For those of you familiar with National Hockey League player agent Allan Walsh you will be well aware that he is a man that has never, and probably will never, shy away from sharing his opinion on any given topic.
Although he works within the world of the NHL, Walsh has often been a vocal critic of the league when it comes to its treatment of players and that is especially true when it comes to the topic of injuries. Walsh has been one of the most outspoken critics of the NHL when it comes to their attitude towards concussions and other serious head injuries, and perhaps it should have come as no surprise then when he decided to give the National Football League a piece of his mind on Sunday.
Walsh went off on social media when he became aware of an incident involving Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during today's slate of games in the NFL. Tagovailoa was on the receiving end of a significant blow that made it appear as though he was seriously rocked, so much so that, even after he had regained his footing, he stumbled and fell again back onto the field as a result of the blow.
"It’s criminal to let any player back in the game after he stumbles like this after hitting his head hard with the ground." said Walsh on Sunday. "Absolutely criminal…"
Here's a look at the clip in question:
Like in the NHL, players who suffer what are believed to be head injuries during the course of an NFL game are forced to enter a concussion protocol. That was exactly the case for Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday after he was clearly rocked on the field, but the outrage comes due to the conclusion reached by the doctor's overseeing the concussion protocol.
In spite of the fact that Tua Tagovailoa appeared to be in real trouble, he has managed to clear the concussion protocol and return to play which in turn led to the outrage from the aforementioned Allan Walsh.
Austensibly these programs are designed to protect the safety of the players, although some would argue that it is far more likely the leagues have instituted these programs to shield themselves from liability.