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Football and brain injury - 10/8/2013 8:19:18 PM   
DomKen


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From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline 		Frontline just ran a 2 hour documentary on the NFL, football and brain injury.

Virtually all the brains of former football players examined showed evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (including a 21 year old college athlete and an 18 year old high school athlete)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy

Apparently the NFL has known or should have known about this danger for about 20 years and has put considerable effort and money into denying this.

The neurologists interviewed said that no matter what a child under 14 should not play football as the young person's brain is lighter and subject to more damage when being hit on the head.

I'm a football fan and a former high school player but I'm asking should young people play at all? Should we even have football at the high school level? Is it even appropriate to allow a person to be paid, no matter how well, to do such serious damage to their brain?
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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/8/2013 8:53:19 PM   
DesFIP


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Status: offline 		I'm glad that my son was lighter than the other kids, not having gotten his full growth and spent his high school career mainly on the bench.

I have a cousin who was quarterback for his high school in Florida, but had two operations on his knee before he finished high school. He has three sons, none of whom have been allowed to play.

Any contact sport carries risk. Football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, even head shots in soccer can cause brain trauma if done repeatedly. Why ban one sport only? Why not all of them?

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/8/2013 11:20:46 PM   
MasterCaneman


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Status: offline 		A friend's son just had his college career cut short because of a concussion in practice. He'll never suit up again. Had a couple in high school, and was on restrictions. The plus side is, he won't lose his scholarship. The downside is he'll never have those memories of playing for his school. And no, not being snarky for a change.

I played a little football in high school. Because I had abysmal grades, I wasn't allowed on the active roster, but the coach was able to waiver me for the scrimmage team. It was fun, I didn't get more than a few bumps and bruises, but I see where this is leading. In just the last two months, we've had a couple football players die here. One team cancelled their entire season over the death of a teammate, so it's reached critical mass.

It may come down to changing the HS football programs to theory-only (drills, routines, half-speeds, etc). I doubt that many school districts would be able to cancel their programs though. Parents and alumni would raise holy hell, and there's the dirty little secret that many districts rely on football to supplement their cash flow. It will eventually be decided if the risks outweigh the rewards.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 3:04:24 AM   
DomKen


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP
Any contact sport carries risk. Football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, even head shots in soccer can cause brain trauma if done repeatedly. Why ban one sport only? Why not all of them?

The point was made that football involved so many blows to the head unlike the other sports, does any high school have a boxing team?

I'm not calling for banning football but I am wondering if Pop Warner and high school football will survive.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 1:49:49 PM   
kiwisub12


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Status: offline 		I worked with a doctor who ruined his knees permanently from high school football - to the point that he couldn't get up from the floor without pulling himself up - in his early 30's.
I have worked with a young man who was permanently paralysed by high school football - and died in his late 20's as a direct result of playing football.
My ex told me that his high school coach taught them how to blow out their opponents knees.

I told him that if we had a boy, he was not playing football - and he had the audacity to argue with me.

There is no way in hell I would allow my child to play American football. Rugby -yes, soccer- yes, field hockey- sure, tennis- uh huh ..................... you get the idea.
There is something about the fact that they are wearing a helmet and padding that impedes the flow of blood to the brain, and increases the likelihood of injury.

There are very few permanent injuries or deaths in any of the sports listed above, and I think the lack of padding is the reason.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 2:03:30 PM   
DomKen


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Status: offline 		I think it has more to do with the size of the athletes, rampant steroid abuse and the fact that football involves sudden starts and stops many dozens of times per game.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 3:02:44 PM   
kalikshama


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quote:

Any contact sport carries risk. Football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, even head shots in soccer can cause brain trauma if done repeatedly.


This was my sister's response Friday when my mother expressed her concern about my 10 yo nephew starting football this year. My sister didn't seem concerned about the dangers of high school football either, although she did say he'll never be in the NFL. My B-i-L is an orthopedic surgeon who has worked for the Patriots. I think he really likes how athletic my nephew is - he's good at baseball and virtually every sport to which he's been exposed.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 4:38:48 PM   
DomKen


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kalikshama

quote:

Any contact sport carries risk. Football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, even head shots in soccer can cause brain trauma if done repeatedly.


This was my sister's response Friday when my mother expressed her concern about my 10 yo nephew starting football this year. My sister didn't seem concerned about the dangers of high school football either, although she did say he'll never be in the NFL. My B-i-L is an orthopedic surgeon who has worked for the Patriots. I think he really likes how athletic my nephew is - he's good at baseball and virtually every sport to which he's been exposed.


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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 4:47:56 PM   
eulero83


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quote:

ORIGINAL: MasterCaneman
It may come down to changing the HS football programs to theory-only (drills, routines, half-speeds, etc). I doubt that many school districts would be able to cancel their programs though. Parents and alumni would raise holy hell, and there's the dirty little secret that many districts rely on football to supplement their cash flow. It will eventually be decided if the risks outweigh the rewards.


theory-only??? better switch to flag-football under a certain age if there is no competition an play it's just an additional PE class and no fun at all.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 5:00:34 PM   
eulero83


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

I think it has more to do with the size of the athletes, rampant steroid abuse and the fact that football involves sudden starts and stops many dozens of times per game.


Never played, it doesn't exist where I live, but I like to watch it in tv, the problem to me is there is a high specialization of the players so they are in too different sizes and the high speed of actions from ordered formations.
Rugby is less dangerouse mostly because everybody must act during the game as an american football fullback so they must be at least the proper size for that role, than player speed is slower as action can go on for minutes, and than defence is conviniently placed and ready for offensive players this in my opinion creates much more violent contacts.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/9/2013 7:44:08 PM   
MalcolmNathaniel


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Status: offline 		Meh, just walk it off.
- Every football coach ever.

Anything you do carries risk. Baseball is a non-contact sport yet people are regularly beaned in the head by fastballs. Swimming? You can drown. Fencing? Lots of safety gear there! A foil can break the tip and now it's an actual sharp metal stick with a pokey bit.

Going to the grocery store? Sure that's safe! You can get plowed down by a drunk driver.

Nothing in life is 100% safe.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 2:21:50 AM   
eulero83


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quote:

ORIGINAL: MalcolmNathaniel

Meh, just walk it off.
- Every football coach ever.

Anything you do carries risk. Baseball is a non-contact sport yet people are regularly beaned in the head by fastballs. Swimming? You can drown. Fencing? Lots of safety gear there! A foil can break the tip and now it's an actual sharp metal stick with a pokey bit.

Going to the grocery store? Sure that's safe! You can get plowed down by a drunk driver.

Nothing in life is 100% safe.


Not modern fencing equipment, they are made by specific kind of steel that prevents from the blade to break, but in the past happened that people died, yet it's a painfull activity hits are hard, metal is still rigid, and there is not so much of protection.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 12:48:18 PM   
DomKen


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Status: offline 		More on the issue from a NFL reporter.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1802904-can-we-really-support-a-league-which-has-caused-so-much-harm-to-its-players?hpt=hp_c3

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 2:41:33 PM   
kiwisub12


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Status: offline 		The problem as I see it is that with American football, the helmet and padding gives the young men a false sense that they can't be injured - and act accordingly.

and yes, there is a chance for danger in every sport - but your chances for permanent injury and death are - or at least seem to be - higher in football than the other sports. The emphasis here is on permanent injury and death - not just broken bones and bruises.

Once your kids hit adulthood they can do anything they want, but as a parent I think my responsibility is to get them to adulthood in a condition that they can do anything they want. Blown knees, broken necks and brain injuries can't be consistent with living a full and happy life. They want to do team sports as a kid - fine, they can play soccer, tennis, wrestle - just about any sport other than American football.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 2:47:37 PM   
OsideGirl


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kiwisub12

The problem as I see it is that with American football, the helmet and padding gives the young men a false sense that they can't be injured - and act accordingly.


That's incorrect. High quality, well fitting pads and helmets allow the players to hit harder with less pain. Then adrenaline and endorphins mask the pain. Frequently, they don't realize they're injured until they come down from the hormone high.




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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 2:47:46 PM   
KYsissy


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Status: offline 		Spot on Kiwi, in fact one well known player, (either Ditka or Butkus) has said that to reduce injuries, get rid of the face mask. More broken noses, less serious injuries.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 3:38:15 PM   
DomKen


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quote:

ORIGINAL: OsideGirl


quote:

ORIGINAL: kiwisub12

The problem as I see it is that with American football, the helmet and padding gives the young men a false sense that they can't be injured - and act accordingly.


That's incorrect. High quality, well fitting pads and helmets allow the players to hit harder with less pain. Then adrenaline and endorphins mask the pain. Frequently, they don't realize they're injured until they come down from the hormone high.

You really should watch the Frontline special. the helmet and pads are no protection at all to the brain. What's causing the injuries are sudden accelerations and decelerations of the brain.

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 3:44:05 PM   
OsideGirl


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen


quote:

ORIGINAL: OsideGirl


quote:

ORIGINAL: kiwisub12

The problem as I see it is that with American football, the helmet and padding gives the young men a false sense that they can't be injured - and act accordingly.


That's incorrect. High quality, well fitting pads and helmets allow the players to hit harder with less pain. Then adrenaline and endorphins mask the pain. Frequently, they don't realize they're injured until they come down from the hormone high.

You really should watch the Frontline special. the helmet and pads are no protection at all to the brain. What's causing the injuries are sudden accelerations and decelerations of the brain.


I never said they were adequate protection. I said they allowed bigger hits with less pain.

I'm married to an ex-linebacker...so, I might actually have some insight.


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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/10/2013 4:27:48 PM   
needlesandpins


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Status: offline 		all sport carries a risk. I have nerve damage in my back from a horse riding accident. those guys are over padded and protected. take all that away and make them play like our rugby players and that will soon separate the wheat from the chaff. When you run the risk of feeling the pain you tend to take a little more care.

needles

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RE: Football and brain injury - 10/11/2013 2:34:50 AM   
sloguy02246


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Status: offline 		Having played some football myself at one time, I think the big problem is being coached to, "When you tackle, lead with your head. Use it to drive yourself into the guy."

Hey! We had padded helmets on! What could possibly go wrong?

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