Reader Reax
READER REAX: More responses to the issue of CTE and head trauma in MMA from Ivan Trembow's guest editorial
Sep 29, 2010 - 1:21:33 PM READER REAX: More responses to the issue of CTE and head trauma in MMA from Ivan Trembow's guest editorial

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Ivan Trembow penned a guest editorial for MMATorch on Monday discussing why he will no longer be watching the sport of MMA. Citing new studies involving traumatic head injuries and concussions suffered in sports, Trembow made his case for why he can no longer continue to watch a number of sports that involve the risk of head injury on a recurring basis, and MMATorch readers have sent in some responses. The original article is here.

Mike

Ivan's article was eye opening. I wonder how many fighters give thought to the possibility of being a vegetable by their mid 30's when they put on the gloves for the first time. It makes you understand why some guys fight cautiously and try to out point their opponent instead of engaging like a Chuck Liddell or Wanderlei Silva. It makes you think about the long term effects of beatings like the one Brock Lesnar took against Shane Carwin that at the time did not seem as serious. At the end of the day though, nobody forces these men and women to fight, and hopefully nobody is delusional enough to think any sport is a safe one that will not have long term effects on the body. Great article though.

Kenneth Obloy

I am writing this in response to your guest editorial on CTE and head trauma. I would like to say that you are absolutely correct in the sense that we are only scratching the surface with our knowledge of concussions, head injuries and the long term affects they cause. That being said, participating in contact sports is a calculated risk taken by individuals that have the right to do so. I'm not at all opposed (and I'm sure no one else will be) to educating people as much as possible so that they understand these risks, but that is as far as it goes. Everything we do in life carries risk. Eating fast food causes health problems, smoking causes cancer, skydivers could fall, and getting punched in the head over and over isn't the best thing to do for your brain. The point is people have the right to risk their own health for reward, and as long as they do people will watch.

Kevin O'Neil

Dear MMA Torch,

The only thing that Ivan Trembow's article aptly illustrates is precisely why intellectuals like him DO NOT become fire-fighters, police officers, football players or MMA fighters. Thank goodness not every man on this planet is like him. As Joe Rogan once said, everyone has to die at some time and maybe it's better to die doing what you love, rather than dying as an old man peeing your pants in an old people's home.

Mr Trembow, I will not miss you - and please don't risk your life as a police officer, I'd hate to have to rely on someone like you to rescue me one day. Leave that to the men. In the meantime, perhaps you should join a book club instead of watching MMA.

Thank you, MMA Torch.

Joe Galvin

I am an educated MMA viewer who has been watching boxing since Mike Tyson won his first title. My MMA viewing started around 2004 when I saw Gomi for the first time, point being I've watched a thousand fights and I have one huge issue and one issue only with MMA! I know the argument and defended it that MMA stops abruptly and the fighter doesn't have to take further punishment, but that simply isn't true. The problem is bigger than this one issue and is one the sport will face if not handled immedietely just like other casual sports have had to before entering the real main stream. When the fighter is knocked out in boxing he is not subjected to a blow after he goes out. In MMA that is not the case, I love MMA as mentioned but hate when someone takes an unnecessary blow. To be a sport they are going to have to put serious responsibility on all participants, especially the winning fighter. If they can't stop their own actions by throwing that extra punch they should be fined. Heavily fined! Period. After a ton of people get handed a proper fine fighters will think before they throw, which I know may not be the popular belief, but it's necessary to transcend into a real sport and not just a human cock fight that it is in some peoples eyes. (Eventually the media will look into this and what I'm afriad of is that all the art and beauty will be missed because of the too often savage ending that happens once a fighter is already unconscious)

Tim John Harris

I just wanted to say that a fighter or person directly involved in MMA should and probably do realize that there is major health implications of getting concussions. If they are not educated on the risks of MMA then that is a major issue that should be confronted on day one of training. There are always doctors present. And if they are willing to risk their quality of life later to enjoy what they love while they can enjoy it then what place do I have boycotting the sport because I'm worried about the fighters when they aren't worried about themselves?

On the other hand, regulations on doctors allowing fighters to go into fights with a clear disadvantage like, say, an eye injury should be re-examined and made more strict. I'm willing to bet these pre-fight handicaps statistically end in or include a legitimate concussion on a much higher % of fights then when both fighters are healthy. Some men have egos that impede their ability to admit when they are not at 100% so this would take "wimping-out" for physical reasons largely out of the question. I am aware that fighters pulling out due to injury is a constant plague on the business of MMA but if fighters health is most important, in my opinion the only option is to give doctors more power over holding guys out of fights.

Either way as a fan my point of view is very different from those involved directly.