it's highly unlikely that any response they give would satisfy anybody so it's almost better, from their perspective, to so nothing.

I think there is a fundamental difference between the NFL and the X-Games.....the NFL controls ALL of an athlete's sporting career once they enter the league. The X-Games are just one annual event (although admittedly the largest and most popular). I think it is safe to assume that many of Dave's concussions happened outside fo the X-Games. So expecting ESPN to make a statement re: Dave's diagnosis may be putting more responsibility on them than they deserve.

That said, CTE should clearly be a major concern for them as almost every sport within the X-Games exposes the athlete to brain injury. They would be wise to put together a concussion protocol across all sports and take a proactive role in protecting the athletes.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

ESPN has a pretty bad history of taking a proactive stance on issues that are more volatile(important) than just reporting who scored what or how big their new contracts are.

See their inconsistent and poor track record on sexual harassment inside their walls and the corporate reaction to the problems.

I don't think you understand how ESPN works

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

X-games/ESPN/Disney has a history of thinking of revenue instead of safety and athlete health.
Just take a look at the lack of doping/drug testing at x-games events.

ESPN has been hopeless in reporting on doping. I guess they are afraid of access to the athletes.

But what do we end up with?
Journalists that are not asking hard questions and sports that rotten from inside.

As an example. On Nike Pre Classic 5 out 8 male 100m runners are convicted doping cheats. Do you think any journalists will ask about it? Do you think NBC and sprint expert Ado Bolton will ask about it?

It is the same with NFL and concussion, or x-games.

I guess I have to get my son into a Norwegian black metal band. It is a lot safer than football.....

http://www.adweek.com/...tland-closure/118921


Like that?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Hello Rappstar and All,


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator




Excerpt:


"A gladiator (Latin: gladiator, "swordsman", from gladius, "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena. Most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized, and segregated even in death.

Irrespective of their origin, gladiators offered spectators an example of Rome's martial ethics and, in fighting or dying well, they could inspire admiration and popular acclaim. They were celebrated in high and low art, and their value as entertainers was commemorated in precious and commonplace objects throughout the Roman world.

The origin of gladiatorial combat is open to debate. There is evidence of it in funeral rites during the Punic Wars of the 3rd century BC, and thereafter it rapidly became an essential feature of politics and social life in the Roman world. Its popularity led to its use in ever more lavish and costly games.

The gladiator games lasted for nearly a thousand years, reaching their peak between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD. The games finally declined during the early 5th century after the adoption of Christianity as state church of the Roman Empire in 380, although beast hunts (venationes) continued into the 6th century."

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

So are you saying that precautions and and studies shouldn't be taken because they take your definition of a modern day gladiator?

What did you have in mind when you said "I would have liked to believe that the X-Games was a bit more forward thinking in that regard"?

Are you thinking along the lines of age, safety or something else? I could see ESPN allowing only those 18+ to participate in the X Games. I know the competitors all wear helmets, but could they promote improvements in helmet technology? Maybe require a moratorium after a concussion? This would be difficult without observing all training and would require accurate self-reporting. There are inherent risks in X-Games events, but is there a way that scoring be used to promote tricks that are less likely to result in head injury?

Where does the culpability lie when someone continually assaults their body in the pursuit of their dreams and goals, and they are left with a body that is broken and battered: Parents, Sponsors, Event Promoters, the Athletes?

We live in a culture that encourages the feeling of victimization, but ultimately, it is an individual's decision to participate in these activities.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

The what Classic? My point is that there are almost no articles of any kind about that meet at all, except in some podunk Oregon papers. ESPN is consistent here. It only cares about track during the Olympics. Probably for good financial reason. But it tends to cover doping stories in track during the Olympics.

If you're upset at journalism around track I'd be more upset with those journalists who cover it professionally. And they don't work for ESPN (for the most part).

The X-Games have been dealing with things worse than concussions since its inception. The fact that they are silent about this isn't shocking.

Single blunt force trauma brain injuries - that's the real scare factor that should keep people away from those types of sports.

It was used as an example.

The journalists covering the big sports here in the USA are pathetic.
Most of what they are writing about PED are wrong.
They have ignored the issue since doping started late 60s, early 70s.

I will just make sure my son is not playing football even though he is big and strong for his age.
As a dad it is my job to keep him away from drugs and head injuries.

I'm definitely wary that ESPN, like the NFL, is concerned about losing $ because of the increased focus on concussions, but ESPN did publish the articles you posted on the Dave Mirra RIP thread including this very sad and thought provoking interview with Dave's wife - http://espn.go.com/...arrival-lauren-mirra

On my drive to work in the morning I've heard multiple hours of Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio talking about the concussion issue in all levels of football and other sports.

Maybe the silence is because they know they're screwed, that the X-Games will never be the same?

I think you're taking kind of a too-convenient anti-U.S. stance.

It's American journalists who originally exposed Mark McGwire, which led to a fundamental change in American baseball.

With respect to CTE, it was American journalists who originally exposed CTE issues in American football. It's plausible that similar issues exist in other sports, like futbol, from headers. But you don't hear much about that. The European cycling peloton is far more of a bloodbath than American football. There are riders who die annually in training and competition, and many riders' post-competition years are a disaster. And they don't have the great union protections that NFL players have. Lifelong health benefits. Once their contracts are over, they're utterly cast aside to fend for themselves. Yet not much in European journalism about that, is there?

Yep. No football, boxing, or MMA for my kid. This seals the deal for sure. Our local schools have mountain biking and triathlon clubs, on top of all the other typical sports like track and basketball. Freestyle BMX wasn't really a concern - he's not skilled on the bike like those guys whatsoever. But I wonder if anything will ever have much of an impact on football here in Texas. It's like a religion here.

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

I unfortunately don't see any way they can respond to the CTE issue in public without either shooting themselves in the foot in terms of future sports planning (given the huge CTE risk in their sport) or offending people. When that's the case, the lawyers wil tell you to be quiet.

I'm sure they've been discussing this fearfully at length behind closed doors.As you clearly indicate, in a youth-driven and youth-marketed sports, acknowledging the reality of even minor CTE (let alone Mirra's bad one) could end the entire X-games.

Hello IHOP (pancake?) and All,

IHOP wrote: "So are you saying that precautions and and studies shouldn't be taken because they take your definition of a modern day gladiator? "

No ... I am saying to follow the money ...................... Think about the tobacco industry .......

Rollerball Movie 1975

"In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game."

https://philanthropy.com/...ch-Funds-Went/235196

Excerpt:

"NFL Brain-Research Funds Went to League-Linked Scientists

The National Football League has steered millions of dollars in grants for studies of traumatic brain injuries to researchers with ties to the organization, according to an ESPN investigation. The network's "Outside the Lines" program reports that the NFL and corporate partners awarded nearly $4 million for projects involving Richard Ellenbogen, co-chair of the league's Head, Neck and Spine Committee, and other doctors who serve as advisers on player health and safety.

The NFL, which has grappled with controversy over concussions and long-term brain injuries suffered by players, is now one of the nation's biggest financial backers of brain research. In 2012, the league pledged $30 million to the National Institutes of Health for such work. ESPN alleges that NIH decided to use taxpayer funds rather than the gift to cover a $16 million study after the league raised objections about the grant going to an researcher who has criticized the NFL. A doctor who chairs a league subcommittee on safety had led a competing proposal for the grant." [emphasis added]

Shocked!! Shocked I tell you!



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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

This is one challenge of having private, for profit sporting events. X-Games operates for the most part outside the national/international sport federations. If this was a discussion about concussions caused during training/participation at the Olympics, all of the athletes would be under the jurisdiction of the national federations. Many of the national federations have much more strict medical policies, at least they do in Canada. The government in Canada/the provinces require a concussion policy and return to play guidelines for every sport. Doesn't solve everything, but we certainly catch a lot of athletes that would just go back out and compete if there wasn't someone in place to tell them to take a rest.

So, is it X-Games responsibility to ensure that all athletes are showing up with a full medical clearance to compete? Obviously they need to address any safety concerns and stay on top of the latest regulations for field of play and personal safety equipment.

What was it like growing up in Norway with all the doping that was started in Finland in the 60's and 70's, you must have had a lot of stories on doping as a child? How many journalists were pushing into the stories of the Norwegian skiers doping in the 80's and 90's?

ESPN does report on doping...http://espn.go.com/...-accused-doping-book

Can you please let me know when I can comment on US related issues?
I live in the USA and pay taxes here so I had an understanding that I could comment on US issues. NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL are all US specific.

I am not sure that the players union have done any hard work regarding doping in the big sports. My understanding is that the unions have been fighting drug testing. As a results, the drug testing is pathetic.

UFC is an organization that have made big progress in health for their athletes.

I think some combination of age and safety. I also like your idea about scoring in such a way to not favor tricks that are more likely to cause head injury. I don't know. I suppose just anything. There are plenty of high level X-Games competitors who aren't even able to drive. Yeah, I get the legal ramifications of saying something. It's just kind of disappointing, especially when I actually praise ESPN - which owns the X-Games - for covering the Mirra story with multiple articles.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

You're right there, to a degree. But this is really a CTE thread. It's a fundamentally different issue.

The NFL players union won a $765M settlement to provide up to $5M to players diagnosed with neurological problems. With the help of U.S. journalism in providing the publicity hammer to drop on the NFL (the owners really). Even that was seen as a copout by many. But is there a fund for pro cyclists hit by motos? No, of course not.

I imagine ESPN/X-Games might be worried about something similar, and their lawyers may have locked down on self-incriminating statements. However I think even a lawyer could green-light a basic statement acknowledging the Mirra tragedy in a human way without admitting fault for CTE.

http://www.burzum.org/...burzum_story02.shtml

Why I killed Euronymous

I have gradually built up a cynicism towards ESPN and their lack of journalistic integrity. They give the impression of making sure their advertisers and the sensibilities of the masses are not offended. There is nothing wrong with this if your goal is to make truckloads of money, but it comes at the cost of their reputation. So when I see articles on Mira and others with TMI, I am left wondering what the articles would look like without the censure placed on the writers by ESPN. Would Mira get as much or more coverage if he was a mainstream athlete with mainstream sponsors?

One sect that I left out when I mentioned culpability in my earlier comment were the consumers. As consumers, we support the dangerous behavior of the athletes that we love to watch. If we stopped watching the NFL or buying ________ energy drink, the product would have to change or it will disappear. Steroids in baseball is a great example of consumers speaking with their actions louder than their voices. We loved watching Sosa and McGuire chase the HR record and could speculate that they were doping, but we consumers kept watching. Pro Bike Racing has the same issue: the consumers say the want a clean sport, but they are not willing to do what it takes to force the parties involved to clean it up.

That was a long way of saying the choices we make as consumers can influence the choices made by athletes that are risking their lives, but every person is ultimately responsible for their own actions.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour