NBA Finals on Prezi
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Concussion Culture of Youth Football
Each autumn fields around the country play host to a similar phenomenon. They are invaded by miniature versions of Ray Lewis' pregame entrance, Chad Johnson's Riverdance, and even the occasional mini-Manning face. From celebrations to the style of cleats worn, what happens on the NFL field almost always trickles down to the game on the youth level.
Recently the world of professional football has made a strong push to address the issues of the prevention and treatment of head-related injuries, while also are making a stringent effort to change the culture surround the topic. If and when this effort will follow the familiar trickle-down pattern to the youth leagues has yet to be determined.
The Center for Disease Control claims that "children and teens aged 5-18 account for nearly 60% of people treated for sports related traumatic brain injuries at U.S. hospitals from 2001 to 2005," as well pointing out that studies have shown football to be twice as likely to produce injuries as the next highest sport, basketball.
Such statistics have folks such as Dr. Anna McKee, a leading researcher in the area of the long-term effects of brain injuries and a member of the group studying former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson's brain, pushing for changes at all levels.
One recent change has been in the area of safety equipment, specifically the helmet, something Dr. William Cook, the managing physician at New River Valley Pediatrics, calls a "key" is preventing concussions.
Riddell, the official helmet supplier of the NFL, has been at the forefront of lobbying for better federal regulations regarding helmets in youth leagues, having spent $80,000 in the first quarter of 2011 pushing for such legislation.
Riddell also boasted the top-rated helmet according to the recent researched published by Virginia Tech. Its "Revolution Speed" helmet was the only helmet to receive five stars in the university's studies.
Across town this particular change has begun to tickle down as Blacksburg's Parks and Recreation Department has begun the process of replacing older helmets with more advanced versions.
Athletic Supervisor Adam Lloyd believes the new helmets are a necessary change, but he also knows changing them all at once is not doable. With an estimated 120 9 to 13-years-old expected to play and each new helmet costing "$10 to $20" more than the old ones, he knows that change will made as the funds allow.
Of course better helmets are just one aspect of the changes Lloyd believes will trickle down to the youth level.
As of July 1, 2011 each local school division in Virginia will be required by law to develop and distribute specific guidelines for how to deal with sports-related concussions at the middle and high school levels, including the identification of them. Schools will now also be required to bench any student with concussion-like symptoms until he or she has been cleared by a licensed health professional.
Blacksburg's youth league guidelines nor the overall guidelines used by the five different rec departments which make up the New River Valley's youth league contain the word "concussion" or provide any direct guidelines in how to handle them. However both Lloyd and Greg HolBrook, Assistant Director of Radford City's Recreation Department, point out that athletes who suffer head injuries are not allowed to participate in practice or game activities until they have official been cleared by a doctor, just as they would with any injury.
But the treatment of a concussion may be far less critical and far less difficult than the identification of the injury.
Dr. Cook believes identifying a concussion can be very difficult because the "vast majority walk away with very little change," leaving coaches and medical staff dependent on player feedback opposed to observable symptoms. He points out that in the past the loss of conscientiousness was used as the clear sign of a concussion, but we now know that to only be true about 10% of the time.
Dr. Cook also emphasizes the critical nature of the identification process. He believes it is "relatively unlikely" a young athlete suffers long-term effects from a single concussion, but rather it is the repeated blows to an athlete who is not fully recovered that result in the most severe problems.
So how well equipped to identify these problems are coaches and volunteers at the youth level?
According to Holbrook, a portion of its coaches preseason meeting is devoted to having an EMT speak with them regarding various injuries issues, including concussions, while Lloyd admits that Blacksburg currently provides no specific training on the topic for coaches or volunteers.
Both groups do have trained medical staff on hand during games and Holbrook insists that Radford's groups also have EMTs "on call" during practice times.
Coaches and staff may not be the only ones able to provide a helping hand in the identification process on game day.
One aspect of the new Virginia High School League rules is the empowering of referees to remove a player who they believe is demonstrating symptoms of a concussion from the field.
This level of awareness should benefit the youth leagues in the New River Valley which, according to their handbook, require two "currently certified H.S. district officials" for each Junior (9 to 10-year-olds) and Senior (12 to 13-year-olds) league contest and at least one for each Mite (7 to 8-year-olds) league game.
As the subject of concussions becomes an increasingly hot topic, Lloyd believes a required level of awareness for those supervising will increase as well. But what about by those participating?
The voluntary level of information regarding concussions requires that players be honest about what they are feeling, something which Dr. Cook think can be a challenge for young players who don't talk about what they are feeling for fear of being taken off the field. He believes the serious nature of these "dings" must be communicated to the players.
Blacksburg has taken a step to do just that.
Though there is no mention of the word, "concussion" on any of its literature to parents or athletes, they do require a separate form be filled out and signed by the parent and the student regarding helmet safety. The form brings a level of awareness to the issues by including the warning "severe brain or neck injury, including paralysis or death" are possible.
Spearheading such efforts for awareness is the massive amount of attention the subject has drawn from the media, such as the Today Show's interview with former NFL player turned surgeon, Mark Adickes, on the topic in August 2010.
The push for awareness among youth has even bled into the world of video games, with 2012 version of the famed Madden football series providing all new scenarios and commentary pertaining to the topic of head injuries.
With concussion awareness in the beginning stages of trickling down to the youth level, a parent may very well ask at what age is it safe for his or her child to begin participating.
Dr. Cook offers that while there is no clear age, with the proper degrees of protection and supervision it is reasonable for children to play full-contact football at a young age, competing against other children of similar ages and weights.
Until legislation is passed enforcing such policies, it appears it's ultimately up to the parent to ensure such precautions are taking place.
Recently the world of professional football has made a strong push to address the issues of the prevention and treatment of head-related injuries, while also are making a stringent effort to change the culture surround the topic. If and when this effort will follow the familiar trickle-down pattern to the youth leagues has yet to be determined.
 |
| http://sportsdiagnosis.com |
Such statistics have folks such as Dr. Anna McKee, a leading researcher in the area of the long-term effects of brain injuries and a member of the group studying former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson's brain, pushing for changes at all levels.
One recent change has been in the area of safety equipment, specifically the helmet, something Dr. William Cook, the managing physician at New River Valley Pediatrics, calls a "key" is preventing concussions.
Riddell, the official helmet supplier of the NFL, has been at the forefront of lobbying for better federal regulations regarding helmets in youth leagues, having spent $80,000 in the first quarter of 2011 pushing for such legislation.
Riddell also boasted the top-rated helmet according to the recent researched published by Virginia Tech. Its "Revolution Speed" helmet was the only helmet to receive five stars in the university's studies.
Across town this particular change has begun to tickle down as Blacksburg's Parks and Recreation Department has begun the process of replacing older helmets with more advanced versions.
 |
| Blacksburg's upgraded helmet verses its old one. |
Of course better helmets are just one aspect of the changes Lloyd believes will trickle down to the youth level.
As of July 1, 2011 each local school division in Virginia will be required by law to develop and distribute specific guidelines for how to deal with sports-related concussions at the middle and high school levels, including the identification of them. Schools will now also be required to bench any student with concussion-like symptoms until he or she has been cleared by a licensed health professional.
Blacksburg's youth league guidelines nor the overall guidelines used by the five different rec departments which make up the New River Valley's youth league contain the word "concussion" or provide any direct guidelines in how to handle them. However both Lloyd and Greg HolBrook, Assistant Director of Radford City's Recreation Department, point out that athletes who suffer head injuries are not allowed to participate in practice or game activities until they have official been cleared by a doctor, just as they would with any injury.
But the treatment of a concussion may be far less critical and far less difficult than the identification of the injury.
Dr. Cook believes identifying a concussion can be very difficult because the "vast majority walk away with very little change," leaving coaches and medical staff dependent on player feedback opposed to observable symptoms. He points out that in the past the loss of conscientiousness was used as the clear sign of a concussion, but we now know that to only be true about 10% of the time.
Dr. Cook also emphasizes the critical nature of the identification process. He believes it is "relatively unlikely" a young athlete suffers long-term effects from a single concussion, but rather it is the repeated blows to an athlete who is not fully recovered that result in the most severe problems.
So how well equipped to identify these problems are coaches and volunteers at the youth level?
According to Holbrook, a portion of its coaches preseason meeting is devoted to having an EMT speak with them regarding various injuries issues, including concussions, while Lloyd admits that Blacksburg currently provides no specific training on the topic for coaches or volunteers.
Both groups do have trained medical staff on hand during games and Holbrook insists that Radford's groups also have EMTs "on call" during practice times.
Coaches and staff may not be the only ones able to provide a helping hand in the identification process on game day.
One aspect of the new Virginia High School League rules is the empowering of referees to remove a player who they believe is demonstrating symptoms of a concussion from the field.
This level of awareness should benefit the youth leagues in the New River Valley which, according to their handbook, require two "currently certified H.S. district officials" for each Junior (9 to 10-year-olds) and Senior (12 to 13-year-olds) league contest and at least one for each Mite (7 to 8-year-olds) league game.
As the subject of concussions becomes an increasingly hot topic, Lloyd believes a required level of awareness for those supervising will increase as well. But what about by those participating?
The voluntary level of information regarding concussions requires that players be honest about what they are feeling, something which Dr. Cook think can be a challenge for young players who don't talk about what they are feeling for fear of being taken off the field. He believes the serious nature of these "dings" must be communicated to the players.
Blacksburg has taken a step to do just that.
Though there is no mention of the word, "concussion" on any of its literature to parents or athletes, they do require a separate form be filled out and signed by the parent and the student regarding helmet safety. The form brings a level of awareness to the issues by including the warning "severe brain or neck injury, including paralysis or death" are possible.
Spearheading such efforts for awareness is the massive amount of attention the subject has drawn from the media, such as the Today Show's interview with former NFL player turned surgeon, Mark Adickes, on the topic in August 2010.
The push for awareness among youth has even bled into the world of video games, with 2012 version of the famed Madden football series providing all new scenarios and commentary pertaining to the topic of head injuries.
With concussion awareness in the beginning stages of trickling down to the youth level, a parent may very well ask at what age is it safe for his or her child to begin participating.
Dr. Cook offers that while there is no clear age, with the proper degrees of protection and supervision it is reasonable for children to play full-contact football at a young age, competing against other children of similar ages and weights.
Until legislation is passed enforcing such policies, it appears it's ultimately up to the parent to ensure such precautions are taking place.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Back Porch's NBA Playoff Resource Guide
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| http://vegasisatrip.com/dining.aspx |
Today's media is the same way. It's abundant and if a person isn't careful, he or she can find themselves stuffed with of low quality info rather than helpful insights from reliable resources.
With the NBA Conference Finals in full swing fans everywhere are chatting it up about the hottest topics from coast to coast. There is a ton of information floating around out there, so it's crucial for any NBA fan to know exactly where to go for the latest news and best analysis if they hope to hold their own in any hardcore discussion.
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| http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog |
So here you have The Back Porch's NBA Playoffs Resource Guide.
The guide features RSS feeds from the NBA, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated, as well as breaking team news from newspapers in each of the team's home cities.
The guide also features a Google Alert for any news containing the NBA Playoffs and an advanced Twitter search of the topic, enabling you to follow the latest playoff chatter.
Don't be that guy who fills up on croutons and that oddly neon-colored macaroni and cheese. Use the guide, get some of the good stuff, and get in the conversation.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Is Being The MVP Such a Good Thing?
Robert De Niro is one of the most accomplished actors in history, so naturally when he is featured in a film one of his multiple awards will find its way into the billing.
Movies are often marketed with the "Two-time Oscar Winner" or "Nine-time Golden Global Nominated" actor in order to build hype and get folks thinking they are about to witness a modern classic.
But it doesn't always happen.
Every now and then a Robert De Niro type will pull a Rocky and Bullwinkle. Every now and then, the performance doesn't live up to the billing of the award winner.
"The Big Three vs. the MVP" has become the common billing for the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. And while it sounds nice on the surface, recent history tells us it might not indicate such a great forecast for the Bulls and 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose.
Over the past decade only one NBA MVP has also hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy in the same season he has been awarded as the top player - Tim Duncan in 2003.
Think about that for a second. Only one time in 10 years has the player deemed "Most Valuable" been able to use that value to help his team win four rounds in the playoffs and provide his city with a sweet parade.
This failure includes Miami's LeBron James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a combined three rounds of postseason wins in his 2008-09 and 2009-10 MVP seasons.
That's pretty low, especially compared to the two previous decades which, according to the NBA's online encyclopedia, featured six MVP champions from 1991-2000 and four from 1981-1990.
It's not just the overall title which seems to be eluding these MVPs. In 10 years only two other MVP honorees have successfully won three rounds in the postseason, earned a title in their respective conference, and even had a shot at the title. The 2001 76ers and the 2008 Lakers.
Clearly there has been a decline of postseason success for the leagues MVP, but regardless of any jinx potential, the hardware has been passed out and the billing as been posted.
Now it's up to Rose and the Bulls to decide whether this movie will play out as a Rocky and Bullwinkle-style letdown or as a Godfather II-esque success.
Movies are often marketed with the "Two-time Oscar Winner" or "Nine-time Golden Global Nominated" actor in order to build hype and get folks thinking they are about to witness a modern classic.
 |
| http://ufrsports.com |
Every now and then a Robert De Niro type will pull a Rocky and Bullwinkle. Every now and then, the performance doesn't live up to the billing of the award winner.
"The Big Three vs. the MVP" has become the common billing for the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. And while it sounds nice on the surface, recent history tells us it might not indicate such a great forecast for the Bulls and 2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose.
Over the past decade only one NBA MVP has also hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy in the same season he has been awarded as the top player - Tim Duncan in 2003.
Think about that for a second. Only one time in 10 years has the player deemed "Most Valuable" been able to use that value to help his team win four rounds in the playoffs and provide his city with a sweet parade.
This failure includes Miami's LeBron James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a combined three rounds of postseason wins in his 2008-09 and 2009-10 MVP seasons.
That's pretty low, especially compared to the two previous decades which, according to the NBA's online encyclopedia, featured six MVP champions from 1991-2000 and four from 1981-1990.
It's not just the overall title which seems to be eluding these MVPs. In 10 years only two other MVP honorees have successfully won three rounds in the postseason, earned a title in their respective conference, and even had a shot at the title. The 2001 76ers and the 2008 Lakers.
Clearly there has been a decline of postseason success for the leagues MVP, but regardless of any jinx potential, the hardware has been passed out and the billing as been posted.
Now it's up to Rose and the Bulls to decide whether this movie will play out as a Rocky and Bullwinkle-style letdown or as a Godfather II-esque success.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Feds enter the BCS picture.
 | |||
| Wikipedia.com |
But do you call the cops on him? Do you really want your city or town's resources going towards corralling open-bathrobe Jimmy and getting his shack cleaned up?
A similar question is currently being asked in the world of college football. Should government resources be used to investigate and/or eliminate the Bowl Championship Series?
Wednesday the federal government seemed to indicate they believe the answer is yes, as the Justice Department sent a letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert questioning college football's lack of a playoff system, as well as whether or not it is benefiting the schools, players, and fans.
The act was something groups such as Playoff PAC have long hoped for, siting a lack rewarding fair competition, the devaluing of the regular season, and the disapproval of fans as reasons the government should become involved.
 | |
| http://www.playoffpac.com/blog/read.aspx?id=33 |
Despite the profit of the bowl system as a whole growing, groups such as Playoff PAC argue the disbursement of funds unfairly benefits schools from the six BCS or automatic qualifying conferences - the ACC, SEC, Big 10, Pac 12, Big 12, and Big East - while offering little to no improvements to the pockets of the non-automatic qualifiers.
Playoff PAC's video breakdown of their complaints about the BCS system.
So what if we believe it's not fair. What if we completely buy into the idea of needing change. Does that justify the federal government going elementary school teacher on the situation and stepping in to ensure everyone gets equal time with the good Legos?
ESPN's college football blogger Andrea Adelson doesn't think so.
In her recent blog she argues that while the system needs to be fixed, the federal government should not be playing the role of handy man. Instead she points to the university presidents as the parties who need to get to work on the issue.
Michael Fielder, head writer of the popular college football blog In the Bleachers, is hesitant to trust many politicians' motivation for involvement and when asked if he saw this as a "PR move" responded with:
Fielder went on to explain that while he can see the legal right for the government to become involved, that doesn't mean it the appropriate measure to take.
In a sense, just because it would be popular, wouldn't automatically make it right. Something President Barack Obama might should have considered before making this promise in 2008.
The Los Angeles Times' Chris Dufresne takes a different approach in his opposition to government involvement.
Dufresne believes the government is merely wasting time and resources asking questions it already has or could easily "google" the answers to. He shines the light on the history of college football for the answers as to how we ended up here, while also detailing how the NCAA basically gave up its right to produce a playoff system when the BCS was created.
Clearly there is a large number of people upset about the current state of the college football postseason.
Clearly, for multiple reasons, some school benefit in various ways more than others.
What is unclear is if this truly constitutes breaking the law and if it truly is a worthwhile cause for government to undertake.
Much like with your sketchy neighbor, just because it's annoying to see an old toilet bowl and various Halloween decor littering his yard in March, always mean it a just cause swat team-esque intervention. Sometimes it does, but not always.
So what's your take? Do you want to see your government involved with college football's postseason?
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