In The News Today...

Another football player dies
Another brain diagnosed with CTE
sad
Kevin Turner died in March after a six-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
What I find shocking
Professional football players are four times more likely to have ALS
WTF, ALS???????
wow

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/03/health/kevin-turner-cte-diagnosis/index.html

They are in a fairly high paying profession but always subject to injuries including cummulative impact injuries that are manifested much later.
Look at that player who opted to join the Rangers and got shot by his own side. You can see, they are not always very bright.

Quote: terapined

Another football player dies
Another brain diagnosed with CTE

Very sad.

The question is not whether this type of injury can be sharply minimized, the question is whether football can survive the remedy. I've posted suggestions about it, to deafening silence, but it boils down to this: if hitting is banned, will people still watch football?

IMO, that's what it would take.

The rest of the question is: if the NFL doesn't act to radically curtail such injuries, how long will football survive? Between fewer young people willing to play, and fewer people willing to watch, it has to decline.

Quote: Nareed

, but it boils down to this: if hitting is banned, will people still watch football?
.

Perhaps if the fans in the stadium were allowed to pelt the players with medium-heavy rubber balls during the game?
Maybe that would satisfy the violence aspect. Plus they could have an influence in the outcome.

Now that I think about it, might not be a bad idea for politics.

Quote: Fleastiff

They are in a fairly high paying profession but always subject to injuries including cummulative impact injuries that are manifested much later.
Look at that player who opted to join the Rangers and got shot by his own side. You can see, they are not always very bright.

Its been seen in College players, those guys don't make jack
Pat Tillman was a patriot. Money was not a big deal to him. Football glory was meaningless to him as it should be when compared to serving your country

Quote: terapined

Its been seen in College players, those guys don't make jack

The NCAA doesn't allow them to make any money from football.

Does it matter whether you made millions or pennies if you wind up brain damaged?

BTW, I haven't seen numbers, but the percentage of even college-level players who make it to an NFL team, even to the practice squad, must be rather small. A quick estimate of 50 players per team times 32 teams yields 1,600 players. college teams have far more players and there are far more than 32 teams.

Quote: Nareed

Does it matter whether you made millions or pennies if you wind up brain damaged?

I guess i'm not on the same page as you two. (+terapined)

My biggest complaint about risk is that someone knows the facts. If the risk isn't made clear or hidden I'm vigorously against it. Mount Everest climbing is arguably a bad idea. I won't stop anyone.

Next consideration is how many people get injured along with the person. It's one of my major objections with guns, whereas football usually just takes you out.

(yeah, we can argue the consequences to immediate family, but that's true of a lot of bad decisions)

Of course, as we move downward in age, I become more opposed to self-injury risks. I'm not sure 13 year olds really understand what they are risking in full contact sports.

Quote:

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The American bison has been designated the national mammal of the U.S. during a ceremony at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.

Quote: rxwine

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-bison-designated-national-mammal-of-us/ar-AAjLUxt?ocid=spartanntp

Raccoons demand recount!

Quote: rxwine

My biggest complaint about risk is that someone knows the facts. If the risk isn't made clear or hidden I'm vigorously against it.

I agree with you but it all comes down to semantics and litigation. Who would have believed McDonald's would get sued, and lose, because some dumped coffee in their lap and it was hot? How much information needs to be presented and who determines that?