UBBullsfan Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 No it's not, stop saying that. You clearly have not read anything about this issue. It's not about the one big hit that the safety lays on the receiver going across the middle- which can occur in hockey, even though it doesn't nearly as often and is rarely as violent. What it is about is the constant, repetitive, dull hits that the players in the trenches and the running backs sustain on every play. That doesn't exist in hockey or any other sport outside of boxing. I mean seven American kids have DIED playing football this year alone. How many high school hockey players have died playing hockey so far this year? You know it's illegal for a lineman to contact another lineman in the head now right? The helmets in football are also 30 times more effective than hockey helmets.
Mr. WEO Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 There is absolutely no way that any other sport, per capita, has more concussions than football. There was probably more than one concussion in the Bills game yesterday. Because you can also crack your skull ice skating, doesn't make bashing your helmet against other guys' helmets over a thousand times a year more or less dangerous. Sounds to me like you would be the type to make the "a guy killed someone else with a golf club one time, does that mean we should make golf clubs illegal?" argument. Playing football is bad for your head. Would I let my kid play high school football? Yes. Is a guy who plays football their whole life until they can't play anymore- like a Jason Witten or a Marshawn Lynch- gonna be a vegetable by the time they're 60? Probably, yes. This is why a quarterback who comes out now isn't at any more risk than someone playing any other sport to suffer a concussion. It is indeed safe for them. But there is absolutely no way to make the game safer for the guys who play in the trenches. Period. The overwhelming probability is that they will not be "a vegetable" by the time they are 60 (although Lynch may have been born with a head start). The extreme cases you are thinking about are so far rare.
blitzboy54 Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 The number one sport for concussions is not football, it is cycling: http://www.traumaticbraininjury.net/move-over-football-cycling-is-the-biggest-cause-of-sports-related-tbi/ Yet we never hear about people saying they won't let their kids ride bicycles... That's pretty misleading. That is referring to head trauma that requires immediate care. Cyclists are wearing a soft helmet and higher off the ground. Also riding over concrete or asphalt and often collide with cars. CTE is a degenerative condition over time. A cyclist may have one bad accident but a football player will have thousands of small ones. This is not apples to apples at all.
metzelaars_lives Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 You know it's illegal for a lineman to contact another lineman in the head now right? The helmets in football are also 30 times more effective than hockey helmets. Dude people have been playing hockey for a long time now. Has there ever been one hockey player ever- not including goons who all they did was fight- to sustain brain trauma after their career was over? Do you really think Maxim Afinogenov is at risk for CTE? Do you have any idea how many football players have brain issues from one extent to another? You're way out of your element on this one. Furthermore, do you really think Richie Incognito's helmet didn't make contact with other guys' helmets yesterday? The overwhelming probability is that they will not be "a vegetable" by the time they are 60 (although Lynch may have been born with a head start). The extreme cases you are thinking about are so far rare. Vegetable might be a strong word. But guys who play the gam like that will undoubtedly have CTE by the time it's all said and done, that I can assure you.
UBBullsfan Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Dude people have been playing hockey for a long time now. Has there ever been one hockey player ever- not including goons who all they did was fight- to sustain brain trauma after their career was over? Do you really think Maxim Afinogenov is at risk for CTE? Do you have any idea how many football players have brain issues from one extent to another? You're way out of your element on this one. Furthermore, do you really think Richie Incognito's helmet didn't make contact with other guys' helmets yesterday? Steve Montador was not a goon. I don't know exactly how many players have CTE, and neither do you. But helmets switched to a gel technology about 10 years ago, and now is transitioning to a micro-air bag technology like Lesean McCoy uses.
metzelaars_lives Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 That's pretty misleading. That is referring to head trauma that requires immediate care. Cyclists are wearing a soft helmet and higher off the ground. Also riding over concrete or asphalt and often collide with cars. CTE is a degenerative condition over time. A cyclist may have one bad accident but a football player will have thousands of small ones. This is not apples to apples at all. At least someone on here knows what they're talking about.
Mr. WEO Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Dude people have been playing hockey for a long time now. Has there ever been one hockey player ever- not including goons who all they did was fight- to sustain brain trauma after their career was over? Do you really think Maxim Afinogenov is at risk for CTE? Do you have any idea how many football players have brain issues from one extent to another? You're way out of your element on this one. Furthermore, do you really think Richie Incognito's helmet didn't make contact with other guys' helmets yesterday? Vegetable might be a strong word. But guys who play the gam like that will undoubtedly have CTE by the time it's all said and done, that I can assure you. I will concede that they all will have pathologic evidence of "CTE" upon autopsy. The majority will not have manifested as clinically significant disease while alive.
metzelaars_lives Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Steve Montador was not a goon. I don't know exactly how many players have CTE, and neither do you. But helmets switched to a gel technology about 10 years ago, and now is transitioning to a micro-air bag technology like Lesean McCoy uses. Yeah and when is the last time you saw a hockey player knocked as woozy as McCoy was yesterday? Maybe happens a handful of times a year. I watch a s**t ton of hockey. Football has done everything they can to make the game as safe as possible, I agree with you. But the nature of the game dictates that this is an issue that isn't going anywhere.
UBBullsfan Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Yeah and when is the last time you saw a hockey player knocked as woozy as McCoy was yesterday? Maybe happens a handful of times a year. I watch a s**t ton of hockey. Football has done everything they can to make the game as safe as possible, I agree with you. But the nature of the game dictates that this is an issue that isn't going anywhere. You are underestimating technology. In the future they will have virtually concussion-free helmets that utilize nano-technological materials
Mr. WEO Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 You are underestimating technology. In the future they will have virtually concussion-free helmets that utilize nano-technological materials Or head transplants, right?
metzelaars_lives Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 I will concede that they all will have pathologic evidence of "CTE" upon autopsy. The majority will not have manifested as clinically significant disease while alive. They will be affected from one extent to another. I hope everyone here with a strong opinion has watched the original special (I think it aired on PBS) on this topic. You can watch it on youtube right now. It also disturbs me that the doctor who was at the forefront of this discovery and is interested in making people aware of the inherent risks associated with playing football is being labeled by some as someone who is simply trying to cash in on their "15 minutes," etc. What if he really just was/is a good guy? I think people who are saying stuff like this should make themselves aware of the cover up by the NFL to silence this type of information from being available to its players.
UBBullsfan Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Or head transplants, right? I think the future of society will take place in virtual reality, which will offer an enhanced computer universe, actually.
26CornerBlitz Posted December 7, 2015 Author Posted December 7, 2015 I think the future of society will take place in virtual reality, which will offer an enhanced computer universe, actually. Future?!? We're already in the Matrix!
CodeMonkey Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 We know too many doctors, one of which is a head trauma specialist doing some work for the NFL, to let our kids play. Risk so much outweighs the reward it was dirt simple for us to arrive at that conclusion. But like others have said, to each their own.
UBBullsfan Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 Future?!? We're already in the Matrix! I bet you are the guy that said cars would never be able to drive themselves.
26CornerBlitz Posted December 7, 2015 Author Posted December 7, 2015 I bet you are the guy that said cars would never be able to drive themselves. I bet you I'm not that guy.
Mr. WEO Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 They will be affected from one extent to another. I hope everyone here with a strong opinion has watched the original special (I think it aired on PBS) on this topic. You can watch it on youtube right now. It also disturbs me that the doctor who was at the forefront of this discovery and is interested in making people aware of the inherent risks associated with playing football is being labeled by some as someone who is simply trying to cash in on their "15 minutes," etc. What if he really just was/is a good guy? I think people who are saying stuff like this should make themselves aware of the cover up by the NFL to silence this type of information from being available to its players. I'm sure he is a good guy. But so far the devastating neuro issues played out in the press have not been anything akin to typical experiences of retired NFL players. It is also interesting that the NFL bears the entire brunt of the blame for the CTE issue when they are receiving these players well after the disease has developed in them.. We hear nothing about the culpability of the NCAA, where everyone knew what the NFL knew (and what most people intuitively already knew)--that repeated head blows/concussions/etc have to be bad for ones brain. Did that rally have to be "covered up"? I think the future of society will take place in virtual reality, which will offer an enhanced computer universe, actually. Oh...well yeah, obviously.
Observer Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 (edited) You are underestimating technology. In the future they will have virtually concussion-free helmets that utilize nano-technological materials Every time a helmet gets hit, the brain shakes inside the skull. Every time. No hemet can prevent that. Your brain is not supposed to rattle in its skull over and over. Sure you can get contact in soccer (headers are a really bad thing for kids to do and smarter coaches discourage tons of header practice), basketball (head to elbow, head to floor), volleyball (head to ball, floor), hockey (puck, ice, board, helmet)... but football is the only one of these sports (maybe soccer headers to a lesser extent) where you're intentionally getting your head banged, even with smaller hits. There are plenty of other sports for kids to play where brain trauma is not built in. Edited December 7, 2015 by Observer
metzelaars_lives Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 I'm sure he is a good guy. But so far the devastating neuro issues played out in the press have not been anything akin to typical experiences of retired NFL players. It is also interesting that the NFL bears the entire brunt of the blame for the CTE issue when they are receiving these players well after the disease has developed in them.. We hear nothing about the culpability of the NCAA, where everyone knew what the NFL knew (and what most people intuitively already knew)--that repeated head blows/concussions/etc have to be bad for ones brain. Did that rally have to be "covered up"? Oh...well yeah, obviously. I guess it's all relative. Is it the majority of players? No. I agree with your point that a guy like Frank Gifford did show signs of CTE but it didn't affect his life the way it affected, say, Junior Seau. But I think there are far more Junior Seau's than you realize. I remember 20 year ago, way before any of this came out, we used to hear about former players like Al Toon, who would hear a doorbell ring and go to answer the telephone or constantly forget why they walked into a room. Jim McMahon is like that now. So is Darryl Talley. I think it's more widespread than maybe you realize.
Observer Posted December 7, 2015 Posted December 7, 2015 The number one sport for concussions is not football, it is cycling: http://www.traumaticbraininjury.net/move-over-football-cycling-is-the-biggest-cause-of-sports-related-tbi/ Yet we never hear about people saying they won't let their kids ride bicycles... But this isn't a discussion about concussions. It's a discussion about CTE. And in cycling, plowing your head into the ground is an exception, while in football, getting a blow to the head even a minor one like happens between lineman on almost every play, is part of the game.
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