Crash updates

[ohara831]

All I know is a concussion. If anyone hears updates, please post them here so we can keep up. Thanks, and say a prayer for Crash!

[ohara831]

What is a Grade 3 concussion and how is the grading scale. Someone with knowledge please explain.

[Bobcat4Ever]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyJoPMK20Bo

And it just keep on getting worse.......

[ohara831]

Grade 3 is the more severe. Definded by a loss of consciousness. Damn, a knock out. He'll be out for at least a week I imagine, maybe longer. Depends on whether he is still having headaches, nausea and other symptoms. Not that it is as important as his health, but that pretty much closes out our chances of making the Playoffs I think. Not enough games left to lose Crash for a few and still have a chance to win.

[Wallace15]

Damn, this is horrible. All my prayers are with Gerald and his family.

[Dead_Real]

What is a Grade 3 concussion and how is the grading scale. Someone with knowledge please explain.

http://www.muhealth.org/neuromed/concussion.shtml

[ohara831]

Thanks Eaton.

I'd be interested on what amour has to say. He was at the game and I bet his perspective is very eerie being in the arena, seeing it happen and watching the players react. One thing I noticed was that Mikki Moore seemed to be really shaken up that he hit Crash like that and laid him out for about 15 minutes. He really seemed concerned and shaken. I hate that for him because he is not dirty and that was accidental.

[CMc$]

Much love Gerald. Thoughts and prayers with you man. You are most people's favorite bobcat and there is a reason for that. Gerald is this team and when he is down, the team and fans are down.

Hope everything is well.

[tamburello]

That's horrible news. I wish patience for his family. Hopefully Crash will be OK in a brief period of time.

[Icky Thump]

Grade 3 is the more severe. Definded by a loss of consciousness. Damn, a knock out. He'll be out for at least a week I imagine, maybe longer. Depends on whether he is still having headaches, nausea and other symptoms. Not that it is as important as his health, but that pretty much closes out our chances of making the Playoffs I think. Not enough games left to lose Crash for a few and still have a chance to win.



First and foremost prayers go out to Gerald. But we were not going to make the playoffs regardless whether he is out there or not. It would be best to just let him take his time and heal through what is left of this season. Man its just not right for a guy who gives everything he has every time out on the court playing for a pretty bad team. He deserves better than this... Get better Crash!

[bfer]

I was at the game and about 15 feet from him laying on the ground. it was scary, really scary. the players were upset because i heard on the radio that his lipper was just shaking and his eyes were rolled in the back of his head. the players were really upset. there was a big hush over the crowd and his wife and family was there and were upset but calm as they were told to go right to the hospital. you could hear a pin drop. when they moved him on the stretcher (which i have never seen before) he looked lifeless. i am just happy he is awake with just a concussion and amnesia. gosh, it was really scary seeing him on the ground like that. especially since we see him fall all the time.

thoughts and prayers with him and his family. it was definitly scary though. (hard to explain in words)

[ziggy]

It would be best to just let him take his time and heal through what is left of this season.

I think you're right Icky, I'm no doctor but I can't imagine that the medical staff would let him near a basketball court for a couple of weeks after getting layed out like that... And a couple of weeks from now it'll likely be too late for his presence on the court to make a difference anyway. :-\

[Bobcat4Ever]

I was at the game and about 15 feet from him laying on the ground. it was scary, really scary. the players were upset because i heard on the radio that his lipper was just shaking and his eyes were rolled in the back of his head. the players were really upset. there was a big hush over the crowd and his wife and family was there and were upset but calm as they were told to go right to the hospital. you could hear a pin drop. when they moved him on the stretcher (which i have never seen before) he looked lifeless. i am just happy he is awake with just a concussion and amnesia. gosh, it was really scary seeing him on the ground like that. especially since we see him fall all the time.

thoughts and prayers with him and his family. it was definitly scary though. (hard to explain in words)


Dang that sounds horrible. I am speechless....

[ohara831]

Thanks for the eyewitness account bfer. It is appreciated. Man, that was a graphic portrayal of what you saw. Scares the heck out of you seeing someone in that condion.

Icky, if he is having headaches for a few days and has that nauseated feeling, I would agree with you. Sit him down for the rest of the year. He takes too many falls in a game and could easily reinjure himself with another concussion. Best just to let him heal fully and completely so he is the same Crash and not hesitant. If he was hesitant, he would not be as productive and great a player as he is now.

[ohara831]

I'm feeling kinda quesey just thinking about it. Must be sympathy pains. I think I'm just going to bed.


Remember, when you hit the sack tonight, take a knee first and ask the Big Man to watch over out best player. We need him, but his family needs him more.

[bfer]

one other side point, the crowd was real good to him (as expected) when they took him off. he got a loud applause and people were yelling "3" to him a lot. it was nice, really nice. makes you appreciate things more than a game. it also took awhile for the crowd and the players back into the game. j rich was shaken up after they cleaned up the court and raymond kept telling him to focus. sam v just kept saying "he is fine, he is fine".

[jiff65]

props to you CMc$. you captured well how most of the true fans feel about wallace. can you imagine not having him on this team? nobody is more entertaining to watch, tries harder, or sacrifices more . . . .

[Keetch]

"he is fine"

jeez

I've worried about Wallace defending 7 footers.

There you go.

[Muttley]

props to you CMc$. you captured well how most of the true fans feel about wallace. can you imagine not having him on this team? nobody is more entertaining to watch, tries harder, or sacrifices more . . . .


There's no player I'd rather watch. He changes the team by being there. He needs to get healthy soon. Not for the team, but for himself. He's a good dude, and he doesn't deserve to be missing out on the rest of the season. Playing basketball is his job and something he so obviously enjoys, and that is to the benefit of all of us fans. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem he'll be able to do that for a while. I hope Mikki's not taking it too hard, but it seems like he is. I was mad at him at first, but then I saw the replay and he in no way meant to do it.

[bfer]

this is postive news that he was sent home-
Out with a Grade 3 concussion, which the Bobcats describe as the most serious. He had a slight case of amnesia after the injury, but following a CAT-Scan, Wallace was sent home to rest

[TheBeagle]

For my account of that surreal event, you can see the game thread.

For a firsthand experience of what a grade 3 concussion is like, that I can give you here:

I collapsed after running sprints outside during basketball training in the summer a few years ago and banged the back of my head on concrete (I'm 6'8", so that's a fairly long fall). I was told I woke up 15 minutes later, though it was like a dream to me, and asked what day it was. I don't remeber them answering me, and I started rubbing my head and felt this massive knot with dried blood coming off on my hand. I remeber asking "what happened with this? feel this." Faces and images were rushing through my head at light speed and everything was blurry and just dreamlike. All of a sudden I'm walking down a hallway in my school and I'm sitting down in a chair in the nurses office. This is when I actually "woke up", though, like I said, I was told I was conscious a good 5 or so minutes previously, though to me it was a dream.

Nurse asked me what my name was: I knew that.
Nurse asked me what day it was: no clue. Month? no clue. Year? took a while, but I got that.

Nice buzzing headache going on, as well as my face hurting, especially behind the eyes. Got bloodpressure, heart rate, etc., and suddenly I felt sick as a dog. I had 3 episdoes of vomiting in an hour span. Headache was still there, but not as bad. During my vomiting spells, I had been taken to the hospital in an ambulance, where I spent the night and most of the next day getting very little sleep and a lot of attention.

Headache was gone after 3 days, but I had cobwebs and was always sleepy for the next 2 weeks or so.

I was cleared to resume things after 2 and a half weeks, so I imagine Gerald should have a similar timetable, if not sooner. As far as game action is concerned, I have no clue. I'd say he could be out for 3 weeks, or until next season. Guess we'll all just wait and see. If all the tests came back negative, there's nothing to worry about. Gerald's fine; just gonna have the cobwebs and (hopefully like mine) only minor headaches for a week or so. Like we all want, whatever is the best for Gerald longterm, it's the best for me.

[ohara831]

Thanks Beagle. That provides a very clear idea of what Crash is probably dealing with right now. Not a happy time for him, the team or the fans.

If Crash is going to miss a couple weeks, I say we just sit him for the rest of the year. Take care of his health first. There is no reason to risk anything at all in this lost season.

[dnbman]

Thanks Beagle. That provides a very clear idea of what Crash is probably dealing with right now. Not a happy time for him, the team or the fans.

If Crash is going to miss a couple weeks, I say we just sit him for the rest of the year. Take care of his health first. There is no reason to risk anything at all in this lost season.


As much as I'd miss watching him play, I'm tempted to agree. This season is damn near cursed. We might as well let Wallace get completely healed, if not for the season, for an extended period of time, and let the new guys get lots of burn.

We need to get our guys healthy, though, for sure.

[boobcats]

As much as I hate the injury this could be good for us.

This is the sign that it is time for us to hang it up and try to land a good draft pick.

Remember, had we lost one more game last year we would have been picking between Oden/Durant with the #1 selection.

We've botched the "go into tank mode" the last few seasons and this year we need to go full blown after Beasley.

[dnbman]

As much as I hate the injury this could be good for us.

This is the sign that it is time for us to hang it up and try to land a good draft pick.

Remember, had we lost one more game last year we would have been picking between Oden/Durant with the #1 selection.

We've botched the "go into tank mode" the last few seasons and this year we need to go full blown after Beasley.


Just because we lost one more game doesn't mean we'd have a top 3 pick, let alone a top 2. I don't think we should tank. However, I do think we should play our youngsters and let Felton run the team the rest of the year. If they win, great. If they lose, great. Either way, we use the second half for something productive for the team rather than speeding this out of control car straight off the cliff.

[ohara831]

We do not need to try and tank. We will be bad enough as it is. I want to see Dudley get lost of PT to see him improve. He will be a major player off the bench next yr. I'd rather us play our best and then see how the ping pong balls drop.

[BIGCatBobcat]

Whoa, big shocker. I was watching Sportscenter this morning and i am just shocked. Glad the team got their stuff back together enough to push the game to OT and kept it within one but man, crushed. I've joked about Crash needing to wear a helmet but I didn't think he'd just take an elbow to the face and go down like that....Kinda glad I wasn't there.

[amour217]

The Biscuit was so so quiet last night when Gerald went down. Mikki looked like he was very concerned and felt terrible, and our whole team was out there trying to help. After an excruciating amount of time, the stretcher came out and Gerald was taken away...to follow the team so closely, it kinda hurt inside to see that happen to Gerald, and I pray he comes back only when he's 100%

[TheBeagle]

The Biscuit was so so quiet last night when Gerald went down. Mikki looked like he was very concerned and felt terrible, and our whole team was out there trying to help. After an excruciating amount of time, the stretcher came out and Gerald was taken away...to follow the team so closely, it kinda hurt inside to see that happen to Gerald, and I pray he comes back only when he's 100%
I totally agree, armour. I was able to talk to Gerald briefly before the Hawks game, and seeing him go down like that made it so much worse because most of these guys are more than players, they're people that we actually interact with. And especially with Gerald being the face of the franchise and the fan favorite....just no good.

*************

ohara is right, we'll be bad enough that we won't have to tank games this year. The only teams that won't catch us in wins this year for certain are Heat. T'wolves, Grizz, and Sonics probably won't, but I think the wolves are only getting better, so it wouldn't surprise me there. Anyway, yeah, it's time for the youngsters to get some minutes, but with the "head coach" in charge, I'm not expecting it...

[ohara831]

They say he is out for at least the next 2 weeks, maybe more. We will see, but I am betting it will be more than 2 weeks before he is back in the game.

Vincent said something stupid. He was talking about Crash's style of play leading to injuries. Then, although acknowledging this was not his fault or wreckless in any way, he said Crash had to be "concerned". Then he changed the word to "aware". Dude, this had nothing to do with being concerned or aware. This was strickly an accident which can happen anytime and anywhere on the court. Making Crash feel like he must be "concerned or aware" will take away from his grit and determination which endears him to his fans and makes him a great young player. Screw you vincent!

[jaxatax23]

i normally come on here twice a day to see wat u guys are talkn bout an im just gettin on for the first time since the game last night. i saw that video of the wallace injury yall have up there...at the 1:15 spot in the video u can see me walkin in the background...im that ball boy behind moore an hawes

most of yall read the interviews of players reactions or might have been at the game but i thot yall might wanna hear what the kings players were saying

at first when wallace fell, everybody was just standing around waiting for him to get up...i was talking to their equipment manager about how he's always gettin hurt an layin on the ground...he was like o yea we know gerald, we had him for a while on our team...most of the players including myself thot he just got hit in the mouth... we couldnt really figure why he was on the ground...it was almost like a boy cried wolf situation in the sense that we were used to him falling and didnt know if this injury was gunna b bad or just another gerald fall...but yea none of their team or any of us heard anything about eyes rolling back in his head or lips twitching...when he left most of their players were still like wat the hell happend???

anyways just givin u a kings perspective....i hope gerald gets back soon cuz we need him!

[ohara831]

Ouch. Seems it might be worse than we may have thought. ESPN is saying he has a neuro apt later because he is still experiencing grogginess and nausea. Post concussion syndrome can be very scary. I did not realize this was his 4th concussion in 4 yrs. That is definitely not good.

**I think we have to come to the realization that there is a possibility, of what % we do not yet know, but a possibility that Crash may not play again. God knows no one wants this to happen, but I think the team needs to watch this very carefully. If there is not marked improvement and vull clearance by his neuro by the end of the season, we may very likely have to be open to a SF in the draft also. Doesn't make me happy to say it, but it is true.

[MattD]

Ouch. Seems it might be worse than we may have thought. ESPN is saying he has a neuro apt later because he is still experiencing grogginess and nausea. Post concussion syndrome can be very scary. I did not realize this was his 4th concussion in 4 yrs. That is definitely not good.

**I think we have to come to the realization that there is a possibility, of what % we do not yet know, but a possibility that Crash may not play again. God knows no one wants this to happen, but I think the team needs to watch this very carefully. If there is not marked improvement and vull clearance by his neuro by the end of the season, we may very likely have to be open to a SF in the draft also. Doesn't make me happy to say it, but it is true.


wow. what a crippling blow to a young rising superstar in the nba. Im not counting him out, but thats serious. I had a friend who couldnt work for a year because of a serious concussion. Ill be thinking about gerald

[MattD]

heres the article

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace has been suffering from headaches and drowsiness since he was knocked unconscious in a game Friday.

Wallace has been experiencing post-concussion symptoms that include soreness in his neck and jaw, the team said Monday. He's scheduled to be examined by a neurologist this week.

It's unclear when he'll be able to play again.

Wallace was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow by Sacramento forward Mikki Moore during Friday's loss to the Kings. Wallace lost consciousness and was taken off the court on a stretcher.

It was Wallace's fourth concussion in four seasons with the Bobcats.

[dnbman]

I'm going to refrain from considering losing Wallace permanently.

No reason to deal with that extreme sadness and disappointment until it's a reality.

[davcbow]

heres the article

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace has been suffering from headaches and drowsiness since he was knocked unconscious in a game Friday.

Wallace has been experiencing post-concussion symptoms that include soreness in his neck and jaw, the team said Monday. He's scheduled to be examined by a neurologist this week.

It's unclear when he'll be able to play again.

Wallace was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow by Sacramento forward Mikki Moore during Friday's loss to the Kings. Wallace lost consciousness and was taken off the court on a stretcher.

It was Wallace's fourth concussion in four seasons with the Bobcats.


Concussions have been the reason alot of pro athletes have quit playing. Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman both had to quit football for that reason. If no When he returns he ought to consider the face mask thing some of the guys wear...
Get better Gerald....... :g:

[TheBeagle]

Yeah, what worries me is that it's his 4th one. I had the one bad one and the subsequent sleepiness, aches, and cobwebs that went along with the aftermath, but it was just that once.

Like dnb, I can't think about the worst case scenario ohara refers to. Let's just take it a day at a time.

[Keetch]

I can imagine Wallace sitting out the season. I can't imagine him retiring. Just don't think that's happening. This isn't football where the next concussion is only a play away.

Then again...it is a reasonably physical game...and Wallace probably can't afford another one of these.

Maybe we shouldn't keep playing him at PF....hello? Sam?

[ohara831]

My concern for him is his playing style. It is why we call him Crash to begin with. He goes all out and hits the floor all the time. He cannot help but hit his head occasionally. And my concern is his ability to handle that now depending upon the neuro's evaluation of the severity of this concussion. I'm only saying that we have to see what happens over the next month and if he seems to fully recover or if there are lingering effects.

[MattD]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Gerald Wallace earned the nickname "Crash" for his aggressive style that causes him to tumble to the floor with great regularity as the Charlotte Bobcats' acrobatic leading scorer.

Last season somebody placed a sign in Wallace's locker that read "No Diving Allowed."

After Wallace's latest spill, the jokes have stopped.

Gerald Wallace

Small Forward
Charlotte Bobcats

Profile

2008 Season Stats
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
49 20.6 6.2 3.6 .449 .721
Wallace visited a neurologist Tuesday, four days after the forward was knocked unconscious when he was hit in the face with an inadvertent elbow from Sacramento's Mikki Moore. It was Wallace's fourth concussion in four years, an all-too-familiar statistic for football players, but almost unheard of in basketball.

While Wallace is out indefinitely, there are concerns about his long-term health and questions about what can be done to protect him when he returns.

"I'm not saying we're behind the ball because this is very new to basketball," Bobcats trainer Joe Sharpe said. "How many players in basketball are disqualified from concussions? Most of the literature out there right now is on football players."

Sharpe has looked at concussion studies involving NFL players over the past few days. He quizzed the Carolina Panthers medical staff on how they cared for Dan Morgan, the linebacker who sustained at least five concussions.

The Bobcats, who gave Wallace a six-year, $57 million contract in the offseason, are concerned about studies that warn of the dangers of multiple jarring blows to the head. Many ex-football players have complained of memory loss and depression.

Now the NBA is dealing with the issue involving one of its better players. Wallace is averaging 20.6 points per game.

"It's not something we've had many problems with," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Wallace suffered the most serious concussion, a Grade 3, when Moore spun around in the post and hit him in the face.

Sharpe said Wallace was unconscious when he initially got to him. Wallace came to and answered some questions, only to lose consciousness again.

The sight of Wallace being on the floor for almost 10 minutes before being strapped to a stretcher was still on the minds of his teammates after practice Tuesday.

"I hope it works out for him, but that's a life or death thing," guard Raymond Felton said. "You start thinking about your life or your career. I hope it doesn't come down to that because we need Gerald."

Wallace, who has been resting at home since being released from the hospital Friday night, has complained of headaches and drowsiness.

"He took a pretty good shot to the face, and his eye, his cheek and his nose are really sore," Sharpe said. "His neck was a little sore, and looking at the film his neck snapped back a little bit.

"He still has drowsiness, so when he does he just goes to sleep. He needs his rest. He has a little bit of a headache, but nothing major, and he's improving each day."

On Tuesday, Wallace took cognitive tests that asked him to put shapes and figures together and measured his reaction time. The so-called "baseline" tests are now a requirement for every NFL player before the season. If a player sustains a concussion during the season, he retakes the test and it's measured against the first one to help determine when he can play again.

"I talked to the Panthers medical staff and asked them to maybe help me out in this situation," Sharpe said. "Maybe we should do some of these baseline tests for our team."

Wallace sustained his first concussion in a violent collision with teammate Tamar Slay in a preseason practice and was hospitalized in 2004.

Several studies with football players have shown that once you have a concussion, you are far more susceptible to another concussion on less impact. Wallace had two more minor concussions before Friday.

"If he had never had a history of concussions we probably wouldn't be in the situation we're in now," Sharpe said.

Sharpe said when Wallace returns he'll recommend he always wear a mouthpiece. Wallace was not wearing one on Friday night.

Coach Sam Vincent has talked about wanting Wallace to tone down his style of play, and "Crash" may have no other option when he returns.

"I think there's got to be some level of awareness for anybody who has four concussions in four years," Vincent said.

"I think the most important thing is we get through the evaluation process, we listen to our medical team and then based on whatever their diagnosis is, we'll move forward with trying to get him back on the floor."

well they seem confident for a return... but how will he be when he returns. Scary thoughts, especially since we just wrapped him up for 5 years.

This might be the wrong time to think about it and very premature, obviously I am more concerned for geralds overall health, but maybe a buy out will be the best option if he is not himself after this serious injury. Tough to know. All I know is we are in for a rough, rough patch

[dnbman]

Somewhat related ethics question:

I know that NBA players try to get into each others' heads and talk a lot of trash. However, I've also heard that players generally refrain from talking about each other's health. So, do you think when he returns that his defenders will talk about his inability to be as aggressive as he used to be? Will players run their mouths about him becoming soft?

I guess I'm especially concerned because I want Wallace to return to be a great player, but I don't want him to be injured for the rest of his life either, especially to prove a loud mouthed defender wrong.

[dvdbumpus]

Somewhat related ethics question:

I know that NBA players try to get into each others' heads and talk a lot of trash. However, I've also heard that players generally refrain from talking about each other's health. So, do you think when he returns that his defenders will talk about his inability to be as aggressive as he used to be? Will players run their mouths about him becoming soft?

I guess I'm especially concerned because I want Wallace to return to be a great player, but I don't want him to be injured for the rest of his life either, especially to prove a loud mouthed defender wrong.


I wish I could ask T.J. Ford that question.

[ohara831]

I know what you mean. I gotta beleive there will be players who use it to get in his head. After all, there is a ton of $ on the line with Playoff births and all. Players will use what they can to their benefit. Think about football. When they get in these big pileups over a fumble, and people grabbing at each others eyes and trying to gouge them, twisting ankles, grabbing someones balls to make them hurt. These guys take this crap way to seriously sometimes. He's just going to have to handle it when and if he returns.

[MattD]

eh Im not so worried about geralds emotional health via being taunted. Some players have loud mouths but nothing (normally) is malicious. Gerald is a good guy, I dont think thats what Id be worried about.

I think his play though will be significantly less valuable without the ability to try and go for the layup one on one as he runs full speed. Its tough to say. Maybe we will have the same old gerald. Maybe we will never have him again. Its all a matter of time until we find out. Right now Im worried about our team without him. Were done.

[davcbow]

All this and V still coaching..... My side hurts..... :g:

[ohara831]

I think before it's all said and done, we are going to be challenging Minn and Miami for the Beasley Sweepstakes and the Rose consolation prize (which is a pretty great prize)

[timang]

why is crash living up to his name too much? :( :( :( :(

[ohara831]

why is crash living up to his name too much? :( :( :( :(
______________________________________________

Because he has heart. He loves the game, lives the game, and goes all out every game. That's why he is hands down the fan favorite that he has become. He's the man!

[davcbow]

Agreed he is the man, Hurry back Crash........We need you badly..... :g:

[TheBeagle]

If anybody wants to send Gerald their thoughts, best-wishes, etc., email them to me and I'll forward them to "The Man." I think it would be a nice touch.

[timang]

why is crash living up to his name too much? :( :( :( :(
______________________________________________

Because he has heart. He loves the game, lives the game, and goes all out every game. That's why he is hands down the fan favorite that he has become. He's the man!


QFT! :biggrin:

[davcbow]

If anybody wants to send Gerald their thoughts, best-wishes, etc., email them to me and I'll forward them to "The Man." I think it would be a nice touch.


I sent you a email Beagle for Crash. :)

[MattD]

Coach Sam Vincent said Wallace is scheduled to undergo more tests this week and hopes he'll be cleared to play soon


whwhwwhwhat???? Soon. I thought this was going to be more long term. Well its great news, but dont hurt yourself again Gerald.

[amour217]

I just hope Crash gets 100% healthy and is back to his good-sense-of-humor self, as evidenced by these pics:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/GWallace3.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/amour217/GWallace4.jpg

[ohara831]

Improvement. Cleared for shooting practice, but not for regular practice. Still has some effects which must clear up. But improvement is good news!

[ohara831]

On today's Charlotte.com, Bonnell is writing that Crash is at least a week away. If we get him back this yr, it will be a big relief that his concussion has no lasting effects.

[davcbow]

I saw his interview over at the Bobcats web site and GW says he has to start wearing a mouth peice. Hows that going to help to prevent a concussion? I think he needs a football helmet....:g: