Like It Is

More emphasis on concussions smart move

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speaks to his players during practice Saturday, April 18, 2015, at the university's practice facility in Fayetteville.
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speaks to his players during practice Saturday, April 18, 2015, at the university's practice facility in Fayetteville.

When Nick Saban speaks, the college football world listens.

He spoke Tuesday at the SEC spring meetings about leveling the field and winning more championships. The big concern for coaches when it comes to a level playing field is preventing poaching.

Coaches like Penn State's James Franklin and Ohio State's Urban Meyer are being "guest" coaches at camps in the SEC footprint, and as Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said it is all about recruiting.

Both are former SEC coaches with connections, but to keep recruiting in the South going they need to keep their names in play in the area.

With that going on, it was almost a side note that the SEC announced it is going to be more proactive in trying to discover injuries, especially concussions, when they happen.

Starting this fall a medical professional will be in the replay booth and, no, he won't be checking the vision of the replay official or to see if he has a heart.

He will be there to watch for injuries, particularly potential concussions, and will immediately notify the appropriate sideline if he suspects a player is hurt.

That's a good thing. Just a little extra dose of medicine.

Of course, the Arkansas Razorbacks have a great medical staff at every game. Almost any time a player is down at a home game, you will see Drs. John VanderSchilden, Ramon Ylanan, Chris Arnold, Terry Sites and David Clay running out on the field.

Arnold, who lives and practices in Northwest Arkansas, does the majority of surgeries on injured Razorbacks. VanderSchilden is a teaching surgeon at UAMS. He's also the doctor who saved former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden's big toe a few years ago.

Plus the UA employs great trainers who watch out for and treat the athletes on a daily basis.

Yet all would agree that another set of eyes is a good thing, especially on the road when no school can take all of its medical personnel.

Plus, it is just one more reason for football players to play for SEC schools.

...

When the subject of nine SEC conference games came up, Bret Bielema had no trouble letting everyone know exactly how he feels.

"I invite you to play eight in the SEC," he said.

Actually, Bielema might have 13 other SEC coaches agree with him on that subject.

The SEC, especially the Western Division, is brutal, plus the league mandates that every member play at least one game from one of the other conferences that comprise the Big Five.

Nick Saban added that last year six teams in the SEC West were ranked at one time and the other one, Arkansas, was playing some really good football.

If the SEC wants to continue to be a major player in the College Football Playoffs, it is almost critical that it doesn't go to a nine-game conference schedule.

Also consider that for three consecutive weekends the Razorbacks are on the road this fall. Their fourth game of the year is against Texas A&M at Cowboy Stadium, then they are on the road at Tennessee and Alabama.

They also go to Ole Miss and LSU, making their eight-game conference schedule perhaps the most brutal in the SEC.

...

This Sunday the Arkansas Travelers are partnering with Ozark Water Projects, and a donation of two or more pairs of old shoes gets fans $3 off the price of admission.

OWP collects old shoes and sells them to an exporter. The money raised is used to bring purified water to countries such as Haiti or Kenya.

Worldwide, 80 percent of sickness is attributed to unsafe water and sanitation.

The Travelers also honor all active military at all games, but the savings will be even bigger Sunday.

Sports on 05/28/2015

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