CTE Diagnosed in 99% of former NFL players | Page 2 | The Boneyard

CTE Diagnosed in 99% of former NFL players

vowelguy said:
The story is attention grabbing, and that's good because it might exert the pressure for change.
But this isn't really "news." These were donated brains from folks who suspected a problem. I'm almost more surprised that it's not 100%.

The fact still remains that there are millions of adults who played FB as kids and have had no problems - to date.
If results start showing problems for people who played only HS or Pop Warner football then FB will be in crisis. But until then ...
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The research is showing permanent damage at younger and younger ages. This sport is about to fall off a cliff at the youth level, and when it does, fan interest will decline. As importantly, the talent pool will dry up pretty quickly.

I do think this will be a boon for lacrosse.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Is this a medical opinion? Young players are not as strong as older players, but their heads are a larger percentage of their total body weight and their necks are not as strong as they will be later in life, resulting in more head movement and head contact.

CTE is not just about concussions. It is about repeated sub-concussive hits to the head that have a cumulative effect on the victim. There are concussions in basketball, but there is nothing close to the repeated head contact that football has.
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No, it's my opinion. You are allowed your opinion and I am allowed mine.
 
I'll be shocked if Aaron Hernandez did not have CTE. I wonder how long it will take to release results. There could be lawsuits if positive.
 
vowelguy said:
The story is attention grabbing, and that's good because it might exert the pressure for change.
But this isn't really "news." These were donated brains from folks who suspected a problem. I'm almost more surprised that it's not 100%.

The fact still remains that there are millions of adults who played FB as kids and have had no problems - to date.
If results start showing problems for people who played only HS or Pop Warner football then FB will be in crisis. But until then ...
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Honestly I think that's really where the disease starts, with the first few concussions suffered at a young age. Kids don't know how to use their bodies correctly, or even really follow coaching cues well enough, to tackle safely. And as I said before, part of the problem within this larger issue is that it takes decades for the disease to progress to the point of being noticeable. And the effects, even when they manifest, aren't exactly gruesome

Would be interested to see if all sub-18 football was banned. Grow up being an athlete and learn your body, then convert to football once you're an adult
 
Rocktheworld said:
Honestly I think that's really where the disease starts, with the first few concussions suffered at a young age. Kids don't know how to use their bodies correctly, or even really follow coaching cues well enough, to tackle safely. And as I said before, part of the problem within this larger issue is that it takes decades for the disease to progress to the point of being noticeable. And the effects, even when they manifest, aren't exactly gruesome

Would be interested to see if all sub-18 football was banned. Grow up being an athlete and learn your body, then convert to football once you're an adult
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It may also be beneficial for kids to play multiple sports across multiple season and not specialize in just one sport to allow healing.
 
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huskymedic said:
It may also be beneficial for kids to play multiple sports across multiple season and not specialize in just one sport to allow healing.
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I couldn't agree more. "Specializing" in one sport at an early is bad and wrong on multiple levels.
 
CTBballfan243 said:
It would be interesting to test some of the rock singers who just committed suicide to see if they have CTE.
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lol I'm sure those guys suffered a few concussions in their time but the real damage and real encephalopathy is likely caused by another, non-traumatic cause
 
huskymedic said:
It may also be beneficial for kids to play multiple sports across multiple season and not specialize in just one sport to allow healing.
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Not that I'm hostile to your point, and it is a valid one; But we're talking about brain injury and reducing risk of concussions here.

Brains don't "heal" and I don't see how playing sports year-round will impact any of what we're talking about ITT
 
Rocktheworld said:
Not that I'm hostile to your point, and it is a valid one; But we're talking about brain injury and reducing risk of concussions here.

Brains don't "heal" and I don't see how playing sports year-round will impact any of what we're talking about ITT
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Not being hostile to your point, but please consider that nowadays when a kid specializes in one sport, he or she is participating in some form of that sport more or less year round.
 
Rocktheworld said:
Not that I'm hostile to your point, and it is a valid one; But we're talking about brain injury and reducing risk of concussions here.

Brains don't "heal" and I don't see how playing sports year-round will impact any of what we're talking about ITT
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It's risk avoidance. You eliminate a number of times that impacts/damage can occur from specific high potential sports. Frequency of impact and recovery time is a major factor in increasing severity of concussions.
 
huskymedic said:
It's risk avoidance. You eliminate a number of times that impacts/damage can occur from specific high potential sports.
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You achieve this by... playing more sports?

Or do you mean play football one Fall and track the next?
 
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Rocktheworld said:
You do this by... playing more sports?
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You play different sports... there is less likelihood of concussion in non-contact sports (football versus track/field for example). And while damaged brain cells do not regenerate, the brain can adapt and does have recovery ability over time.
 
huskymedic said:
You play different sports... there is less likelihood of concussion in non-contact sports (football versus track/field for example). And while damaged brain cells do not regenerate, the brain can adapt and does have recovery ability over time.
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I figured that while you were making this post
 
Rocktheworld said:
You achieve this by... playing more sports?

Or do you mean play football one fall and... whatever else they do in fall... next season?
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Yes, if you play football in the fall and, say, travel baseball in the summer (instead of 7 on 7 football) then your risk of sustaining repeated hits to the head goes down.
 
I just checked a few things out. NFL Season still on. NCAA Season no cancellations. HS Football Season still scheduled. I guess football will live another year LOL.
 
CTBballfan243 said:
It would be interesting to test some of the rock singers who just committed suicide to see if they have CTE.
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You think kids don't get brain damage from repeatedly banging their heads into other kids heads. We heard you the first time.
 
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I've said this to my friends for a couple of years now but football won't go away but the game as we know it will be significantly different within the next 25 years.

Whether that be vastly different helmets, contact rules, or actual changes to the way the game is played, the end result is going to be a far different product than what we see today.

I still think it'll be just as popular but just far different.
 
ConnHuskBask said:
I've said this to my friends for a couple of years now but football won't go away but the game as we know it will be significantly different within the next 25 years.

Whether that be vastly different helmets, contact rules, or actual changes to the way the game is played, the end result is going to be a far different product than what we see today.

I still think it'll be just as popular but just far different.
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Maybe it's just not talked about, but it seems like there haven't been any major developments in helmet technology that could limit the damage. Anybody (in the NFL at least) recovering from a concussion or has a history of concussions wears that special helmet that looks bigger than the rest... why isn't that the norm if it better protects the head? Seems like a logical place to start.
 
blue93 said:
Maybe it's just not talked about, but it seems like there haven't been any major developments in helmet technology that could limit the damage. Anybody (in the NFL at least) recovering from a concussion or has a history of concussions wears that special helmet that looks bigger than the rest... why isn't that the norm if it better protects the head? Seems like a logical place to start.
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I'm just an idiot posting on a message board but I've always been curious why the outer shell is that hard plastic. I would think that if you kept everything the same but then added an inch of some sort of foam it would help soften the impact.
 
If scientists can invent a better football helmet, this might no longer be a problem in the future. They just have to figure out the science to do this.
 
I sincerely hope I'll be old and gray and about to pass before the NFL ceases to exist.... Just can't do the NBA and let's be honest a root canal is more exciting than soccer

I just find it funny how many young men & women put their lives on the line for a chance at a better life through the military (true some do it for patriotic reasons) and get paid a minute fraction of what a nfl player will earn. But somehow it's slowly becoming "taboo" to play football.

As long as football produces the highest tv ratings against pretty much anything, the green will flow, and football will remain King (as it should be)
 
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ConnHuskBask said:
I'm just an idiot posting on a message board but I've always been curious why the outer shell is that hard plastic. I would think that if you kept everything the same but then added an inch of some sort of foam it would help soften the impact.
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This used to be discussed a lot. The thought was that a softer helmet would tend to stick onto the other helmet. This would tend to result in more significant neck injuries. A hard outer shell would bounce or slide off the other helmet, and be less dangerous. I guess the idea was that carting some guy off the field with a concussion was better than carting them off with a broken neck.

Joe Paterno had an interesting thought. He said removing the face masks would significantly reduce head first tackles. You'd see a lot more use of the shoulder pads in tackling. More broken noses, fewer concussions.
 
Irishfan said:
This used to be discussed a lot. The thought was that a softer helmet would tend to stick onto the other helmet. This would tend to result in more significant neck injuries. A hard outer shell would bounce or slide off the other helmet, and be less dangerous. I guess the idea was that carting some guy off the field with a concussion was better than carting them off with a broken neck.

Joe Paterno had an interesting thought. He said removing the face masks would significantly reduce head first tackles. You'd see a lot more use of the shoulder pads in tackling. More broken noses, fewer concussions.
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Meaning like in a glancing blow to the helmet, the plastic outer shell won't have as much friction in helmet to helmet contact, where as the soft shell could drag slightly causing neck injury?
 
ConnHuskBask said:
Meaning like in a glancing blow to the helmet, the plastic outer shell won't have as much friction in helmet to helmet contact, where as the soft shell could drag slightly causing neck injury?
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Yup
 
Irishfan said:
Joe Paterno had an interesting thought. He said removing the face masks would significantly reduce head first tackles.
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Joe Paterno was good with young boys getting raped. Who cares what he said?
 
billybud said:
FSU has introduced soft helmet covers for practice...to reduce head traumas...wore them in the spring game.

FSU to use protective helmet shells during spring practice
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That's pretty cool and the same idea I had mentioned above about extra padding.

With all the tech out there today, I just have to imagine there is a safer way to guard against head injuries than hard shelled plastic helmets smashing up against each other.
 
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