The NFL's Concussion Crisis

[Go2Guy]

I got my DVR set for PBS tonight.

Very compelling story about the Pathology reports of players and the response by NFL lawyers (I'm thinking 'cover up'). This could accelerate the discussion of safety and maybe the future policy of football at the NCAA level.

The Autopsy That Changed Football | League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis | FRONTLINE | PBS

 

[isufbcurt]

I am sick of this. They play football a contact sport and know they can get hurt that's the risk you take if you want to play. I knew it was a risk when I was playing and got 3 concussions but the risk was worth it. Now I racecars and know I could die or get seriously hurt but to me I am ok with that risk.

 

[Topshelf]

They are having similar talks with boxers and fighters in hockey. There was an interesting article in the New York Times last year on Derek Boogard who died last year.

 

[Topshelf]

A long story but very good:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/s...-boy-learns-to-brawl.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[Mr Janny]

I am sick of this. They play football a contact sport and know they can get hurt that's the risk you take if you want to play. I knew it was a risk when I was playing and got 3 concussions but the risk was worth it. Now I racecars and know I could die or get seriously hurt but to me I am ok with that risk.

I think the documentary focuses on a time when not everyone knew that concussions were such a risk, and discusses whether the NFL withheld, suppressed, and/or knowingly misinformed players about it. That is a story worth investigating.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Yeah, the worship of safety is ridiculous. Yes, spend money to understand the problems and engineer better helmets,but at some point you have to recognize that it is a physical game with inherent risks, and that risk is accepted by those who play.

 

[3TrueFans]

I am sick of this. They play football a contact sport and know they can get hurt that's the risk you take if you want to play. I knew it was a risk when I was playing and got 3 concussions but the risk was worth it. Now I racecars and know I could die or get seriously hurt but to me I am ok with that risk.

The point was not everyone knew the risks and the NFL allegedly withheld information indicating the risk of concussions.

 

[Go2Guy]

I am sick of this. They play football a contact sport and know they can get hurt that's the risk you take if you want to play. I knew it was a risk when I was playing and got 3 concussions but the risk was worth it. Now I racecars and know I could die or get seriously hurt but to me I am ok with that risk.

The NFL paid Three Quarters of a Billion Dollars to deal with future brain concussion issues. The NCAA doesn't have this kind of jack protect its athletes, but I can see the Liability Lawyers frothing at the mouth and lining up.

 

[cyhiphopp]

I am sick of this. They play football a contact sport and know they can get hurt that's the risk you take if you want to play. I knew it was a risk when I was playing and got 3 concussions but the risk was worth it. Now I racecars and know I could die or get seriously hurt but to me I am ok with that risk.

There's a reason that football players and other athletes are highly compensated. There is an inherent risk of any type of injury.


A lot of these issues arise because players aren't smart with their money and go broke shortly after their playing career is over. It's worsened by the fact that many of those players did not take school seriously and have no ability to make a living other than sports.

The one thing I do think should happen is that the NFL should cover players with health insurance for at least a while if they have a certain amount of tenure.

 

[Go2Guy]

I think the documentary focuses on a time when not everyone knew that concussions were such a risk, and discusses whether the NFL withheld, suppressed, and/or knowingly misinformed players about it. That is a story worth investigating.

What's most disturbing from the report is that the NFL used 'strong arm' tactics to get a medical researcher to withdraw his paper from a scientific journal, and tried to ridicule him publicly because they were worried it would, "be the end of football" as we know it.

 

[CycloneGB]

What's most disturbing from the report is that the NFL used 'strong arm' tactics to get a medical researcher to withdraw his paper from a scientific journal, and tried to ridicule him publicly because they were worried it would, "be the end of football" as we know it.

And they were right. Which is the biggest thing I hate about this concussion stuff. Like curt said, it's a dangerous sport and there is no way to protect guys without taking contact out of it. I don't like all these rules protecting certain players, in certain situations. It's too slippery of a slope.

I have no problem with trying to learn everything possible about concussions and making everybody who wants to play aware of it, but at a certain point you just have to let them make their decision to take part in a dangerous activity. They make a ton of money for doing it, there's nobody forcing them to play, so why do we need to change the game so much?

 

[cyhiphopp]

And they were right. Which is the biggest thing I hate about this concussion stuff. Like curt said, it's a dangerous sport and there is no way to protect guys without taking contact out of it. I don't like all these rules protecting certain players, in certain situations. It's too slippery of a slope.

I have no problem with trying to learn everything possible about concussions and making everybody who wants to play aware of it, but at a certain point you just have to let them make their decision to take part in a dangerous activity. They make a ton of money for doing it, there's nobody forcing them to play, so why do we need to change the game so much?

Exactly, if you told every incoming rookie during orientation that there is a chance they could get injured or concussed and it would affect their future health after football, 99% of them would still play.

 

[tre]

Exactly, if you told every incoming rookie during orientation that there is a chance they could get injured or concussed and it would affect their future health after football, 99% of them would still play.

That's the point - the NFL wasn't telling people they would/could have future health issues. They were telling players that concussions had no affect on future health all while having evidence that it DID have an affect on future health.

 

[Go2Guy]

Folks, we're talking about "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy' - one doesn't have to be a doctor, but look at the pathology slides of the footballers who died from this - as per the report tonight. How much money does one need to be paid to endure living with a dysfunctional brain - we're not talking an ACL injury here?

And what about college players who are not getting paid and have no trust fund to help them deal with the induced injuries when they hit their 50s?
Finally, I'm not calling to shut down the sport, just saying...they are studying the issue and the results are not very encouraging.

 

[Wesley]

Looks like they will have to draft even better waiver statements starting with pee wee football. The problem is not the big hits per the lawyers on TV today, but the number of body hits. That would eliminate a lot of practice and serve to begin the down trend of the sport. Flag football anyone with no blocking? Politically correct MSNBC is pushing the big book coming out this morning.

League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth, Fainaru-Wada, Mark: ARCHIVE : Walmart.com

 

[CycloneGB]

Folks, we're talking about "Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy' - one doesn't have to be a doctor, but look at the pathology slides of the footballers who died from this - as per the report tonight. How much money does one need to be paid to endure living with a dysfunctional brain - we're not talking an ACL injury here?

And what about college players who are not getting paid and have no trust fund to help them deal with the induced injuries when they hit their 50s?
Finally, I'm not calling to shut down the sport, just saying...they are studying the issue and the results are not very encouraging.

Same injuries can happen doing any number of things. You know the risks going in, if you don't think you want to take the risk of having those problems or symptoms, don't play the game. It really is that simple, and really the only way to truly protect somebody from getting a concussion in football.

By the way, I think there's two separate arguments going on here. I think that if the NFL had information that would advance knowledge and safety precautions about concussions, they should be held accountable if they withheld or covered up that information. I'm just saying that, knowing how terrible concussions are, and what it means down the road for people that have them, should not really impact the game itself. As long as the risk is made known to players going in, it's their choice to take part or not.

 

[3TrueFans]

Same injuries can happen doing any number of things. You know the risks going in, if you don't think you want to take the risk of having those problems or symptoms, don't play the game. It really is that simple, and really the only way to truly protect somebody from getting a concussion in football.

By the way, I think there's two separate arguments going on here. I think that if the NFL had information that would advance knowledge and safety precautions about concussions, they should be held accountable if they withheld or covered up that information. I'm just saying that, knowing how terrible concussions are, and what it means down the road for people that have them, should not really impact the game itself. As long as the risk is made known to players going in, it's their choice to take part or not.

Bolded the issue. Did they? Was the NFL forthcoming with this information?

 

[CycloneErik]

As an employer, it's sort of important to minimize safety risks to your employees.
If that didn't happen, that's going to be a major issue.

 

[isufbcurt]

The point was not everyone knew the risks and the NFL allegedly withheld information indicating the risk of concussions.

If you don't know the risks of running as fast as you can and slamming into another person running as fast as they can then that's on you. It doesn't take a genius to know there are risks associated with that.

 

[3TrueFans]

If you don't know the risks of running as fast as you can and slamming into another person running as fast as they can then that's on you. It doesn't take a genius to know there are risks associated with that.

Considering doctors are still learning about the consequences of repeated concussions and brain trauma and how little is really known about the human brain I'd say you're mistaken. Maybe you being mistaken is a result of your concussions.