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| Former Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Terry Bradshaw |
"I would not want my child out there. ... The fear of them getting these head injuries -- and they're out there -- it's just too great for me."
Troy Aikman, prevented from continuing as a Dallas Cowboys quarterback largely by his history of concussions, has stated that, while he would not prevent a son from playing football, he would not encourage it.
A very technical neurological study was completed in the winter of 2011 involving 100 former NFL players with at least 3 years of professional play entitled Impact of Playing American Professional Football on Long-Term Brain Function. Here is the link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21304145
The report showed a dementia-related diagnosis among retired players age 30-49 that was 20 times the rate of age-matched populations. Among retired players over 50 the dementia-related diagnosis was 5 times the national average. Nine critical areas of brain function were considerable below the norm in retired NFL football players: general cognitive functioning, general cognitive proficiency, processing speed, processing accuracy, attention, reasoning, memory, spatial processing and reaction time.
The study included Caucasian, African American, Hispanic and mixed race former players representing all positions with 5 quarterbacks, 9 running backs, 5 wide receivers, 8 tight ends, 25 offensive linemen, 12 defensive linemen, 17 linebackers and 19 defensive backs(Only 97 of the 100 players were actually tested as 3 were ascertained to already suffer from dementia).
One pictorial illustration in the study illustrates the lack of perfusion or delivery of nutrients and oxygen via the blood to brain cells in the brains of retired NFL players.
Of course, brain function is just one of the areas of the body detrimentally affected by professional football as many former players have suffered other types debilitating injuries. The impact of a 300 hundred pound lineman colliding head-on with another player would easily set off the airbags if it
occurred in a vehicle. Football is a violent game, frequently intentionally so. Last year the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton for one year for permitting bounties to be paid to members of his team who issued violent "hits" to opponents.
The scientific study mention above concluded:
"The results of this study suggest that playing professional football is associated with a significantly higher risk for permanent brain damage."
Add Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett to the list of former NFL players suffering brain damage:
Tony Dorsett, the Dallas Cowboys’ Hall of Fame running back, received the news he suspected was coming on Monday.
“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he told the Dallas Morning news Wednesday, on Wednesday, confirming a report by ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that tests at UCLA show he has signs of chronic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to head trauma, depression, dementia and suicide in former NFL players.
The report showed a dementia-related diagnosis among retired players age 30-49 that was 20 times the rate of age-matched populations. Among retired players over 50 the dementia-related diagnosis was 5 times the national average. Nine critical areas of brain function were considerable below the norm in retired NFL football players: general cognitive functioning, general cognitive proficiency, processing speed, processing accuracy, attention, reasoning, memory, spatial processing and reaction time.
The study included Caucasian, African American, Hispanic and mixed race former players representing all positions with 5 quarterbacks, 9 running backs, 5 wide receivers, 8 tight ends, 25 offensive linemen, 12 defensive linemen, 17 linebackers and 19 defensive backs(Only 97 of the 100 players were actually tested as 3 were ascertained to already suffer from dementia).
One pictorial illustration in the study illustrates the lack of perfusion or delivery of nutrients and oxygen via the blood to brain cells in the brains of retired NFL players.
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| Darker areas indicate decreased perfusion in the brains of NFL players |
Of course, brain function is just one of the areas of the body detrimentally affected by professional football as many former players have suffered other types debilitating injuries. The impact of a 300 hundred pound lineman colliding head-on with another player would easily set off the airbags if it
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| New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton |
The scientific study mention above concluded:
"The results of this study suggest that playing professional football is associated with a significantly higher risk for permanent brain damage."
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| Former Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett |
Tony Dorsett, the Dallas Cowboys’ Hall of Fame running back, received the news he suspected was coming on Monday.
“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he told the Dallas Morning news Wednesday, on Wednesday, confirming a report by ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that tests at UCLA show he has signs of chronic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to head trauma, depression, dementia and suicide in former NFL players.
The CHICKIFICATION of contact sports is out in full force. Say goodbye to foot ball.
ReplyDeleteYou don;t know football, clown. 5'4", 145-pound linebackers you see in the valley is not football.
DeleteSHIT what about boxers? They get hit in the head every single day not including the actucal fights.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is staring right back at us in all those old B&W football photos.
ReplyDeleteEverybody is a winner, no losers in Obamaworld. Competition is bad. Redistribution is where its at, join the Free Shit Army. Brownsville has at least several Armies by itself. Let's all ply T-Ball because a fast ball could kill you!!!
ReplyDeleteYou guys talk like you have been hitting your heads up against the wall. There is good solid science behind the damage caused by repeated blows to the head and your disappointed because people might decide they don't want to do that to themselves and it will impact your pro football viewing. And guys like Bradshaw, who did it for years and knows more about what it's like then you are likely to ever even be able to imagine are now pussies because they would prefer that their children not do it. I'm guessing you guys still smoke cigarettes because you think the science is weak. As to boxing, ask Ali's family whether repeated hits to the head has had any effect on him. Overwhelming compassion, dudes.
ReplyDeleteAre you a GIRLIE MAN? LOL LOL LOL LOL
DeleteToo true. Alphas look out for each other. Compassion.
DeleteWhy not prohibit Coca Cola which does way more damage than football? Just look around at Brownsville's obesity and diabetes problem. The point is that there are way more harmful activities than football that cause health issues. Football is a big deal because of the notoriety of the affected. Life is not risk free.
ReplyDeleteFootball is a larcenous sport played mostly by bullies and thumb heads.
DeleteSaying that Coca-Cola is more dangerous than playing football is just stupid, perhaps you may chronic encephalopathy yourself. The fact that now we have the science to be able to study the brain and make a diagnosis of something that could be prevented is something to applaud not denigrate.
Spoken like a true WIMP LOL LOL LOL
DeleteYour personal attack does nothing to disprove my statement.
Delete"Football is a larcenous sport played mostly by bullies and thumb heads." That certainly is a fact based on scientific analysis. You are joke. Did somebody steal your lunch money in the 5th grade? If you want to control what people do, I would suggest you start by making every fat ass in Brownsville run two miles before breakfast. That is scientifically documented to cause weight loss.
ReplyDeleteSame to you as well.
DeleteSimple minded personal attack, no substance.