Simon Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 IMO, the game HAS gotten more violent. Watching games from the 70's and comparing them to present day NFL confirms that to me, at least. And the highlight reel violence seems to be on the rise...in my eyes anyways. Particularly on the rise has been the use of the helmet as a weapon. I'm not convinced that the game has actually become more violent. Those boys in the '70's liked to hurt people too; maybe even more. But your point about the helmet as a weapon is a good one; along with the regularly increasing power and speed of the players, it's a recipe for disaster. One thing that should not be overlooked; when we talk about how much more dangerous the game is today we've got to remember that the guys who are showing these symptoms of permanent brain damage are not modern day players. They played 20+ years ago when players were smaller and slower and not as prone to use their helmets as weapons. Guys who are playing in the league right now could be suffering far more severe damage that won't appear for another 15-20 years. When that damage manifests itself it could be even more widespread as well as increasingly acute. I don't claim to know how to best address this, but it definitely needs to be addressed, and at all levels. I hope it's not too late to prevent increasingly numerous instances of this kind of damage, but I am afraid it likely is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Anybody bring up OJ in the context of this topic? Not to excuse his behavior--but it could be that Simpson has impaired brain function due to too many head shots. This could be seen as a contributing factor to his behavior--both in the context of Nicole and Ron Goldman and the later botched armed robbery. What do you think? Only thing that impaired Simpson's brain function is too much blow, not too many blows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Only thing that impaired Simpson's brain function is too much blow, not too many blows. Hmmm. Put that on top of your earlier "grass roots" comment and that puts today's drug references at 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Anybody bring up OJ in the context of this topic? Not to excuse his behavior--but it could be that Simpson has impaired brain function due to too many head shots. This could be seen as a contributing factor to his behavior--both in the context of Nicole and Ron Goldman and the later botched armed robbery. What do you think? I don't think OJ took that many helmet to helmets as say a Walter Payton or an Earl campbell due to his running style.I think OJs problem was everyone kissing his arse for 30 years.When he couldn't control things he became crazy. PS-I do treat some of the old timers in my biz--ex-raiders mostly--and these guys are a mess believe me- although I do not specifically treat concussions. I think -as someone mentioned earlier-that the game is definitely more violent--specifically re: the head shots/spearing by some of the punks in the league.However,what may be an equaling factor is that in the old days the concussion treatment was less advanced and the protocols for getting a guy off the field were looser. Edited February 21, 2011 by Tcali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 I wonder how Jeff Burris is doing? It was shocking when he came out on the pregame roundtable and talked all about how he's suffering from depression, etc. from concussions. He got started when they were saying that somebody was retiring due to this, and he really got emotional about the whole thing. It was the last game of the year, and then the Bills let him go. I hope he's doing OK, because he seems like a real nice guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I don't think OJ took that many helmet to helmets as say a Walter Payton or an Earl campbell due to his running style.I think OJs problem was everyone kissing his arse for 30 years.When he couldn't control things he became crazy. PS-I do treat some of the old timers in my biz--ex-raiders mostly--and these guys are a mess believe me- although I do not specifically treat concussions. I think -as someone mentioned earlier-that the game is definitely more violent--specifically re: the head shots/spearing by some of the punks in the league.However,what may be an equaling factor is that in the old days the concussion treatment was less advanced and the protocols for getting a guy off the field were looser. Tom, I agree on your take on The Juice…the theoretical causes for his behavior. I do think he got very accustomed to always having his way. I don't think he could deal with "insubordination." As to your comments about better treatment and protocols in today's game, I hope you're right that it is an "equaling factor." I wonder how Jeff Burris is doing? It was shocking when he came out on the pregame roundtable and talked all about how he's suffering from depression, etc. from concussions. He got started when they were saying that somebody was retiring due to this, and he really got emotional about the whole thing. It was the last game of the year, and then the Bills let him go. I hope he's doing OK, because he seems like a real nice guy. I vaguely remember reading an earlier reference to this some time ago. Hope Jeff's doing alright. A pretty class act as far as I could tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Anybody bring up OJ in the context of this topic? Not to excuse his behavior--but it could be that Simpson has impaired brain function due to too many head shots. This could be seen as a contributing factor to his behavior--both in the context of Nicole and Ron Goldman and the later botched armed robbery. What do you think? OJ's problem does not strike me as impaired brain function but one of impaired heart function. He showed the intellect to hire the so-called dream team to represent him, but is simply a heartless sob in killing the mother of his children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) Hmmm. Put that on top of your earlier "grass roots" comment and that puts today's drug references at 2. Never even thought about "grass" being an archaic vernacular expression for cannabis, or 'marijuana' - I just never hear anyone say, "Hey man, wanna smoke some grass?" anymore. Then again, I don't know too many folks that still smoke sweet wheat! No, SJ, I'm The Senator, dammit, and my groan-worthy 'grass-roots' pun used the term only in it's purest political meaning - not as a reference to Aunt Mary, broccoli, cryptonite, devilweed, giggletwig, happy backy, hemp, MaryJane, mountain cabbage, reefer, wacky weed, or even that terrible 1960's pop group... Edited February 21, 2011 by The Senator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Before he was 6? Were you his babysitter? neighbor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Any young ballplayers around here? I'd sure like to hear what you guys are thinking nowadays when you chomp down on that mouthpiece. Good for your son - to have the confidence at a young age to make that kind of decision. He must take after his mother As an addition to your question, when do we as the fans of the game wake up and say this is enough? I am not there yet as I don't know that there has been enough research and science applied to the issue. I do believe that pressuring the NFL, as much as we fans can do so, to press for research is appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_In_Norfolk Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 This is actually part of a huge story which has been picking up a lot of steam lately. Numerous NFL players have been diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is caused by an accumulation of toxic poisons which clog up the brain. This condition is known to be caused by repeated injuries to the brain due to collisions. It's believed that the accumulation of many "less serious" blows to the head, like those suffered by O-linemen when they block, can cause the condition just as readily as the big highlight-reel hits. Boxers suffer from a comparable but slightly different condition. Symptoms go way beyond dementia. Those afflicted frequently are found to have symptoms like aggressive behavior, severe depression and suicidal tendencies, and confusion, to go along with their memory loss. After their deaths people like Hall of Famer MIke Webster, Terry Long, West Seneca's Justin Strzelcyk (all Steelers), Andre Waters, Chris Henry, and others have been positively diagnosed with this condition by autopsy. "Iron Mike" Webster died at the age of 50. The Hall of Famer suffered from depression and confusion due to his condition. His marriage fell apart and he was homeless for a while, living in his car. He developed drug addictions and was forging prescriptions. Terry Long committed suicide at the age of 46 by drinking anti-freeze after years of being depressed. Andre Waters who was a star defensive back in the NFL, took his own life with a gunshot to the head. He was 44 years old although doctors examining his brain said he probably had the mental capacity and brain function of an 80 year old. West Seneca's Justin Strzelcyk died at the age of 36, driving 90 miles per hour going the wrong way on the New York State Thruway. State Troopers had been chasing him for 40 miles. Before he died, he was suffering from depression, anger, and confusion. His marriage fell apart and he complained of hearing voices in his head. He was found not to be under the influence of anything when he crashed. His fiery demise was fueled only by his deteriorating mental condition. Former Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry's autopsy showed that he suffered from the condition. Henry had years of off-the-field problems culminating in his death caused by falling out of the back of a pickup truck driven by his fiancee following a domestic dispute. Henry was an active player when he died. NFL football players tend to have short lives and have a high risk of living with debilitating physical and mental conditions. The game is more violent than ever and takes a huge toll on the individual. This is on top of the fact that they risk death and serious injury each time they step on the field. Those of you who like to accuse the NFL players of being spoiled and entitled (even though NFL players are the only North American pro athletes who DO NOT receive guaranteed contracts) ought to turn your focus to baseball and basketball players who make more money, have longer careers, and don't usually live with debilitating conditions…because NFL football players earn every penny they make. Has anyone studied the same problem in the NHL? I'm thinking about LaFontain here, hope all is well with him. But so many players now are getting head injuries. OJ's problem does not strike me as impaired brain function but one of impaired heart function. He showed the intellect to hire the so-called dream team to represent him, but is simply a heartless sob in killing the mother of his children. You are joking, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 The NFL is a creature of its fanbase, who ultimately finance it. So what does that make us when we file into the Ralph? The Roman blood mob in the colliseum? Yes, that is an excellent comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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