What Was Georgia Tech Thinking?

At the end of the first half of the Georgia Tech-Duke basketball game, point guard Matt Causey violently collided with Duke’s point guard Greg Paulus.  Causey was knocked to the ground sustaining a concussion as the horn sounded. 

 

Despite visual evidence provided by close-up camera shots, Georgia Tech permitted Causey to go in and continue playing, thus jeopardizing his future health as it is well recognized and accepted that a player having sustained a concussion is more susceptible to further concussion.  The fact that Causey wanted to play is totally irrelevant, a point made by TV commentator Mike Patrick who deserves congratulations for being the only announcer at the basketball game to stress this point.  While Len Elmore and Stacey Dale were rambling about a player’s desire to get back into the game, Mike Patrick was correct in stating “It’s not the player’s choice!”

 

When Elmore made the situation worse by arguing that since Causey was able to shoot foul shots and make a behind-the-back pass, clearly he was fully recovered and should be permitted to play.  This lack of understanding by Elmore puts our youth, who might have been watching the game, at risk.

 

The issue is not whether Causey had enough stamina or reserve to get back in the game, but the risk of suffering a second concussion while clearly still feeling the effects of the first concussion. 

 

Georgia Tech’s trainers and coach should never have put Causey back in the game.  This is clearly something the ACC and the NCAA must look into and investigate.