Arena Football League Player Dies

[k_rock923]

from abc7.com
LOS ANGELES — An autopsy was pending today for a Los Angeles Avengers lineman who may have suffered a fractured spine while making a tackle, the first player to die in a game in the Arena Football League's 20-year history.

Al Lucas, 26, didn't move after making a tackle during a kickoff return in the first quarter of yesterday's game at Staples Center against the New York Dragons. He was taken from the field on a stretcher.

Replays showed other players' legs hitting the lineman in the head as he was going down.

Lucas was pronounced dead at California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles. His death was announced about a half-hour after the game.

"...Al Lucas suffered a presumed spinal cord injury and was brought to California Hospital, where all attempts to revive him were unsuccessful," Avengers team physician Luga Podesta said in a statement.

Lucas was pronounced dead at 1:28 p.m. yesterday, Podesta said.

"It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Al Lucas. At this time, the thoughts and prayers of the entire Avenger organization are with his wife and family," Avengers owner Casey Wasserman said in a statement.

Lucas was a 6-foot-1-inch, 300-pound lineman who joined the Avengers in 2004 and led all linemen on the team with 18.5 tackles. He had made 7.5 tackles this season.

Lucas played for the NFL's Carolina Panthers during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He joined the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm in 2003, was named to the league's All-Rookie team and helped lead to team to a championship.

He is survived by his wife De'Shonda, daughter Mariah, brother Leonard and parents David and Elaine. His widow was reportedly planning to travel to Los Angeles today from Macon, Ga.

Lucas' death is believed to be the first of a player during a professional football game since 1971, when Detroit Lions receiver Chuch Hughes died from a heart ailment.

The team is scheduled to resume practice Wednesday at West Los Angeles College. Its next game is scheduled for next Sunday in Nashville.

"Al Lucas played arena football with passion and integrity," said AFL Commissioner David Baker. "The entire AFL family extends its deepest sympathies to Al's wife and family, as well as (to) his friends, family and teammates."

Wow. Is this what it's going to take to see some changes in football?

[MegaRock]

What changes can really be made? It's a sport that includes three hundred plus pound men slamming into each other and slamming each other into the ground. This is the game, it is the way it's played and everyone who plays the game knows the risks involved.

It's sad to see this happen but there is little that could be done to avoid it.

[k_rock923]

How about mandatory neck protectors like some players in the NFL wear?

[Omega X]

Neck protection?! There hasn't been a death in Football since the 1970's! Unless your giving them pillows on all blunt parts of the body, someone is going to get hurt. But that's going to defeat the purpose since force is needed.

[Print]

I'm really tired right now. Somebody sum up that article..

Did someone die during play?

If so, it's a freak accident. Nothing can be done. Like Omega X said, there hasn't been a death in football since the 70's.

[Mattress]

it's sad that he died.

Though as others have said, if you don't want to get the crap bashed out of you, don't play. No one is forcing anyone else to play football.

[Print]

What about all those ten year old kids with the psychotic dads who wish to live through their children..

They're forced to.. but good point

[zootm]

Originally posted by Mattress
it's sad that he died.

Though as others have said, if you don't want to get the crap bashed out of you, don't play. No one is forcing anyone else to play football.

Exactly.

What the hell is "arena football", incidentally?

[shakey_snake]

American football in a hockey rink.

futbol(soccer):indoor soccer::Football:Arena Football

[zootm]

Ah, ok, so it's basically American Football in a different venue. Gotcha.

[Print]

Originally posted by zootm
Ah, ok, so it's basically American Football in a different venue. Gotcha.

Yeah but it's gay.

[shakey_snake]

*waits to respond to accusation that all american football is gay*

[Print]

Not NFL just arena football.

[Mr Jones]

It's not as uncommon as you might think...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4439265.stm

[zootm]

Originally posted by shakey_snake
*waits to respond to accusation that all american football is gay*

Nothing wrong with being gay

It's a good spectator sport, I find (I use to go see the Scottish team occasionally until they disbanded). It doesn't seem so good as a sport in general as most other things though.

[VanWalpinator]

Being gay isn't really a spectator sport Zoot

Joking aside, NFL is a lot more exciting to watch than NFL europe. American football can only be done properly by the americans.

[shakey_snake]

Originally posted by zootm
It doesn't seem so good as a sport in general as most other things though.

American Football is a very complex sport, and it takes a lot of time to understand all the little nuances of the game to understand it and appreciate it. This is especially true at the highest levels.
It's a lot like baseball in that respect.
Example: In baseball, a pitcher's change-up can really only be appreciated in relation to his fastball. So if a pitcher really sets a batter up with the fastball, and then gets him to strike out with the change up by completely freezing a batter, it is impressive.
If you don't understand that, it just looks like the batter was stupid for not swinging at a pitch that was right down the middle of the plate.
In the same way, it is impressive how a quaterback and offensive coordinator can setup a secondary with playaction. If you don't understand how that works, it just looks like a defensive back was an idiot for not covering the wide reciever.
In football, those types of things get very complex very quickly, like a chess match.

[zootm]

Yeah, I've heard all this, seriously. Most other sports have the same (rugby, football, etc. all do). I just feel that american football has become a little bit too much of a spectacle in itself.

[dlinkwit27]

Originally posted by k_rock923
How about mandatory neck protectors like some players in the NFL wear?

those neck protectors do very little to actually increse safety, in fact, if hit right, they can make it more dangerous. I havn't seen the video of this yet, but from what I hear, a nect protected wouln't have helped anyway because it sounds like the injury was caused due to some sort of head on/head down collision.

/edit
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7455663/
after viewing the video (he is in right on the top of the video near the end) his head appears to be hit from the side, meaning that the only way any sort of nect protection would have helped, is if it would have wrapped nearly all the way around the head, which is not the case with any current neck braces. Bsically this is a freak accident, with no real way of preventing it from happening again.