The Buch stops here

Earlier this week, Randy Starkman of the Toronto Star did a great two-part feature on concussions in hockey. He conducted in-depth interviews with experts, doctors, current and former National Hockey League players and league personnel, and even spoke with some minor hockey players whose lives have been affected by concussions. The majority of those he talked to recognized the severity and the danger posed by these injuries and had some great perspectives on it. The voice of one man stood out, though, both for his comments and for his position.

Colin Campbell, the NHL’s executive vice-president and director of hockey operations (who is also responsible for dealing out suspensions), said he thought many concussion victims were faking it. The Star’s research found that at least 30 NHL players had their careers ended in some major part due to concussions, but Campbell said this number was inflated.

“Some are legitimate,” Campbell told the Star. “I think some you might find aren’t legitimate. … I think there’s a small percentage, not a great percentage, of players who use it as an excuse, `Oh yeah, I’ve got a concussion.’ They can milk it. It’s a hard thing to really say that you haven’t, you know, if you’re trying to get some extra insurance money out of it to get paid an extra year or something.”

Campbell also said outlawing hits to the head, a step the Ontario Hockey League has taken, isn’t going to solve the problem. He told Starkman that banning head hits would result in more players skating with their heads down, making them more vulnerable. In fact, he went so far as to defend the league’s lack of action on head shots. “That’s just part of our game,” he told the Star. “The F1 (Formula One auto racing ) – I’m not talking death in our business – but the F1 with a death, do they put restraints on the car so they can only go 110?”

Having a league executive in such a position of power take these Neanderthal positions on serious injury issues is truly troubling for the NHL. In fact, 30 players is probably on the low side, as many concussions go undiagnosed and untreated. Even when concussions are diagnosed, the internationally-recognized full treatment plan for athletes’ return to play is rarely followed. Players are supposed to start with complete rest, then slowly work themselves up to light activities such as running before participating in non-contact, and then contact, practices. If symptoms recur at any level, the player is supposed to return to the previous level. As Keith Primeau said in Starkman’s article, many players return before they should, especially if it’s the playoffs. “Guys aren’t going to think long-term,” Primeau said. “We never do.”

Primeau speaks from personal experience there. He was stretchered off the ice in the decisive game of Philadelphia’s 2000 playoff series with Pittsburgh, but returned to the line-up before the first game of the team’s next series, which he told the Star was “the most erroneous decision I ever made.”

Stories like Primeau’s are dominant in hockey. Famous players like Stu Grimson, who also was forced to retire because of repeated concussions, have admitted they frequently returned to the ice before they should have and played through concussions. It’s cases like these that prove Campbell doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about when it comes to these injuries. NHL players are a hardy bunch, perhaps too hardy for their own good. They aren’t going to retire because of a faked concussion.

Concussions have taken a massive toll on everyone from greats such as Eric Lindros, Scott Stevens and Adam Deadmarsh to role players like Jeff Beukeboom and Matthew Barnaby. Some, such as Paul Comrie and Jesse Wallin, played less than 100 NHL games before concussions forced them out. Others, such as Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Mark Moore, had to quit playing hockey before they even made it to the NHL. Even leaving the game doesn’t mean that the injury’s effects are left behind. As Starkman reported, concussions drastically altered the behaviour of players like Kevin Kaminski, making family life extremely difficult.

There’s also a body of scientific research showing that concussions have long-term dangers. As Starkman wrote, “A University of North Carolina study reported in 2005 that retired National Football League players faced a 37 per cent higher risk of Alzheimer’s than similarly aged U.S. males. It also found repeated concussions significantly raised the chance they’d suffer dementias such as mild cognitive impairment later in life.” Grimson told Starkman he thinks similar numbers would appear in a study focusing on hockey players, but the NHL denied the UNC group’s request to conduct a similar study. Also, a study of frequently-concussed former NFL safety Andre Waters’ brain tissue after his 2006 suicide at the age of 44 revealed that his brain tissue was equivalent to that of an 85-year old man and showed early signs of Alzheimer’s.

Fortunately, the Players’ Association seems to be taking a new interest in the problem, perhaps motivated by the recent appointment of Lindros as their ombudsman. Unfortunately, the league still seems to be stuck in the Dark Ages. Starkman reported that many coaches, including the Boston Bruins’ Claude Julien, have frequently either denied that their players were concussed or shrugged their injuries off as minor. A scathing indictment of the league’s policies came from former Ottawa Senators’ team doctor Jamie Kissick. “A friend of mine who was a team doctor on one of the other NHL teams said, `Well, we don’t have any concussions,’” Kissick told the Star. “He said this facetiously because the coach didn’t believe in them, so there were no concussions.”

The comments and actions of Campbell and the NHL show that they still don’t take concussions seriously. Perhaps Campbell, who played for the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980s, should realize that the game has changed since his era. Players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever before, and the hits are harder. As Grimson said to Starkman, “[m]y generation of athletes will be the ones to more accurately tell the tale of what the effects are later in life for somebody that suffers significant head trauma or even insignificant but repeated head trauma.”

The science of understanding and preventing concussions is progressing by leaps and bounds. Campbell and the NHL should take their heads out of the sand and jump on board, allowing researchers full access and making sure that players, coaches and team medical staff all understand the severe nature of this problem. Banning head-hunting, which is far too frequent in today’s NHL, would also be a big step forward. I don’t want to see hitting removed from the game, but the OHL’s ban on any kind of head shot has proved that you can still play good physical hockey without ending the careers of others.

Going into the winter break, I figured it’s time to take a look at how some of the Gaels’ teams are doing so far. Without further ado, here are my thoughts about how their seasons are going.

Men’s volleyball
This team came into the year with perhaps the highest expectations placed on them, driven by last year’s OUA championship banner (in fact, the only banner Queen’s won last year) and their top ranking in the Athletics and Recreation Review. With only a couple of losses to graduation and a strong rookie class, all of the pre-season signs pointed to another stellar year for the Gaels. However, it’s been a difficult season for them so far. Hindered by key injuries, namely to libero Stu Hamilton and outside hitter Dan McCrae, and gruelling road swings, the team is 6-4 going into the break and in a three-way tie for fourth in the OUA. The Gaels have been close several times though: three of the losses (to the McMaster Marauders, the Guelph Gryphons, and the Western Mustangs) have been in five-set matches. Other encouraging signs come from Coach Willis’s recent comments that the Gaels played better than they had all season in their last couple of matches. The team will be playing in a Florida tournament against American schools this winter, which should not only help them stay sharp, but also force them to elevate their game. With an easier travel schedule in the second half, and hopefully a few less injuries, they should still be able to contend for the OUA title.

Women’s volleyball
It seems to be a transition year for this program, with new head coach Joely Christian taking the reins and a strong stable of incoming rookies. I’ve been very impressed with Elyssa Heller’s play so far, and fellow rookies Colleen Ogilvie and Lorna Button have also made solid impacts. There are also several good second-year players, including last year’s OUA East Rookie of the Year Louise, Christiane Taylor and Ellen Gray. However, the team’s youth (they only have one fourth-year player, Jennifer Willis, and no fifth-year players) has shown so far: they’re 2-7 after nine games, and four of their losses have been in straight sets. They should improve a bit later this year as the new players become more familiar with OUA volleyball, but this team’s real test will be if they’re able to translate their young talent into success in the next few seasons.

Men’s basketball
I took in the men’s basketball team’s 94-71 win over Lakehead Saturday night and was very impressed with most of what I saw. They had a tough 92-81 loss to McMaster the night before, but rebounded with a good performance against the Thunderwolves. The Gaels have a good balance to their lineup, which combines strong perimeter shooting from the likes of Baris Ondul (six of eight from beyond the three-point arc Saturday) and Nick DiDonato (four of five on threes) with some good inside play from Mitch Leger and company. Leger particularly impressed me, as he was able to nail 24 points, including a 10 for 10 night from the free-throw line, despite a below-average performance from the field. The team also was able to step it up in the fourth quarter, as they only led by five going into the final frame. They’re 5-3 going into the break, good enough for fourth in the OUA East. I don’t think they’re too likely to threaten the
8-0Carleton Ravens this year, but they should have a decent chance against most of the other Ontario teams.

The great thing about this team is their youth: Ondul’s in his third year of eligibility, while Leger’s only in his second, and many rookies such as DiDonato, Jon Ogden, Tim Boyle and Travis Mitchell are also making their presence felt this year. As Mike brought up at the game Saturday, recruiting tends to go in cycles: a good season by a team frequently aids their off-season recruiting, which in turn assists next year’s on-court performance, explaining why Carleton has been so dominant in men’s basketball over the last several years. Hopefully, this team will be able to finish strong, attract some more quality recruits to their solid young core and pose a serious threat to the OUA powerhouses within the next few seasons.

Women’s basketball
It has been a tougher start for the women’s team than the men’s, as they’re 3-6 after nine games. That’s still good enough for fourth place in the OUA East, though, which demonstrates the clear disparity in this league. Three of the eastern teams (the Ryerson Rams, the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Royal Military College Paladins) are still winless, while Guelph has a better record than Queen’s despite being last in the OUA West. There are some bright spots for the Gaels, still, as they’ve seen good performances from young players such as rookie Brittany Moore, who put up 19 points in Saturday’s 80-57 win over Lakehead. Unlike women’s volleyball, though, this team is pretty veteran-heavy, so there are more expectations on them this year. Hopefully they’ll be able to turn it around in the second half.

Men’s hockey
The men’s hockey team is a respectable 8-7-2 at this point—good enough to lead the OUA Mid-East Division. All of the other division leaders (the Brock Badgers, the Université de Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes, and the Western Mustangs) have 12 wins, though. The Gaels have received great goaltending from the duo of Ryan Gibb and Brady Morrison, but offence has been more of a concern: the team averages 2.41 goals per game, but gives up an average of 2.88. The 17 points of their leading scorer, Brady Olsen, aren’t even enough to be in the OUA Top 20 (although he is tied for 14th with 10 goals), and the offence falls off dramatically after that. Team captain Jeff Ovens and Jon Asselstine are both tied for second in team scoring with only 12 points, which makes it likely this team is going to have to count on offence by committee in the second half (Hmm: strong goaltending, decent defence, and problems scoring: reminds me of another team I like to support).

On the plus side, Ovens is leading by example with a solid performance this year: he’s continued his strong defensive play while chipping in some key goals. Rookies like Mike Bushby, Jon Lawrance and Marcus Halcro have also been doing pretty well. The Gaels will be in a tight fight for the division championship with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (8-8-1) and the RMC Paladins (7-8-2) in the second half: hopefully, they’ll be able to hang onto their lead and take the division.

Women’s hockey
So far, the season has been a bit of a letdown for the women’s hockey team, OUA silver medallists last season. They’re currently 6-8-3 and in a three-way tie for fifth in the OUA. The slow start is perhaps attributable to the adjustment period under a new coach (Rob Lalonde), but they’ll have to turn it up in the second half if they want to compete with the better teams in the OUA like Laurier, Toronto, and Guelph (26, 25 and 24 points respectively). At times they’ve received strong offensive performances, such as in a 7-6 Nov. 23 win over Guelph, but they’ve struggled to score consistently lately, as seen by this past weekend’s 3-1 and 4-1 losses to Windsor and Western. Liz Kench has been one of the standouts so far, with her 20 points putting her second in OUA scoring. Most of the questions surrounding this team are on the defensive end, however, as their 2.80 goals against per game are fifth-worse in the OUA. With luck, they’ll be able to pick it up in the second half and get back to last year’s form.

Awesome link I found (from the Junior Hockey Blog): Perhaps what the Golden Gaels’ marketing department really needs is a little more cowbell?

Another good link for those interested in Gaels’ athletics: Neate Sager’s blog, with frequent postings about how the various Gaels’ teams are doing.

The soccer world is abuzz following the much-publicized sacking of manager Steve McClaren after England’s dismal failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, as several interesting candidates have emerged to replace him. Many high-profile candidates have already declined the job, such as Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill—the only British citizen judged to be among the favourites. The best man available is still out there, though: former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has all the qualifications necessary for the job. He has proven he can lead an underrated group of players to unprecedented success, winning both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup with FC Porto and knocking off giants such as Manchester United along the way. He also won back-to-back league titles with Porto before his move to Chelsea in June 2004. At Chelsea, he proved he can succeed in the opposite situation, leading a team of underachieving superstars to back-to-back league titles before leaving due to conflicts with wealthy owner Roman Abramovich. Both experiences will be crucial to leading England, a team that often underachieves but may need to overreach its talent level to have any significant success.

Perhaps the most vital qualification Mourinho possesses is his ability to survive a media maelstrom. A tabloid feeding frenzy that makes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ press circus pale by comparison surrounds the English national team. In many ways it was the press that proved McClaren’s undoing, as he seemed unable to cope with the pressure and eventually gave into their wildest demands with his ill-fated team selection for the crucial match with Croatia, as the Globe and Mail’s soccer columnist Ben Knight wrote shortly after the Croatian game and the demise of England’s qualifying campaign.

“This is tabloid soccer at its worst,” Knight wrote. “McClaren, in the centre of one of the world’s most horrendous hype-storms, appears for all the world to have bought into the hype! Given the choice between two experienced, talented goaltenders who’ve been savaged in the English papers, and a sweet, shining kid who just shut out the Austrians, McClaren … went … with … the … kid.” The aforementioned kid, Scott Carson, made a memorable hash of an easy shot early on in the match, allowing Croatia to score a goal that proved to be the critical nail in the English coffin.

Mourinho, on the other hand, manipulates instead of letting others manipulate him, as ESPN Soccernet’s Jon Carter explained perfectly in a recent piece advocating Mourinho’s selection.

“He is well versed in the art of media seduction, has experience of how the English press works, and his unique interview style would certainly provide a welcome change from the likes of Steve McClaren and Sven Goran-Eriksson,” Carter wrote. “Charm is an important characteristic for a national manager. McClaren missed that trick, but Mourinho is master of the art and it would be refreshing for the FA [the Football Association, responsible for overseeing the national team] to appoint someone who the fans were actually in favour of.”

Mourinho’s ability to use the press to his advantage is an asset that will desperately be needed in the England job, and he refined this talent to an art form during his Chelsea days. He’s outrageous and controversial but revered in spite of it. Knight perhaps described him best with the ultimate analogy for Canadian fans: “Hockey fans, imagine a Don Cherry who can kick Don Cherry’s ass – and outcoach the heck out of him, as well.”

The outpouring of support for Mourinho has been massive so far. In addition to the aforementioned columns by Knight and Carter, many other journalists and commentators have selected Mourinho as the best candidate. Current England captain John Terry, who played for Mourinho at Chelsea, has also given him high praise.

“He’s a fantastic manager, a fantastic guy,” Terry told The Associated Press. “There’s many more being talked about at the moment but he is one that stands out for me and could make a big difference. He’s a great guy, he’s tactically very aware and he understands the game very well.”

Former national manager Sir Bobby Robson also included Mourinho in the shortlist of five candidates that he revealed in his Daily Mail column. He will present the list to the FA, who will determine McClaren’s replacement. Robson also gave Mourinho strong support in his comments.

“Jose’s advantage is he knows our football and he would be welcomed back with open arms,” he said. “Tactically, there is nobody better—I still remember his dossiers at Porto and Barcelona when he worked with me!—and that’s important for one-off international games.”

The most impressive comments supporting Mourinho’s candidacy, though, are those from one of his former rivals. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who competed fiercely with Mourinho during his time at Chelsea, was quoted in Carter’s column as saying, “If the FA consult me about it I’ll give them a shortlist of one, and tell them to get Mourinho.”

It’s appearing increasingly likely Mourinho will get the job. He’s supported by fans, media and those on the inside of the game. Apparently he’s even the odds-on favourite, according to British bookmaker William Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe. “Jose was the only man anyone wanted to back early on and 80 per cent of the bets we took were for him,” Sharpe said.

Mourinho appears interested in the job as well. In an AP interview yesterday, his media advisor Eladio Parames said Mourinho would be receptive to any offers from the FA.

“It would be an honour,” Parames said. “He likes English soccer, the English people, the country, the players. It would be something he’d consider. But he’s not waving his hand in the air trying to get (the FA’s) attention. If he’s approached, he’ll reply.”

The FA absolutely need to get this decision right. This is the darkest period in the history of the national team since their failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, and they desperately need someone special to lead them out of it. Fortunately, there’s a self-proclaimed “Special One” available. This decision will be crucial for the England national team: they can continue to wallow in mediocrity, or they can land the best man available for the job. Here’s hoping they do the latter.

Jose Mourinho. (Daily Mail photo)