negativo Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 On the flip side, I seriously fear what will become of Wes Welker in the coming years. His head is filled with scrambled eggs at this point. If the league had any scruples they'd retire him for his own protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Lol...this is called... "I'd rather retire than play for this team" going on with the 49ers this offsesaon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Lol...this is called... "I'd rather retire than play for this team" going on with the 49ers this offsesaon The larger question is: Is the NFL in trouble? will parents push kids to safer sports? Will young adults choose different sports? Will young NFL players take the money and run, rather than risk it. OVERALL, will QB become just another on the list of positions where there's not enuf guys to fill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 their new coach should have retired after his first press conference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sodbuster Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Well then, this could be the begining of a big movement/talent drain. The league needs to make it look like it is doing something. But I'm not sure the league can really do anything to completely prevent CTE due to the very nature of the sport. Even if there isn't contact to the head, things like whiplash and bouncing your dome off the turf will always be a problem. So he only played 14 games? I guess no one can ever speculate how good he was gonna be. Oh snap. How is this post not getting any attention? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codyny13 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I wanted the Bills to draft this kid so bad, I remember he was there for them to take and when they passed I was pissed. I truly thought he would be the next zach Thomas, and maybe he could of been. He had a great first season, and In my head I thought, I knew he'd be awesome, but boy am I glad that we went w PB instead, someone I knew relatively nothin about. I wish him the best, smart kid, I just can't imagine leaving all that money on the table. Props to him. their new coach should have retired after his first press conference Hahah awkward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatdrinks Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 This is a good decision for Borland, he obviously does not want to play football. An NFL line backing corps is not a place for a guy that doesn't have himself 100% in it. But let's not blow this out of proportion. There are plenty of guys waiting to take his place. The NFL isn't going anywhere. There will just be some guys like Borland who go in other directions. Others , like Willis, will choose to retire sooner than previous players. The game will go on, only around 2% of college players make it to the pros. There is still far more supply than demand by 32 franchises. Borland decided the game wasn't for him. There will likely just be more that decide this sooner than after actually playing in the NFL. Guys know there are risks in this game. There is also potential for a huge payday. That is enough to offset the risk for plenty of potential players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikie2times Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 The NFL has about the same control over CTE as boxing officials. The way the sport is played guarantees this will happen. Unless they want to switch to leather helmets or something that doesn't allow for the speed of the collisions nothing will have a drastic impact on CTE. Which is sort of a problem given the NFL has branded itself on the very collisions that create the biggest problems. NFL films breed generations of football players to go for the knock out and I just don't see that culture changing. IMO eventually we will see middle upper class family's bailing on the sport at the youth levels. We will also see current players like Boreland who feel they can have a life outside the game bail. This will impact the talent pool, but it will also leave the least educated, least skilled, and most impoverished people left playing the game. I think that's just a natural progression we will see as far as player demographics. I also think we will see an advanced test created at some point. Something that can detect this in more real time. Which would certainly create a mass exodus of the sport. What I don't see is the NFL folding. Eventually all the information and testing will be available to players. We will still see enough guys willing to take the chances as the alternatives for some of these players seem non existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uffalo Ills Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Holy crap. The Bay Area just exploded in rage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Man, the Niners are having a dumpster fire of an offseason. On another note, the poster who pointed out the low rookie wage scale has a great point. I hadn't thought about that. There is definitely less incentive than there used to be to take the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 there is no right or wrong answer. the is a deep personal decision each football player must make for himself. there will be head trauma, there will be consequences. does the $$ reward outweigh the risk ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Man, the Niners are having a dumpster fire of an offseason. On another note, the poster who pointed out the low rookie wage scale has a great point. I hadn't thought about that. There is definitely less incentive than there used to be to take the risk. I think they tried to address it with the Extra Bonus (whatever its called) where players outperform their contracts. Like how Seantrel got an extra $377K or so. But still, maybe not enuf. The LARGER point is, will players no longer want to risk playing NFL football. Is this the death knell ?? Seriously, gentelmen. This is not Chicken Little. This is really about life / death for the NFL. Do they make it a pansy but safe game? Do they keep it a man's game, but deal with serious injuries? If you're Goodell today, and you have a committee to determine the long-term viability of the game, . .. what now? Edited March 17, 2015 by maddenboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 A lot of guys walking away. A Bentley now isn't worth dementia at 50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I think they tried to address it with the Extra Bonus (whatever its called) where players outperform their contracts. Like how Seantrel got an extra $377K or so. But still, maybe not enuf. The LARGER point is, will players no longer want to risk playing NFL football. Is this the death knell ?? Seriously, gentelmen. This is not Chicken Little. This is really about life / death for the NFL. Do they make it a pansy but safe game? Do they keep it a man's game, but deal with serious injuries? If you're Goodell today, and you have a committee to determine the long-term viability of the game, . .. what now? Not a death knell, there will always be athletes willing to take their place. Its just a matter of will the quality of play suffer as a result of lesser athletes on the field A lot of guys walking away. A Bentley now isn't worth dementia at 50 Too many it is, bears ex safety chris conte spoke directly to this. I'm sure many others think the same way. When you're young and making money are most athletes really thinking about retiring ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Too many it is, bears ex safety chris conte spoke directly to this. I'm sure many others think the same way. When you're young and making money are most athletes really thinking about retiring ? Yes. But then you have a potential domino effect. "oh, Chris Borland retired after only making about $600K. That's not bad money to have before your 25th birthday. Maybe I can do the same, then (go back to school, get on TV, go work for UPS, get into coaching, etc.)." And yes, you'll have "athletes" who will take the places of the good players. But will the NFL still be worth watching? Because now, we say we're watching "the best football players on the planet" but in a few years, maybe it wont be true anymore. Seriously. Not caring about my post count, but this is bothering me very seriously. I feel like somebody whose doctor just said "sorry, but its [x disease]. Its treatable, but not curable" Edited March 17, 2015 by maddenboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) I hate to say this, but I could certainly see the league becoming essentially one played by people of color from non-affluent backgrounds with very few exceptions. For people from such backgrounds, football may still represent an appealing way out. The middle and upper middle classes (mostly white)? They're opting out. I see it. I know tons of parents with kids playing youth sports, and no one I know would ever let their kid play tackle football. Among them, there is a HIGH awareness of brain injury, and since they expect their kids to go into the knowledge industries, I think some of them see youth tackle football as a form of child abuse. I do think the league recognizes this, and it is evident in the way they're sponsoring youth flag football leagues. Flag has become hugely popular in many places in the last half dozen or so years. It's a way to build future fanbases among the affluent and near-affluent without those people actually having to play tackle to learn it and identify with it. Also worth noting: Borland and Locker, both young players, are white. Willis, who is 30, said he's retiring because of his feet -- he fears he won't be able to walk in retirement if he continues to play. I'm not quite sure why Worldis retired -- is the Jehovah Witnesses story true? Anyway, things are changing for the NFL. I don't think it's in real danger yet at all, but it's worth remembering that boxing used to be the most popular sport, hands down. (Boxing died fpas a popular sport for other reasons besides its brutality, of course.) Edited March 17, 2015 by dave mcbride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 On the flip side, I seriously fear what will become of Wes Welker in the coming years. His head is filled with scrambled eggs at this point. If the league had any scruples they'd retire him for his own protection.yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmasThoman Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) Or we could all not overreact to this story, not assume the NFL is on the way out, and follow up with Borland in a year if he unretires? Not to be cynical, but... he's been playing football his entire life, and retires after an all star rookie year? Sounds like he wants to cash out, knows he cant hold out on a rookie deal, and can afford to take a season off and sign a MONSTER deal next offseason after some "soul searching." THIS, my friends, is the 2015 athlete. Like Revis's one year stays around the league, todays young athletes were raised hearing about Lebron wanting to be the first billion dollar athlete, and being glorified for being a "business man." It makes more sense for Borland, financially, to "retire" for a year or 2, stay in shape, and come back later. Why play out this deal for peanuts and risk his health or underperform? And did I not tell you the NFL veteran combine would change the league forever? Well, here you go. Here's the first unintended consequence of making veteran tryouts a televised spectacle. Get your popcorn ready for March 2016--Borlands gonna beast at the combine lol. Edited March 17, 2015 by JohnnyGold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 There are a whole range of things that could be done - not to eradicate the problem but to hopefully reduce it. Looking again at helmets as suggested by negativo is one. Adopting better tackling technique is another - I think Pete Carroll talked about looking at rugby's tackling techniques and trying to learn best practice. Possible rule changes - I'm thinking particularly about men on / off the line of scrimmage (probably needs some research into whether having more on the line increase or decreases the likelihood of concussions. It does feel like a watershed moment for the NFL though. A talented young guy walking away at the end of his rookie year because of concussion concerns. This problem now overshadows all the other matters that Goodell and the League office have in their in-tray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Doug Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Is there any chance, fearing the Bills relentless pass rush, Brady decides to retire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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