Syracuse football defensive tackle Steven Clark's career put in jeopardy by blood clots

[OrangeMojo]

Death by vehicle: 1/114
Steven clotting again: 5-7/1000

sounds like the school better contact a traffic safety specialist and determine if all players planning to ride in or walk anywhere near vehicles should be DQ'd

 

[OrangePA]

I hope Steve gets a second opinion and can play ball again.

 

[illi3]

I hope Steve gets a second opinion and can play ball again.

Is it within NCAA regs and or/appropriate for other coaches to reach out to a DQ'd player at this point? Because if it is, I'd bet there are some coaches currently obtaining contact info for the Clark family.

 

[bcubs9497]

I hope Steve gets a second opinion and can play ball again.

We asked for a THIRD opinion and were rebuffed. Tucker was adamant.

 

[illi3]

If they already haven't put feelers out there to them. haha.

 

[Alsacs]

We asked for a THIRD opinion and were rebuffed. Tucker was adamant.

Do players sign anything that would prevent a lawsuit against Tucker?

I wonder if his attitude would change if he could be sued?

No doctor should ever be adamant for other opinions.

 

[orangenirvana]

We asked for a THIRD opinion and were rebuffed. Tucker was adamant.

Can't help but feel warm and fuzzy knowing that the eligibility of our football players are in the hands of such an open-minded kind of guy.

 

[Cuse'91]

I'm presuming these medical professionals are being monetarily compensated for their opinions; what a waste of university funds... Explain to me how this is different than just DQing anyone with an issue?!

 

[dasher]

Do players sign anything that would prevent a lawsuit against Tucker?

I wonder if his attitude would change if he could be sued?

No doctor should ever be adamant for other opinions.

I'm sure he doesn't mind if you get a second opinion. It's just not going to change anything. It's his responsibility to protect the University and the player. He isn't going to farm out the Universities liability to someone else. I don't blame him or the school for that. He may be wrong. And if he is, Steven will go someplace else and star. At the end of the day, someone has to be the decision maker for the University. In this case, it's Tucker.

 

[RoofBeam]

You couldn't be more naive: Mayo Clinic researchers demonstrate value of second opinions

We're talking someone's life long health versus playing football, which is a game. I feel bad for Steven, but how would you feel if something happened to him. None of us have the right or the knowledge to judge a doctor, but it still sucks!

 

[Alsacs]

I'm sure he doesn't mind if you get a second opinion. It's just not going to change anything. It's his responsibility to protect the University and the player. He isn't going to farm out the Universities liability to someone else. I don't blame him or the school for that. He may be wrong. And if he is, Steven will go someplace else and star. At the end of the day, someone has to be the decision maker for the University. In this case, it's Tucker.

Tucker can be sued. If he isn't qualified to make these decisions.

If I had two doctors saying the player was cleared and he wouldn't clear. I would want his procedures proven to be accurate and challenged. This guy is more worried about litigation that isn't the way our doctors should be behaving.

Mr.Clark already outlined this doctor told his son to go back on medicine if he wanted to play in 2018. That is a joke. I would threaten litigation and see if he sticks to his guns.

 

[dasher]

Tucker can be sued. If he isn't qualified to make these decisions.

If I had two doctors saying the player was cleared and he wouldn't clear. I would want his procedures proven to be accurate and challenged. This guy is more worried about litigation that isn't the way our doctors should be behaving.

Mr.Clark already outlined this doctor told his son to go back on medicine if he wanted to play in 2018. That is a joke. I would threaten litigation and see if he sticks to his guns.

He has no case. Syracuse University doesn't have to clear a player to play football for them. They aren't taking his ship away. They are saying that in their opinion, he isn't healthy enough to play football for the school. It is their call. He is free to stay at the university. He is free to go elsewhere. But the Universities medical staff isn't going to clear him to play. Period. The fear is that a player will go dr shopping. Sad to say that goes on. The school needs a decision maker. And that is Dr Tucker.

 

[Alsacs]

He has no case. Syracuse University doesn't have to clear a player to play football for them. They aren't taking his ship away. They are saying that in their opinion, he isn't healthy enough to play football for the school. It is their call. He is free to stay at the university. He is free to go elsewhere. But the Universities medical staff isn't going to clear him to play. Period. The fear is that a player will go dr shopping. Sad to say that goes on. The school needs a decision maker. And that is Dr Tucker.

Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert.
In court when you claim to be an expert you have to prove your qualifications before the court agrees your qualified to be an expert. . Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert. In court when you claim to be an expert. Based on what I've read in this thread there appears to at least be a case to question this guy's qualifications to be An expert.

 

[dasher]

Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert.
In court when you claim to be an expert you have to prove your qualifications before the court agrees your qualified to be an expert. . Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert. In court when you claim to be an expert. Based on what I've read in this thread there appears to at least be a case to question this guy's qualifications to be An expert.

This would never get to court. The University has the right to say who they will let play and who they won't. This is a non starter. His qualifications are good enough for a major University. Think of this. The University is going to be sued because they don't believe a player with blood clots is safe to play and you think they are going to be sued for that? That they can be made to play someone that they think is not well enough to play. No way.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Tucker can be sued. If he isn't qualified to make these decisions.

If I had two doctors saying the player was cleared and he wouldn't clear. I would want his procedures proven to be accurate and challenged. This guy is more worried about litigation that isn't the way our doctors should be behaving.

Mr.Clark already outlined this doctor told his son to go back on medicine if he wanted to play in 2018. That is a joke. I would threaten litigation and see if he sticks to his guns.

I don't want to turn this thread into a moratorium on healthcare and I agree with most of your post but your proposed strategy is exactly why doctors practice defensive medicine.

The litigious nature of our culture is a driving force behind astronomical healthcare costs and declining quality of care.

I think SUAD certainly needs to reconfigure their medical staff and evaluation protocol to be more inclusive and exhaustive for the betterment of the student athlete.

 

[dasher]

We had a basketball player die on the floor a few years ago out west. Imagine what would happen to the University if they played a kid that they were warned had health issues. You would have the tragedy of the players life coupled with the end of our football program.

 

[Alsacs]

We had a basketball player die on the floor a few years ago out west. Imagine what would happen to the University if they played a kid that they were warned had health issues. You would have the tragedy of the players life coupled with the end of our football program.

Why did the player die?


Mr. Clark already outlined that the fact that he is a better chance to die in a vehicle accident then for blood clots to kill his son. The point is this doctor is one out of three who won't clear him and he happens to be the University Doctor Who is fearful of litigation. That is not the way to practice medicine.

 

[RMH44]

You couldn't be more naive: Mayo Clinic researchers demonstrate value of second opinions

This part is very telling: "“Effective and efficient treatment depends on the right diagnosis,” says Dr. Naessens. “Knowing that more than 1 out of every 5 referral patients may be completely [and] incorrectly diagnosed is troubling ─ not only because of the safety risks for these patients prior to correct diagnosis, but also because of the patients we assume are not being referred at all.” "

 

[Consigliere]

Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert.
In court when you claim to be an expert you have to prove your qualifications before the court agrees your qualified to be an expert. . Tucker needs to prove his qualifications to be taken as an expert. In court when you claim to be an expert. Based on what I've read in this thread there appears to at least be a case to question this guy's qualifications to be An expert.

Technically Tucker is not acting as "the expert" here. He is evaluating and adjudicating based on the opinion of DiFino who is the expert. Understand being supremely risk adverse here - one bad decision to declare an at risk player eligible outweighs hundreds of over cautious ineligible rulings - but the logic breaks down. DiFino's recognition of a risk is predicated on the side effects of a drug that the patient apparently will not take. And the patient's decision is based on evaluating the opinions of multiple experts. Therefore, the risk is not relevant. I'd feel much more comfortable if these decisions were made by a panel rather than a single adjudicator. By all accounts Tucker's decision was made solely based on DiFino's input on an inexact science.

In any event, all the best to you and Steven, Cubs. Hopefully whatever happens from here on forward you see the support you have from this community and we look forward to your continued presence.

 

[texascpa]

We had a basketball player die on the floor a few years ago out west. Imagine what would happen to the University if they played a kid that they were warned had health issues. You would have the tragedy of the players life coupled with the end of our football program.

While I agree with your sentiment regarding suing the university, almost everyone has health issues. As bcubs has stated, Steve's risk is about one half of one percent, along with the assessment of two other doctors that it is safe for him to play. The university has very little risk in this.

 

[dasher]

Why did the player die?


Mr. Clark already outlined that the fact that he is a better chance to die in a vehicle accident then for blood clots to kill his son. The point is this doctor is one out of three who won't clear him and he happens to be the University Doctor Who is fearful of litigation. That is not the way to practice medicine.

You are talking about something you have no knowledge of. One, we don't know exactly what the other dr's said. We often hear what we want to hear. the guy with the responsibility to make these decisions has said he can't play. I'm sure he was deliberate when he made this decision. He may be wrong. But you and I aren't dr's.

 

[dasher]

While I agree with your sentiment regarding suing the university, almost everyone has health issues. As bcubs has stated, Steve's risk is about one half of one percent, along with the assessment of two other doctors that it is safe for him to play. The university has very little risk in this.

what would happen to our football program if we played him after all of this and something tragic happened?

 

[OrangeMojo]

We had a basketball player die on the floor a few years ago out west. Imagine what would happen to the University if they played a kid that they were warned had health issues. You would have the tragedy of the players life coupled with the end of our football program.

More football players die from football related injuries than from blood clots caused by playing football - so based on your logic shouldn't the university just drop football because of the known risks of playing a violent contact sport? They are knowingly putting all of these kids at risk by allowing them to play football - imagine if one of them dies?

 

[reedny]

I don't want to turn this thread into a moratorium on healthcare and I agree with most of your post but your proposed strategy is exactly why doctors practice defensive medicine.

The litigious nature of our culture is a driving force behind astronomical healthcare costs and declining quality of care.

I think SUAD certainly needs to reconfigure their medical staff and evaluation protocol to be more inclusive and exhaustive for the betterment of the student athlete.

Um, no. Liability insurance/MP litigation represents a small fraction (1-2%) of health care costs. There are many other (bigger) drivers ... technology and drugs are certainly drivers, and doctors and hospitals account for more than 50% of health care costs, for some examples. The highlighted part of your post has OTB written all over it, but as far as the thread I think the "betterment" of the student athlete is exactly why the team doctor disqualified this young man (to save his life).

 

[Alsacs]

You are talking about something you have no knowledge of. One, we don't know exactly what the other dr's said. We often hear what we want to hear. the guy with the responsibility to make these decisions has said he can't play. I'm sure he was deliberate when he made this decision. He may be wrong. But you and I aren't dr's.

I deleted a more detailed response because I don't want this back-and-forth to continue. I think you and I are not going to agree.
I'm not gonna continue this. I trust Mr. Clark and his doctors more than I trust this doctor based on all the information given.