NL West Pitching Preview & Concussion discussion w Trainer Thomas Loew

here on the Fantasy Sports Network. You could always catch me wherever you get your podcasts, iTunes, Spotify. You know what it is. We'll get representing the hashtag stats over beat. Cipher Um had a big show on Tuesday Live and direct from Studio thirty four. We finished off the American League Central. We're gonna start off the National League West as a new division preview to get you ready for

the fantasy baseball season. Drafts are starting to get scheduled as you're getting ready for fantasy baseball, so we'll getna kick it off with the n L West preview. I'm gonna give you a little bit of look into I think we're gonna go into the arms of the NL West right now, We're gonna start that off. Then we go to the NFL. Listen to Combine is out there. We preview the quarterbacks that I wanted to see at the at the Combine. Want to see Lamar Jackson proves himself.

Want to see if Kyle Loletta can keep his hot street going in terms of turning heads in this process. Um, the Combine, you know gonna be kicking off this week. I don't know if you saw when Nelson the guard out of Noted Dame putting up the bench press earlier this week. He could be an option for some of these top five teams shooting up the draft ward. I know they don't want to usually draft a guard that early.

But the focus of our football conversation on this episode of The Fantasy Freestyle is actually going to be once again in about players safety and about head injuries. We have as a special guest on the show a friend of the Cipher Dilly Dilly. It is licensed certified trainer UM Thomas Lowe. He is going to join us a little bit later on in the show, and that's what we're gonna be talking about when we get into the NFL.

But um. We also got a pull question up as always, and you could always find me at spit and Speeds on Twitter, give me a follow, tell a friend to tell a friend. They could be down with the hashtags. STA's overbeat cipher listen. There was a lot of conversation. We'll get into it. Also a little bit about them redefining a catch. We've been talking about this a lot in this offseason, the going to the ground part, that sort of thing. There's a lot of attention on that.

But one of the things I find interesting is they are talking about changes to the past interference role as well, and I think this could be very very interesting. They're talking about changing past interference dp I defensive fast interference from a spot foul to a fifteen yard penalty. Okay, And there are definitely sometimes in the game where I love thrown ball deep downfield because what they say is two out of the three things that can happen are good.

You know, you can get to catch or you can get the penalty. And that works just the same for the offense and may not work for your fantasy team. But if they're taking that away and making it a fifteen yard penalty, it could have an interesting impact on some offenses. But I actually do think it's a good idea. They do the same thing in college, and so that, in fact is our pole question in this episode. Do you think past interference down the field should be a

spot foul or a fifteen yard penalty? Holl Edge boy at spitting speeds. Let me know, we got a lot of people participating right now. Um So, but what I'm gonna do is we're gonna switch it up because listen, this is a down part of the football season, the new league year. So we're gonna get it. We're gonna push football to the back of this both sand Bow Jackson episode, both Sanders. I had both Bernie Sanders on my mind for some reason, but the Bow Jackson episode.

And we're gonna start with baseball. Okay, listen, right now, pitches and catches of reported their spring training games going on. The biggest free agents still out there. We've been talking about this like lukewarm Stove, and now you know, spring training is going and still, in my opinion, the biggest name out there, Jake Arrietta still unsigned. Um boris client. You know, the Nats, the Phillies, the Brewers, all potentially still in on Jake Arietta. Question for me is will

he eventually cave and take like a shorter deal. And you know, I've been saying for years that there's no reason that Pictures should be able to get a you know, six seven year deal the way how fragile they are. So that's the that's the name to watch in my opinion. But we're gonna do is. We're gonna go into the NLS. I told you we're gonna talk arms. We're gonna talk arms of the n L wes. Excuse me, We're gonna talk arms of the n O West and listen. Last year,

the Dodgers will obviously the class of this division. But I think there's some interesting bounce back potential and some interesting surprise potential in the arms here um in the NLS. If you want to start though with the Dodgers, of course you have cart saw check. But here's the thing. When it comes to fantasy, you're either taking him in the first round or you're not gonna have him right And are you gonna be that person that drafts him? What five WI we're all six overall? I I personally

wouldn't do it. I personally would rather these like one A two tier starters. If I'm gonna go starters at all heavy. But I'm not gonna have Kershaw on many of my teams. But I understand, go ahead, go get him. But here's the thing, like last year, last year, my problem with the Dodgers rotation is last year they were in essence doing a six man rotation. I was talking

about this last year. You know, what they did, to be quite honest, was artfully managed the d L, and they had guys that were often on the d L like whoa, I'm talking Rich Hill, I'm talking you know hin, John ryou Rias eventually went down and they're gonna do that again, okay with Alex Wood. Alex Wood twenty five starts, Rich Hill starts, tent starts, h John Yo starts. You know, they're gonna have Bueller and Verdugo probably even maybe make

some starts this year. And I think they're gonna continue to try and do this. No wonder they needed you Darvish, you know, to try and eat innings. But they do not have him coming back this year. So I don't know that I liked him, because I don't know that they're gonna be defendable year. They're good, and they're shield stats, their strikeouts are there, you know what I'm saying. But these guys are guys with a hundred thirty innings pitch,

things of that nature. You know, their low e r A. And you know even how Alex would was sick in the in the in his hundred fifty two innings pitch. But I'm just not I'm just not trusting those Dodgers starters after Clayton Kershaw. And to be a quite honest, I think it's going to be Dave downfall in the playoffs if they don't augment that by you know, trading from their depth, whether it be at outfield or elsewhere

in their offense. What I'm really interested in is uh, out there in the bay, out there in the bay with the Giants. I am very very intrigued. I'm gonna tell you right now. You know, like hot take, get ready to sweat some steam here in the Fantasy Freestyle which voice speeds. Madison bum Gardner is my SI young pick for the National League. Alright. I think he's coming back off a down year. You know, you people always

forget about guys. You always just think it's you know it's it's it's such short term memory, you know, it's recentcy bias, and people are like, oh sures or oh blah blah blah. You know. Um, I think that Madison bump Gardner and Noah Synderguard are I too, dark horse candidates right there for cy Young. Those are guys I'm putting my shekels on. Okay, I think he's coming up bounced back years, so I'm thinking he's rested. But more importantly,

the I love Masison Bumbgarder. He's an example of one of these Tier two high two starters one A starters that I would love to get a little bit later on,

except of the first round of Clayton Kershaw. But I actually think the two most important pictures in this division are Johnny Kuato and Jeffson margin If they are healthy and solid like they have been with their strikeout rates in that ballpark as twos and threes, along with the offensive enhancements that this lineup has made, I think these guys get are the Giants could be prying for a

bounce back season. In fact, I think they can milk out whatever they can out of Longoria, out of McCutcheon, out of Quato, you know, out of Posey again this year. I like the giants moving forward. I think these two are really two of the most important pictures in this division. But I do like um I'm I would be willing to take a shot with one or both of them above their a DP in Arizona. I personally have never been a fan of Zak Grinky. I have never been a fan of Zack Grinky. Um, so he won't be

on any of my teams. But um, I am on Robbie Ray. I was on Robbie Ray last year. I was talking about him all last year's shot called by the boy speech to fit and statistician. I'm talking about a guy with a twelve point one strikeout per nine, Okay, um, I'm talking about two fifty strikeout potential. Okay, I'm talking about he had eleven point three strikeout for nine last year. So this is consistent from a left handed pitcher. Okay. But the thing is, everybody's gonna be on him this year.

I was early with him last year. He's the kind of guy you want to find the next this year's version of this year, and I think it might be Danny Salazar, But that's or James Paxton. But that's besides the point. Okay. So I love Ray, but here's the thing I would I would go to some of these other guys. I like type one Walker. If he's healthy off the foot, that's another he's only twenty five years old.

That's another power arm right there. And it seems like all these guys in Arizona between Grinky Ray Taiwan Walker, like Zach Godly was stable last year, Patrick Corban, I think these guys, these are streaming candidates. Godly and and and Corby are high end streaming candidates to me. Okay, Taiwan Walker is an interesting little risk reward play late in the draft in my opinion. Okay, Um, but these guys are power arms, and I like that out of Arizona.

But I think you know you're gonna, unfortunately, you're gonna pref to overpay for Robbie Ray this year. Um. And you know Zach Granky, he makes me anxious, so I can't mess with him. But my, my, my, my surprise, to be quite honest, of this division is in San Diego. In San Diego, and this is this is this is where I want you people to listen. Okay, This is where stats over beat cipher getting ready for your draft.

This is where I really I think it's really important. Okay, Um, the San Diego Padres pitching staff is going to surprise some people. Clayton Richard was incredibly solid for the first three and a half months last season, Okay. And he finished with a babbit against him a three fifty one. That is an outlier. Okay. He that that is going to regress down to the mean and he's gonna, you know, over be better for it. And he was solid last year.

I think Clayton Richard is very interesting. Uh. Lament Dilson Lament also very very interesting. I'm I'm talking about a guy with a nearly eleven strikeout per nine innings, a young kid that's still learning to develop, had a four point two e r A okay, in only a hundred fourteen innings. He's the cannon kind of candidate that can get to one thirty five this year keep up his power arms, uh, you know, trending and like, could he be under four this year in that ballpark? I believe

it's possible. Um, in a division where um, the Diamondbacks have a worse offense, uh than they did last year, you know, I mean, I think it's possible. Um and Perdomo couldn't prose slightly. Also, and here's the thing. Watch Tyson Ross also dark Horse, like diamond in the rough, true diamond in the rough. Okay, he was almost he was basically five hundred when he was when he was a kid in two thousand fourteen, not even kid in two thousand fifteen. A few years ago with the Padres,

he was an All Star one year. Okay, he averaged a three e r A. He averaged like two d and two strikeouts a year across like two two and a half years with the Padres, and like when he was on point. Maybe a return for him. And I think that is very, very interesting, my surprise team. I'm telling you San Diego Padres. I like Richard, I like Lament, I like the potential of Tyson Ross. Yo, get some

bargain basement Padres. Because remember about this lineup also, I mean that's this nothing line up the ballpark that they are in, Okay, that's always something to consider people when they are pitching half their games at home. Like part of the reason you don't like the next team is the Colorado Rockies. Where I think it is still the

worst pitching rotation in the n L West. You have the you have John Gray, okay, power, fastball, straight off, love it, but he's starting to become injury prone in my opinion, so I don't. I don't trust him. See, the thing is with me. If I'm gonna invest in drafting a starter, and that's and that's to be honest, why and on a lot of my teams, I don't. I don't draft as many starters. I'm heavy on offense, I truly am. I gotta tell you, I'm heavy on offense when it comes to my drafts and my auctions

coming up. Okay, my strategy is never really to win through the starting pitching because it's so flighty. It's so flighty. These pictures are so injury prone. They are not making the thirty starts a year you need from your horses in order to win your leagues and win that cash. It's just not happening. You know, you draft a third round outfielder or third basement that guy is going to

play a hundred fifty games to you. You draft a third round starting pitcher and have him be your sp two and then he and then he goes down with a with a pinch nerve in his elbow in May, and that is much more likely, in my opinion, to happen to the starting pitching position than any other position in fantasy baseball. So I I stay away from it, to be quite honest. Okay, but um, if I'm going to invest in a starting pitching I'm not going to invest in the starting pitch ye that plays half of

his games at coors Field. Okay, So John Great can have his power for US ball, But the thing is, I don't know if he's gonna really have how much more than a ten innings is he gonna be? You know? The same way I said it about I think Dilson Lament, you know, and those games instead of in San Diego would be in course, So I'm not sure about that. And the same thing about you know Tyler chat with Tyler Anderson bettis these are guys with all four point five year r A and remember that ballbark, So I

don't like them. When it comes to the arms, I'm telling me my diamonds and the rough. I love these padres, Tyson Ross, Dilson Lament. I like the arms in in San Francisco as well in the Bay to two and three. I like some margin maybe in Quato this year, if quato, if quato. If you're telling me Johnny Quato makes twenty eight starts this year, and Madison Bumgardner does as well, and some margin does as well. I'll show you a Giant's team that is in contention in August with the

wherewithal to make a move. Okay, So those are also diamonds in the fu gazes for me and the arms up telling you. I'm also I told you how Zac Granky makes me anxious. The other part about this is he's going into his age thirty four season. Okay. He has thrown over a hundred and seventy innings in his last and six of his last seven years. Okay, two hundred and two winnings pitch last year. Okay, that is a ballpark where the ball flies out. He's getting older.

To me, he's in the n L West Fantasy. Fool Gazzy forgot about him. He makes me a little too anxious. You know, don the jeweler knows what I'm talking about. Those are some diamonds and fool gazes. What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give you my UM, I'm gonna give you my predictions for the n L West. Um, when we do it, you know, next week out there and live in Studio thirty four, I will say this, I do like the Dodgers. I do think the Padres are in the back, but you know, going in the

right direction. And I I like the Giants. I gotta say I do like the Giants. Will see how much maybe next week when we holler at it, when we continue our n L West preview. What I do want to do is switch gears now, though, and get into the NFL. Before we get into the NFL, though, I gotta tell you real quick about our boys over at d k M S. If you listen to the Fantasy Freestyle, if you're part of the status over beat Cipher, you

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You could register to be a bone marrow donor and it only takes one minute. You could sign up online and dk MS will send you a swap kid. You swap your cheeks, You send it back to d k M s. If that did, check out d k ms dot org slash fantasy and join them more than nine hundred and fifty thousand others that have signed up to be bone marrow donors. I don't a man. The manimal Chris Bovona has done that as well. But like I said, we are switching gears over to football. What we're gonna

do is we're gonna take a quick break. When we come back, I'm gonna holler at you about football. What's been going on, What the chief Health Officer of the NFL is saying about the concussions that I talked about last week. And then what my man, part of the Status O Beat Cipher License certified trainer Thomas Lowe has to say about concussions, about blood test, about Rob Gronkowski, UM, and if what are he's seeing in participation rates in

youth sports as well? Real interesting stuff coming from licensed certified athletic trainer Thomas Slow right here on the Fantasy Freestyle and the hashtag stats over beat cipher hit me up. The poll is still alive as well. Should pass interference be a spot foul or a fifteen yard penalty? Um? If they do, in fact make that rule change, come on back, We're gonna keep it locked. You know, Stats over beats, you know what it is helping you win

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to rock daily Fantasy Sports. The littlest think he's small, the littlest sinking small. He's like he's small and lit, the little Welcome back to the Fantasy Freestyle. It's boy Dane Martine spsas fitting statistician, stables, vocal minority. You know what it is here on the Fantasy Sports that we're representing the hashtags statute over beat, cipher. I told you we got the past interference call question up on the pole at spitting speed. You can holler at your boy.

I want to get into some quick news notes around the NFL at this time of year. What you're gonna hear about is a lot of veterans getting cut it towards the end of the year. Teams are trying to clear cap space, and we're seeing a lot of that in this week. Okay, the Panthers of cut running back Jonathan Stewart, he's there all time leading rusher. Okay, Jets running back Matt Forte announced his retirement. The Colts announced they will not resign Frank Gore. This is what we

were seeing this the stages of the NFL season. We're gonna have then after this is you know, the circle of life in the NFL. Though, because we have the combine where some of these young kids are gonna be running around in their underwear lifting weights and stuff like that. Um, and so it continues, instead of Frank Gore, You're gonna be here in the name, you know, Darius Geiss instead. You know, instead of Matt Forte, They're gonna be here

in the name Nick Chubb instead. You know what I'm saying, You're gonna be hearing these kinds of names, se Quon Barkley, Ronald Jones, Sony Michelle, Elijah Penny. Um, I think these are shot Penny. Excuse me, these guys are gonna be hearing. So it's gonna be very interesting. Alright, so the combine. But one of the things that also happened is kind of like the league meetings. You know, they're the commit competition committee meets. We're talking about what is the catch

the past interference. But what it's also happened checking this out, we have more comments at a Chief Medical officers. Okay, and and and it's interesting because I talked about the the concussion issue and how that the number went up, and I actually said on a previous episode of Fantasy Freestyle that I think that's a good thing. You know what I mean, because then they were identifying it more. We're taking people out when they have this, and that's

good for players safety, you know what I'm saying. But it sounds like Dr Allan Still, who is the Chief Medical Medical Officer of the NFL, disagrees. He says the increase in concussions up to two a quote unquote call to action. Does not in fact believe that what I was saying is like that. It's good because you're identifying it, you're raising awareness. He says, quote, it's not okay to simply stand behind that and say, well, the numbers are

going up because we're doing a better job. I think, to me, it's really a call to action to see what we can do to drive it down. And I think that's exactly the bad wrong mentality. We're not looking to drive it down artificially per se. Of course we all were proper technique and things like that, But like I think, at this part of the cycle of our education of this, it's important that, for example, they are now saying that of conclussions involved addressing it with a

medical official, and that that is the highest efforts. So that is a good thing. But to me and that's the highest ever we're addressed by a medical official. Shouldn't it be like a hundred? That's absolutely crazy? And and also still nine of the NFL um had a concussion this year. Okay, So I don't know why you're trying to necessarily drive it down. I think we have to accept that this is a risk in this game on some level and get better with technique, get better with equipment,

get better with science and data. But this idea for me of thinking you need to quote unquote drive it down sounds a little bit artificial to me. I think, saye for helmets, I think educational warning signs, rule changes, you know, And I think we should be glass half half half full about this. And I was even more encouraged when I talked to my my boy, you know, friend to the cipher Dilly dilly hashtag status over beat hashtag dilly dilly uh license certified athletic trainer, Thomas Lowe.

I had a chance to catch up with him, you remember him, so, um, let me play you some of that conversation, because I think it's really insightful. He's he's kind of with me, and I like having a a medical opinion that agrees with me when I go up against the league because they called me ignorant last time when I talked about Cam Newton. Hashtag all quarterbacks matter, hashtag all brains matter. But UM, check out my conversation with Thomas Lowe. You know what it is? Alright, everybody,

So here in the Fantasy Freestyle, we are back. And you know, if you listen to the Fantasy Freestyle, you listen to the show, you know we've had our next guest on before. This is license certified athletic trainer Thomas Lowe. He's been with us before, talking a lot about players safety, talking a lot about from everything from the concussion protocol to uh adam meastion your urine for hydration. And we welcome Thomas Lowe back on the show. How are you

doing Thomas? All right, Dane, how are you? We're doing good. We're doing good. Thanks again for making the time and listen.

You know we've talked to you now about I don't know three or four times, maybe really focused around players safety and around head trauma and UM I wanted to kind of bring you on after the season and just ask you, you know, do you think do you think UM progress has been made and at least kind of shining a light on how important uh you know, head trauma and player safety is generally, like, are you hearing

about it more in your field? The dangers of CPE, the dangers of playing football, because where where is this at? In your opinion? Yes, great gains are being made about keeping players safe, learning more about how to better diagnose him, learning better how to manage them. Um, a lot of options coming up to so I'm not certain what you want to discuss. If you may read lots some of the things that been Uh yeah, sure that was about

the things you've seen. We're we're we're hearing a lot of evidence with the CTE on that it is about hits, not just concussions. It's hits. And but the thing is, we don't know what the hit count is. But the nice thing is right out and some other companies actually have these accelerometers in the helmet. We actually have them now too, and they could actually easily turn that on where right now we have it set where based on a certain g force impacted alerts us and says, hey,

we need to have a conversation with that kid. I think I told you about these last time we talked, but they could easily turn us into just a hit count. We could lower the sensitivity or just the sensitivity. Once we find out what is that impact, what is what constitutes a hit? You know? That's uh that inns of like pounds of pressure of force in each hit. Well, that's what's gonna be discussed because there's some variation with

a rotary hit. And you also don't have to get hit in your your had to get a concussion to get hit in your body. But but the CT stuff is showing you what hits to the head is. They're showing there some relationship or correlation there. But like what constitutes a hit, we don't know. That's not quite as black and white as a picture. With the pitch count that he throws so many with the hit that's still you know, being determined. So that's interesting news to kind

of keep an eye. You know. The thing is if we keep an eye on that, and we get these little guys high schoolers, college and helmet, we can we can keep track of that and then eventually if we find out what that hit is, then they'll kind of be armed with some running history of of how much they've suffered you know, in their time. Another thing that we're saying almost uh, Thomas, let me ask you, would you be almost able to like pinpoint then when the

player is at greatest risk? Would this be a measure of kind of like wear and tear? I know you may be analogy to like any pitched or a pitch count on an arm with Are you saying then that they're working to establish kind of a certain oh, I don't know, maybe threshold where after that amount of trauma or amount of hits to the head, you're an even greater risk of brain trauma. Those are the questions that are being asked right now. So there seems to be

evidence that it's hits. Not necessarily that you've had a diagnosable concussion, but it's hits, it's repeated trauma to the head. So right now we have more questions and answers in terms of that goes. So, you know, we just need to gather more more data. We're learning. We're learning at an incredibly fast pace because guess what, everybody's paying attention now, right,

and so I guess that's step one. Right. The awareness is out there, it has been so front and center, and that brings me to one of the questions I wanted to ask you, Thomas, Um, you know, the NFL actually reported that there was increase in concussions this year in the NFL up to two one that we're actually diagnosed, and they're saying that there was forty five that were

actually diagnosed in practice. Now some people are saying that this, you know, it's kind of a warning that they still need to get it under control, whether it be with equipment or whether it be with training on the right way to tackle. I've actually on air, Thomas argued the opposite that identifying this number may actually be a good thing, because that means they are getting you know, diagnosed, identified, and the players are then sitting out the way they

should to be able to recover. Specifically, they've noticed that forty five have happened in practice, and to me, that's something that you didn't really hear about much, players getting concussions in practice and then you know, having to sit out. So maybe it's actually a good thing. What's your take on that this increase in diagnosed concussions not just the prose. It's not just surprose in the NFL, it's it's colleges, it's high schools. It's it's all levels and it just

has to do with awareness. And I don't think there's any more concussions. They're being reported. People now don't know what a concussion is. Players now know what a concussion is. Coaches no better what a concussion is. There's less denial, there's less covering up, there's less masking, there's less playing through the pain. There's everybody's where the ramifications now, So there's just more being reported. I don't really think there's

more of them. There's just more awareness and sensitivity to him now I see. So one of the biggest things, you know, there are a couple of you know, separate occurrences this season, Thomas, where some players were you know, um checked out and ultimately cleared to be back on a couple of specific cases around Tom Savage with Uston maybe Cam Newton in the playoffs. And one of the things the NFL didn't response Thomas is to add the number of what they call u n c s, which

are unaffiliated neurology uh neurology consultants. These are not team doctors, supposed to be independently objective people that have the ability to pull players out of the game. Um, do you think this is a step in the right direction. Yes, I do. It's actually part of their concussion you know,

checklist as far as their protocol. That's one thing that's that's unique, UM at that level compared to mine, is that this independent neurologist and what it is that prevents a conflict of interest because anybody that's really with their team and as you get a meshed in with the success of your team and the rise and fall, it's it's really easy for us and we have to constantly fight the medical people. We have to constantly fight making

cheerleading decisions. And some of the most sleepless nights I can recall in my career would be wasn't making a cheerleading decision, wasn't making a good medical decision? And then that was probably my greatest point of wisdom in my career, is learning how to monitor myself when I wasn't to not make a cheerleading decision because it's a conflict of interest. So having independent neurologist prevents that conflict of interesting. It makes it a pure medical decision without without you know,

being conflicted with being a cheerleader for your team. Sore. But what about this, Thomas. I mean, we talk about how they're unaffiliated, and I completely get that, how the team doctor maybe vested in certain players. You know, I was railing about this, Like, let's say a complete stud like a Tom Brady or Drew Brees, you know, gotten banged up in a game, there'd be a lot of pressure to put them back out there. And I completely

understand that. But these unaffiliated consultants, they aren't they also on some level with a conflict of interest given the fact they are paid by the NFL, you know, So don't they have some level of that conflict as well? Or do you think it's possible to truly be unaffiliated. You talk about cheerleading decisions, what about kind of financial decisions. Don't you kind of want to be in rotation of the doctors that are in good graces with the league?

I don't. That's a that's a tough question. Uh, It's it's tough in terms of somebody's financial motivation. But I don't know what they're what they're getting paid. I don't really I can't really comment on what would what would drive them? I would my thinking is that they're in integrity and they're making salid you know, decisions for their patient,

not with the conflict of interest to be there. So, because the NFL really is trying to do stuff right, everybody's trying to do stuff right, and so by doing this is they don't want to get in trouble any further. They want to make sure that are doing doing the right thing. And one of the ways this is their protocol. Nobody made them insert you know, a third party to come in and do that. So that's a way for them to protect themselves. Sure, so let's not talk about

their intent or their interests. I want to ask just about the feasibility. There's also am an enhancement that they made to this procedure, Thomas. Around the playoffs, they even have a um U n SEE, an unaffiliated neurology consultant centrally located in New York watching the games kind of

like they do for instant replay now. And that person also has the ability to kind of buzz and yank someone and they're saying that they're they're able to notice that some of these features from the television feed um you know, specifically, they're talking about stumbling when trying to get up and what they call the fencing posture, and they don't talk more about the fencing posture and if that's even feasible to see that on VEGIL. Yeah, these

are spotters. They have trainers doing this and they all they have neurologist to us. So they have people that are spotting because when you when you have all the video feed, you've got a lot more than maybe what you might see from your one perspective on the field. So in addition to you know, the field staff that's down there, you also have uh staff that's looking at the video for when somebody is just holding their head

or they're getting up slow. Um, you know you can you can just see more on on TV than you will if you're kind of right there your perspective as many angles. So these spotters, I think that's an interesting approach that they're doing and I like it. I really do. Okay, great, can you tell me a little bit. You know, when I first read this idea of the fencing posture, I was a little confused, what exactly does that refer to?

As far as just as far as they're they're lean, as far as when somebody's off balance and they're trying to try and to catch themselves. They have this this lean or this step. If if you watch the fencer, they have this, They've they've got this lunge. You know, everything is kind of a lunch. So basically, when you get hit of you're trying to get up and then

you're kind of in this leaning or lunging position. You're trying to catch yourself, but instead of lunging forward, they're trying to get back up and there's this delayed to that licensed certified athletic trainer Thomas low talking about that lean when you get a concussion. When we come back on the Fantasy Freestyle, we're gonna hear more from Thomas Lowe in terms of how we might be able to identify concussions in the future and why it's okay for

Grant to where his sun glasses at night. Come on right back to the Fantasy Freestyle on the Fantasy Sports Network, which bore Dane Larcinos speaking fit statutition. Signer Sports is the leading memorabilia provider for the New York Yankees, Rangers, Giants, Knicks, and the Brooklyn Nets, featuring hundreds of items from your

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Sneakers the soul. All right, thanks a lot. We're talking with a certified athletic trainer, Thomas Lowe here again on the fantasy Freestyles that to beat Cipher Dame Martinez Um. Thomas, you mentioned that there are some great um improvements in the technology. You know, you talk about some of the things that they can input into whether it these shoulder pads or helmets to kind of measure some of the

strength of some of the hits. What are some of the other things you mentioned Ridel as an equipment maker, what are some of the other things that might be happening giving us more information UM into kind of the bigger, faster, stronger health players and what it means for safety in their bodies. Well, not so much in terms of the technology for the helmet, but one of the new things that we're hearing that that they had proved a blood test that could put potentially find these bio markers to

indicate that somebody has a concussion. So that's gonna be interesting to see when that comes out. And we've got some really really good neurouzis here in my area. We actually have a jewel embails in this area. He's actually right here in my hometown and he and I work under the auspice of him and his team UM from north Shore Medical, And so it's gonna be interesting to see if this is adopted where they're actually using a

blood test to actually tell somebody as a concussion. I don't know how far out that is, but it's being released now that this test was approved. Oh wow, And how would that how would that compare to say a baseline is it certain what exactly happens in your blood when you get a concussion, and how would they be able to kind of um get that a digital baseline for athletes. Well, it's it's not so much that you need a baseline, it's just a different bio marker that

shows up with the enzymes. There's actually a biochemical change with concussion and that's when it gets uh, really dangerous for humans is when that happens. And so this blood test is able to pick those up, these these different indicators that that pop up, and so they use a ct uh to go through through and pick it up. Now, how far how accurate this is, It's going to be interesting. This is literally in the past couple of months I've

seen read several studies on it. But you know how how well that is in picking up these proteins uh you h you know you see h in uh this g F, A P these different proteins that bring releases into the blood. And if they can measure that within a short time after the trauma, it may be able to help this diagnose Yes, you did a concussion. Wow,

that's incredible. Um And and talk to me a little bit more about this, Thomas especially as it relates to something you mentioned before that you know, they're also trying to measure, in essence, a a measure of wear and tear on the brain based on not just concussions, bunny, and the accumulation of its right, So, could we see a universe in the future where you would have to take some of these blood tests even after some kind of traumatic brain event in order to be cleared, to

see if these enzymes or elements dissipate from your blood to the extent enough to be clean clear. And could we see this in other sports as well? I wouldn't see why not if if it became standard practice, just as an X ray is that, yes, you have a fracture, it's uh, it's not safe to resume until it's stabilized. I wouldn't see why not, but it's it's a little

too early to know about its efficacy right now. It was approved, and so, you know, I think things are heading in the right direction, that people are asking the right questions and they're they're trying to find more objective means of judging a concussion, because right now so much is subjective. It's it's us interviewing the athlete it's us looking at some there are functional tests as far as balance and eye scan looking for the stigmas and et cetera,

where the eyes really reveal a lot. But there's still a level of interpretation to it. It's there isn't a black and white like an X ray. You have a fracture.

You don't have a fracture, So it'd be interesting to see. Yeah, And I would also imagine from your side of the fence, Thomas, this would also be great because it would remove some of these, you know, cheerleading decisions that you referenced before, like if you can want a blood test, that's a lot more objective than somewhat something of the subjects that

you may see on the sidelines. Let's maybe taking some of the cheerleading decisions out of it, you know, and being as objective as possible if it's something like a blood test. Correct. Yeah, it would, and then it would also uh, free me up to release people that can play. I'm fine. You hear that. I'm fine. I really feel fine. Sorry, everything appeared as consistent with concussion. You're in the protocol now,

but I'm fine. And unless there's a definitive way to say no, we're gonna now are on the stand of caution, and that's you're in the protocol and you're gonna have to go through you know, the minimum mandatory five six stages. Wow. Um, so that objective is now now you're clear, Now you can play boy. That would that would be nice when people say they are an actually are fine. Yeah, let

me ask you one more question, Thomas. There was a case of a kind of frontline player who was dealing with the concussion heading into the Super Bowl, and that

was Patriots tied at Rob Groundhausen. Yeah. What I thought was interesting is, you know, he was ultimately clear and played, but he missed, Um, he missed media day, okay, and that was on Tuesday, and that's and you know, and they said that he wasn't really ready yet for all the kind of loud snapping of the cameras and the bright lights and you know, you know, all that stuff that goes along with you know, kind of that media availability.

But wouldn't you think that the Super Bowl is kind of a game even more than regular games in terms of the noise and the lights and the cameras and the and the sound system for the halftime artist, do you think it might be even harder to get cleared for such a big game with all those press opportunities and everything that goes around the Super Bowl for a guy like Groan. Yeah, I have mixed thoughts about this and being you know, here on the radio with you.

That's gonna be hard for me without knowing all the facts. But I'll just try and speak eloquently and carefully. I missed. You've done well so far. If I am an athlete that's still sensitive to light and sound and talking in media, ums day and then five days later, well no, if I days later, um, that could that could happen. So it's far as But if it's gonna you know, if it's you can't clear up that quickly. Typically that's kind of within that first stage. Or you're still symptoms. So

if you're still symptomatic, you're still symptomatic. You're not even in the protocol yet, so all your symptoms have to be gone. I mean, it's not and that's when the protocol starts. That's when the protocol starts. But it's not like because some people have migraines, some people are sensitive light and sounds. So people that tonight is we're talking

about what's different for you. And so if there are certain things that kind of aggravate you anyway, you know, loud noise and so on, and then you're coming off a concussion, yeah, you may have a heightened sensitivity to that from that standpoint. So it may be protecting him and just to keep from retriggering him, to make sure

we can continue to advance for the protocol. I mean, we're talking about millions here, so you're gonna want to protect your investment and make sure there is no one step forward, two steps back and trying not to do everything. I'm me, and I'll put kids in sunglasses in a classroom, I'll have them put I'll have them put your plugs into to deaden the sound, not so they can't hear instruction. But in colleges and in high schools, it's called what's

called return to learn. You've gotta people return to learn and not have all these things trigger and set you off before you're even ready to return to play. So five days could you be sensitive and then five days later complete, Um, yeah, you can. Every case is different, right, Every case is different. So it's really hard for me to judge his medical care and him. I can I can see reasons why, but I can also see right

reasons to ask was he ready? And and that's not really fair for me to do that openly, fair enough, Thomas, But you know, as a jetsman, any chance I get to nail the Patriots in the wall, I love, But let me get you out of here on this. And I think this will be a less controversial one. One of the things we see here in football and this time in the offseason, Thomas, interesting enough, is we're seeing more and more nflars retire decided to just walk away

from the game. And we're talking about guys with you know, that are under thirty years of age and have had less than say, five to seven years experience. And you mentioned it before, this kind of awareness that is out there, and people are taking this decision in their own ends, you know, after they've already made millions, so that they can still preserve themselves from their life. Um and you, Thomas, I know, work at the high school level, at the

college level. People have always wondered about the future of the NFL, you know, like, will it get to a point where people don't want to play football anymore? Will the NFL go away. So I want to ask you at the at the levels that you work at, you know, high school and in college, are you seeing any kind of fears from families or any dropping participation. Yeah, and even from that that level, we've had one of our

our star stud um facts left college. He was drafted and then he was hit so hard, basically knocked in morrow and basically shut it down at that point Wiseman. So I've seen our guys come from high schoo where they're drafted and shut it down. We're seeing less enrollment. There's actually many schools sometimes they can't even feel the whole team with it. And and this, this is this is sad because the coaches are doing a great job.

They're making it safer and safer and safer. I'm not seeing concussions in practice with at our level longer, not at varsity, maybe a little bit more at freshman because they're still learning how to hit, they're learning how to fall, they're learning that's right, they're learning content. But when we start to look at this, there's a lot of fear

and a lot of attack on football. And you know, kids parenting to look at their kids wearing helmets biking little kids that are like around ten and young, you know, youth. There's more head injuries and concussion from them cycling without helmets, and and it's safer teams. So yes, it starts getting replaced with football and so on. But we need to look at cheerleaders and cheerleaders stunting and being tossed. But

and we need to look at the cycling. So if we're really looking at protecting kids heads, there's a lot of areas that aren't getting attention. And it seems like football is getting beat up a lot for this hyper awareness you know that we're seeing. Yeah, no, I remember one time we spoken four times, you told me that cheerleading was actually the spot where you see the most head trauma. I was taken aback by that. Maybe football

getting something of a bad rap. But as you say, there is proper instruction going on at the youth levels, equipment technology advances that are happening. Do you think do you think we get to a place where the game changes just by technique of tackling or by equipment that makes it safe, or do we um get to a place where people know their limits with these kind of technologies? And how many it's they've accumulated and continue to walk

away before they get the magic number. Well, yeah, I think all that needs to happen, Yes, walk away before you hit the magic number, before you yourself destructive implode. I mean, that's what we're trying to prevent. But it's also nice not they have to live in a bubble. I mean, most of the activities I do if if you don't have the helmet or there's some risk and

it's boring to me. So I mean, as many people that are gonna want to live their life and not live in the bubble, but they're also not kind of want to become you know, paralyzed, pressed, suicidal, um and just become dysfunctional because of this. You know, there's an interesting piece I just saw thirty for thirty if you

whom had caught that with Jim McMahon. He was kind of one of our local heroes here out of Chicago, and the long term effects of of you know, being hit in ahead and all the concussions he played through. So I think there's a lot of people just don't want to have currented disability and that's and that's wise, and we need to get more information. So we can help them make informed choices so they can play but play safely. Yeah, we hope we can figure this out.

It almost feels like when you talk about hits even and not concussions. It almost feels like how you can find the holding penalty on almost any play, especially with the offensive and defensive lines just running into each other. You're gonna accumulate that hit, those hits. But I hope that we continue to try and stay ahead of the

curve and inform people as much as possible. And I appreciated Thomas uh learned license certified athletic trade or Thomas Lowe coming on the Fantasy Freestyle to help us in our listeners really understand. And Thomas, one baseball season gets started in a couple of months. What have you want to talk about all these hamstring polls and oblique injuries? Okay, all right, thank you, thanks for the honor to talk with you. All right, Absolutely sounds good. Thanks again, Thomas

uh here on the Fantasy Freestyle. So there you have it. My conversation with license certified athletic trainer Thomas Lowe, friend of the Fantasy Freestyle, Dilley. Dilley, he has been part of the status overbeat Cipher for a minute. Um, I want to also, you know, change gears. Although Thomas Lowe brings us the great insight at the end of this episode of Fantasy Freestyle, I also got to give you,

you know, the fun and functional sports radio. So I want to talk about a couple of stories in the NBA. The defending champion Golden State Warriors. Uh, we're in Washington to play the Wizards this week, and so it came back up that they were, you know, issuing their ceremonial trip to the White House. They were invited, uninvited, you know.

Steph Curry had some things to say instead, check this out though, they were going to an African American museum with school kids from see Pleasant, Maryland in the area, and that's also Kevin Durant's neighborhood, his area high school. Clay Thompson said, you know, with not going to the White House though it is a quote unquote great honor, but they were, you know, uncomfortable going. They said, they

didn't want to politicize it. But instead they're just gonna hang out with some kids to go to the museum, hopefully teach some things they longed along the way life lessons and hopefully give them some great memories. They actually, in fact thought about meeting with the Democrats, but then decided that would infect be politicizing things. So who knows. But you know, um, everybody trying to make their stand get their voice heard, regardless of what corner they are,

you know, fighting into or backing into. But check this out. Let's keep it in political basketball. Okay, So we got the Warriors are shooing the current administration. The head of the last administration may have a future with the San Antonio Spurs. Check this out. Um. At a conference, the Sports Conference at M I T, Barack Obama said he would love to take every agent meeting with the Spurs. He says, and I quote, there's smart, they're well run,

They're focused on team. He said, Um, they treat everybody in the organization with respect, the kind of organization that I want to be a part of. So I would say over the last fifteen years in basketball, San Antonio would be a great example at that and I'd love

to take a meeting. But check this out. On the flip side, Popovich not necessarily, um going for it, not necessarily right in says he still needs to vet them, you know, still needs to vet Brock that it's flattering, you know, but he has to do a background check, he says. Um, but this wasn't the first time. Actually, Uh, former president forty four UM basically said nice things about the Spurs when Spurs won the championship after the fourteen

fifteen season. I believe when they went um, you know, he actually said that the Spurs represented the America as a team first country and all there and that culture and value. So you know, they've had a long standing relationship. But UM, I still don't think that's feasible. One thing that might be more feasible as we keep it rocking here on the Fantasy Freestyle on the Fantasy Sports Network.

Last thing I'm gonna talk about tonight is, uh, check this out in Philly, they going hard maybe for Lebron. Uh the the Sixers and Cabs played each other this week. And also like they have young talent, they have money to spend and they're like in straight recruitment. MO. Check this out. A um Power home remodeling, which is based in Philly, paid for three billboards and you know there

is that movie out there right now. Three billboards, right but these three billboards are used to basically recruit Lebron okay and hashtag complete the process. One is just says Philly wants Lebron, one says like I said, complete the process, and the other has just like the numbers of a starting lineup with number twenty three in there with a crown on it along with Ben Simmons twenty five, stars

is nine and be twenty one. And this one has Covington's at thirty three, so like no guards in this lineup and also no uh no faults the you know, number one overall pick of this year as he tries to make a jump shot look look great again? What shall we say? But um, you know, the CEO of this organization was like, we're passionate about Philadelphia. We want the best athletes to play here. We're have an amazing city, you know, So they're in full on recroup BOARDE. I

think that was creative. I think that was cool and you never know, that could be an interesting fit in a way to try extended by passing the baton, you know, to the process and EmpId and Simmons. That could be interesting. We'll see what Lebron does this summer. That's about my time. Check it out. You can still get up on that poll. Remember at Spitting Speeds always you can follow me. How

let your boy um. You know, the question is should defensive pass interference be a fifteen yard penalty or should it be a spot foul. I think it's interesting that they might think about reducing it. And check it out. Don't forget about our people over at fantasy factor dot com. Fantasy Factor is the perfect daily fantasy site for the casual recreational player. There are flat of prize pools, smaller fields,

single entry contests. Only single entry contest, which is better, so you're not going up against all these sharks with these algorithms and whatnot. And they're running free NHL and NBA free rolls every week. It's free entry. Sign up and enter www Dot fantasy factor dot com. You know what it is and your boy day. Martinez a k A. Speeds a k A to Spitting Statistician a k A. The Stable Genius and Vocal Minority. Thanks for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Freestyle. You know what it is.

I'll see you next week live and direct from Studio Dirty four. I'm out this