OT: Junior Seau is dead

[babysheep]

Killed by gunshot in his home.

Heard he had a failed suicide attempt or something before....if this is what it sounds like it seems like he had a few too many concussions I guess

edit literally 5 seconds after making this ESPN reports that the cops say it was a suicide

 

[superjohn]

Shot himself in the chest just like Dave Durson from the '85 Bears. The NFL has to make some fundamental changes, they can't keep having players suffering from dementia, wearing diapers in their 50's and killing themselves. Most people have no idea how bad the problem is, the NFL has been shameful in their handling of this epidemic. I really think Seau's death is going to change some things.

 

[Kitaman]

Sad story:

"In October 2010, problems in Seau's personal life surfaced when he drove his SUV off an embankment in Carlsbad, Calif., and was hospitalized with minor injuries. Seau told police he fell asleep hours after he was arrested on a felony domestic violence allegation and released."

Apparently he didn't want to be here for some time.

 

[babysheep]

Seriously is there anyone in the NFL that has a clue about neuroanatomy/science? Because if so, there's no reason that it should take suicides (thank god he didn't pull a Benoit at least, but who knows what he was capable of) for real change to start happening. Yeah, the NFL has had the hits-above-the-neck-on-defenseless-players rule for what, a season or two now? But what are they supposed to do about defensive players?

I also am not digging how they have a live feed on ESPN of the family weeping and this cop announcing it in front of them. Leave them the duck alone, he hasn't been dead 30 minutes yet for 's sake

 

[hungry husky]

Seriously is there anyone in the NFL that has a clue about neuroanatomy/science? Because if so, there's no reason that it's going to take suicides (thank god he didn't pull a Benoit at least, but who knows what he was capable of) for real change to start happening. Yeah, the NFL has had the hits-above-the-neck-on-defenseless-players rule for what, a season or two now? But what are they supposed to do about defensive players?

Football is going to be dangerous or people aren't going to watch it. I think Goodell is doing a good job recognizing there needs to be changes. Concussions are why bounty systems are so egregious.

 

[babysheep]

Football is going to be dangerous or people aren't going to watch it. I think Goodell is doing a good job recognizing there needs to be changes. Concussions are why bounty systems are so egregious.

For sure, but I just can't believe that these rules haven't been implemented until within a couple years ago.

Also, how can you regulate the hits that defensive players take when they're the ones initiating most of the worst of the hitting?

 

[hungry husky]

For sure, but I just can't believe that these rules haven't been implemented until within a couple years ago.

Also, how can you regulate the hits that defensive players take when they're the ones initiating most of the worst of the hitting?

It's one hell of a catch 22. That's why they get paid the big bucks.

 

[Fishy]

Perhaps we're jumping the gun a bit by blaming his suicide on his playing career.

He appears to have had a 'complicated' personal life for several years.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Who called this in your death thread?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[babysheep]

Perhaps we're jumping the gun a bit by blaming his suicide on his playing career.

He appears to have had a 'complicated' personal life for several years.

Depends on how many concussions he's had. Lots of NFL players, especially big dudes like Seau, probably played through/just a week after getting concussed and don't report the injury, so we may never know just what kind of neurological damage he's taken until the coroner's report I guess.

However, the damage that the brain can take from the kind of head-on angle concussions is serious, and damage to the areas of the brain that are affected by these kinds of collisions can elicit this kind of behavior. Yeah, he had trouble off the field, but I'd bet he was predisposed to such drastic action because of his probable brain injuries.

Damn Merril Hodge (sp?) looks like he's on the verge of tears right now

 

[babysheep]

It's one hell of a catch 22. That's why they get paid the big bucks.

Yeah, and there's only so much state-of-the-art helmets can do. Head-on collisions at NFL speed (and they happen every single game) are pretty much never good.

 

[HarryAGampel]

Yeah, and there's only so much state-of-the-art helmets can do. Head-on collisions at NFL speed (and they happen every single game) are pretty much never good.

I believe they have helmets that can detect when a hit may have caused a concussion. Supposedly the NFL was against them because they didn't want their players having to sit all the time.

 

[superjohn]

Shooting yurself in the chest is a very strange way to kill yourself, my guess is he wanted his brain left for doctors to study. Traumatic brain injuries are an epidemic in the NFL, it doesn't help that they are all on steroids as well. Not much is known about the longterm effects of steroids but severe depression is definitely a known side effect. Another unbelievable part of this story, 8 players from the Chargers '94 Superbowl team are dead, that's just sad.

 

[champs99and04]

Anybody see the Marcellus Wiley interview? Damn, that was straight from the heart. You can tell from the interview that he was really good friends with Junior and touched by him as a human and a player.

The development in head injury research over the past few years is extremely worrisome, and you have to wonder just how badly players are jeopordizing their health by playing football. Other than taking care of retired players more effectively and closely monitoring head injuries, I'm not really sure what the NFL is supposed to do about this. It's not overly far fetched anymore to think that football in this country will soon rapidly diminish in popularity if the NFL cannot balance the sensitive line between violence/entertainment and the safety of these players.

Nobody knows for sure what the source of death was, but the fact that he shot himself in the chest usually indicates a desire to preserve the brain for examination. I sure hope that isn't the case, but if it turns out this was a suicide and that he was driven to that point largely due to the violent nature of football, this is going to really raise some eyebrows and hover over the NFL for quite some time.

R.I.P. Junior.

 

[DogMania]

Wow, this is sad! these concussion related suicides have been coming at an alarming rate. As a Pat's fan, although Jr played for them for a brief period of time, this hits close to home.

Very sad. Just very very sad.

 

[babysheep]

The development in head injury research over the past few years is extremely worrisome, and you have to wonder just how badly players are jeopordizing their health by playing football.

Here's how badly:

Every time they get a head-on concussion or concussion from behind, their brains rub up against the top of this bone, the sphenoid bone. Check out those spinal processes and rough spongy-looking areas on the top surface. I've dissected a human brain and I can say from personal experience is that brain tissue is not much stronger than jello.

 

[kingdobbs]

Perhaps we're jumping the gun a bit by blaming his suicide on his playing career.

He appears to have had a 'complicated' personal life for several years.

I think it's quite plausible that BOTH on-field injuries and difficulties in his personal life were contributing factors in his suicide. That is to say, he may have been exhibiting symptoms of CTE (the degenerative brain condition diagnosed in many similar cases) before, including depression, and life struggles may have merely been the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[Kitaman]

As for concussion related suicides, is there anything different today than say 20 years ago in the NFL? This increase in concussions and subsequent brain deterioration do seem on the rise. I ask because the sport hasn't changed or the way it is played (i.e. tackling).

Any one have a clue/idea?

 

[champs99and04]

Here's how badly:

Every time they get a head-on concussion or concussion from behind, their brains rub up against the top of this bone, the sphenoid bone. Check out those spinal processes and rough spongy-looking areas on the top surface. I've dissected a human brain and I can say from personal experience is that brain tissue is not much stronger than jello.

Thanks for the picture. With all the recent developments, you have to wonder how many more parents are going to be hesitant to sign their kids up for football compare to ten years ago. A lot of parents push their sons towards football, but we are now beginning to see the sport can have more severe effects than just the usual bumps and bruises. Concussions are no joke.

 

[kingdobbs]

As for concussion related suicides, is there anything different today than say 20 years ago in the NFL? This increase in concussions and subsequent brain deterioration do seem on the rise. I ask because the sport hasn't changed or the way it is played (i.e. tackling).

Any one have a clue/idea?

I don't think we're seeing a rise in the actual incidences of concussions and sports-related neurodegenerative diseases, so much as an increase in the public discussion (and a generally increasing sense amongst the sports fans and sports media that the problem is serious and needs to be addressed) of said conditions. What's changed, to answer your question, is that people are more aware of the severity of a concussion and the ethic amongst coaches and players is slowly drifting away from "play through it".

 

[OkaForPrez]

This is a sad and scarey thread. What alarms me most is that babysheep has dissected a human brain. I have to conclude that means bs is either in the medical profession or just a sick sick human being, but either way it's concerning given the "everyone pay attention to me" act from earlier this year.

 

[Fishy]

This is a sad and scarey thread. What alarms me most is that babysheep has dissected a human brain....

Don't sweat it - it was actually a meatloaf his mom made him for dinner.

Kids have such vivid imaginations.

 

[UCHuskies08]

From a current Saints OL

 

[CL82]

From a current Saints OL

Nice find. Thanks for posting that, though it does make the news just that much more sad.

 

[DogMania]

Don't sweat it - it was actually a meatloaf his mom made him for dinner.

Kids have such vivid imaginations.

This and what OFP wrote had me in tears laughing so hard. I'm saddened by this news and really needed a good laugh and you two knocked this one out of the park.

 

[NOTaDIME]

Yeah, and there's only so much state-of-the-art helmets can do. Head-on collisions at NFL speed (and they happen every single game) are pretty much never good.

These monster hits happen every single play I would say. Normal joes like most of the guys on this board would be flung five yards in the air for the average hits these guys take on a routine play. Many of the NFL players bodies can take this punishment but the human brain simply isn't cut out to take that harsh, repetitive force. I have a sad feeling that football is changing and I don't think it will be the same in the next ten to twenty years.

 

[babysheep]

As for concussion related suicides, is there anything different today than say 20 years ago in the NFL? This increase in concussions and subsequent brain deterioration do seem on the rise. I ask because the sport hasn't changed or the way it is played (i.e. tackling).

Any one have a clue/idea?

The game is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY faster (and thus arguably rougher, offsetting the progress in equipment) than is was 20 years ago. Quarterbacks didn't have to worry about getting the ball out of their hands in less than 2 seconds as much back then. The throwing windows were way bigger. Every other guy who wasn't a lineman or QB wasn't running a 4.4.

 

[babysheep]

I don't think we're seeing a rise in the actual incidences of concussions and sports-related neurodegenerative diseases, so much as an increase in the public discussion (and a generally increasing sense amongst the sports fans and sports media that the problem is serious and needs to be addressed) of said conditions. What's changed, to answer your question, is that people are more aware of the severity of a concussion and the ethic amongst coaches and players is slowly drifting away from "play through it".

Possibly. Basically, the prevalence is increasing, not the incidence per se. Kind of like other neurogenic disorders like autism.

 

[babysheep]

This is a sad and scarey thread. What alarms me most is that babysheep has dissected a human brain. I have to conclude that means bs is either in the medical profession or just a sick sick human being, but either way it's concerning given the "everyone pay attention to me" act from earlier this year.

It was at UConn Health Center. Doctorate-level class to help better understand the connectivity of the brain, namely in the domains of speech perception, production, and everything that goes on in between (hint: a lot). Had to do it in the anatomy labs of the medical school, which was pretty creepy at first.