Real Sports' Look at the NFL and Concussions

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

I missed last night's episode of Real Sports and its story about the NFL and concussions, but I keep hearing about it. In particular, I keep hearing how the NFL's doctors keep arguing that there is no direct link between the concussions NFL players sustain and long-term health problems despite all of the evidence to the contrary. It's definately an interesting story and I plan to catch the re-run tonight at 7pm. Did anyone see it?

[dmek25]

i saw it before. the league is trying to crack down on players being pushed back to play before they fully recover. the only remedy is to use outside doctors, that aren't employed by the league, so no conflict of interest arises. right now all NFL teams employ their own doctors and medical staff

[ArtMonkDrillz]

I missed it, but I wish I hadn't.
After reading an ESPN the Mag article a few months back I convinced myself that the reason I suffer from headaches almost every day is that I've had at least 6 concussions in my life. I'm probably just being a bit of a hypochondriac but the article seemed to fit me pretty well.
Maybe I should just make a doctors appointment.

[70Chip]

Forensic Doctors are saying there is a link between concussions and the depression that was apparently a factor in the suicide of former Eagle Andre Waters. I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems to me that Waters was showing signs of imbalance during his playing days, long before concussions could have had any degenerative effect.

The known side-effects of concussions would certainly not be helpful to someone who has depression, but they are being dishonest if they say there is a provable link. Is Troy Aikman suicidal, or Steve Young? This has Peter Angelos style lawsuit written all over it.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

Forensic Doctors are saying there is a link between concussions and the depression that was apparently a factor in the suicide of former Eagle Andre Waters. I'm no psychiatrist, but it seems to me that Waters was showing signs of imbalance during his playing days, long before concussions could have had any degenerative effect.

The known side-effects of concussions would certainly not be helpful to someone who has depression, but they are being dishonest if they say there is a provable link. Is Troy Aikman suicidal, or Steve Young? This has Peter Angelos style lawsuit written all over it.

I honestly cannot speak intelligently to the issue since I don't have an M.D. and have not done a lot of independent research. But, I don't think every player who has suffered multiple concussions has to suffer serious depression or commit suicide in order for there to be any validity to the theory. The story could indeed have Peter Angelos written all over it, or it could be a "Any Given Sunday" sleezy team-doctor sorta deal.

This story reminds me of the stories coming out of Iraq about soldiers who were badly shaken in IED attacks. Basically, the stories talked about how so many soldiers go through IED attacks, suffer what amounts to severe concussions, and later develop severe emotional disorders. I saw a news story about it and a doctor basically said that science is now discovering that all sorts of strange emotional and behavior problems result from severe concussive blasts, head trauma, etc.

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I honestly cannot speak intelligently to the issue since I don't have an M.D. and have not done a lot of independent research. But, I don't think every player who has suffered multiple concussions has to suffer serious depression or commit suicide in order for there to be any validity to the theory. The story could indeed have Peter Angelos written all over it, or it could be a "Any Given Sunday" sleezy team-doctor sorta deal.

This story reminds me of the stories coming out of Iraq about soldiers who were badly shaken in IED attacks. Basically, the stories talked about how so many soldiers go through IED attacks, suffer what amounts to severe concussions, and later develop severe emotional disorders. I saw a news story about it and a doctor basically said that science is now discovering that all sorts of strange emotional and behavior problems result from severe concussive blasts, head trauma, etc.

I think you probably right SGG, hurry up and get back in there, your getting paid big bucks. We don't REALLY care about your health or what happens down the road....long term effects. They need to get some outside medical opinions, (NON BIAS M.D's) and LISTEN to them, on this serious issue.

I look foward to catching this piece.

[redskinsfanatic]

i ai'nt an md,but get hitting constanly hit on the head 7 months out of the year can't be too good on one's brain can it?

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by redskinsfanatic

i ai'nt an md,but get hitting constanly hit on the head 7 months out of the year can't be too good on one's brain can it?

does it cause fragmented english like this? just kidding

[Crazyhorse1]

Originally Posted by redskinsfanatic

i ai'nt an md,but get hitting constanly hit on the head 7 months out of the year can't be too good on one's brain can it?

I'm a life-long football fan and even played a few years longer than I should have, looking back. I have to say, however, that I'll never intellectually stoop low enough to thinking playing the game is good for you. Concussions do permanent damage that can range from a life-time of seizures and depression to neuropathy and it's pretty much a joke that the game helps with character development (I know I don't have to cite examples here). It also shortens lives-- dramatically so in relation to the NFL.

Playing football is not as loathsome as being sacrificed to the sun god, but it's getting there. That's why I don't begrudge the guys getting big bucks. What's your health worth? Staubach is on record as saying he wishes he never played the game and Namath says he'd give up every thing he ever made from it if he could just put his pants on. Huey Long, commenting on his present occupation living with injuries: Every day is a bad day. Some days its worse.

Here's a short list of my own injuries and consequences:

Three concussions
Seizures, depression
Nerve damage at base of brain
Spinal damage at C1 and lower back
Can't lift feet from floor more than a few inches
Can't move two fingers, muscles severed
Can't rotate left arm or hand
Severely damaged hamstring, never recovered
Severed bicept
Arthritis in knees, ankles, hips
Replaced left knee
Three knee operations
Five hernia operations
Eight operations for infected stitches
Loss of eighty percent of bladder function: nerve related (neuropathy)
Loss of six teeth-- all removed after splitting

On the other hand here's how much my character was enhanced by years of trying to flatten my fellow man and conversation with moral and genius coaches: zip.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Did anyone else who saw the segment notice how lawyerlike the doctor who did research on behalf of the league seemed? He was definately prepped by someone for the interview.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

I'm a life-long football fan and even played a few years longer than I should have, looking back. I have to say, however, that I'll never intellectually stoop low enough to thinking playing the game is good for you. Concussions do permanent damage that can range from a life-time of seizures and depression to neuropathy and it's pretty much a joke that the game helps with character development (I know I don't have to cite examples here). It also shortens lives-- dramatically so in relation to the NFL.

Playing football is not as loathsome as being sacrificed to the sun god, but it's getting there. That's why I don't begrudge the guys getting big bucks. What's your health worth? Staubach is on record as saying he wishes he never played the game and Namath says he'd give up every thing he ever made from it if he could just put his pants on. Huey Long, commenting on his present occupation living with injuries: Every day is a bad day. Some days its worse.

Here's a short list of my own injuries and consequences:

Three concussions
Seizures, depression
Nerve damage at base of brain
Spinal damage at C1 and lower back
Can't lift feet from floor more than a few inches
Can't move two fingers, muscles severed
Can't rotate left arm or hand
Severely damaged hamstring, never recovered
Severed bicept
Arthritis in knees, ankles, hips
Replaced left knee
Three knee operations
Five hernia operations
Eight operations for infected stitches
Loss of eighty percent of bladder function: nerve related (neuropathy)
Loss of six teeth-- all removed after splitting

On the other hand here's how much my character was enhanced by years of trying to flatten my fellow man and conversation with moral and genius coaches: zip.

Wow. That's a horrific list of injuries. Did you play pro ball? If so, for who?

[Mc2guy]

After watching that show as well as reading several articles over the last year, it seems pretty apparent that there is a causal link between concussions in sports and ongoing nueral ailments. It is interesting that this is somehow "new" information. Doctors and scientists have known for years there is a linkage between concussive head trauma and neurological disorders. Boxing, Soccer, Motorcycle racing, and other sports have acknowledged this since the 1990's.

The army has known this since the WWI and guys came back with "shell shock" that became known as "battle fatigue" in WWII, "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" in Vietnam, and now "Traumatic Brain Injury" in Iraq. It's the same deal...you bang your head hard enough or enough times and your brain will suffer irreperable damage.

Seems to me like the NFL is only fighting this to avoid the financial liability associated with the medical disability. It looks like it is going to take a class action lawsuit for the NFL and the NFLPA to pony up.

[Crazyhorse1]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Wow. That's a horrific list of injuries. Did you play pro ball? If so, for who?

No pro ball. The injury to C1 in senior year of college put me out of football for good, except for coaching briefly. I was invited to the Dallas camp, but didn't report. No chance of passing a physical. Dallas was just starting up in those days and was handing out a lot of feelers and invites, even to players reportedly injured. I remember feeling at the time that Dallas had an up and coming front office and that the Cowboys would soon be a power. They were much more thorough in regard to scouting than other teams at that time.
As a matter of history: the Redskins soon followed Dallas' lead and ran their first try-out camp, which resulted in their acquiring Herb Mul Key. I think I'm right about this, though I've never seen it in print. I'm going purely by memory here and how it seemed to me at the time.

[MTK]

I just saw this the other night, I was disgusted with the NFL Dr. that flat out denied the possibility of concussions having a long-term effect on players. It seems like a serious issue has been unearthed here and the NFL really needs to take a serious look at this.

I've heard the analogy that playing in the NFL is like being in a weekly car crash. How the NFL can sit there and say there is NO possible connection between serious head injuries and long-term damage is completely beyond me. It doesn't take a genius to think that if you get hit in the mellon enough times it could do some serious damage.

The NFL needs to wake the hell up and take some responsibility on this.

[Pocket$ $traight]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I just saw this the other night, I was disgusted with the NFL Dr. that flat out denied the possibility of concussions having a long-term effect on players. It seems like a serious issue has been unearthed here and the NFL really needs to take a serious look at this.

I've heard the analogy that playing in the NFL is like being in a weekly car crash. How the NFL can sit there and say there is NO possible connection between serious head injuries and long-term damage is completely beyond me. It doesn't take a genius to think that if you get hit in the mellon enough times it could do some serious damage.

The NFL needs to wake the hell up and take some responsibility on this.

Sounds good but I don't see them letting some horror stories get in the way of their current dominance in collecting the pro-sports dollar.