Case Keenum during his University of Houston playing days. Photograph by Kevin B. Long
Every time I despair of the psychological truth and realism of “The Penalty for Holding” – the second novel in my series “The Games Men Play” – I’m given a sign from the universe.
There’s a crucial moment in the story in which Quinn Novak, star quarterback of the New York Templars, chooses to play on despite sustaining a sub-concussion. I agonized over this plot point because of the new protocols in place that pull players who’ve sustained such injuries immediately from the game. It didn’t seem authentic not to reflect this in my book.
But truth really is stranger than fiction. In the St. Louis Rams’ 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, Rams’ QB Case Keenum sustained a concussion and continued to play. Where was the neurologist who’s supposed to be watching for moments like this on the sidelines? Where was the independent spotter who sits in the press box? For that matter, where was Rams’ Coach Jeff Fisher?
The simple answer: Everyone was and is concentrated on the next play, on winning, even the concussed athlete. There’s no time for injury. Indeed, Keenum himself didn’t want to come out of the game any more than Quinn does in my novel. To play – even dangerously injured – is to be.
Particularly for the quarterback, who is the key to a team. This season has not been kind to quarterbacks who are not named Tom Brady and Cam Newton. The injured are legion – Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Joe Flacco and even my beloved Colin Kaepernick, whose shoulder injury may be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps it will give his body time to heal from all the sacks he’s endured and his mind a chance to mull his next move now that it’s clear the San Francisco 49ers have lost confidence in him.
The NFL will, of course, review its concussion protocols and make all the right noises – as it does in its domestic violence cases. But nothing will change the fact that football is a violent game whose brutality seeps beyond the gridiron – a theme of my novel.
That may not be pretty. But it is true.