Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Nobody wants to take away the thrill and drama of the NFL or NHL, but is middle age dementia an acceptable price for ex-players to pay?
Concussions in football: "I won't remember much about this interview in 10 minutes' time"
First of gripping three-parter on life and death of Derek Boogaard, pro (ice) hockey player. Born 1982, western Canada. Awkward, big child. Groomed for violence from a young age. Being the "enforcer" was a way of making the team
Part two: The making of an NHL enforcer. "Boogaard had size and determination, but not much else, when the Wild chose him in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL draft. He continued lessons to bolster his boxing"
Part three: After his death, aged 28, an examination revealed that Boogaard, the NHL's fiercest fighter, had a degenerative brain condition. It was believed to have been caused by repeated blows to the head
Outstanding exploration of concussion dangers in (American) football. Focuses on high school players, whose adolescent brains appear particularly susceptible to long-term damage. And here's why new helmet technology doesn't help
One of the last interviews given by former Chicago Bears player, Dave Duerson, conducted as part of an oral history project. Duerson is extraordinarily open and unsparing about himself. Three months later, he committed suicide
Horrifying story of NFL veteran Shane Dronett, struck down by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after repeated head hits. "It started in 2006 on a night he woke up screaming that someone was trying to blow up the house"
"We look back on those people 50 years ago who defended tobacco and asbestos and think, How could they be so stupid?" Hockey's governors cannot wait for unambiguous scientific evidence. They must act now
What sustains violence in the NHL? Maybe commercial factors. But "the real culprit is the clan ethic that came into hockey at its birth. Since the clan ethic is part of what makes hockey appealing, it's a hard thing to lose"
Football star tells all. "I’ve had my ankles twisted. I’ve been bit. I’ve done stuff. I’ve tried to break guys’ elbows, pinching people, twisting ankles, trying to bend up their arms, pop an elbow out. Why? I had to fight back"
Dryden brings a bit of historical perspective to the debate over violence and blindside hits in the NHL. Players of the sixties were by no means soft, but there was "some basic humanity, some basic belief in the essence of a game"
On brain damage and NFL: "if you're a guy like former star linebacker Fred McNeill who's living with the effects of those hits, the question is: How can we keep watching the game—and how can we keep asking our kids to play it?"
Former Stanley Cup champion, Hall of Fame player explains what (ice) hockey means to Canadians. Says it's possible to keep the fight but ditch the fighting. That's where the spirit of hockey lies. In competitiveness, not headshots
In 1986, the Cincinnati Bengals finished second in the AFC Central with a 10–6 record. A good, but not great, team. But what shape are those NFL veterans in now, mentally, physically? And would they do anything differently?
Two-time Super Bowl winner Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest, apparently so his brain would remain intact for examination. Is he the first to die after implying that brain trauma from his playing days was to blame?
Hockey star is again suffering "concussion-like symptoms". "So the NHL’s fleeting feel-good story of the first half of the season has now ground to a halt and you have to wonder if it will transform into a recurring nightmare"
Hockey pro discusses whether leagues should oblige players to wear visors. They protect your eyes. But they're cumbersome, limit peripheral vision. Besides, the more protection you give players, the more recklessly they play
In hockey, "the rules protect players only to a degree. It is the only major sport in which players are armed with clubs". Boogaard was the New York Rangers' designated hard man, stepping in when team-mates were "forcefully negated"
Interview with Stu Grimson, once an NHL enforcer known as the Grim Reaper, now retired and reflecting on recent hockey suicides and premature deaths. Lessons should be learned, for sake of next generation of hockey players
Curtain-raiser to new NFL season considers lost art of tackling. Traditional techniques were overtaken by helmet-first launches. They're now outlawed for safety reasons, leaving players unsure what goes and what doesn't
At least 20% of those who line up for Super Bowl will have incipient dementia. Ex-player dead at 44 had brain resembling that of 85-year-old with Alzheimer's. Concern over head injuries is growing, but there's no quick fix
Counter-argument to calls for greater action on player safety. Yes, moments of skill, athleticism can be mesmerising but it's visceral combat we really want. It's what sells. Take it away, and the game will be nothing
Pipe-opener for NHL season. Hockey still smarting from summer of premature deaths, criticism about violent hits. Badly needs return of Sidney Crosby, still suffering effects of concussion. "What's our game without its best player?"
As rugby is to New Zealand and horse racing to Ireland, so (ice) hockey is to Canada. The sport's visceral appeal lies in its expression of wildness and northernness – in short, the Canadian dream
