Most Dangerous Sport: Women's Ice Hockey

What is the most dangerous sport?  Football,  boxing, wrestling, cheerleading?  None of those, according to a recent survey it's women's ice hockey.

Research from the University of North Carolina has found that female hockey players get concussions at a higher rate than athletes in any other sport, including NCAA football players.  These results were reported at the Mayo Clinic, which is holding a conference on concussions in hockey that has also produced the long overdue suggestion that the NHL ban headshots completely. 

The raw data is disturbing.  The concussion rate in N.C.A.A. women’s ice hockey is 2.72 per 1,000 player hours. For men’s ice hockey it’s 1.47 per 1,000. Even for N.C.A.A. football, the rate is 2.34 per 1,000 — lower than it is for the women on the ice.

Concussions comprised about 25 percent of the injuries in women’s ice hockey, the highest cause of injury in the sport. In men’s ice hockey concussions account for 9 percent of the injuries (No. 2 in the sport), and in football they account for 7 percent (No. 3 in the sport).

How does this happen?  It could be because women don't have enough experience playing ice hockey to anticipate the hit coming their way.  Other studies in men’s and boys’ hockey show that the greatest risk of concussion occurs in unanticipated hits — and in women’s hockey players may never anticipate a hit.

Doug Stacey, the chief physiotherapist for of Canada’s national women’s teams, including the 2010 gold medal-winning Olympic team, also theorizes that neck strength is the main determinant why women’s concussion rates are so much higher. (Women, he pointed out, have 43 percent less head/neck mass.)

Other theories say since women are new to contact sports they may not be able to identify or report head injuries.  I don't know about this theory.  With all the news about concussions recently, I think women are just as likey to report them as men. 

He cited the concussion stats for the Canadian women’s team in 2009-10: nine concussions among eight different players. In three, the symptoms lasted longer than 21 days.

In general, Stacey pointed out, women experience greater symptoms from concussions; greater cognitive impairments; and have greater mortality and morbidity rates associated with brain trauma.

Looks like concussions will remain a top story in the news, and now women are part of it.

Crocodiles on a Plane

How about a crocodile as a carry on?

A crocodile escaped on an airplane flight over Africa, sparking a stampede onboard that caused the plane to crash, killing 19 passengers and crew, according to press reports.

The crocodile wasn't supposed to be on the plane. It had been hidden in a passenger's bag but got loose and ignited panic onboard, according to the news.com.au website.

The stampede caused the small plane to crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A lone survivor told investigators about the crocodile, the website reported.

The crocodile survived but was later killed with a machete by rescuers.

Fantasy Football Alert: Colt's Dallas Clark Out For the Season

Some fantasy football owners are crying and some are rejoicing.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark has been placed on injured reserve with a hand/wrist injury and is out for the season.

If you had Clark as your TE you were expecting to be without him this week, so at least most of you have a backup in place. It is so hard to replace a tight end the caliber of Clark, and those of you in contention may want to try and make a trade. Hardly anyone has even heard of his backup, Jacob Tamme, but if you have room on your roster, it might not be a bad idea to pick him up.

Peyton Manning spreads the ball around, so Tamme might come up big for you one week.

1,535-Pound Pumpkin Wins Prize

This is one big pumpkin.

A 1535-pound pumpkin was crowned as king in a World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off contest held in Half Moon Bay, California last week, according to the Associated Press.

Ron Root of Citrus Heights became the state’s first California grower to win the contest in 11 years.

The pumpkin  measured just over 410 inches over the top. AP reported that Root used seeds from a previous winner’s pumpkin to grow his giant.

This Week's Big Bang Theory Quotes "The Desperation Emanation"

Lots of relationship banter this week.

Quotes from tonight's episode of The Big Bang Theory:

Sheldon: She's a girl, she's a friend, she's not my (please forgive me for doing this) girlfriend.

Leonard: Ummmmm Shut up!

Sheldon; Allright I'll bow to social pressure, 'Hey!"

Raj: Two words, Deaf Chick!

Stewart: Comic Con , the one place in the world where saying "I own a comic bookstore is a pick-up line."

Amy: A stink of desperation.

Sheldon: I'm a physicist not a hippie!

Leonard: Long story short, they really have a little jail in the mall.

Sheldon: Got your back Jack, bitches be crazy!

Joy: Basically a hundred ways to rip a guy's nuts off.

Howard: I was once robbed by a pre-op transsexual I met on JDate.

Sheldon:  I assure you I'm quite real, and I'm having regular intercourse with your daughter.

Sheldon:  It's time for me to make love to your daughter's vagina.