FreeForAll Friday features an essay on the tragedy of football concussions, a Bengals game pick sure to be wrong and the best songs that weren’t hits, by the Eagles. If you like today, you’ll love every day, for a measly $8 a month. Enjoy.
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A concussion can’t be cured. It can’t even be prevented. The NFL tried and keeps trying. This year, the league is allowing all players to wear something called a Guardian Cap, a soft shell on top of the helmet that’s supposed to cushion blows to the head.
I don’t know if Tua wore a guardian cap Thursday night. I haven’t seen it written anywhere that he did. I just saw what you saw. The Miami QB lying on his back on the field, his arm involuntarily thrust skyward.
“Posturing’’, they call it. It’s an indicator of a concussion. It was Tua’s third concussion in the last three seasons. He pondered retirement after the first two, in 2022, one of them at PBS on a Thursday night.
The first concussion makes a second more likely. The second does likewise for No. 3. The effects are cumulative. We know what those effects are. A concussion can’t be cured. Nor can the brain damage that results. Multiple concussions can be life-shattering.
Concussions did more than damage (Kevin) Kolb’s brain. The hell on earth sent him spiraling into an isolated depression. Each time his brain was battered, he became less of himself.
Life after Concussion No. 4 was particularly scary.
He nearly killed himself in a head-on collision. And forgot how to drive his daughter to preschool a mile and a half away. And occasionally worried he hit one of his kids backing out of the driveway. Kolb tripped into a bottomless pit of despair.
That’s from a multi-part story on the football-centric site Go Long, on Substack, Kolb was a hot young QB until he wasn’t. The story is scarier than a Stephen King novel.
It’s also Reason No. 1,677 why football has ceased to thrill me. Part of its appeal depends on the sort of brutality that Kevin Kolb and many, many other football players have experienced. There’s nothing more sickening in sports than a football player flat on his back, posturing.
I won’t indict the league. Whether pushed by the threat of lawsuits or by a genuine concern for its players’ well-being, the NFL has tried to fix the problem. Problem is, there is no fixing it.
And we love the violence. I can’t watch MMA longer than 5 seconds. It’s sickening. I’m in the minority. Football isn’t MMA, but it meets the violence requirement we love.
We don’t love violence, Doc. We love football.
One and the same. Would you watch if the league banned tackling? Of course not. I wouldn’t, either.
The problem is, our ability to run faster, be stronger and hit harder has outstripped the technology that protects us from faster-stronger-harder. It’s not unlike auto racing. Speeds are faster than our ability to react. Thus, collisions.
Tua concussed himself by running headfirst at a tackler — ironically, the Bils safety Damar Hamlin — in trying to secure a 1st down on 4th-and-4. The head shot was Tua’s doing, which made it even more frightening. There is no rule against an offensive player choosing to sacrifice his head in the name of winning.
Guardian caps are required for certain positions during practice. Linemen, tight ends, RBs and LBs. That list is likely to expand to include DBs and wideouts. Strangely, not punters, kickers or. . . quarterbacks.
Tua has a decision to make. It’s the same choice demanded of him two seasons ago. On the streaming broadcast of Thursday night’s game Tony Gonzalez, the HOF tight end, said, “Tua’s future? I’m thinking retirement here."
To some of us, that seems a no-brainer. A long, hopefully healthy life? Or a roll of the brain-injury dice? If someone told me I’d die in six months if I didn’t stop typing, I’d amputate all 10 fingers yesterday.
What say youse?
Now, then. . .
REJOICE, GAMBLERS AND BENGALS FANS. . . I’m declaring the Men have as much chance of winning at Burrowhead Sunday as I do of taking Joey B’s job.
Which means they will upset the Mahomeses.
But seriously. . . You should expect them to play much better than last Sunday. Pride and shoulder chips and film-session excoriation count for something in football. You should not expect a team that couldn’t bet New England at home to beat the Chiefs in KC. Maybe take the points, so possibly you’ll have something to show for an 0-2 start to the season.
Lou Anarumo is a smart man, who has done well v. Mahomes, Kelce and the rest. But KC’s O is just so, so, I dunno, elegant. You beat the Chiefs by being both explosive and smart on offense. Without Higgins (or Tyler Boyd) Burrow can still be smart. Explosive?
Chiefs 27, Men 20.
AND NOW. . . Hey Michelle! tells you how to party and feel good about your hangover.
Why not go out and have fun while giving back?
Check out these fun(d)draisers. . .
Wine over water ~ Purple People Bridge Saturday 5:30-9 benefits the Brighton Center
Artworks Art Off the Walls ~ Newport Car Barn Saturday 5:30-10:30 food, drinks, over the top entertainment rated one of the top fun fundraisers!
Designer Sale at Portaluca ~ Grab some fantastic fashions like Gucci, Rails, St. John and more. The money goes to supporting Dress for Success. Fri & Sat 10-5; 4623 Wesley Av Norwood
Suits That Rock ~ MegaCorp Saturday 7:30 Benefits The Carnegie Arts Education programs
Bengal Watch Parties ~
Elements Eatery ~ with Jon Jon, music, fowling, trivia, corn hole and more.. 14 t.v’s Free Event fun starts at noon
20th Century ~ Bengals Watch Party Sunday 3:30 food trucks, raffles, team spirit and more. Free but reserve a spot
Oktoberfest all around town ~
Covington Oktoberfest ~ at Goebel Park Friday - Sunday Chicken Dance competition, Bier Belly competition, Tons of food, Beer, music more!
Newport Oktoberfest ~ Hofbrauhaus Newport Friday - Sunday on the Levee Family fun, live music, Oktoberfest beer tap and more (going on every weekend in Sept.)
Loveland Oktoberfest ~ Friday & Saturday. Live entertainment, stein slide, wiener dog race, kids zone, ace throwing and more.
Hell is Real ~ FCC vs. Columbus Saturday 7:30
Hispanic Heritage Festival ~ Sharon Woods Sunday 3-7 Honoring Hispanic and Latino communities. Music, traditional dance, actives, hispanic cuisine.
Michelle Dorward Jones
HeyMichelle1 on Insta follow along
Promoting restaurants, bars and all things fun in Cincinnati & travel
IMBIBER DAVE saluds a hearty Two-Hearted.
My oldest turned 10 this week, and if that doesn’t make you want to go grab a drink, I’m not sure what does.
The ensuing pool pizza party gave us ample time to reflect with a nice beverage, whilst a large scale cannonball squirt gun war raged in the background.
Sometimes your friends help you to mix it up, even if you didn’t realize you were in a bit of an imbibing slump. So when they busted out a nice Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio last weekend, we were in.
White wine is perfect in the late summer. It’s almost like a lighter cocktail or nice beer without all the bubbles.
One cannot survive on a glass of white wine alone. So, we had some fun sampling the new Bell’s Two Hearted lineup, complete with their Change of Heart Pale Ale, Hazy Hearted IPA, Big Hearted Imperial, and of course the original. I drink far fewer IPAs these days, so if I am going to taste one, it might as well be from one of the all time greats.
I feel like we are cleansing the last bits of summer from our palate, and can now focus on the Fest, Bock, and all the other dark arts that the new season has to offer. Thankfully we live in Cincinnati, and our breweries are pretty good at this stuff.
Cheers!
cincybeerguydave@gmail.com
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . This was not an Eagles hit, but most of my favorite Eagles tunes weren’t, either. No More Cloudy Days, for example.
And. . .
After The Thrill Is Gone. James Dean. Outlaw Man. Busy Being Fabulous.
And this one, my favorite Eagles tune.
I am not sure there is a more prominent poster child than Tua showing why you should not let your sons play football.
I would love to go against the grain like last week’s successful AGT bet, but, this is THE CHIEFS. They might run the ball 40 times against that anemic Bengals defensive front. Pacheco might Pachinko all over the field. Plus, it’s a 4:30 start time. I feel like The Men hardly ever win any of those and I won’t check that stat so as not to ruin my newly found mobster mojo. So, it’s the ol’ double against the grain this weekend which means my money doesn’t care who wins. I’m taking the under or, as Christmas Story fans know, The Triple Dog Dare Bet. The safe bet for that home team offense and run defense we all saw last week. The number is 48.