Posted on March 10, 2010 · Posted in Brain Injury

New York Gov. David Paterson, who is in the midst of a huge scandal regarding not only his alleged interference in an assault case but also getting free Yankee tickets, is making another controversial move.

With New York State facing huge financial woes, Paterson is seeking the repeal of the state’s prohibition of mixed martial arts, Nicolaus Mills wrote in a blog for The Huffington Post Monday.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicolaus-mills/new-york-head-case_b_489821.html?view=screen

Lifting the 13-year-old ban on mixed martial arts will bring in more revenue into New York, Paterson argues. As Mills points out, it’s ironic that the governor is advocating the return of such a brutal sport when the dangers of concussions in sports like pro football has been in the headlines for months now.

Mixed martial arts is a combination of wrestling, boxing and jujitsu where a fighter can hit his opponent even if that rival is on the ground. And there are no helmets for mixed martial arts.

Mills points out that for years the National Football League essentially buried its head in the ground and wouldn’t acknowledge that concussions could cause permanent brain damage. But a turning point came this fall when an NFL-commissioned study found that Alzheimer’s and other memory-related diseases were turning up in former players at a much higher rate than the overall population.

Mills warns that Paterson’s personal woes and scandals, which have many calling for him to resign, should not take away attention from this foolish advocacy of mixed martial arts. Legalizing mixed martial arts “can only add a new class of athletic victims to those we already have,” according to Mills.

About the Author

Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr.
Past Chair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
g@gordonjohnson.com :: 800-992-9447