I'm watching.the Frontline on concissions

[stephm0188]

I had an argument on FB with someone over all this. Her reasoning was that football players obviously knew what they were getting into and the lawsuit was ridiculous.

Ummm.... it's easy to say that NOW players are aware of the risks, but there are many who started their careers being told "It's totally safe' by the NFL when they knew otherwise.

[orangeblossom]

It's crazy that they had a rheumatologist as the main doctor and temp am doctors as the people on the original commission. That the old commissioner said the concussions were a journalist issue is crazy.

[josieposy]

Sept 30, 2014 21:31:34 GMT -5 deej said:

Michigan's coach is under fire for letting a visibly disoriented quarterback stay in the game Saturday after a hard hit. He claims he didn't notice.

Eta, I know you're talking NFL; I just thought it was relevant regardless.

Yeah....cause coaches don't pay close attention to the QB right?

[litebright]

I think they've conceded now that like 30% of players have/are going to have cognitive issues, dementia, etc. at pretty young ages, like in their 50s.

espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11513442/data-estimates-3-10-nfl-retirees-face-cognitive-woes

Those are pretty horrific numbers.

[ESF]

I know that competitive sports can do a fucking number on the human body. But you can still enjoy an excellent quality of life if gymnastics causes you to bypass puberty or you wind up with lasting pain due to broken bones, torn muscles, etc. So knowing that some athletes may have lifelong health problems doesn't really detract from the joy of watching most sports. (Ok gymnastics does freak me out a bit because they are children and someone should be paying attention to their health)

But the idea of watching humans turn themselves into vegetables for sport absolutely sickens me. The fact that the NFL and school teams cover it up makes me want to burn them to the ground.

[pescalita]

This is the one that freaks me out:

www.cnn.com/2014/09/29/health/jovan-belcher-cte/index.html

That kid was YOUNG, dude. 3 years in the NFL and he had CTE.

[Michelle]

Oct 1, 2014 6:33:09 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 30, 2014 23:21:01 GMT -5 pescalita said:

This is the one that freaks me out:

www.cnn.com/2014/09/29/health/jovan-belcher-cte/index.html

That kid was YOUNG, dude. 3 years in the NFL and he had CTE.

One of the stories they covered was the 21year old who hanged himself. HE had CTE after childhood and Penn State football. 21 years old.

I could never let my son play if I had one. I talked to dr. Ann (last name? Gah) from Boston University about the brains she handles of CTE patients and it was heartbreaking, because they were inevitably going to develop ALS like symptoms in their life. My very close friend was diagnosed at 21 and lived with ALS for 15 yrs, 11 completely paralyzed. He believed it may have been from sports injuries growing up. To know that some athletes do that to themselves because it is the best opportunity they can give their families, and because they love the game, is sad to me.

[tacosforlife]

Honestly, all this stuff is why I decided last season not to watch football. I've caught bits and pieces of games, and we had a Super Bowl party. But I just made a conscious decision not to intentionally watch, not to follow it, not to care. I've just grown increasingly uncomfortable with it, as though I'm one of the audience members in Gladiator.

[pescalita]

Oct 1, 2014 6:33:09 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 30, 2014 23:21:01 GMT -5 pescalita said:

This is the one that freaks me out:

www.cnn.com/2014/09/29/health/jovan-belcher-cte/index.html

That kid was YOUNG, dude. 3 years in the NFL and he had CTE.

One of the stories they covered was the 21year old who hanged himself. HE had CTE after childhood and Penn State football. 21 years old.

The first thing Carl said was "I wonder what mine would look like". It's hard for us 'cause he has what we think is pretty obvious concussion damage, but he's a successful, happy adult who also loved/s the game. Obviously that's not the way it works out for everyone.

[eddy]

Looking through that CNN slideshow is heartbreaking. Suicide, high speed chases, drug overdoses etc. Barely any of them died from natural causes. That really speaks to how it impacted their lives.

[Scout'sHonor]

NPR just talked to someone who discussed concussions in the NHL in regards to Derek Boogaard.

www.npr.org/2014/09/26/351248975/boy-on-ice-explores-the-emotional-and-physical-toll-of-dropping-the-gloves

[Deleted]

I will not let my son play football. My H didn't understand until he saw the statistic that ~28% have long lasting brain injuries from the NFL. My DS (who is 5 and has a good arm, loves football) asked what we were talking about and I told him. He doesn't want to play anymore.

It's just not worth it to me. I honestly think that this is the start of decline for the NFL.

[suzyp]

Oct 1, 2014 11:22:59 GMT -5 calamity said:

I will not let my son play football. My H didn't understand until he saw the statistic that ~28% have long lasting brain injuries from the NFL. My DS (who is 5 and has a good arm, loves football) asked what we were talking about and I told him. He doesn't want to play anymore.

It's just not worth it to me. I honestly think that this is the start of decline for the NFL.

I have the frontline on my DVR, but have not yet watched it.  My understanding is that a lot of the issues start at the pee wee level - where the head suffers little trauma over and over again and that it just continues.  So it's not just that in the NFL you get hit hard, it's that starting at the age of 6, you are getting your head knocked around.

I LOVE football. LOVE it.  But I think within the next 10 years this will come to a head and it will be a completely different game.  They have tried to make some changes in the lower levels, but I don't think it will be enough.

[gpw]

Sept 30, 2014 21:31:34 GMT -5 deej said:

Michigan's coach is under fire for letting a visibly disoriented quarterback stay in the game Saturday after a hard hit. He claims he didn't notice.

Eta, I know you're talking NFL; I just thought it was relevant regardless.

He should be fucking fired.  Last Sunday.  Fuck that.  If I was that kid's parent, my kid would not pay a cent in tuition and my kid would get a PhD.  Fuck them.  This infuriates me. 

[pinkdutchtulips]

Oct 1, 2014 11:17:06 GMT -5 Scout'sHonor said:

NPR just talked to someone who discussed concussions in the NHL in regards to Derek Boogaard.

www.npr.org/2014/09/26/351248975/boy-on-ice-explores-the-emotional-and-physical-toll-of-dropping-the-gloves

there are TONS of NHL players who had their careers cut short due to concussions ... who knows how much longer Eric Lindros (or even his brother Brett for that matter) would have played in the NHL had he NOT had to retire due to numerous concussions. Carol Alt's ex was another who was forced out via concussions.

no position in hockey is safe either .. nothing scarier than watching your then bf (who's a goalie) take one to the helmet and while he finishes out the game, you can tell that he's a bit woozy ....

[heyjude]

Have you guys seen this article?
www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2014/09/nfl_players_life_spans_and_domestic_violence_rates_could_pro_football_actually.html

TL; dr: data is distorted, not reliable, re the issues around football players.

[emilyj]

Oct 1, 2014 18:30:53 GMT -5 gpw said:

Sept 30, 2014 21:31:34 GMT -5 deej said:

Michigan's coach is under fire for letting a visibly disoriented quarterback stay in the game Saturday after a hard hit. He claims he didn't notice.

Eta, I know you're talking NFL; I just thought it was relevant regardless.

He should be fucking fired.  Last Sunday.  Fuck that.  If I was that kid's parent, my kid would not pay a cent in tuition and my kid would get a PhD.  Fuck them.  This infuriates me. 

My colleague and I are pulling the data for this because we want to do a paper on it, but the amount of people calling for him, and Michigan's AD to be fired is pretty substantial...at least on the Twitters.  

[gpw]

Oct 1, 2014 18:50:54 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Oct 1, 2014 18:30:53 GMT -5 gpw said:

He should be fucking fired.  Last Sunday.  Fuck that.  If I was that kid's parent, my kid would not pay a cent in tuition and my kid would get a PhD.  Fuck them.  This infuriates me. 

My colleague and I are pulling the data for this because we want to do a paper on it, but the amount of people calling for him, and Michigan's AD to be fired is pretty substantial...at least on the Twitters.  

The people I have seen calling for the AD have other reasons and this one sort of gave them a reason to voice their feelings, in my opinion.  I don't know that he should be fired.  I'm open to hearing why, because of THIS issue, he should.  I just think that Hoke was on the field, saw the play, and let him go back out because he's an old school guy.  Well, fuck that.  And fuck Brady Hoke.  I don't think he should be allowed to coach in the NCAA....or high school.  Or fucking pee wee for that matter. 

[Deleted]

A high school football player from DH's home town died after an in game collision last night.

www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Tom-Cutinella-Football-Player-Death-Shoreham-Wading-High-School-Long-Island-Elmwood-277846761.html