helmet as I laid face first on the ground.

Two plays later, I was back in the game. That’s all I remember.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a good idea that more attention is being paid to helmet safety and players are now routinely kept out of games when knocked silly, but it’s the guys who separate their shoulder and need an ambulance that’s a big waste of time and resources. I watched two Marina players get carted off with shoulder injuries earlier this season. Both could have walked to their parent’s car and reached the hospital just as quickly.

I imagine that’s what the paramedics were thinking as their chili got cold back at the station.

- Dan Arritt