How is Harvin not cleared to play?

I just really have a bad feeling about this game now since the NFL probably made the decision he can't play not our team.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... oncussions

"Once a team doctor signs off on a player's return, the player is evaluated in person by an unaffiliated concussion expert physician approved by both the NFL and NFL Players Association. This unaffiliated expert also must sign off on the player's health before he is allowed to return to play."

This is very disappointing are Concussion protocols a lot more strict than even last year? I remember Sydney Rice took what appeared to me a much more severe concussion last season and played the next game (looked like he got paralyzed on that play).

U mean in chicago where his body flopped looking dead for the winning TD...

Yeah I thought if any concussion would cause a player to not play the next game it would have been that one on Rice.

This just seems shady to me they aren't gonna let him play in such an important game, kinda expecting the refs to try to make us lose too now.

Percy isn't playing because he did not pass the protocol. It's that simple. The NFL is not trying to keep him from playing. Also, the person is only approved by the NFL AND NFLPA, not working for them. There's nothing here.

Tokadub":399vqj7u said:

Yeah I thought if any concussion would cause a player to not play the next game it would have been that one on Rice.

This just seems shady to me they aren't gonna let him play in such an important game, kinda expecting the refs to try to make us lose too now.

Click to expand...

Come on... Grow up

Tokadub":vui6sf5p said:

I just really have a bad feeling about this game now since the NFL probably made the decision he can't play not our team.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... oncussions

"Once a team doctor signs off on a player's return, the player is evaluated in person by an unaffiliated concussion expert physician approved by both the NFL and NFL Players Association. This unaffiliated expert also must sign off on the player's health before he is allowed to return to play."

This is very disappointing are Concussion protocols a lot more strict than even last year? I remember Sydney Rice took what appeared to me a much more severe concussion last season and played the next game (looked like he got paralyzed on that play).

Click to expand...

Harvin took not just one hit, but two hits on Saturday. We know he came back out, but if he had a minor concussion but cleared the tests and then got a second concussion that close to it, it's quite feasible that it would make it harder to come back.

It's not really that big of a deal. People think our offense declined a lot after percy left, but honestly I think it was more the weather and ball control than just having percy gone. They've game planned all week and practiced all week under the assumption he wouldn't play, so we'll be just fine. We won plenty of games without him, including the Niners in Seattle

And what exactly is the concussion protocol some guy looks in his eyes with a little flashlight and waves his finger and says he can't play after scribbling some notes down?

Percy isn't exactly the most articulate dude to begin with, I just am not sure how you can accurately assess this kind of thing.

Maybe the NFL needs to like spend a tiny portion of their mega billions to design a better helmet... this is just bologna. I read or saw some studies that showed the new NFL helmets are about as effective to protect the brain as the leather ones were.

Article titled:

NFL offering millions for helmet innovations. LOL why don't they fund their own projects to do this instead of trying to make other people figure it out for them?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... l/2768237/

I'm just hoping he's available on Feb. 2nd.

I also think it's really stupid that the team doctor doesn't get to make the decision. The fact that the NFL has control of who plays is troublesome. What's the point of having a team doctor if he can't make decisions and take accountability for his players health which is his job?

Too many tin foil hats in here.

I don't think the NFL has an agenda against Seattle. Concussions are a serious medical issue and Harvin did not pass the protocol.

I still love our chances without him. For as much as I wish he could be on the field, we're still a great team.

Tokadub":2a5zy0s9 said:

And what exactly is the concussion protocol some guy looks in his eyes with a little flashlight and waves his finger and says he can't play after scribbling some notes down?

Percy isn't exactly the most articulate dude to begin with, I just am not sure how you can accurately assess this kind of thing.

Maybe the NFL needs to like spend a tiny portion of their mega billions to design a better helmet... this is just bologna. I read or saw some studies that showed the new NFL helmets are about as effective to protect the brain as the leather ones were.

Article titled:

NFL offering millions for helmet innovations. LOL why don't they fund their own projects to do this instead of trying to make other people figure it out for them?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nf ... l/2768237/

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Wait, so you're criticizing the concussion protocol without even knowing what it is? And that's evidence of a conspiracy?

It's been posted more times than i can count the last week. Just google it.

lsheldon":2shck78j said:

I'm just hoping he's available on Feb. 2nd.

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Pete said that Percy would be able to practice next week, so there should be no worry there

Tokadub":yiv3z5ze said:

Yeah I thought if any concussion would cause a player to not play the next game it would have been that one on Rice.

This just seems shady to me they aren't gonna let him play in such an important game, kinda expecting the refs to try to make us lose too now.

Click to expand...

This is why much of the league believes Seahawks fans are whiny babies. The NFL is conspiring against the Seahawks based on a dude that got hit in the head twice six days ago not being cleared to play? Really???

"Kinda expecting the refs to try to make us lose too now" = Top 10 dumbest posts of the season, and that's saying a lot.

Return-to-Participation Process
After a concussion has occurred in practice or play
, the concussed player must be examined and
monitored in the training room on a daily basis or
as decided by the medical staff. Components of
the NFL Sideline Concussion Assessment can be utili
zed to check for symptoms as well as continue
to monitor the other aspects of the examination. T
he following measures must occur in order for a
player to return to play:
6
a.
A player returns to baseline status of symptoms an
d neurologic exam, including cognitive
and balance functions.
i.
Repeat neuropsychological evaluation is performed b
efore return to practice or play with
interpretation of the data by the team neuropsychol
ogy consultant. The team
neuropsychology consultant reports the findings bac
k to the team physician.
b.
A graduated exercise challenge, followed by a gradu
al return to practice and play, is
initiated when the player returns to baseline statu
s. The RTP protocol following a
concussion follows a stepwise process to be outline
d in the NFL Head, Neck and Spine
Committee’s Return to Participation Protocol.
c.
Prior to return to practice or play, not only must
the team physician clear the player, but the
Independent Neurological Consultant with expertise
in concussion must also evaluate and
clear the player for return to practice and play.
d.
A player may be considered for return to practice
and play only after the player has
returned to baseline status with rest and exertion,
has repeat neuropsychological testing
which is interpreted by the team neuropsychology co
nsultant as back to baseline levels of
functioning, and has completed the Return to Partic
ipation Protocol referenced above and
is cleared by the Team Physician and the Independen
t Neurological Consultant.

http://images.nflplayers.com/mediaResou ... ussion.pdf


So where exactly am I supposed to know what exactly they do in this statement:

c.
Prior to return to practice or play, not only must
the team physician clear the player, but the
Independent Neurological Consultant with expertise
in concussion must also evaluate and
clear the player for return to practice and play.

All they say is "evaluate" this is lawyer talk if I've ever seen one. It sounds like the Independent Neurological Consultant (not really independent if has to be approved by NFL what a joke) could decide to not clear the player for any reason they choose or for no reason at all, essentially this one very unclear statement overrides the entire rest of the protocol. That's just dumb.

What's with all the whining. We won without this guy the entire season and we won't stop now.

Tokadub":2qeq8vu7 said:

I also think it's really stupid that the team doctor doesn't get to make the decision. The fact that the NFL has control of who plays is troublesome. What's the point of having a team doctor if he can't make decisions and take accountability for his players health which is his job?

Click to expand...

The NFL has no control that is the idea. The wording is that it's an impartial doctor APPROVED by the league and player's association. This is a doctor that is pre-selected to be able to clear players. It's not a doctor on the League payroll.

The reason for this rule is to insure no teams try to be shady about playing a guy before he's ready.

People will argue that doctors wouldn't do that if it's against the patients best interest, but that's just not true across the board and when the league pays out 600 million (which may increase) due to previous concussions, they start taking it very seriously.

Every 49er player that had a concussion this year came back and played the following week. Not ours. Typical

Seaswab":2zk95riu said:

Every 49er player that had a concussion this year came back and played the following week. Not ours. Typical

Click to expand...

Every concussion is different. They aren't broken bones, they don't have a set time. Some are more serious than others. We've had plenty of players get concussed and come back. Harvin took not just one but TWO hits to the head. The second hit likely took a mild concussion that wasn't showing visible signs into a serious concussion that lingers a little longer. Pete already said he'd be clear to practice next week, so it's not that big of a deal. Welker was out longer

Uncle Si":2zmn5s18 said:

Tokadub":2zmn5s18 said:

Yeah I thought if any concussion would cause a player to not play the next game it would have been that one on Rice.

This just seems shady to me they aren't gonna let him play in such an important game, kinda expecting the refs to try to make us lose too now.

Click to expand...

Come on... Grow up

Click to expand...

:13:

The conspiracy theorists out in full force... Wow.

First, we didn't have Harvin for either regular season game with the Niners, so I don't see what the big deal is at all. We beat them down at home this season and I think will do it again without Harvin.

Second, what plays in his two games this year that makes anyone certain he would be the difference in this game? In both cases he made plays, but none that determined the outcome of either game.

Third, even if he was able to pass the tests he would be a minimal asset since he would have had no practice time or ability to work on any special plays just for him. So at best he would have been a decoy or marginal contributor.

Last, once we win he will have two more weeks to get right and practice to be able to go full speed in the Super Bowl. If we lose (don't see it) then he has the whole off season to get right.

So just relax.