Concur on all accounts. I just am shocked that Tebow wasn’t in the ambulance in half the time that he was sitting on the sideline. I’ve some concussions, but this was a CONCUSSION. Boy probably saw Jesus for a bit. Irregardless of whether or no the puke was from the hit or the flu, he should have been gone asap. Kinda irresponsible on the part of the training staff in my opinion. Also, ESPN can suck a dick. Totally unnecessary to see the despondent Kentucky fans during the whole game and totally unnecessary to see the fans freaking out after the hit.

Well said. Let’s hope he’s getting the same advice from those close to him.

How severe a concussion are we talking about?

I saw the hit live and honestly, a collective cheer when out when he got his collective shit rocked. However, once we saw his head hit the knee, the crowd at the bar became somewhat concerned. Then we switched the TV to the UGA game.

Well said, O. Here’s for a full (not speedy, but full) recovery for Timmy.

I guess no one learned from the tragic story of Natasha Richardson. In reading that, her fall did not appear
to be that violent, yet in a few hours, her injury worsened to the point that she was unable to recover from it.

Clearly, the Tebow injury was violent, with him lying nearly motionless, yet it was initially treated no better
than Ms. Richardson’s case. Kudos to whoever it was who insisted that he be taken to hospital. That very
well may have been a life-saving decision.

100% right on the assessment and the prediction that he’ll play regardless. It’s a shame because he is the perfect player to lead the way here…

And FWIW, every Dawg I know is hoping he makes the speediest and heathiest recovery. I was beside myself after he was taken out in the ambulance.

I would assume this means that Tebow is going to have to stop running straight at people with his head down. He is very lucky his spearing technique has not put his brain or neck on scramble in the blender sooner. All this being said, I hope he has a full recovery.

As a long time reader and UF Alumni, I agree. Tebow’s physical health (and any other player) is more important than any championship, season, or awards. I also agree that Tebow, being the fierce competitor that he is, will most likely not sit out. These are human beings that have to make decisions that may effect their entire lives. While disappointing as a fan, I support the need for a complete recovery time period. That said,

GO GATORS!!!

Just to complain about ESPN further: Was it really necessary to suddenly cut to commercials right as Tim started to sit up? I don’t think anyone noticed the happy-bubbly product pitches when most of us where wondering whether if his neck was intact.

Also, tracking his every progress (as he puked) with the camera wasn’t necessary (look! He’s really sick/not doing well!) And that shot into the ambulance window as he’s being driven away? Show a little class, producers…

I hope to see Brantley against LSU. He can win, and, as you said, Tebow shouldn’t be out there.

Not to jump on the growing “Meyer is an idiot for having Tebow in there with that lead!” bandwagon, but I’ve been saying for a long time that we need to be getting Brantley into some more games—Eric Kresser-style—both to save Tebow from potential injury and to get Brantley some needed experience.

Orson, you’re right, but you say it yourself: you’re making a cold, rational plea. Tebow is not a cold or rational person, he’s a football player. And we can sit here and say that he’s a person first, but I doubt that he really feels that way. He wants to play football, and as soon as a doctor will say he can, that’s what he is going to do. The pleas for cold and rational should be aimed in their direction rather than Tebow’s; that’s their job, while his job is to be emotional and irrational.

But I will also say that I’m perfectly fine with holding him out of the LSU game and any other game. I’m actually probably more guilty of drinking the Brantley kool-aid than the Tebow one, and I think that there is no reason that every goal that this team has this year, including the SEC and a national title to cap an undefeated season, can’t be fulfilled with Brantley at the helm.

Well said.

Ok, not the incorrect grammar : “but there’s plenty of other
 places” – places is a plural, use “there are”, please!

Great post. Thank you! Sitting Tebow out for a couple of
weeks at least is the right thing to do.

Will they do the right thing? No, obviously not.

Tebow is money for the school, for the network, for the
print media, for the sponsors, for the idiots betting on
games, for pretty darn near everyone connected with
college football.

If I was his mom, I’d sit him out. And I’d be spitting mad at
all those salivating, sycophantic blowhards talking about
how Tebow is raring to go, how strong and courageous
he is.

Yes, that’s what you glorify him for, what gets him
all the adulation. How can he not want to be a hero?
How can you put him in the position where he has to
choose between disappointing everybody and
taking care of his own health?

It’s not about Tim. It’s about all those hundreds of
 thousands of little kids out there getting hit and playing
on, trying to be like Tim.

I heard his coach say,“you know, that’s Tim. He wants to
 play.” Well, I’m sorry, but he’s the kid and you’re the adult.
His judgement is questionable, to say the least, at best
of times. It’s why we don’t let him and everybody else
vote. Or drink. How questionable do you think his
judgement is going to be with a brain injury?

Yes, people, a little reminder. It was a BRAIN INJURY.
Think about that for a bit, and what we are asking of him.

Well written Orson. I hope Urban sits him out and lets Johnny B play until Timmy is fully recovered. If that means we lose a couple games, that’s fine with me.

Get well Baby Rhino.

Sums up my feelings perfectly, and, as usual, some astute, sober replies here. Great post Orson. Here is hoping the doctors will take the cold, logical path. Sadly, I fear that won’t happen; even as “fans” post they are praying for Tim the next thing out of their mouths is “we need him for the LSU game.” God, people- get a grip. His brain is injured. He will move on from playing football for the Gators in January, and eventually, in his life. Serious, serious injury. VERY fortunate to not have spinal injury. It was a sickening, long stretch of time there, when he was laid out on the field. I hope he is allowed to heal, properly and fully.

The look in his eyes on SMQ’s post is downright disturbing.

I guess I’m the only one who thinks there is no way Tebow will actually play against LSU. UNLESS he has a full recovery. But since apparently that’s not a thing that happens in two weeks, I really think Tebow will sit. In the end I just don’t think Meyer will let this be Tebow’s decision, and when doctors tell Meyer that Tebow needs to sit, I think he’ll listen.

Like you say, this is not an injury you can muscle through, and I think Meyer is smart enough to realize that and trump any emotional decisions that Tebow wants to make about playing.

(Forget everything I just wrote, of course, if Meyer finds a doctor or three willing to clear Tebow to play.)

This is a very mature and serious thread. Was the author concussed at time of posting?

I would make an emotional plea for the Baby Rhino but I’m a-scared of the Grammar Police.

BBS: if you’ve had a concussion, you should know that moving around makes you feel pretty awful afterward. in the absence of some sort of alarming factor (vision loss, loss of sensation in extremities, speaking in tongues), there is no good reason to move him immediately. by all accounts, he was lucid following the hit, with no evidence of memory loss

studley: did she have a team of physicians and athletic trainers experienced in athletic MTBI attending to her within seconds of the injury? no.

Anyway, Spencer, you are exactly right, the Baby Rhino will likely be back on the field of play as soon as he physically can. Could he suffer grave bodily harm? Absolutely. I believe he will take that into consideration, do some praying, and decide that he is good to go, and that the Almighty will protect him. Cold and logical? Maybe, maybe not, depending on who’s logic you use.

@6:

Nice schadenfreude, blaming the injury on Tebow’s “spearing technique,” despite the fact that the injury occurred on a passing play, not a run. I mean, what other possible conclusion could be drawn from this event than that it’s his own fault?

All that being said, you’re a vicious piece of shit.

Come on — it’d take a tank to stop your dad. It would take all five Super Trooper VR Warriors, right?

…..When you get knocked in the noggin hard enough to make you throw up, it’s a bad one. Had one like that myself, a few years back. Thought I was over it a couple of weeks later, and put some of those ear drops in, after swimming in the ocean. There was still raw tissue in there, and the alcohol felt like it had set my head on fire!

…..Don’t know about the other channels, but Fox Sports South kept showing the hit at least once per series, during the Auburn/Ball State game. I think they were trying to take the record away from ABC, on replaying a nausea-inducing injury. ABC’s record was set, of course, many years ago when Lawrence Taylor broke Joe Theisman’s leg. ABC replayed that thing over, and over. Enough, already?

I’ll take up for the Fla training staff. Evaluating a concussion on the field is not extremely easy to do (a decade of coaching let me see dozens of them). He was taken out of the game, and monitored by the staff. As his symptoms became acutely displayed they call for the EMT’s. Tebow is a tough kid and the staff did a good job I thought. Now let’s see how severe it is and how they treat it (conservative timeframe will be my bet).

orson,

good job sorting through the medical stuff. as a doc who sees ‘head-bonks’ on an almost daily basis let me offer my more than amateur and less than expert view on this.

1. check here (http://www.thirdage.com/health-wellness/concussion-closed-head-injury-head-trauma) for a fairly easy to understand summary of how physicians approach head-injured patients and athletes.
2. there is no pressure on tebow… that is to say, the person under the most pressure right now is his physician. since the ‘baby rhino’ will be pushing to get back asap and the coaches will be asking every day, ‘is he ready’, it will be the physician’s difficult but sacred obligation to hold him until he is truly ready. if the gators drop one with tebow out of the lineup i imagine it will be very tempting to push the envelope a bit and get him back just a little early.
3. there is precious little science here IF mr tebow has normal CT and MRI scans of the brain. then his recovery will have to be judged by nebulous ‘clinical criteria’ which tend to change every year as we slowly gain understanding of head bonks.
4. this hit may well be a textbook example of either ‘coup-contra coup’ syndrome and, perhaps, ‘second impact syndrome’ where the initial hit predisposes to greater injury from the second hit (often this involves a well delivered punch knocking out the recipient, and then the ground provides a second, more damaging blow).
5. coup-contra-coup can be visualized here and let me make it clear that NO ONE IS SAYING that there is any blood in tim’s brain which is a good thing (http://docsontheweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/coup-contra-coup.html), however, there is talk of ‘bruising on the brain’ which, to me, means next to nothing without an MRI showing same.

best wishes to mr. tebow.
911doc

Unlikely anyone does, but does anybody happen to have any insight into Tebow’s bodily injury insurance policy? Sam Bradford’s insurance policy specified that he had to go see Dr. Andrews and get cleared following an orthopedic injury. Its logical to think that Tebow’s insurance policy might specify that Tebow must be cleared by a specific conservative specialist following a concussion. The policy may help keep him sidelined as long as he needs to be, if he refuses to keep himself sidelined.

Come on, it’s ‘Him’ — in three days, he’ll be good as new, amirite?

It’s two weeks, my guess is he will be cleared to play LSU and will play the entire game.

If you saw the buzzsaw that was LSU in Starkville Orson, you know you don’t need Tebow. You could use Wayne Madkin, he’s still got some eligibility laying around somewhere.

I’ve had a concussion where I lost an unknown amount of time and had trouble standing up afterward. I felt like the room was constantly a little tiled, and I had trouble focusing visually on anything. It’s a really terrifying experience, and I took a week off from doing anything that might possibly have caused any kind of sudden head movement.

Concussions are absolutely terrifying, and anybody that makes light of this and lords this as some sort of victory over the evil forces of Florida has the emotional and moral maturity of a fourteen year old. I’m seeing this in some places, and it’s really disgusting. Any kind of brain injury, as Orson so eloquently put it, is something that can’t be regrown, transplanted, replaced, repaired, or surgically reenforced. If you scramble your frontal lobe, you’re done, and no amount of medical expertise today will keep you from sounding like Evander Holyfield for the rest of your life.

Good luck, Timbow. I really hope that Urban Meyer and the training staff do the right thing and protect you from further injury.

Wow, a shockingly civil thread.

Some good might come from this- as a former college football player and soldier, I’ve spent a little time in activities prone to concussion-type injuries, and lately the military has been focusing a lot on detecting and preventing traumatic brain injuries (like the one St. Timmy appears to have sustained). I hope athletic training staffs are paying attention to all of the literature that has come out in recent years about brain injury due to blast overpressure and concussions from IED strikes. The results are often the same in sports-related head injuries. The bottom line is that these are real injuries with potentially serious long term consequences- you just can’t see them.

Here’s to hoping the medical staff and coaches err on the side of caution. Let John Brantley get it done at LSU.

A well-thought out and eminently reasonable conclusion, from a Gators fan. Pity all Tebow will be able to think about is getting back into the game, and that Urban Meyer is enough of a mercenary to encourage it. That he was still in that game to begin with, score being what it was, is stupefying.

orson’s point about how tebow’s reaction to this incident will be influential to any number of high school players is dead on. and the degree of danger they are already in is shocking enough without adding this kind of idiotic machismo to the mix.

as i stressed over at dawg sports – today we consider the era of denying players fluids during practice as backwards and dangerous. we are very likely going to do the same in a few decades looking back on the current era’s asinine perception toward catastrophic head injuries. it would be a tremendous step forward if this incident could be used to highlight the danger players are in every play – but given how things have unfolded so far, that’s not likely to be the case.

Troy Aikman thinks you are all blowing this out of proportion.

I had a similar concussion last February- I landed on a gym floor after a lay up, only I got pushed and hit the ground just above my eye. There was vomiting in that situation as well, and I went to the ER to get a CT and MRI.

I wasn’t kept overnight, but I had to stay with people for the entire weekend, and my reading time went to almost nothing- a syllable at a time, tops…It was almost 3 weeks before I felt right even walking fast.

I know not all concussions are the same, but if he comes back for the LSU game AND is completely better, I’ll be very, very surprised. Now, some doc may say he’s good enough to play, but that’s irresponsible IMO.

I concur with the general sentiments so far, in particular kelph @30

When the season starts, as a fan we do the whole dream scenario of “Undefeated, crush USC/Texas in BCS game and another Heisman for Tebow.”

But the real world always butts in. Until the risk of further damage is as low as can be hoped based on current medicine, Tebow should not play, HOWEVER long that takes. Given all the machismo associated with football, I’m willing to cut some slack on guys going out with tender hamstrings, cracked ribs, strained joints, etc. The worst that can happen (admittedly terrible) is a sports career-ender. But when the gray matter is at higher risk than normal, discretion truly is the better part of valor.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a “write your senator moment.” I just hope threads like this are representative of fandom at large and Meyer et. al. get the message, if they are even thinking of trying to rush him back.

Too bad for him. Jesus will tell him to play though.

Well said Swindle. Even if it is a mild concussion, and if he plays before he is fully healed, he becomes more susceptible to more serve brain injuries. With that said I have to believe Tebow will do everything in his power to play against LSU.

Kleph: With all due respect, I think it is fair to say that Urban’s relationship with Tim is unlike any other relationship he has ever had with a CFB player. He is reported as saying that his knees started shaking because it was like seeing your son on the ground and all he was thinking about was rushing out onto the field. I think their relationship is what most fathers wish they had with their sons. And vice versa.

When he made the comments that Tim was “fine,” I attributed it to statements made by any parent after seeing a child escape a more frightening injury. You are, in fact, trying to convince yourself that your child is okay and participating in a “whistling in the dark” moment. I could be wrong. Urban may really as cold-blooded as many people think he is. I don’t think so.

I also have to hope that this unique relationship will bode well for Tim. A man who loves Tim like a son may – just may – put the brakes on letting him return too early. I’m not praying that Tim makes the right choice…I’m praying Urban does.

I can’t believe some people are using this freak injury as a reason to criticize either Tebow or the UF coaching staff.

Interesting that that theme seems to come almost exclusively from Dawg fans (who are a poor representation of a decent fanbase).

I agree with Orson that Tim should be held out as long as necessary. The trouble seems to be though that reports are his MRI was clear which my limited understanding leads me to think that his progress will be monitored primarily by his self-reporting of any ongoing effects…and we all know he would play with his spleen hanging outside his body if he had to.

And I will now publicly admit that I cried last night while he was laying motionless on the field…and it wasn’t over any potentially lost championships.

Thoughts and prayers for a speedy and full recovery, beloved Baby Rhino.

Hey, Kleph:

Where was all the sanctimonious ranting this past spring? Dawg fans – particularly their blinding hatred of all things Florida to the point of startling hypocrisy – never cease to amaze me.

“Richt also said that senior Bryan Evans, who has been playing primarily at safety, endured a concussion in Saturday’s scrimmage, but should be practicing again Wednesday.”

http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2009/04/07/Sports/Football.Begins.Final.Week.Of.Spring.Practice.Leading.Up.To.GDay.Game.wvideo-3699474.shtml

But of course Richt could never be appallingly irresponsible.

+1 on all the grief being given to that douche of an ESPN producer. They should seriously be demoted to covering the WNBA.

As for the coaching staff, I don’t fault them for trying to play it low key after the game. The dawg fans are just taking a shot here. There’s no reason to get on national TV and freak everyone (including Tebow’s mom) out.

I can, however, understand those questioning why Meyer continues to leave Tebow in games when they’re clearly over. I realize that play could have happened on the first drive, but the point is, up 31-7 late in the third, he had a chance to minimize Tebow’s exposure (not to mention getting Brantley some experience). It’s not like this was the first (or second, or third…) time he had done it, either

I’m not just picking on Meyer, I complained yesterday about Saban doing the same thing with McElroy.

I hope he has a complete recovery, whether he sits out LSU or not. I really really hope he doesn’t play at LSU just to become an “object lesson” when it turns out very badly.

Well, you can always count on T. Kyle King for your daily dose of verbose sanctimony and lawyerly spin—no surprise there.

I especially like his categorical denial of Meyer’s description of his conversation with Tebow—nothing like seizing upon an ugly incident hundreds of miles away to take a shot at a rival coach’s character.

Let me be the umpteenth Dawg to say this, but please let him heal up good before the Cocktail party. a) Far be it from me to wish permanent injury on anyone and b) I’m still tired of all the people who excuse the 2007 loss because of Timmy’s shoulder boo-boo. He played, get over it. I still never see anyone shedding a tear over the loss in 2005 when Shockley was out.

Regardless, here’s hoping Tebow comes out of this fine with a minimum of truly necessary recovery time so he doesn’t force himself back too soon. Nobody wants to see him get seriously injured, which is a consequence of coming back from this type of injury too soon. The GBPOOE, Brantley, should be able to right the ship with an extra week of practice time. Hold out for health, Tebow.

to clarify; describing this injury as having one’s “bell rung” is to almost criminally downplay its severity. this is a “catastrophic head injury,” period. and it would be far better if it were described as such.

but florida is only being singled out by the fact this incident occurred to their most visible player – the highest profile player in college football today. i’m far less interested in demonizing meyer and his staff for their comments as using them to underscore a dangerous mindset that exists across the board.

as orson ably points out, every player on the field runs the risk of a serious injury. but there is a vast difference between one that will end your career and end your ability to function as a human being. given the stakes involved, i don’t think it’s asking too much of the coaches and athletic departments to be a little more responsible in how they handle these situations.

@41:

Wait, someone blames a Florida loss in 2007 on anyone other than the incinerated secondary? I need to keep up with this stuff.

So kleph…are you going to address the comment above showing Richt’s handling of a concussion sustained by a Dawg player. Richt cannot be an example because the player wasn’t “prominent” enough?

And I agree with 42, downplaying an injury in the heat of the moment is CRIMINAL. I want CRIMINAL CHARGES brought up by the UNITED STATES CONGRESS.

Isn’t there an episode of Glenn Beck you can get outraged over instead?

here’s something especially scary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYkEyvizaIw

no. i’m saying trying to make this a pissing match between programs is missing the point.

and if this issue is serious enough for the nfl to address in a reasonable manner why is it so ludicrous to ask the NCAA do the same?

Just wondering why you didn’t assail the NCAA and indict Richt on behalf of your own injured player, kleph.

As a guy who plays college rugby (Idaho State, I play at hooker), and whose team had to endure the loss of a player 5 years ago to Second Impact Syndrome, I can tell you that concussions are nothing to laugh at. I hope that Urban makes the right decision and holds Tim Tebow back until he is properly healed. SIS is too much of a risk to take. It’s one thing to play with broken ribs, sprained ankles and busted hands and wrists (one of my team mates played the entire second half of a game with a broken wrist), it’s another thing to risk yourself when your precious brain is damaged.

Discretion really is the better part of valor. Get well Baby Rhino!

From a die-hard Buckeye and admitted Gator-Hater and rugby union player

While I hate to ever agree with a Gator fan, I’m with you 100%. I’d rather have Tebow back at full strength when Fla & Bama meet in the SEC title game. We want to beat the real Gators this year and without Tebow they ain’t.

In further response to anyone from the “Urban Should Have Pulled Him [peanut gallery] Department” …. Colt McCoy – who suffered from the flu earlier in the week – wasn’t pulled until partway through the 3rd qtr. – but only after Texas was up 50-7 on UTEP.

Why isn’t Mack Brown on the hotseat?

zzgator @49 & 46 and others: You look pretty silly assuming a mob mentality and trying to attack Kleph on the basis of things Richt did or said, since Kleph isn’t a Georgia fan or alum.

And also because what he said was exactly correct.

@53 – You don’t have to criticize every coach who’s ever left a key player in too long for his own good for it to be a fair criticism of Meyer. We said the same things about Shula when he left Prothro in against UF. Career. Over. And that was just a lower leg.

This is also a trend for Meyer. He leaves the Baby Rhino in long after the game in is in hand. I get wanting to see the team finish, getting your #1 O in sync and all of the other reasons but this is the risk.

Mack’s not getting called out because he didn’t see the best player on his team carted off the field. Fair? No. So what?

As a Dawg, I just want to categorically state the following:

1. ESPN sucks for the unnecessary footage of the vomit, etc

2. Anyone who says they love college football should not wish serious harm or ill on those who play for our entertainment-regardless of who you root for.

3. Get well, Timmy

4. I hope someone advising him is read the disturbing reports that come out of the NFL regarding long term effects of concussions and when to clear him to play.

People, People, people.

Resorting to the time honored tradition of exposing similar gaffes of others (Richt-Concussion minimizing, Brown-Not pulling QB soon enough) to exonerate your own failings is a juvenile level of reasoning.

If something is wrong, pointing to others doing the same thing doesn’t make it right.

I think Urban Meyer was in a borderline situation on taking Tebow out, so will not rake him over the coals on this one. In previous games, I think he was playing with fire, see 2007 season.

And as far as his post games comments and reading into his character, I would be VERY careful of accusing Meyer of being a heartless SOB without being close to the situation simply because he didn’t immediately call for Tebow to retire and Football to be abolished because of the damage it does to young men. If Meyer/Doctors allow Tebow back too soon, they should be held accountable (Tebow can’t be trusted to make the right decision in this matter). Until then, let’s all just pray for the best and maybe Brantley can become our Scott Mitchell (except for the part where he sucks in subsequent years).

kleph, I don’t think “catastrophic” means what you think it means. A concussion is medically classified as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Traumatic, while it sounds grave, merely specifies the manner in which the injury occurs, namely external mechanical force. Now, there’s a big difference between “mild” and “catastrophic”. Amnesia, speech problems, blindness, loss of motor control, etc are symptoms of more serious brain injuries. A stroke is a “catastrophic” brain injury, getting your head cleaved in two is “catastrophic”. The head injury in this case was not.

Not to downplay the severity of a brain injury, but a concussion is about as far down the list in severity as you get in brain injuries. To act like the man is paralyzed or had his limbs torn off is overreacting. Urban Meyer understands that difference. Tebow was, and is, “fine.” There is nothing to indicate that his injury is anything more than the “routine” injury that is a part of life in football.

I’m sure everyone has seen this play, but watch it and listen to the reaction regarding the obvious injury to the players involved. Because there isn’t one. Not because the guys aren’t hurt, but because it’s an accepted part of the game. Serious injury is Kevin Everett or Adam Taliaferro fearing he’ll never walk again, or Marc Buoniconti getting paralyzed in a game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLD33s7V7EU

The medical evidence suggests that one major concussion makes one far more likely to suffer future concussions. Look at the way Tebow plays. This is not a pocket passer with contact being a rarity. What would that collision with Eric Berry have done damage-wise two weeks from now? To put it another way, if this were your kid, would you throw him in front of an LSU defense and tell him to put his head down for yards?

I hate Florida and everything about it, but best wishes to the Rhino. I hope Meyer does the right thing.

Like others have posted and linked to, concussions and the lingering effects are sadly somewhat still in the early stages of being figured out. Being overly cautious is usually the right call because there’s a lot going on in one’s gray matter that can’t always be quantified with charts and tests. I am somewhat encouraged(as much as I can be in this case) that from everything I’ve read and heard Tebow suffered a “mild” concussion which would lead me to believe that it was of the grade 1 variety. Still, PCS is not something to take lightly, and I don’t think that any of the physicians associated with helping make the call on Tebow’s availability for the LSU game will treat it as such.

I also don’t really fault Meyer(or the staff) for the early comments because for many years loss of consciousness was the major indicator of concussion severity. Thus, if the person did not lose consciousness(which I haven’t read/heard that Tebow did), then it was described as a “bell-ringer” or having been “dinged”. Sure, it seems that we’re moving past that phase and placing more importance on establishing baselines and tests, but old habits are hard to break.

Well it looks like I’m the only one who disagrees with this post for the simple fact that NONE of you are qualified to make a medical diagnosis. Did you all forget that you’re just a bunch of fans and bloggers and not doctors (especially you 44)? The only doctor that commented was number 24 and he was smart enough not to make a diagnosis or recommendation because he hasn’t examined Tebow.

None of you have seen the MRI or CT Scan and if you had you wouldn’t know what the hell you were looking at anyway, which makes you completely unqualified to say whether he should be playing, with the exception of 911doc.

Years ago Bill Frist made diagnosed Terry Schiavo on the Senate floor based on video tapes he had seen. I thought he was an idiot then, but at least he was a doctor. You people aren’t doctors and haven’t examined him, so try not to pretend like you have the slightest idea of what you’re talking about. Leave it to the experts…if they think he’s good to go, he’ll play. If not, we’ll see Brantley starting in the biggest came of his career.

Except 911doc, who gave by far the best and most helpful response. Thanks.

No doubt he will be back on the field sooner than he should be, and I just hope he can remain safe while he heals on the job. I have some glancing contact with the testing GTbeau mentioned, and as others have noted, once the scans are clear you’re really just relying on some hazy clinical benchmarks and self-reporting of symptoms. With physicians and trainers under pressure to get the star back on the field and a player with a competitive drive like Tebow’s, every factor will lead toward a premature “recovery.”

We saw the same thing with Blake Griffin in the spring. He was back on the court way before he should have been. I hope Tebow and the Gators err on the side of caution, and, failing that, protect the hell out of his ass when he’s on the field over the next month.

The probable solution to fixing the concussion epidemic in football is a combined helmet-shoulder pad combination where the helmet is attached to the shoulderpads and the player’s head moves independently inside the apparatus.

I remember reading about this in the mid 90s (Popular Science, maybe?). The equipment made the players look more like spacemen, but were much better at preventing concussion. Interestingly, there was more vision and arm movement provided by the device, but players didn’t like it because of the goofy look.

RotagFU, you hit at least 23 different gates on the way down the slalom course of internet commenting FAIL. At comment 60, you are clearly in the lead of internet fail.

All further responses to your seizing of the gold medal in this department will be forwarded to Welcome to Internet.

Thanks,

The Management

Forgive me for thinking kleph was a dawg fan if he/she is not…the quoting (and endorsing) of a dawg blog gave me that impression.

concur with zz -
kleph has a good point, and I apologize for plastering him with an accusation more accurately directed at the linked blog’s hyprocrisy in singling out Meyer. Intent was neither to condemn Richt nor exonerate Meyer, who may have each reacted to their respective situations without properly processing the ramifications, …not unlike blog commenting…further apologies for contributing muck to an otherwise level-headed thread…

#60

To put it in plain english…..I dont give a damn on the various levels of concussions or brain damage or dain bramage, plain and simple, Tebow got fucked up. Fucked up enough they had to call for damn AMBULANCE . CAT Scans, overnight in the hospital…. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV,but I do know when someone gets fucked up. Thats called common sense, especially when Tebow is laying motionless, and it looked to me that at one point he wasnt breathing. So paint this with a broad brush if you want to about people not being doctors chiming in, we just err on the side of common sense. I am sure there are some very highly qualified non-U of F doctors who are gonna be consulted. And for all the kids who are watching this, let this be example #2 of why staying in college for your Senior Year instead of going in the first round of the draft of the NFL last year is a really bad bad idea. I am sure Sanchez is thinking “Thank you Jesus”….unlike Tebow and Sam Bradford. At least in the NFL, you have guaranteed money to fall back on if you take too many hits in the noggin….ask Trent Green….After watching the hit, he better be glad he isnt paralysed or have a fractured neck or bruised spinal cord……

He should shut it down for the year. The first is the hardest to get. Then they become easier and easier. I hope he realizes that he has the rest of his life. What else is there to prove?

Hmmm…another dawg fan chimes in?

For someone who claims UGA fans are looking for any possible reason to rip on Florida, Mr. Zzgator certainly seems to have a one-track mind.

We’re all missing the important point of Orson’s post: Tebow should sit against LSU even if the medical evidence is ambiguous, because he is such a high-profile public figure and a hero to many high-school and youth football players.

The most difficult test for any sincere Christian is humility. Tebow is being put to that test; let’s see how he responds. I’m a Big Ten dweller/Tebow fan, and I hope he has enough courage to sit and “put himself third” as Gale Sayers would say.

“Beloved Baby Rino?”

That there’s the gayest thing I’ve encountered on this site ever.

You an UGA fan as well, Erik? You seem defensive.

And WOO HOO!!! I posted the “gayest thing ever” on this site…and that’s saying something.

Gator Hater here – but TT is good for college football and a helluva player. Hope he comes back soon. Get well Tim.

Seems like everyone’s covered the injury angle, so I will just say this:

If Florida can’t beat LSU, Arkansas at home, and Mississippi State with Brantley at QB, this team was overrated to begin with. The defense, OL, and RBs should be more than enough to get us through to the Georgia game.

Plus, it’s not like Brantley is your average back up. He’s a better passer of the ball than Tebow, so perhaps that will help solve the wide receiver issues somewhat. Time to step up, Rainey and Demps, it’s your offense for the next 2 to 4 weeks.

I rip on Tebow as much as anyone, but I wish the kid well on this one.

I hope that he takes the proper time to heal, whether that be @ LSU, later this year, or next year in the NFL. That’s not as important as his health.

@12,
Well said, Gameday, but if you’re going to correct Orson’s grammar, I feel compelled to point out that you were using the subjunctive/hypothetical when you wrote “If I was his mom…” and therefore should have used “were” in that case.
I join you and the rest of these surprisingly civil people in wishing Tebow a complete recovery before he attempts to run, pass or perform a charity circumcision in the Philippines.

damn…can’t believe I read this whole thread and nobody said it…

rub some dirt on it son, and get back out there

I am somewhat tickled by zzgator’s worldview that the world is split into two and only two factions: Florida fans and Georgia fans; if you are not the former, you are necessarily the latter. I applaud your simplemindedness, sir.

Very well put Orson.

I really hope he makes the safe decision and sets the positive example.

Like others have posted and linked to, concussions and the lingering effects are sadly somewhat still in the early stages of being figured out. Being overly cautious is usually the right call because there’s a lot going on in one’s gray matter that can’t always be quantified with charts and tests. I am somewhat encouraged(as much as I can be in this case) that from everything I’ve read and heard Tebow suffered a “mild” concussion which would lead me to believe that it was of the grade 1 variety. Still, PCS is not something to take lightly, and I don’t think that any of the physicians associated with helping make the call on Tebow’s availability for the LSU game will treat it as such.

I also don’t really fault Meyer(or his staff) for the early comments because for many years loss of consciousness was the major indicator of concussion severity. Thus, if the person did not lose consciousness(which I haven’t read/heard that Tebow did), then it was described as a “bell-ringer” or having been “dinged”. Sure, it seems that we’re moving past that phase and placing more importance on establishing baselines and tests, but old habits are hard to break.

Thanks 911doc for the info. A friend who is a trainer at a f/k/a D1 school said he wouldn’t have been allowed to fly on Sunday with a grade 3 – anyone know if this is true?

I was in the stadium Sat – I felt like my heart stopped. Thoughts and prayers are with Baby Rhino and his family…call me crazy but I think Urban genuinely loves this kid and won’t put him in until he’s ready.

Tebow has lots of good that he can do after his playing career. I hope he makes the right decision.

As a Gator fan, I have no problem admitting that seeing our beloved Baby Rhino prone on the ground unmoving for agonizing minutes was unequivocally the scariest sports moment of my life. Time stood still for the Gator Nation then, did it not? And as much of a relief as it was to see him finally move and get off the field with the help of the training staff, I worried pretty much all night. It certainly put a damper on the win.

My feeling is this: No championship, season, or award is worth risking Tim’s health. If he needs to miss a game or two (or even more) for his brain’s safety, and if we happened to lose along the way, so be it. I hope (and feel) Urban agrees with this sentiment.

I’m a lawyer, not a doctor, but even before speaking with some (and I have done so) it was fairly self-evident
that Tebow sitting out the LSU game was a complete no-brainer (pun originally not intended but on further
reflection very much so). Indeed, Georgia would seem to be the first reasonable target (but I’d want some serious
medical assessments before permitting even this.

Orson’s argument about how this should/could be used as an example is cogent but unlikely to be
persuasive for Tebow. I’m quite confident that the one thing he wants more than to play against LSU is to
avoid being an example of the “softness” sitting out would exhibit.

This decision should be taken completely out of his hands and it would be the height of irresponsibility for
any doctor to OK him for the game and Urban to follow through on such acquiescence.

I’m a lawyer, not a doctor, but even before speaking with some (and I have done so) it was fairly self-evident
that Tebow sitting out the LSU game was a complete no-brainer (pun originally not intended but on further
reflection very much so). Indeed, Georgia would seem to be the first reasonable target (but I’d want some serious
medical assessments before permitting even this.

Orson’s argument about how this should/could be used as an example is cogent but unlikely to be
persuasive for Tebow. I’m quite confident that the one thing he wants more than to play against LSU is to
avoid being an example of the “softness” sitting out would exhibit.

This decision should be taken completely out of his hands and it would be the height of irresponsibility for
any doctor to OK him for the game and Urban to follow through on such acquiescence.

@peterpumpkinhead #41

“…covering the WNBA…”. A solution to POTUS GITMO closing problem. Makes waterboarding seem like a pleasant tailgate.

See, I have to disagree Orson- I think it depends entirely on how open Meyer et al are being regarding Tebow post-hit- if he really didn’t lose conciousness, or suffer post-hit amnesia then its likely a mild concussion- something that a lot of people have suffered in everyday-non-football lives, and while it wouldn’t be priudent to play him this Saturday- 14 days is at the early end of the estimates allowed- this recommendation completely changes of course if this is the second or more of future concussion- interestingly from what I’ve read the new consensus is that its not the sheer number of concussion suffered (assuming their not major) but theduration between them that dictates long term effects- the brain is an amazingly resilent organ if given time to heal.

Socraticsilence— Hey, we would know ASK OUR FRIEND GIN.

Signed,

Drinkers.

As a human being, I was sickened by the hit and resulting injury. As a fan of the game, I hope they do what’s best for the kid and hold him out until he is well healed. As an LSU fan, I think that Florida is too much for us to handle this year regardless and I certainly don’t want to see Chad Jone or Patrick Peterson coming off the edge to “clean him up”. That is not a highlight I want associated with my team. He is too good a kid and to important to Florida’s legacy to let him throw himself to the wolves too early. This is just a game to most and a job to some, but even then, there are many more important things in this world. Hopefully those involved in the decision know that.

@55… Check yourself, Tusk. This is in NO way a “trend for Meyer.” Go back to last year and you’ll see how Tebow was pulled in the early to mid-3rd quarter of ALL those blowouts (the last 6 or 7 reg season games).

Meanwhile, Bradford was playing 50-60 minutes a game, for almost all their blowouts… in more than one game, launching 40-50 yard bombs in the waning seconds for a final dead-horse-beating TD… what with OU gunning for the “highest scoring offense ever” record. Hence, the wide-eyed lemmings voting the Heisman his way purely for the sexy numbers. Meyer pulling Tebow, sometimes RIGHT after halftime, surely cost Tim his 2nd Bronzy. In fact, go back and run the figures of the two QBs and Tebow’s numbers blow Bradford’s away in a per minute production ratio.

But I digress…

To make such a statement about Meyer, in fact for ANYONE to make such a claim, JUST because the injury occurred, is ludicrous and just plain false facts.

And it wasn’t like that game was 55 – 7 at the time. While yes, the first quarter alone provided all the kitty cat carnage necessary to get the W… 31 -7 isn’t exactly “out of hand”. Especially in the eyes of those stat-thirsty voters. And I speak of the Heisman AND poll voters. I’m SURE Meyer would have gone just as his TRUE trend has been, and pulled Tim right after the TD they were surely just about to score… had they done so. The stats would’ve been sexy enough for the day, and there still would’ve been the majority of the 2nd half for Brantley to get his reps in.

bj @ 19 – No, but she was taken down the hill to paramedics, which were turned away. The point, which
evidently was not understood, was that even with that team of trainers and physicians, there was a delay in
taking him to hospital.

I’m a Dawg, I’m sure Tebow will be fine by then, but yall don’t need him to beat us. (Watch our games). LOL

Get better Mr. Tebow, thought I’ve spent three years hating on you, please get better, and get back to full strength so I can hate on you and not feel guilty about it. Until then, truce

Let’s just cut through the shit. Tebow is out for 3 – 4 weeks. Without him, regardless of the protestations of the sychophants, Florida is done. A giant L looms in Death Valley. When the savior deigns to step back into the fray, he is one helmet-to-helmet contact from being done and dusted.

Without him, UF is Ole Miss.

Sayanora bitches.

I remember 2 years ago I was playing college rugby in virginia when Todd Miller was killed during a match. he had multiple previous concussions and was hit by the largest member of our team, something like 300 plus pounds. he got up, walked off the field, and then fell unconscious on the sideline. its not a tweaked ankle. seriously, its your brain. would you go play football after getting hit by an IED? its the same concept – your brain has been bounced around in your skull. what are you thinking?

players should make the decision that, you know what, its really not worth it, but ultimately it falls on a coach to mandate that they not play. if urban meyer plays tebow against LSU, whatever happens is his responsibility. the guy (tebow) has too much going for him outside of football. you’re gonna get drafted, and yeah, maybe no national championship, either way, at least you wont be a vegetable.

Excellent column that motivated me to learn more about concussions. Thank you.

I reposted it at The Troll Report.