Football and brain injuries: NYT article

[Badgerinmaine]

I thought this article from today's New York Times was interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/sports/football/24concussions.html

Among other things, it notes how several former NFL players are donating their brains after their death to the Boston University Medical School for a study.

[Noodle]

I read this, and it really caused me to think -- I mean, I love football, but I don't like the idea of guys putting themselves at this kind of risk for my entertainment.

It also made me wonder if rugby players have the same problems. If not, maybe the modern helmet encourages guys to bash away and put themselves at greater risk. I know I was taught to lead with and drive my facemask, not my shoulder, through the body of the opposing player, and I'm guessing most guys had similar instruction. I doubt rugby players lead with their faces.

Could less "protection" be more protective?

[Rastak]

I read this, and it really caused me to think -- I mean, I love football, but I don't like the idea of guys putting themselves at this kind of risk for my entertainment.

It also made me wonder if rugby players have the same problems. If not, maybe the modern helmet encourages guys to bash away and put themselves at greater risk. I know I was taught to lead with and drive my facemask, not my shoulder, through the body of the opposing player, and I'm guessing most guys had similar instruction. I doubt rugby players lead with their faces.

Could less "protection" be more protective?

I had an Aussie I used to talk to via email often suggest the exact same thing. I had mentioned American football was a violent sport with people getting serious injuries regularly and he said straight out. "If they didn't wear so much armour it might not be so bad".

Thought it was kinda crazy at the time but it does make a certain amount of sense. If you don't have all that armor on, you might not launch yourself like a missle all the time.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

There is a difference in the impact that rugby players take vs. football, but you would be hard pressed to find evidence that it is less detrimental.

Football players receive a higher impact, but rugby players receive impact much more times.

This issue was discussed and looked at on some show on Fox Sports.

[texaspackerbacker]

Put things in some perspective here. How many football players NEVER have any problems, finish their career, and live to a ripe old age with no problems? The HUGE majority!

This ALARMIST crap does no good whatsoever.

Sure there's risk, although probably no more risk than people have driving back and forth to work each day. And if there is more risk ......... well, NFL players get paid exponentially more than any of us, to do what? Have fun--by most people's standards--to do what most of us would kill to do. And if any player thinks differently, well, nobody is forcing them to suit up and take the field--and grab that HUGE paycheck.

[Scott Campbell]

How many football players NEVER have any problems, finish their career, and live to a ripe old age with no problems?

I thought the average lifespan of a NFL lineman was something like 20 years less than the norm.

[texaspackerbacker]

How many football players NEVER have any problems, finish their career, and live to a ripe old age with no problems?

I thought the average lifespan of a NFL lineman was something like 20 years less than the norm.

I've never heard that one. It would be interesting if you could verify it. I still say they get paid enough to make it worthwhile ..... and if the risk is too much, nobody is forcing them to play.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

How many football players NEVER have any problems, finish their career, and live to a ripe old age with no problems?

I thought the average lifespan of a NFL lineman was something like 20 years less than the norm.

You are correct. But, there is a ton of wiggle room in the science. Recent work suggests that their lives fall into the norm..however, those of the 40s and 50s had a much lower BMI and didnt' take the steroids, etc.

A 1994 study of 7,000 former players by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found linemen had a 52 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than the general population. While U.S. life expectancy is 77.6 years, recent studies suggest the average for NFL players is 55, 52 for linemen.

What is know is that 97 percent of NFL players are overweight with over 50% having a bmi considered obese. The NFL claimed the study (i believe it was done by UNC) was flawed because the BMI uses height and weight for its calculations, not muscle mass and percentage of body fat.

And, that is a fair criticism.

So, what we do know is that the long-term health problems associated with being overweight are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and joint damage. Of immediate concern is sleep apnea, increasingly common among the league's biggest players, which can cause breathing to stop during sleep.

Let's add the collisions, the "alleged" performance enhancers, hgh, etc.

The issue is that there hasn't been any long term study done on concussions, injuries, bmi, etc.

[Scott Campbell]

I've never heard that one. It would be interesting if you could verify it. I still say they get paid enough to make it worthwhile.

You could give me all of Bill Gates money and it wouldn't be worth lopping 1 year off my life - much less 20. But that's just me.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I've never heard that one. It would be interesting if you could verify it. I still say they get paid enough to make it worthwhile.

You could give me all of Bill Gates money and it wouldn't be worth lopping 1 year off my life - much less 20. But that's just me.

You could give me all YOUR money and I take a year off my life.. one in my 90s. Course, when obama gets in..i'll get your money and not lose a year.

[Scott Campbell]

I've never heard that one. It would be interesting if you could verify it. I still say they get paid enough to make it worthwhile.

You could give me all of Bill Gates money and it wouldn't be worth lopping 1 year off my life - much less 20. But that's just me.

You could give me all YOUR money and I take a year off my life.. one in my 90s. Course, when obama gets in..i'll get your money and not lose a year.

I expect you'll pay me to end your life. It'd be a mercy killing.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I've never heard that one. It would be interesting if you could verify it. I still say they get paid enough to make it worthwhile.

You could give me all of Bill Gates money and it wouldn't be worth lopping 1 year off my life - much less 20. But that's just me.

You could give me all YOUR money and I take a year off my life.. one in my 90s. Course, when obama gets in..i'll get your money and not lose a year.

I expect you'll pay me to end your life. It'd be a mercy killing.

IF i had to be in a room with you...i'd gladly ask you to kill me.

[Freak Out]

Brains!

http://www.packerrats.com/ratchat/viewtopic.php?t=14847

[Noodle]

I am putting things in perspective. At the professional level, this is entertainment. Pure and simple. We will not have to wear the chains of communism if the Raiders win the Super Bowl, even though there is little difference between the Dear Leader and Al Davis.

If there is a way to perform this entertainment that substantially reduces the risk of injury to the entertainers, why wouldn't we do that?

There are always guys who will take the money in the hubris of indestructible youth to do all sorts of stupid stuff. That does not make it right to make a paid spectale of it, especially if there are alternatives.