There is no question that head and neck injuries are a serious condition of our sports world today. Whether it is at the youth level, high school or college level or in professional sports, concussions are serious and have been on the rise.

We are headed into the fall sports season and while concussions are extremely rare in cross country, golf and not as prevalent in volleyball, football, that king of sports, is a major culprit.

Now, don’t get me wrong and don’t think that I’m not a fan of the sport or don’t enjoy a Friday night of prep football, Saturday on the college gridiron or Sunday watching the pros. I’m not here to criticize the sport, but to toss out my opinion as to the rise in head and neck injuries. That, as I see it, comes from the evolution of the game.

Football has always been a rough sport. Starting with minimal pads, helmets of leather, then a harder material with no faceguard, to a single bar across the front of the helmet to today’s revolutionary helmets with multiple bars on the facemask, the ability to pump up the padding for the perfect, visors that look like something out of Star Wars, football has evolved greatly in terms of protecting the player.

But, just as football as evolved on the side of equipment and uniforms and even precautionary medical care, the football started on the road of serious head and neck injuries when quarterbacks started to throw the old pigskin instead of handing it off or just running with the ball.

Now, I’m no doctor or specialist in this field, although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express a few times. My assumptions are based on covering the sport for 46 years.

Here is what I believe:

1. Concussions are more prevalent among wide receivers and quarterbacks.

2. As the passing game grew and became a bigger part of the offense, so did these injuries.

3. One concussion is too many and there would still be a concussion problem if not one pass was thrown, but a lot fewer.

4. Quarterbacks suffer more concussions because they become wide-open targets for hard-charging defenders or they are forced scramble looking for a receiver and blindsided.

5. Receivers are extremely prone to these injuries with patterns that send them across the middle and into harm’s way.

6. Receivers running any pattern concentrate on the flight of the ball and not the path of an oncoming defender.

7. And defenders today are bigger, faster, and more agile and just as adapt to catching passes as the receivers they cover. Plus, they like nothing more than to dislodge a caught ball and the receiver from his shoes all in one hit.

Just as I feel, the fans, the media and the owners (in the pros) were more responsible for the use of steroids in baseball as any player (that’s another column), I feel the same about the evolution of football into wide-open offenses that produce record-setting scores and yardage and make the game so more exciting. As the home run is exciting to watch in baseball, so is the long bomb in football.

Will the game change? Not likely. Will concussions continue to happen in football? Most assuredly. Will doctors and trainers and coaching staffs continue to find ways to make the game safer? Absolutely. Will fans continue to prefer an exciting passing attack over a dull running game? No question.

Football is a great game to play and watch and as with any sport, there will always be risk of injury. At the youth and high school level and all levels for that matter, it is important to remember two things. One, if you have an injury get it accessed properly and be patient and give it the proper time to heal. Two: players, coaches and parents don’t abuse a sports injury. As much as you would like to be back in the game or see your son, daughter or player back in the game, remember if that injury isn’t taken care of properly, you will be reminded of it for years to come.

NOTES ON MY DESK

FOOTBALL isn’t the only fall sport that happens in the fall. Sports like volleyball, golf and cross country take the backseat to “the King” each fall, but here in the Ohio Valley are some of the best volleyball players, golfers and runners in their respective states. All three sports have long-running coaches with some very impressive credentials.

IT MAY BE considered minor league football to some, but the Canadian Football League has drawn the attention of ESPN and others with live broadcasts of games north of the border. Of course, the biggest success story pairing the CFL with the Ohio Valley has been the play of Steubenville’s Zach Collaros. He has his Hamilton Tiger-Cats leading their division and is the second leading passer in yardage and TD passes in the league. Last year, he led his team to the CFL finals and is likely to be back next year.