Under questioning from Congress, a doctor who used to lead the NFL's concussion committee stuck to his position that there is no proven connection between football head injuries and brain disease. Members of the House Judiciary Committee expressed frustration at the oral and written testimony delivered at Monday's hearing in Detroit by Dr. Ira Casson, a neurologist from New York and former co-chairman of the NFL's panel on head injuries. "There is not enough valid, reliable or objective scientific evidence at present to determine whether or not repeat head impacts in professional football result in long-term brain damage," Casson said. Lawmakers had made a big deal out of Casson's absence at an Oct. 28 hearing on the same topic, and they went after him in direct questioning Monday. Rep. Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat, also took shots at the league. She has compared the NFL's stance to that of tobacco companies who denied a connection between smoking and lung disease. "I find it really ridiculous that he's saying that concussions don't cause long-term cognitive problems," Sanchez said. "I think most people you ask on the street would figure that repeated blows to the head aren't good for you." Sanchez noted that the league formed its concussion committee in 1994, and wondered aloud whether the league's recent moves on concussions took far too long to come about. "It seems to me that the NFL has literally been dragging its feet on this issue until the past few years," Sanchez said. Casson resigned as co-chairman of the NFL's committee on mild traumatic brain injury in November.
Indoor football: Center Gus Kosmakos (Dulaney), who twice earned Offensive Player of the Year honors at Towson University and helped propel the Mariners to the American Indoor Football Association's leading rushing offense in 2009, has re-signed with the Mariners for 2010. Kosmakos is an assistant coach at Towson. The Mariners will open their third season March 6 in Harrisburg, Pa., and begin their home schedule at 1st Mariner Arena on March 14 at 4 p.m. against the New Jersey Revolution.
Men's college lacrosse: Senior Ryan Alexander (St. Vincent Pallotti), junior Bobby Cooke (Mount Hebron) and senior Ryder Henry were named tri-captains at St. Mary's.
- From Sun staff and news services