Jim McMahon discusses dementia and professional refs are back

SALT LAKE CITY — We've heard a lot recently about the dangerous implications of concussions in sports, especially in football where concussions seem to be synonymous with the game. Several former athletes from BYU have endured through concussions in the NFL: from quarterbacks Jim McMahon and Steve Young to receiver Austin Collie, concussions have had a major impact on their lives.

McMahon, who is suffering from early-stage dementia, spoke to Chicago Fox-affiliate WFLD-TV Wednesday, saying if he could do it all over again he would probably skip football and play baseball.

"That was my first love, was baseball, and I had a scholarship to play baseball, I probably would have played just baseball," he said. "But football paid for everything; it still does. That Super Bowl XX team is still as popular as it ever was. Until they win again, we're gonna still make money."

McMahon says he struggles everyday with short-term memory loss, forgetting why he went into a room or forgetting what he was doing.

"When my friends call and leave me a message … I'll read it and delete it before I respond and then I forget who called and left me a message," McMahon said.

McMahon is part of 2,400 retired players who are suing the NFL for their lack of help diagnosing concussions.

"They'd ask you questions, basic questions. ‘Where are you, what day is it?' Stuff like that," McMahon said. "And if you were able to answer that and seem like you were OK, they would let you back in."

Professional refs are back

At first we told ourselves the replacement refs would probably not be so bad. After all, even the professionals made mistakes that we all griped about. Could it really be that much worse? We endured the extra timeouts granted and the "blue team" calls made by the refs. We also sat through the slowed down game because football was back.

However, one single play Monday night unleashed the beast, so to speak. We were fed up and the replacement refs had to go. No longer could we take the high school, Division II and fired Lingerie Football League refs. The game was ruined and the NFL was forced to stand by their replacement refs.

Sure, the PR was horrible as fans ridiculed the NFL for failing to get a deal done. Nevertheless, a deal has been reached and the professionals will be back on the field for Thursday's matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. I for one am happy to complain about the professional refs, whose mishaps now seem minor ... until they blow a call for my team. But until then, I'm happy order has been restored. Let's pretend like none of this ever happened.

Behind the back TD pass

For some, flag football is one step away from the NFL. I've played with guys that take the sport a little too serious at times, and they believe they're next in line for a spot on an NFL roster. Okay, so maybe not that serious, but it can sometimes get out of hand. Nevertheless, flag football is a great way to play a sport you love.

For a group of guys in the Purdue Intramural Sports Flag Football league, Sour Lemons quarterback threw a 30-yard touchdown pass behind the record. A 30-yard touchdown pass is a great accomplishment at any level, but behind the back?

Check out the video, it's worth a watch. Even though the pass may never be replicated, at least it was caught on camera.

Hashtags in sports

It's inevitable: Hashtags have taken over our lives. It started out as a way for Twitter users to talk about a similar subject, but has grown to other platforms. Television programs add hashtag phrases to their shows to get users engaged in the show and online. Businesses use hashtags to spread their company's name on Twitter and other platforms.

Now, football is getting in on the action. Nebraska painted on their field #HUSKERS. The phrase will be seen by TV viewers and all fans at the game.

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