There are buzz words, catch phrases, that get really hot at times.

From the whole Charlie Sheen “winning” absurdity to Homer Simpson’s “d’oh,” a lot of them originate in pop culture. Others originate from day-to-day life. Prior to September of 2001, the letters “W,” “M,” and “D” in succession didn’t mean much to anyone (unless you’re one of those morbid types who was in a Walter Mondale Death Pool). These days, WMD is pretty much its own word, despite defying virtually every rule of grammar and phonics.

When I was growing up, it was Attention Deficit Disorder.

WILL: “Hey doc, I’ve got this nasty bruise on my ankle.”
DOCTOR: “It’s Attention Deficit Disorder.”
WILL: “Uh, what?”
DOCTOR: “Just trust me. Take this Ritalin and it’ll go away.”

Both my nephew and brother have been diagnosed with forms of ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Personally, I don’t buy it. I think I’m just so uninteresting to talk to that they have to find something else to do to keep from dying of boredom.

One of the hot-button buzz words right now, especially in athletics, is “concussion.” Just ask Steelhead athletic trainer Jason Switzer. He had to say that word more than he cared to last season. Rather than run down the list of people who dealt with concussions (or concussion symptoms), it’s probably easier to go down the list of those who didn’t. Let’s see … um … I didn’t. I’ve had a bunch in my life, though. Once concussed myself mowing the front lawn, but we don’t need to talk about that any more because it’s rather embarrassing. It’s not like that post just suddenly appeared in front of the house.

Let’s just say it was an issue last season. It ended Matt McKnight’s season. A couple years ago, rookie forward Jimmy Kerr had to retire after being on the receiving end of a vicious hit to his nugget. Goaltender John Daigneau was never quite the same after suffering a concussion during a wild line brawl in Phoenix.

You don’t mess around with brain injuries. You just don’t. Brains are fairly hard to live without. No matter what fans think of some ECHL officials, I’m willing to bet a lot of money that they all physically have functioning brains inside of their skulls.

John Heska, a college professor in Kamloops, British Columbia, had an opinion piece last week in the Kamloops Globe and Mail newspaper dealing with the topic of blows to the head in hockey. In short, he wants them gone. His premise is simple:

“While the NHL has been a leader in concussion management after a player has been injured, it has been painfully slow to implement changes that would reduce brain injuries in the first place.”

He theorizes (and I tend to agree) that the lower rungs of the ladder will fall in line with the top:

“The NHL’s influence on youth hockey is unmistakable, and kids will mimic what’s modeled.”

As will the assorted minor leagues across North America.

Taking a zero-tolerance policy on head shots (akin to the NFL) won’t, in and of itself, rid hockey of concussions entirely. It will, however, reduce them. Empirical data is pretty clear in demonstrating the following equation:

Less Concussions = Good for Sport

So, while it may lead to fewer “oooohhhhhh” hits showing up on SportsCenter, it’ll also lead to fewer players like Jimmy Kerr, who saw his professional career ended after seven games. Seven. Being physical doesn’t mean “aim for his earhole.” You can be strong, aggressive, and physical without taking out a guy’s teeth with your shoulder.

Do it, NHL. Do it, professional hockey. Draw a line in the sand. Be a good ambassador for growth in the sport. Help make it a safer game to play.