Heralded neuroscientist Chris Nowinski didn’t hold back when he commented on concussion policies in soccer. Specifically, Nowinski’s attention was on Major League Soccer.
Early on Friday, the MLS made a massive decision. They decided to refuse the implementation of a trial on temporary concussions substitutes, according to the MLS Players’ Association. The MLSPA blasted the league, tweeting out a response that read in part, “The league’s lack of courage leaves us with an outdated model that fails to protect players from further injury & allows tradition to triumph over science.”
Later that day, Chris Nowinski chimed in. Nowinski, a world-renowned neuroscientist and the most visible figure in the advancement of the science of and the treatment for concussions, took aim at the league and the sport at large.
“It’s insane that in 2023 global soccer, including the MLS, is still blocking doctors from properly diagnosing brain injuries,” Nowinski said.
It's insane that in 2023 global soccer, including the MLS, is still blocking doctors from properly diagnosing brain injuries. https://t.co/7T7g4mDUAt
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) February 24, 2023
Nowinski has often criticized sports leagues and their handling of concussions. Notably, he spoke about the absurd handling of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season. Tagovailoa suffered more than one concussion this season, and Nowinski blasted the Dolphins at the time, calling it a “medical disaster.”
Even as modern science advances further and further, stubbornness still seems to remain. For the sake of the players, hopefully, these words and their fight result in positive change.
