dave mcbride Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/08/nick-buoniconti-dolphins-cognitive-decline-nfl-head-trauma-concussions 'Some of Buoniconti’s Dolphins teammates, meanwhile, are crumbling. Quarterback Earl Morrall, the supersub so key to the Perfect Season, died at 79, in 2014, with Stage 4 CTE. Running back Jim Kiick, 70, lived in squalor until he was placed in an assisted living facility last summer with dementia/early onset Alzheimer’s. Bill Stanfill, a defensive end who long suffered from dementia, died in November at 69. His brain and spine were sent to the CTE center at Boston University, where the disease has been found in 96% of players’ brains studied. (Granted, that’s 96% of a group whose medical or playing history already suggests some sort of brain disease.)' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 padded helmets please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyToughII Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Here is the deal, and there is no getting around this, it is not JUST and NFL issue. This started in pee wee, then JR High, High School and College. These are cumulative over years, but they go after the NFL blaming them pretty much solely because of the deep pockets. If I were the NFL I would now have all Rookies and those getting new contracts, sign an assumption of risk waiver. It is known, you play football, odds are you get CTE. You assume the risk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Here is the deal, and there is no getting around this, it is not JUST and NFL issue. This started in pee wee, then JR High, High School and College. These are cumulative over years, but they go after the NFL blaming them pretty much solely because of the deep pockets. If I were the NFL I would now have all Rookies and those getting new contracts, sign an assumption of risk waiver. It is known, you play football, odds are you get CTE. You assume the risk Well, Buoniconti played 15 years in the NFL, so in his case it's certainly the case that most of the hits he took -- and certainly the most impactful ones -- occurred in the NFL. Pee wee football is in no way comparable to the NFL, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smuvtalker Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 (edited) Here is the deal, and there is no getting around this, it is not JUST and NFL issue. This started in pee wee, then JR High, High School and College. These are cumulative over years, but they go after the NFL blaming them pretty much solely because of the deep pockets. If I were the NFL I would now have all Rookies and those getting new contracts, sign an assumption of risk waiver. It is known, you play football, odds are you get CTE. You assume the risk Have to agree with you 100% on this. Kinda comes with the territory. Football is a violent sport. Always has been, I would say always will be, but the way the NFL is constantly changing the rules to try and implement as much player protection as possible, I just don't know. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if one day they changed it to two-hand touch. Edited May 9, 2017 by smuvtalker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 FWIW, I watched Concussion last night on a flight - fantastic movie! Definitely a must watch for NFL fans. It's a real shame what many players go through as they start to age. And while it's real easy to say "players know the risks", I'm not sure they really realize what long-term damage can be done. I'm not sure what the solve if (or even if there is one), but that flick definitely changed the way I look at the game a bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Arnold Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Here is the deal, and there is no getting around this, it is not JUST and NFL issue. This started in pee wee, then JR High, High School and College. These are cumulative over years, but they go after the NFL blaming them pretty much solely because of the deep pockets. If I were the NFL I would now have all Rookies and those getting new contracts, sign an assumption of risk waiver. It is known, you play football, odds are you get CTE. You assume the risk Or they need to invest billions into medical advancements so that CTE can be measured pre-death and measure the CTE that already exist in men's brains before they take an NFL snap. That would also help determine those who are most at-risk and shouldn't continue playing. I can't believe a person still has to be dead in order to determine the amount of CTE they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domdab99 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 padded helmets please What causes the damage is the jostling of the brain as it hits the skull. No amount of padding can protect against that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeYouToTasker Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Have to agree with you 100% on this. Kinda comes with the territory. Football is a violent sport. Always has been, I would say always will be, but the way the NFL is constantly changing the rules to try and implement as much player protection as possible, I just don't know. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if one day they changed it to two-hand touch. A return to padded leather helmets with no facemask, and lacrosse style shoulder pads is the answer. Take away a player's willingness to use his head and shoulders as a weapon will minimize "knock out" type hits, and will lead to body tackling like in rugby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyToughII Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Or they need to invest billions into medical advancements so that CTE can be measured pre-death and measure the CTE that already exist in men's brains before they take an NFL snap. That would also help determine those who are most at-risk and shouldn't continue playing. I can't believe a person still has to be dead in order to determine the amount of CTE they h You can't do that, its an ADA discrimination. Can the person do the job with or without reasonable accommodation? Yes, then you have to let them play. BUT This is why I say assumption of risk while continuing to try and see if helmets can be improved etc. But Paying guys for CTE or long term football issues when they know IN ADVANCE this is going to happen, is BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Arnold Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 padded helmets please Brilliant! Can't believe no one has ever thought of that before. You must be a doctor. A return to padded leather helmets with no facemask, and lacrosse style shoulder pads is the answer. Take away a player's willingness to use his head and shoulders as a weapon will minimize "knock out" type hits, and will lead to body tackling like in rugby. This is one of the best solutions out there imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 To be fair to football, it's not the only dangerous sport. Check this out - a death rate of 25 percent among aspiring climbers! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/sports/polish-climbers-to-scale-deadly-k2-peak-in-winter.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 (edited) To be fair to football, it's not the only dangerous sport. Check this out - a death rate of 25 percent among aspiring climbers! https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/sports/polish-climbers-to-scale-deadly-k2-peak-in-winter.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news The Dude of mountain climbing fell to his death recently... Ueli Steck... Edited May 9, 2017 by row_33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 The Dude of mountain climbing fell to his death recently... Ueli Steck... Yep - 1000 meter fall while prepping for one of the most difficult ascent routes on Everest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babulator Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 What causes the damage is the jostling of the brain as it hits the skull. No amount of padding can protect against that. The padded helmets aren't for protection to be honest. Joe Pa had long championed this idea for years. If players wore padded leather helmets, they'd be less likely to spear people head first. It'd be a fundamental change in the game, or a return to it's roots. At the end of the day I think everyone knows the risks and makes their own choices. This is why they get paid like they do. How many of you people do things that are very dangerous, even life threatening simply because it's fun. More than likely you don't even get paid for it, or maybe YOU pay to take said risk. This is simply a part of life and we should stop feeding into it. Football is dangerous, as are many other things in life. Make the decision that works for you. The sport will continue to make common sense adjustments to minimize the risk. PERIOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Yep - 1000 meter fall while prepping for one of the most difficult ascent routes on Everest. He survived a bunch of angry sherpas bent on hurting him, so it was bound to happen eventually. You can't do that, its an ADA discrimination. Can the person do the job with or without reasonable accommodation? Yes, then you have to let them play. BUT This is why I say assumption of risk while continuing to try and see if helmets can be improved etc. But Paying guys for CTE or long term football issues when they know IN ADVANCE this is going to happen, is BS. Did circus freaks who were ruined by their stunts get compensation back in theday? Or gladiators? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanC883 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Well, Buoniconti played 15 years in the NFL, so in his case it's certainly the case that most of the hits he took -- and certainly the most impactful ones -- occurred in the NFL. Pee wee football is in no way comparable to the NFL, by the way. He is actually right that a huge part of this is youth tackle football. The brain is not fully developed, leaving it more vulnerable to hits in youth football. Personally I think people should not play tackle till 14. Play flag or something else till then. Even at 14, stop the nonsensical "Oklahoma" drills that do not teach proper hitting techniques IMO. Use tackling dummies. Or they need to invest billions into medical advancements so that CTE can be measured pre-death and measure the CTE that already exist in men's brains before they take an NFL snap. That would also help determine those who are most at-risk and shouldn't continue playing. I can't believe a person still has to be dead in order to determine the amount of CTE they have. or any form of degenerative brain disease for that matter (Alzheimer's, etc.). The brain is really complex. Like the last frontier of modern medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Buonconti's son suffered a severe spinal cord injury in college or high school, right? (maybe the article that i didn't read mentioned it?) Puts all this into another bracket of perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Probably higher if you consider playing for the dophins(and patriots) is indicative of some sort of brain disorder...... .....too soon???? http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/08/nick-buoniconti-dolphins-cognitive-decline-nfl-head-trauma-concussions 'Some of Buoniconti’s Dolphins teammates, meanwhile, are crumbling. Quarterback Earl Morrall, the supersub so key to the Perfect Season, died at 79, in 2014, with Stage 4 CTE. Running back Jim Kiick, 70, lived in squalor until he was placed in an assisted living facility last summer with dementia/early onset Alzheimer’s. Bill Stanfill, a defensive end who long suffered from dementia, died in November at 69. His brain and spine were sent to the CTE center at Boston University, where the disease has been found in 96% of players’ brains studied. (Granted, that’s 96% of a group whose medical or playing history already suggests some sort of brain disease.)' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 when we have conclusive data to compare this to, aka, controlled data i will listen much more. the obvious obvious is that running full speed throwing your body all around isn't good for you. but, to say cte is only football related i don't think any scientist should do. cte is to sports science what global warming is to climatology science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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