Which is exactly what Mika himself did.
I am going to paraphrase here, so work with me.
The league typically does a multi-step process to determine if a player has a concussion. It’s not a scenario where someone says they have some problems and they chalk it down as a concussion. There are several tests and procedures a player goes through. A concussion, like any trauma, has some tell-tale signs.
Let’s say there are 10 signs they look for. Now not everyone is going to have all 10 signs, but in 98% of cases, they have (let’s say) 6 of them, in some combination.
What this person said is that Mika hasn’t show 6 of them. Maybe he’s shown 3 or them or 4 of them (we didn’t discuss a specific number). But the point being there’s not something that points to a concussion.
As others have mentioned, there are several things that show concussion-like symptoms. But they involve injuries or trauma that don’t necessarily mean a concussion - which is a trauma to the brain itself. These can range from everything to a neck problem, to an ear problem, to an oxygen problem, to a jaw problem and beyond. But they aren’t themselves a concussion.
Now the part I am not sure about, and one of the reasons I asked earlier, is that I am not sure if having previous concussions has any impact on these conditions. In other words does the body respond a certain way because of a previous concussion, is a player more vulnerable, etc.?
I don’t have an answer to that question.
But while there’s some speculation that what he’s feeling isn’t a concussion, the symptoms could be similar. And, contrary to what we might think, those symptoms could very well be tied to what’s been previously reported.
But this person, who I’ve worked with, but wouldn’t consider a friend, can be a bit flippant and was more or the “what does it matter?” mindset.
