- Good news Jack Dover is doing well and according to the Facebook page where regular updates have been posted, (viewable whether you have an account or not) he’s cleared to race.
Remember that the issue of whether or not a doctor’s clearance was given was a subject of discussion locally and on message boards across the country after Jack returned to racing one night after suffering head injuries on June 11. They plan on making it to two ASCS Races at Granite City, IL and Little Rock, AR to “start and park” for points. He’s planning to run the Nebraska Cup at Eagle on Sept. 12th.
I’ll just say this and not speak of this again: Eagle dodged a bullet in June when questions remained unanswered, or unwilling to be addressed when the issue of medical clearance came up. But I’m not condemning anyone - it would be hypocritical for me to point an accusing finger when I gladly stayed and watched. If I had enough issue with it I should have left. I didn’t.
Yes, there are plenty of stories told over beer about dirt track heroes racing with banged up heads, broken limbs, and an IV bottle hanging from an iron lung with a motor strapped to it and lapping the field (yes I’m exaggerating).
But that was then.
All that legend means nothing in today’s society when a lawsuit can turn racetracks into lakes, housing developments, or weed-infested patches of unused ground faster than Sammy Swindell’s lap around Eagle.
Hey, while you and I may agree with Shakespeare’s take on attorneys from Henry VI - "Kill all the lawyers!" our opinion isn’t worth squat in the real world. Whether or not anyone signed waivers or the law is on your side, your rights are only as good as your ability to defend them. All too often he with the most lawyer wins and sometimes winning the good fight might as well be a loss because of the heavy cost to defend oneself.
When these decisions are made it no longer affects one person. It can affect the racing community as a whole. In this day of sensationalistic, twenty-four hour media, uninformed opinion and hearsay ruling the air and cyberspace, lawsuits, insurance, and sick opportunism, we need to take the time to ask if maybe it isn’t a good idea to have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed, for everybody’s sake.
But if that is done, fine - let the critics be damned and on with the show.
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3 comments:
A lot of people don't understand what can happen nowadays when the word liability is mentioned. Sure, it was exciting to see someone bounce back from an injury, but what if..........
Aside from the legal issues for the tracks. If you haven't seen the conclusive evidence that has recently been presented linking ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and repeated concussions, it is very interesting and would certainly leave me wondering about guys like Jack's future.
I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I understand the passion to race, but it certainly has its risks.
Quite true. In fact, it's suspected that Gehrig may not even have died from the disease named after him, but from the similar conditions caused by his repeated concussions.
Link to LA Times article
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