The Players' Tribune: Dan Carcillo - I Can't Live Like That Anymore/Nick Boynton - Everything's Not OK

[Better Call Sal]

I Can't Live Like That Anymore | By Daniel Carcillo

Fair warning in the video, some NSFW language.

Pretty sobering watch. Say what you will about Carcillo and the role he played on the ice, but I feel for him and anyone who is only just realizing the potential consequences of these head injuries. I also admire that he's willing to push to try and get his fellow players the necessary help they need.

EDIT: Also saw Nick Boynton released an article around the same time about his struggles since he's retired.

Everything's Not O.K. | By Nick Boynton

Click to read more...

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

yeah, no sympathy for Carcillo. For someone who scrambled as many brains as he did as a player, its called karma.

Additionally, lets stop the nonsense that they didnt know cracking someone in the head is bad for that person's health.

 

[Dr Pepper]

^Was just gonna say, I wonder how many concussions Carcillo caused others.

Good on him to at least own up to it and try to better himself, I guess, instead of putting 100% of the blame on the league.

Each player should have obviously known the risks going in, same as any other contact sport.

 

[CanadienShark]

yeah, no sympathy for Carcillo. For someone who scrambled as many brains as he did as a player, its called karma.

Additionally, lets stop the nonsense that they didnt know cracking someone in the head is bad for that person's health.

What an awful thing to say. I'm appalled.

He's owned up to the fact that he delivered traumatic injury to others. He says he'd undo it all. He sounds like a guy who is learning. I won't defend his previous actions, but he's not wrong that information is being withheld. To simplify it as you have is totally disingenuous.

 

[WesMcCauley]

yeah, no sympathy for Carcillo. For someone who scrambled as many brains as he did as a player, its called karma.

Additionally, lets stop the nonsense that they didnt know cracking someone in the head is bad for that person's health.

^Was just gonna say, I wonder how many concussions Carcillo caused others.

Good on him to at least own up to it and try to better himself, I guess, instead of putting 100% of the blame on the league.

Each player should have obviously known the risks going in, same as any other contact sport.

Kind of agree with the both of you. I also question how he goes about it. He pushes it on everyone in every situation he can, situations that often are completely unrelated to concussions etc. He replies to tweets often by «hockey people»that doesnt have anything to do with hockey and post links about this stuff and is just all over the place with it.
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...with-concussion-related-tweets-links.2469293/

 

[nhlfan9191]

What an awful thing to say. I'm appalled.

He's owned up to the fact that he delivered traumatic injury to others. He says he'd undo it all. He sounds like a guy who is learning. I won't defend his previous actions, but he's not wrong that information is being withheld. To simplify it as you have is totally disingenuous.

I have a problem with players like a Carcillo coming out after they’ve made all the money they could and looking for people to feel sorry for them once their career is over. He’s learning what exactly now that his career is over?

 

[CanadienShark]

I have a problem with players like a Carcillo coming out after they’ve made all the money they could and looking for people to feel sorry for them once their career is over. He’s learning what exactly now that his career is over?

He's learning about the impact of traumatic head injuries. How is that not obvious?

 

[haveandare]

yeah, no sympathy for Carcillo. For someone who scrambled as many brains as he did as a player, its called karma.

Additionally, lets stop the nonsense that they didnt know cracking someone in the head is bad for that person's health.

I really don't agree with the firs statement, but the second one is absolutely correct. It hasn't been a secret that causing repeated head injury might be bad long term.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

He's learning about the impact of traumatic head injuries. How is that not obvious?

because its so disingenuous its ridiculous.

these guys are not idiots...no one needs to be told that giving someone a head injury is bad for their health. And those that claim they didnt know are simply deflecting blame.

"Im not a bad guy, I had no idea giving someone a brain injury was bad for their health"

 

[Peat]

I really don't agree with the firs statement, but the second one is absolutely correct. It hasn't been a secret that causing repeated head injury might be bad long term.

The extent of just how bad and likelihood of it happening have been secret though - and when that secret started spilling, some people tried to force it back into the box.

 

[pckstpr31]

Some real top notch responses to start this thread. How many men do you know that take mental health seriously, acknowledge mental health problems as a real thing, talk about it openly? This whole "they should've known the risks" thing is a total farce. I guarantee you a guy like Carcillo didn't know the extent of the anxiety/depression/offshoots of those things he'd be giving to guys by being an enforcer (or laying dirty hits, sure). One of the reasons he's likely trying to make changes now is because he's had to live through all of this himself, and see what it's done to guys he was close to. None of this means you have to think he's a great guy, but at least he's trying to raise awareness and stir some change.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Pretty ridiculous takes in this thread, but shouldn't be surprised. It is the main board after all.

It's pretty evident that players will do whatever it takes to stay on the ice if they feel fine in the short term. Even take a look in Boynton's case in his article, when he finally worked up the courage to tell his management team the problems he was having, they traded him not long after. He then felt it was necessary to clam up and hide everything to prevent that from occurring again.

You know why these guys are going and pushing for help after they've retired? Because their careers and lives after playing the sport are affected. They're unable to control their emotions on a daily basis to their loved ones because of the trauma their brain has experienced. Their friends are f***ing dying. There are better methods of treatment for these injuries that the league is clearly not acknowledging or willing to accept in fear it will turn people away from the sport.

This isn't simply the case of guys trying to win a lawsuit against the league, they want to help their fellow players and prevent any further deaths from the aftermath of head injuries.

 

[CanadienShark]

because its so disingenuous its ridiculous.

these guys are not idiots...no one needs to be told that giving someone a head injury is bad for their health. And those that claim they didnt know are simply deflecting blame.

"Im not a bad guy, I had no idea giving someone a brain injury was bad for their health"

*Facepalm*

That's not what he's doing. He's not deflecting blame. He accepted blame. Again, your oversimplification is wholly disingenuous.

 

[Captain And Coke]

Which organization shipped Nick Boynton out after he asked for help?

 

[Cane mutiny]

How can players not know it, when we all know it? Stop taking headshots at eachother, and start taking care of yourselves.

 

[haveandare]

The extent of just how bad and likelihood of it happening have been secret though - and when that secret started spilling, some people tried to force it back into the box.

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

Exactly

Like I know that if I'm a boxer, getting punched in the head doesn't make me feel good. And if the promoter says "oh you don't have to worry", I'm not going to believe him
And if I choose to work in a coal mine, I know that breathing in that stuff isn't good for me. Even if my employer says "that dust isn't a big deal" I'm also not going to believe them either.

I'm glad Carcillo is coming out and showing remorse, but there's a part of me that think he's doing all this to somehow stay relevant in a place that has long since forgotten about him

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I really don't understand the hate toward Carcillo... He knows he played like an absolute jackass, he's seeing the effects of that behavior and I think that he is honestly remorseful. I truly believe that he didn't know the extent to which these types of injuries affected someone's life, or the frequency at which these injuries would occur.

 

[schnapshot]

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

You’re forgetting most of these former players barely have a GED

 

[Better Call Sal]

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

Despite the fact that they likely believe they're getting the right treatment in the short term from their team's medical staff as they play and not experiencing any immediate symptoms? And yet only now that so much has come to the forefront in the last 5-10 years, realizing that they're now way more susceptible to way worse diseases as they get older?

People really need to stop acting like this was always common sense when it wasn't. I'm willing to bet the overwhelming majority of players put the trust in their team's medical staff as they're under the impression that they're receiving the proper care for any injury they have. Until recently, it's quite clear that they weren't.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

Look no further than the DoPS. They still allow some headshots and the league is still denying that head trauma causes CTE and other issues. Well he hit his shoulder then contacted the head so it is fine. I'm 29 and have had multiple concussions over the years, when I read these stories about the depression, anxiety and anger it makes sense. I certainly haven't taken as many hits as those guys but to think I could develop CTE is absolutely terrifying.

 

[pckstpr31]

How can players not know it, when we all know it? Stop taking headshots at eachother, and start taking care of yourselves.

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

This is totally missing the point though. Do we all know it? Do we all know what a deep, pervasive depression or anxiety is like? Widespread mental health education is still in such a stage of infancy, and I really doubt that the majority of people, let alone NHL players, understand it. All adults know that head trauma = problems. No one is denying that. But it's nothing to understand that concussions are "bad." Knowing that really doesn't mean anything. I don't think you can truly know or understand the actual problems you get from them without experiencing them to the extent that these players are.

 

[SEALBound]

Those are always tough to watch.

Just makes me that much sicker to my stomach when someone today looks at what Wilson does on a regular basis and not only defends it but calls it a strong hockey play.

Carcillo is just another witness in the multi-million dollar lawsuit that's coming the NHLs way one of these days.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I have a really hard time believing any adult with a decent amount of education didn't know that taking repeated head trauma was likely to cause really bad concussion issues.

In today's day and age, I would agree...

However, even 10 years ago we knew a lot less about concussions that we do now. The issue is that many people did not understand the extent and severity of which these injuries affected people. It's pretty easy to connect the dots by saying sports injuries will lead to issues later in life, I don't think it's outrageous to say that people didn't expect head injuries to lead to severe clinical depression and even suicidal tendencies.

 

[Dr Pepper]

You’re forgetting most of these former players barely have a GED

Lucky for Carcillo, he earned more in his brief career than most of us will ever see in our lifetime.

I'm sure he'll manage.