NFL'S CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS NEED TO BE TIGHTENED FURTHER

All examinations for possible brain injuries should be vetted by panel of specialists

So, the NFL and NFLPA have committed to tighten the bolts on their joint concussion-diagnosis protocol.

That's good. But they should go much further to eliminate any chance of perceived sloppiness, inadvertent protocol transgressions or unintended incompetence by on-hand medical professionals at NFL games who didn't get the diagnosis right.

Right or wrong, millions are convinced this still happens occasionally, most recently a week ago Sunday when it appeared as though Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was concussed against the Buffalo Bills, after the back of his head slammed against the turf.

But no, we were told by the Dolphins. Tagovailoa had only an injured back, not a concussion, and he returned to play. Four days later, Tagovailoa was most definitely concussed when his head again slammed hard into the turf and was so diagnosed. Anyone concussed twice within days can die from such shortterm repeated brain trauma. It's called fatal second-impact syndrome.

The NFLPA and NFL have since announced an investigation into why the Dolphins' team doctor and Miami's assigned unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) for that game did not rule that Tagovailoa had suffered a concussion against the Bills.

Until those findings are announced, the players union and league committed Saturday to soon strengthening the “no-go” criteria for ruling a player out from further in-game participation by adding “gross motor instability,” or wobbliness.

Furthermore, word leaked Saturday that the NFLPA exercised its right to have that particular Miami-assigned UNC fired for having allegedly made “mistakes” during Tagovailoa's assessment, and for his alleged poor attitude and unco-operativeness during the investigation.

If the NFL and NFLPA want to eliminate in-game concussion misdiagnoses, they need to jointly appropriate responsibility for these in-game medical examinations. As it is, barely known team doctors and intentionally anonymous UNCs have that responsibility. Five years ago I suggested something similar to the following, but am now tweaking it. The NFL and NFLPA should mandate that all in-game locker-room concussion examinations be observed remotely in real time via live video hookup, back to what I called in 2017 a “centralized concussion clearance control centre” — or the 5C.

Technology already is mostly in place, outside of a connected camera in each team's concussion diagnosis room at each stadium. In my plan, the NFL and NFLPA each would assign a small team of concussion specialists to work at the 5C and observe live concussion checks.

This, to ensure the protocol and examinations are being conducted properly. That's it. Not themselves conducting the examination remotely in any way, just ensuring that those tasked to do it on site are acting as expected.

Why the small teams of concussion experts at the 5C?

Well, the NFL said after the 2019 regular season that some 375 concussion checks were conducted in 256 games. That's an average of less than two checks per game. But there could be two or three or more in any one game. And in the early Sunday afternoon window, when there could be as many as 10 or 11 games played concurrently, that means a dozen or two concussion checks — or more — might occur over that three-hour time frame. There would be observational overlaps.

In the setup I suggest, it would be highly unlikely any unsafe corner-cutting would take place during locker-room concussion checks. In the event of any observed impropriety or honest mistakes, the 5C observers would step in immediately.

Thus, in the extremely unlikely event any subsequent controversies along the line of Tagovailoa were to occur again, it would now be the ultimate, joint fault and responsibility of the NFL and NFLPA — not any on-site medical personnel who are currently protected in part by anonymity.

If all this should prove unfeasible, then why not — at least — record video and audio of every in-game concussion check henceforth, with the NFL and NFLPA scrupulously and quickly vetting each afterward for complete compliance?