Chris Borland retiring after rookie season with SF

[Beef Jerky]

really this is what aggravates you ?

Yea, make your decision before you enter the NFL. Give another player a chance to be drafted sooner.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[BuffaloFan68]

San Fran is poorly managed which is why the HC left & the players are following. Other than Kaepernick, name a SF player that has anything good to say about the organization.

[RyanC883]

Goodell's failure to acknowledge CTE in any meaningful way is what really needs to be discussed. No NFL dedicated testing, awareness campaigns, research or funding for afflicted ex-players. Plenty of time and money for breast cancer awareness and abused women, but not one penny of marketing promotions dedicated to the disease that directly afflicts the players as a result of the game itself.

 

The hypocrisy disgusts me. It would be like the military pretending PTSD didn't exist while promoting awareness of fibromyalgia. Goodell needs to get real with this disease, and start supporting the wounded warriors of the NFL whose lives are at real risk within a few years of retirement. THAT should be the fallout of this story.

But it never will be. The media loves to have it both ways. A few NFL players abuse women, and the media jumps on that. The NFL responds to help women. Then the media needs something else to do, and jumps on this. The NFL needs to tell the media to F' off, and, as you suggest, take care of their own players first. And perhaps fewer head injuries lead to fewer "off field" issues.

[NoSaint]

Yea, make your decision before you enter the NFL. Give another player a chance to be drafted sooner.

yea, waiting til he got another concussion at camp and then further researching was really a jerk move....

[RyanC883]

This is all about rookie contracts. If you are a top end performer, your rookie contract may not justify risks.

 

The best way to deal with it is to leave, and hold the NFL accountable citing CTE.

 

If you actually do want to play, come back the following year as a FA. In the meanwhile it pressures the NFL to change the contract structure.

 

This is quite an interesting idea. Rookie contract, don't take a signing bonus that would need to be paid back, quit, return as FA.

Concussion's are weird. My little bro got a concussion in a very gentle head bump. I've fractured my skull twice, and bounced my head off of concrete, fists, falling and so forth. I've never had one. It really seems like some people are more likely to get them. Imo

 

I think genetics as well as other factors play into it. I've always been shocked at how some people like you can have sever head injury w/o a concussion, while others get a concussion from a headball in soccer. I think it has to do with where the impact comes from and the effect it has on the brain rattling in your head.

[Beef Jerky]

yea, waiting til he got another concussion at camp and then further researching was really a jerk move....

Yep b.c I go into construction sites without a helmet for my first year, then I look up the need for them after. If he didn't know that concussions are dangerous before he went to the NFL then that is stupid.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[jester43]

 

No.

 

When I read on PFT that he retired, my first thought was "why walk away from the money? Play one more year to feather your retirement nest egg, like Orton."

 

My second thought was, the NFL is in very very serious trouble. The game I love is in serious trouble.

 

Help.

As the great Nick Cave forewarned...

"All things move toward their end,

On that you can be sure."

 

Although, I think the day when no one will want to bash someone else's head in for money is still a good distance off. Go Bills.

[YoloinOhio]

@AlbertBreer: Borland played for 2 years at Wisconsin with John Moffitt, who made a similar decision. Been rocky for Moffitt since: http://t.co/q68Y1Vv1tV

[Beef Jerky]

Hopefully he actually got an education from his years at college. Nice desk job where he will have other health concerns.

[YoloinOhio]

@Grantland33: The Definition of Tough: How Chris Borland Walked Away From His Dream Job, by @billbarnwell http://t.co/BSgFlbJ60R

[yungmack]

I watched a panel discussion on football concussions this weekend on C SPAN where it was mentioned that Pop Warner participation was down 10% in just the last five years. This is in addition to a general migration of kids from football to soccer and other sports that has been going on for at least a generation. I think the sports bigger challenge is declining enthusiasm among young men as plain fans. I have noticed that even young men who played the game don't seem to follow it with the passion I and every other guy did 20 and 30 years ago. There are still plenty of young fans and young players but I believe the trend is headed down.

[TakeYouToTasker]

Yea, make your decision before you enter the NFL. Give another player a chance to be drafted sooner.

This is absurd.

 

He doesn't owe anyone anything. He changed his mind.

[LB3]

Yep b.c I go into construction sites without a helmet for my first year, then I look up the need for them after. If he didn't know that concussions are dangerous before he went to the NFL then that is stupid.

It's easy for you to say because you're obviously omniscient. You're one of the lucky ones who's never worked a job for a while and realized a year or so later it wasn't what you wanted and decided to change career paths.

[Beef Jerky]

This is absurd.

 

He doesn't owe anyone anything. He changed his mind.

 

I never said he did....

It's easy for you to say because you're obviously omniscient. You're one of the lucky ones who's never worked a job for a while and realized a year or so later it wasn't what you wanted and decided to change career paths.

Stay on topic b.c I never said I was omniscient... So people don't know that football is just as dangerous as most other risk jobs?

 

This isn't like other jobs, you should think hard before you decide to go this route.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[negativo]

All wrong.

 

Yes, every point you made in your post is factually incorrect.

 

The NFL reachd a sttlement withthe players to treat going forward for brain injury which will cost them at least a billion dollars.

 

Wrong, the NFL was sued by the families of former players diagnosed with CTE or died of CTE related causes between 2006 and July, 2014. The ruling specifically stated the NFL is NOT responsible for any compensation before or after those dates, and not responsible for CTE moving forward unless they test positive for Lou Gerhig's Disease, Alzheimer's or dementia.

 

In other words, the NFL could care less if Daryl Talley shoots himself in the head, and if he does they won't give his estate a penny.

 

Anyway, all experts agree that it is the sum of hundreds of sub-concussive blows has the cumulative affecgt on the brain. It's likely that all of this in game and post game protocol is ultimately meaningless

 

OK, so now you are arguing against yourself, saying the league's laughable "protocol" is meaningless. Well, yes, I guess this is your first true statement. Way to go.

 

what else is the league supposed to do at this point?

 

Uh, actually make rule changes that are substantial, like using soft helmets and soft padding, to prevent repeated brain trauma. Put together a marketing campaign of CTE awareness to raise money for the cause...and then match the funds. Actually put together league funded programs to help former players suffering with CTE, and pay their medical bills in cases of financial hardship. These are just for starters, but you've got to start somewhere.

 

Weird post....

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Your post was complete and utter nonsense...and probably just for the troll purpose of pissing people off.

[Mr. WEO]

It's easy for you to say because you're obviously omniscient. You're one of the lucky ones who's never worked a job for a while and realized a year or so later it wasn't what you wanted and decided to change career paths.

 

 

Well, "realizing it's not what you wanted and deciding to change career paths" is a bit easier after you have first secured over a million bucks in a year from your employer...

[LB3]

 

 

Well, "realizing it's not what you wanted and deciding to change career paths" is a bit easier after you have first secured over a million bucks in a year from your employer...

It certainly makes the decision easier.

[Mr. WEO]

\

 

 

Yes, every point you made in your post is factually incorrect.

 

 

Wrong, the NFL was sued by the families of former players diagnosed with CTE or died of CTE related causes between 2006 and July, 2014. The ruling specifically stated the NFL is NOT responsible for any compensation before or after those dates, and not responsible for CTE moving forward unless they test positive for Lou Gerhig's Disease, Alzheimer's or dementia.

 

In other words, the NFL could care less if Daryl Talley shoots himself in the head, and if he does they won't give his estate a penny.

 

 

OK, so now you are arguing against yourself, saying the league's laughable "protocol" is meaningless. Well, yes, I guess this is your first true statement. Way to go.

 

 

Uh, actually make rule changes that are substantial, like using soft helmets and soft padding, to prevent repeated brain trauma. Put together a marketing campaign of CTE awareness to raise money for the cause...and then match the funds. Actually put together league funded programs to help former players suffering with CTE, and pay their medical bills in cases of financial hardship. These are just for starters, but you've got to start somewhere.

 

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Your post was complete and utter nonsense...and probably just for the troll purpose of pissing people off.

 

 

Wrong again . The fund is unprecedented, no other pro league offers anything to it's brain injured players past or future. It was a class action suit with 5000 assigned to the class.

 

"Start soemwhere"? It's a billion dollars set aside. It funds this:

 

 

 

The proposed settlement provides for three benefits:

1. Baseline medical exams for retired NFL players; 2. Monetary awards for diagnoses of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia and certain cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE (a neuropathological finding) diagnosed after death; and 3. Education programs and initiatives related to football safety.

All valid claims for injury will be paid in full for 65 years.

Retired players, their legal representatives and family members do not have to prove that the players’ injuries were caused by playing NFL football to get money from the Settlement.

 

It includes the following:

 

 

Retired NFL Football Players: All living NFL Football players who, prior to July 7, 2014, (1) have retired, formally or informally, from playing professional football with the NFL or any Member Club, including AFL, World League of American Football, NFL Europe League and NFL Europa League players, or (2) were formerly on any roster, including preseason, regular season, or postseason, of any such Member Club or league and no longer are under contract to a Member Club and are not seeking active employment as a player with any Member Club, whether signed to a roster or signed to any practice squad, developmental squad, or taxi squad of a Member Club.

 

The only players not included are current players.

 

If Talley kills himself and is found to have CTE, his wife will be compensated. He will fall into "Subclass 1";;Retired NFL Football Players who were not diagnosed with ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Level 2 Neurocognitive Impairment (i.e., moderate Dementia), Level 1.5 Neurocognitive Impairment (i.e., early Dementia) or Death with CTE prior to July 7, 2014, and their Representative Claimants and Derivative Claimants.

 

I'm not contradicting myself--just pointing out the likely futility of medicine to alter the course of this disease by treating or screening for obvious concussions. Your agitation for "awareness" is meaning less in the NFL.

 

Also, no player in the NFL is currently unaware of the dangers of the sport he plays in regard to traumatic brain injury. You don't even believe that, yet you want some sort of advertisement matching funds, or something.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Mr. WEO

[negativo]

"blah, blah, blah...idiocy, more idiocy, trolling, trolling, trolling..."

 

I'm sorry, but your just not worthy of my attention any further. Putting you on silent. Have a great day.

[metzelaars_lives]

It almost angers me knows he took a job from someone that actually wanted it. Make your decisions before you leave college, don't ruin another guys chances of being picked in at spot then just abruptly leave.

Oh give me a break.

[Mr. WEO]

 

I'm sorry, but your just not worthy of my attention any further. Putting you on silent. Have a great day.

 

wow...I figured.

[metzelaars_lives]

This was an intelligent thread when I went to bed last night and now it has gone the way of so many others around here. There are so many angles to this story- interesting ones that people brought up that I hadn't thought of myself (the soldier/PTSD post was a good one). But the one thing I didn't even consider was that anyone could possibly be critical of Borland. I guess I shouldn't put anything past some of you guys. Why don't we just turn it into another EJ thread while we're at it.

[billsfan89]

This is shocking to say the least. It's a reflection of how much more players and the public are taking seriously the physical effects of football. It's sad to see a players career get cut short because they feel the possible impacts just aren't worth it (And it's sad that they have such a good reason to believe that given all we know). Football in general is going through a crisis. Its popular as ever (Its still popular with a younger generation, I am 25 and a ton of people around my age are into the sport) but the players are leaving the game earlier and earlier and youth football participation is down.

 

The NFL and youth football is going to have to figure this out. I don't think you could ever get rid of the head trauma completely. But I think you could try to limit its impact and implement every possible safety standard you can within reason (Better Helmet standards would be a good start).

[dave mcbride]

What kind of college educated parents? Former NFL players, who have kids, are college educated. A lot them don't have a problem with them playing tackle football as kids. I get what you you are saying though and I agree middle class, white, families might decide not to have their kid play football. But as you say, I don't think it'll effect the talent pool. For your example, you may not get a Tom Brady or Drew Brees(both sons of well off parents) but you very well could still get a Peyton Manning or Phillip Rivers or Andrew Luck (all sons of families in the football community.

The percentage of former nfl players in the population is infintesimally small, and calling them college educated is charitable, especially with regard to the bigtime schools. Otherwise, I think we agree.

Couple of points here.

1) kids will still play football. My kids go to a private, not cheap, school here in Richmond. ( where Russell Wilson went to high school) . Football team still needs to cut kids, even in a school with less than 250 boys in high schools. Difference is very few of the kids are plating tackle till they hit 13. Most the parents I talk to say research has lead them to the thought tackle at a young young age is where the high risk lies. As an aside, my kid plays lacrosse and not football, he had a pretty good concussion last spring, I have had no thoughts of telling him not to play this year.

2) to your second point on how to scout, Coach K does this to a point now. Some paint him as racist as to who he recruits, but he is not racist as classist. He looks for kids he thinks will stay in school and not leave early..the profile you point out. Why he recruited Chris Webber but not. Jalen Rose. Rose had better grades in school, similar grades in terms of basketball. But cause Webber was upper middle class with two parents at home, Coach K thought he would stay all 4 years vs Rose one and done.

 

Don't know what you guys think of the South...it is not 1960 down here. Same protocols everywhere...my kid could not go to school for a week, then had to be symptom free for two weeks before he could practice again. Baseline tests done on all kids down here in all leagues, not just the ones run by the private schools.

God comments, but Richmond is the south (i lived there for six years when i was a kid - born in buffalo, dad transferred to richmond, and then transferred back to buffalo). I'm not saying the south isn't paying attention to the issue; just that you see football programs dying in the north, at least in the suburbs. I don't think that there will be a shortage of talent though.

False. Football by far has the most, accounting for 47% of all reported high school concussions - more than triple the rate of boys soccer.

 

http://www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/stats_on_concussions_sports

Thanks! I was about to post this.

This is absurd.

 

He doesn't owe anyone anything. He changed his mind.

 

Thank you. The argument you're taking on is foolish, but this needed to be said. Edited March 17, 2015 by dave mcbride

[Beef Jerky]

I never said he owed anyone anything... So in the end you and he are the foolish ones. Just b.c I feel he should have made he decision before he ever entered the NFL doesn't make me a villain like you are trying to portray.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[dave mcbride]

I never said he owed anyone anything... So in the end you and he are the foolish ones.

You've been attacking him for his decision throughout this thread. Your statement is also factually inaccurate, more or less, because you imply above that he robbed money from draftees who would have been drafted one slot earlier if not for him. It's chump change in the grand scheme of things, of course, but you in fact implied that he committed a moral transgression against the draftees that followed him. Hence how could he not "owe them"?

[KD in CA]

@AdamSchefter: Chris Borland was scheduled to make $530K this year, plus $10K workout bonus. Not many jobs pay 24-year-olds $540K for 6 months of work.

 

Could Adam Schefter be any more of a douchebag?

[Dorkington]

Good on him... he got a decent paycheck, and made a sound decision for his future. If he had some concerns before his concussion, I imagine they increased afterwards, and throughout the season. I've said it before, but I always have a lot of respect for players who walk away from the game early, to focus on being healthy for the long term. There is no obligation to ruin your lives for fans, glory, or money.

[YoloinOhio]

 

Could Adam Schefter be any more of a douchebag?

it was funny that I saw a couple players replied "so we only work 6 months a year?"

[Beef Jerky]

You've been attacking him for his decision throughout this thread. Your statement is also factually inaccurate, more or less, because you imply above that he robbed money from draftees who would have been drafted one slot earlier if not for him. It's chump change in the grand scheme of things, of course, but you in fact implied that he committed a moral transgression against the draftees that followed him. Hence how could he not "owe them"?

See here is where you are mistaken I am not attacking him. Glad we got that out of the way. He will be forgotten soon enough, odd though more players then you think leave the game early and this is news worthy... Only news worthy I guess b.c it is the 49ers and the problems they have.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[dave mcbride]

Could Adam Schefter be any more of a douchebag?

I honestly don't think so!

[Malazan]

Goodell's failure to acknowledge CTE in any meaningful way is what really needs to be discussed. No NFL dedicated testing, awareness campaigns, research or funding for afflicted ex-players. Plenty of time and money for breast cancer awareness and abused women, but not one penny of marketing promotions dedicated to the disease that directly afflicts the players as a result of the game itself.

 

The hypocrisy disgusts me. It would be like the military pretending PTSD didn't exist while promoting awareness of fibromyalgia. Goodell needs to get real with this disease, and start supporting the wounded warriors of the NFL whose lives are at real risk within a few years of retirement. THAT should be the fallout of this story.

 

No, what needs to be discussed is the NFLPA's complete lack of action on the issue. The resistance of the NFLPA to actions the league did try to take like changing helmets.

Edited March 17, 2015 by jeremy2020

[Stenbar]

It wasnt long ago one of our players retired way early when he was just coming into his own...Brad Butler was on his way to becoming a dominant tackle and he retired to go into politics. We havent recovered on the right tackle spot since...Borland retired for his health totally different but retiring on your own terms is always better than being forced out...Good luck to him....

[metzelaars_lives]

 

Could Adam Schefter be any more of a douchebag?

Was thinking the exact same thing.

[RuntheDamnBall]

 

Could Adam Schefter be any more of a douchebag?

Really. Not many jobs pay people for talking about a game, either. Dude needs to get over himself.

 

Meanwhile, the money Borland "robbed" the team of was basically vet minimum for one season, the cost of a replacement-level player, when the guy was at least a "B" prospect in the NFL.

 

A bit of me thinks that those rushing to disparage the guy are a bit scared of what this augurs for the NFL. If NFL popularity wanes, fewer guys like Schefter will have jobs.

[metzelaars_lives]

Really. Not many jobs pay people for talking about a game, either. Dude needs to get over himself.

 

Meanwhile, the money Borland "robbed" the team of was basically vet minimum for one season, the cost of a replacement-level player, when the guy was at least a "B" prospect in the NFL.

 

A bit of me thinks that those rushing to disparage the guy are a bit scared of what this augurs for the NFL. If NFL popularity wanes, fewer guys like Schefter will have jobs.

Very well stated.

[Beef Jerky]

Really. Not many jobs pay people for talking about a game, either. Dude needs to get over himself.

 

Meanwhile, the money Borland "robbed" the team of was basically vet minimum for one season, the cost of a replacement-level player, when the guy was at least a "B" prospect in the NFL.

 

A bit of me thinks that those rushing to disparage the guy are a bit scared of what this augurs for the NFL. If NFL popularity wanes, fewer guys like Schefter will have jobs.

You really think this will do anything for the popularity of football? Heh Football isn't going anywhere.

 

Everyone forgot already football went through my concussion lawsuits... And the game got more popular.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Beef Jerky

[K-9]

I never said he owed anyone anything... So in the end you and he are the foolish ones. Just b.c I feel he should have made he decision before he ever entered the NFL doesn't make me a villain like you are trying to portray.

When you say that he should have made the decision coming out of college in order to give someone else a chance, you are saying EXACTY that he owed that to that someone.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[stevestojan]

I think it's insane, especially after playing for FREE in college, to now to decide to give it all up. But I respect the **** out of it. His life. I doubt anyone with that good of a head on his shoulders (no pun intended) will have any problems finding a decent job. He won't be a millionaire, most likely, but I'm certain he considered that. Good for him.

[YoloinOhio]

@ProFootballTalk: Borland's family knew all year his first season could be his last http://t.co/tVq89xxywR