49ers Borland Retires

[pbmax]

I like this take. The overall pool of available bodies will get smaller, but plenty of freakishly gifted individuals will still decide to leverage those gifts to make a lot of money in a relatively short amount of time.

I also feel like this will drive some innovation in protective gear. This is America--when a lawsuit opens a niche, technology fills it.

They also could get creative, change the rules around the LOS and create some space.

Roger could actually develop a relationship with coaches and get them to stop teaching players to tackle (and force fumbles) with their heads.

[Fritz]

where the hell is bretsky? this seems like the perfect thing to shove in his face

Funny, that's the first thing that I thought of when I heard the story this morning.

[mraynrand]

From an SI article, similar to the initial article posted at the top the thread.

"Borland earned a bachelor's degree in history from Wisconsin and says he'll probably go back to study sports management. In truth, his sense of history led him to a decision that he may never regret -- and other NFL players could use this type of management."

I'm not exactly sure if Sports Management means becoming a player agent, but that would be a somewhat odd choice of second career, so soon after leaving the game for safety reasons. If he were to become a player agent, would he have more credibility or less? Obviously you don't have to have played ball to be an agent or a coach, but perhaps you understand things better. If he does decide to become a player agent, it's sort of a weird place to be. It would almost be like saying, "safety concerns caused met to quit playing, but let me make a percentage off of your decision to play." I know he's doing what's best for him, but I'm not sure how you be involved like that given your reasons for leaving the game.

He could organize the shuffleboard tourney aboard the Pacific Princess.

[gbgary]

Reminds me I have never been to Brett's Steakhouse.

tailgated several times but never stepped inside.

[Bretsky]

where the hell is bretsky? this seems like the perfect thing to shove in his face

Piss off red...lol.....

[red]

Piss off red...lol.....

WHERE WAS YOU GOD ON THAT ONE?????????????????????

LOLLOLOLOLOLOL

[Cheesehead Craig]

Thus marks the beginning of the end of pro football, at least as we know it.

Ah, it was a good run.

This is not some great tipping point. There have been far more popular and productive players that have left early. Sanders, Robert Smith, and heck, Staubach left early for long term health reasons way back.

Football in the US is down for youth by over 20% and is getting worse. The NFL is king for now, but their days are numbered. Borland's actions aren't a blazing trail, just a symptom of what's been going on for years.

[Patler]

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/c...ne-year-031715

But before his rookie season even began, Borland had told his family it might be his one and only year in the NFL.

All five of Borland's siblings made sure they attended at least one game in 2014 because they knew it might be their only chance to see him on the field. Jeff and Zebbie, Chris' mom, also attended games and saw how their son could succeed at the highest level of the game, all the while realizing the potential dangers of the game were on his mind.

The quote is from the article linked to by pbmax.

So, Borland knew he might play just one season even before the season started? Yet, he agreed to play four years and accepted over $1 million of a contract having a total value of less than $3 million. He agreed to provide four years, but did he have the intention to provide only what normally would be expected to be the least productive and the least active of the four seasons contracted for? Was his intention to play a little special teams, a few snaps here and there behind the experienced guys, bank a million dollars, and call it a career?

When the player quits after only a very short time of a long term contract, he accepts pay in the form of a bonus, but then refuses to provide the services contracted for. When the team cuts a player, they refuse to make future payments, but don't expect the player to provide any services either. In Borland's case, the money aspect is relatively small, but the issue is there nonetheless. Did he accept payment in advance for services he never intended to provide?

[Patler]

This is not some great tipping point. There have been far more popular and productive players that have left early. Sanders, Robert Smith, and heck, Staubach left early for long term health reasons way back.

Football in the US is down for youth by over 20% and is getting worse. The NFL is king for now, but their days are numbered. Borland's actions aren't a blazing trail, just a symptom of what's been going on for years.

Yup. Jim Brown was as big of a name in the NFL as there was at the time. He retired after playing his last season at age 29. His stated reason at the time was to pursue his acting career, but it didn't take him long to make controversial statements about his other motivations for quitting.

Five years from now, few fans or players will even remember who Chris Borland was. His decision might influence the decisions of a few players or parents about playing the game right now. A few years from now, his decision will have no impact.

[pbmax]

The quote is from the article linked to by pbmax.

So, Borland knew he might play just one season even before the season started?

Can't be sure because fox sports doesn't name their source (which I take to mean they've seen it reported multiple times elsewhere) but I think they are confusing the head injury in training camp and the communication he had with his family in-season. ESPN, which seems to be the source of these facts, makes a clear distinction over these two time frames.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...njury-concerns

But Fox Sports does not. I noticed that discrepancy which is why I posted both links. ESPN indicates their source (Borland himself on head injury preseason and father on letter) but nowhere have I seen the Fox stuff reported with sources. I think its a bad summary of other people's work.

[esoxx]

This is not some great tipping point. There have been far more popular and productive players that have left early. Sanders, Robert Smith, and heck, Staubach left early for long term health reasons way back.

Football in the US is down for youth by over 20% and is getting worse. The NFL is king for now, but their days are numbered. Borland's actions aren't a blazing trail, just a symptom of what's been going on for years.

Sanders, Smith, and Staubach are all apples/oranges comparisons. None of them played one year and then quit b/c of potential injury. One freakin' year.

We also didn't have a climate of hysteria surrounding concussions during any of those players time frames. There's a climate of fear on long term impact out there now. I'm not sure how anyone can deny that.

[Patler]

Football is very late to the table on concussion concern. Hockey was going to die 25 years ago because of it. It didn't.

I don't know if it originated with USA Hockey or not, but the "Heads Up" program was huge in youth hockey 25 years ago. There were posters up in all the rinks, pamphlets were mailed to all registered players, instruction in it was part of coaching clinics. We had players doing drills on the ice to look up at the boards if they got knocked to the ice and were sliding headfirst toward the boards. (Unfortunately, the natural tendency is for kids to look down and tuck in there heads, taking the impact on the top of their helmet.) The emphasis was more for preventing spinal injuries, but if they lifted their heads they would naturally turn their bodies and take some of the impact on their shoulders or chests.

There were some rule changes, some emphasis on enforcement, etc. It was a big concern for a while, is still talked about, but didn't kill the sport in spite of what many feared with the punch-drunk players that were being talked about, and the occasional spinal injury that occurred.

Then there is boxing, which has the goal of inflicting a concussion on your oponent.......

[red]

Yeah, but isn't boxing pretty much done? Yeah there's Jr vs Manny coming up, but didn't the sport die around the time Tyson bit off hoyfields ear?

And hockey is barely there, hockey is like the 15th most popular sport behind, lawn jarts and keno

[pbmax]

Football is very late to the table on concussion concern. Hockey was going to die 25 years ago because of it. It didn't.

I don't know if it originated with USA Hockey or not, but the "Heads Up" program was huge in youth hockey 25 years ago. There were posters up in all the rinks, pamphlets were mailed to all registered players, instruction in it was part of coaching clinics. We had players doing drills on the ice to look up at the boards if they got knocked to the ice and were sliding headfirst toward the boards. (Unfortunately, the natural tendency is for kids to look down and tuck in there heads, taking the impact on the top of their helmet.) The emphasis was more for preventing spinal injuries, but if they lifted their heads they would naturally turn their bodies and take some of the impact on their shoulders or chests.

There were some rule changes, some emphasis on enforcement, etc. It was a big concern for a while, is still talked about, but didn't kill the sport in spite of what many feared with the punch-drunk players that were being talked about, and the occasional spinal injury that occurred.

Then there is boxing, which has the goal of inflicting a concussion on your oponent.......

I remember much of this (pro version, not so much youth hickey). Prior to it, the mandated use of helmets was a resistance point, but even that was eventually accepted after they grandfathered in the older players.

[mraynrand]

I remember much of this (pro version, not so much youth hickey). Prior to it, the mandated use of helmets was a resistance point, but even that was eventually accepted after they grandfathered in the older players.

I remember a youth hickey

[red]

I remember much of this (pro version, not so much youth hickey). Prior to it, the mandated use of helmets was a resistance point, but even that was eventually accepted after they grandfathered in the older players.

yeah, but with the flowing hair they had back then they had extra protection, plus who in their right mind would want to cover that up?

[Joemailman]

Yeah, but isn't boxing pretty much done? Yeah there's Jr vs Manny coming up, but didn't the sport die around the time Tyson bit off hoyfields ear?

And hockey is barely there, hockey is like the 15th most popular sport behind, lawn jarts and keno

Hockey is he 4th most popular team sport in the U.S. That may come as a surprise to people in Wisconsin, since Wisconsin has no professional team in hockey.

[Patler]

Hockey is he 4th most popular team sport in the U.S. That may come as a surprise to people in Wisconsin, since Wisconsin has no professional team in hockey.

They don't have an NHL team, but they do have a professional team with the Admirals in Milwaukee.

[Guiness]

The quote is from the article linked to by pbmax.

So, Borland knew he might play just one season even before the season started? Yet, he agreed to play four years and accepted over $1 million of a contract having a total value of less than $3 million. He agreed to provide four years, but did he have the intention to provide only what normally would be expected to be the least productive and the least active of the four seasons contracted for? Was his intention to play a little special teams, a few snaps here and there behind the experienced guys, bank a million dollars, and call it a career?

When the player quits after only a very short time of a long term contract, he accepts pay in the form of a bonus, but then refuses to provide the services contracted for. When the team cuts a player, they refuse to make future payments, but don't expect the player to provide any services either. In Borland's case, the money aspect is relatively small, but the issue is there nonetheless. Did he accept payment in advance for services he never intended to provide?

Is a signing bonus for future play though? It seems to me that NFL contracts are inherently 'pay as you go' type. A signing bonus is just that - a bonus, an enticement to sign a long term contract and/or a recognition of past performance and that it will lead to more. A signing bonus is earned...when the signing occurs.

*not-withstanding the actual language of the CBA*

[Rastak]

Sanders, Smith, and Staubach are all apples/oranges comparisons. None of them played one year and then quit b/c of potential injury. One freakin' year.

We also didn't have a climate of hysteria surrounding concussions during any of those players time frames. There's a climate of fear on long term impact out there now. I'm not sure how anyone can deny that.

It's really not hysteria, it's cold hard facts at this point it seems. I feel bad for these guys despite their millions.