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[Basileus777]

A total of 87 out of 91 former NFL players have tested positive for the brain disease at the center of the debate over concussions in football, according to new figures from the nation’s largest brain bank focused on the study of traumatic head injury.

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have now identified the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 96 percent of NFL players that they’ve examined and in 79 percent of all football players. The disease is widely believed to stem from repetitive trauma to the head, and can lead to conditions such as memory loss, depression and dementia.

In total, the lab has found CTE in the brain tissue in 131 out of 165 individuals who, before their deaths, played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school.

Forty percent of those who tested positive were the offensive and defensive linemen who come into contact with one another on every play of a game, according to numbers shared by the brain bank with FRONTLINE. That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions.

But the figures come with several important caveats, as testing for the disease can be an imperfect process. Brain scans have been used to identify signs of CTE in living players, but the disease can only be definitively identified posthumously. As such, many of the players who have donated their brains for testing suspected that they had the disease while still alive, leaving researchers with a skewed population to work with.

Even with those caveats, the latest numbers are “remarkably consistent” with past research from the center suggesting a link between football and long-term brain disease, said Dr. Ann McKee, the facility’s director and chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

“People think that we’re blowing this out of proportion, that this is a very rare disease and that we’re sensationalizing it,” said McKee, who runs the lab as part of a collaboration between the VA and BU. “My response is that where I sit, this is a very real disease. We have had no problem identifying it in hundreds of players.”

Even with those caveats, the latest numbers are “remarkably consistent” with past research from the center suggesting a link between football and long-term brain disease, said Dr. Ann McKee, the facility’s director and chief of neuropathology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

“People think that we’re blowing this out of proportion, that this is a very rare disease and that we’re sensationalizing it,” said McKee, who runs the lab as part of a collaboration between the VA and BU. “My response is that where I sit, this is a very real disease. We have had no problem identifying it in hundreds of players.”

Source

The NFL will no doubt try to bury this story, but there's little doubt as to the connection between American football and brain disease. And I'm not sure what rule changes can really eliminate all the subconcussive blows that seem to be the main cause of it.

 

[shira]

I thought this would be timed for the Concussion movie.

A little blurb in there:

The film, Concussion, starring Will Smith, traces the story of Bennet Omalu, who in 2005 shocked the football establishment with an article in the journal Neurosurgery detailing his discovery of CTE in the brain of former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. At the VA lab and elsewhere, CTE has since been found in players such as Hall of Famer Junior Seau, former NFL Man of the Year Dave Duerson, and Indianapolis Colts tight end John Mackey, a past head of the player’s union.

And yikes.

 

[kingocfs]

Forgot the "out of 91" in your title.

The most damning thing in this article is the bit about how the lineman are more vulnerable. How do you change the game so that they are better protected?

 

[BriGuy]

That's pretty damning, but not unexpected. You're putting your body through the equivalent of a low speed car crash every time you take a hit; there's going to be consequences.

 

[chadskin]

Not surprised.

 

[Wanda/Wander]

Jesus

 

[Ivan 3414]

I thought this would be timed for the Concussion movie.

Why are you showing a pic from Will in Wild Wild West?

 

[Baleoce]

Would be interesting to see an identical test done in parallel with rugby players.

 

[bjork]

The NFL will no doubt try to bury this story, but there's little doubt as to the connection between American football and brain disease. And I'm not sure what rules changes can really eliminate all the subconcussive blows that seem to be the main cause of it.

They would have to change from tackles to flags or something super drastic. Is football still football if huge dudes aren't ramming into each other?

 

[av2k]

Forgot the "out of 91" in your title.

The most damning thing in this article is the bit about how the lineman are more vulnerable. How do you change the game so that they are better protected?

I don't know much about football but perhaps a weight limit similar to fighting sports?

 

[IISANDERII]

 

[Eidan]

I thought this would be timed for the Concussion movie.

A little blurb in there:


And yikes.

It makes it all the more frustrating that Concussion will go soft on the NFL.

 

[Zach]

You guys have watched PBS's League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis, yeah? If not, I recommend it.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

We've unlocked the concussion story and the NFL has attempted to make that the main point of focus, but CTE and the idea that non-concussion hits will lead to major brain damage is something the NFL will try to hide for as long as they can.

Concussions isn't going to be the death of the NFL, CTE is.

 

[Esch]

yeesh

 

[Your Entertainer]

I think Hand Egg will severely decline as a middle/high school sport within the next 20 years due to safety concerns.

 

[birthday-suit]

We've unlocked the concussion story and the NFL has attempted to make that the main point of focus, but CTE and the idea that non-concussion hits will lead to major brain damage is something the NFL will try to hide for as long as they can.

Concussions isn't going to be the death of the NFL, CTE is.

I doubt it goes any where, unless legal action is taken.

 

[jmdajr]

We are athletes, OK? We are athletes. We are not gladiators. This is not the Roman Coliseum.

 

[dubc35]

Anyone know concussion numbers for Rugby players? The padding/helmets seem to enable more injuries in american football (my personal opinion, no data on it).

 

[DragonSworne]

Expand the team size and force players to alternate games each week. No more playing 16 games in a row.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

I don't know much about football but perhaps a weight limit similar to fighting sports?

The size of the modern football player and the resultant increase in force generated is definitely a contributing factor to the rise in concussions, but what about CTE? Smaller players may not necessarily reduce the prevalence of CTE.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Expand the team size and force players to alternate games each week. No more playing 16 games in a row.

I don't think that matters. Bashing your head and body against other huge human beings, often at high rates of speed, is not good for the brain, like not even once.

 

[eznark]

Any reason you cut out the sentence pertaining to the extreme selection bias?

 

[TheSecondSpitter]

Yeah, the longer the NFL stays in in denial mode, the larger the punitive damages against it in the inevitable class action will be. You draw a direct parallel with the tobacco industry.

If I were Goodsell would:
(1) ban helmets starting next season;
(2) start talking with the NFLPA about a settlement;

This matter is not going away anytime soon, as much as the NFL hopes everybody forgets about it (no pun intended).

 

[Simply Sarah]

The thing is that I'm not even sure how the NFL can acknowledge this. The evidence is becoming increasingly solid that American football is not just inherently dangerous but is inherently severely damaging. There seems to be no way to make it not damaging without actually changing the gameplay paradigm from blocking and tackling.

 

[HariKari]

Expand the team size and force players to alternate games each week. No more playing 16 games in a row.

Deeper rosters and more recovery time is an interesting idea. The NFL would love to own even more of the calendar year.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

You guys have watched PBS's League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis, yeah? If not, I recommend it.

This is a great, but tough watch.

 

[Mimosa97]

I think Hand Egg will severely decline as a middle/high school sport within the next 20 years due to safety concerns.

With so many available sports out there, I'll never understand how a parent can let his kid play Eggball in school. You really have to be reckless or completely delusional - I want ma kid to become a professional and make millions of dollarz - to let that happen.

The numbers are already declining but nothing will be done was the only thing that matters is money and people want to be entertained at all cost.

 

[Crisco]

This is a solved problem guys. Equipment is better, there are rules and protocols to keep concussed players off the field, and the players themselves know all the risks which is why many are choosing to retire early. The NFL has even paid for their past transgressions on this issue, to the tune a $1 billion+. What else do you want? The league isn't going away, young kids will still grow up playing it, and it's not going to become flag football.

 

[PdotMichael]

Well, if Rugby proves to be safer than it would be maybe an alternative to copy elements of it.
No football gear would force the players to play general less risky. .

Expand the team size and force players to alternate games each week. No more playing 16 games in a row.

The effective playtime of a football player isn't even that high compared to other athletes.

 

[dubc35]

Well, if Rugby proves to be safer than it would be maybe an alternative to copy elements of it.
No football gear would force the players to play general less risky. .



The effective playtime of a football player isn't even that high compared to other athletes.

11 minutes per 3 hour game. (5 year old article but it's probably still pretty close)

 

[Simply Sarah]

Any reason you cut out the sentence pertaining to the extreme selection bias?

Sure, there is a heavy selection bias. But the raw numbers can't really be ignored, either. NFL players as a group are already a rather small population so the frequency is still of note even if these rates aren't representative of players as a whole.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

This is a solved problem guys. Equipment is better, there are rules and protocols to keep concussed players off the field, and the players themselves know all the risks which is why many are choosing to retire early. The NFL has even paid for their past transgressions on this issue, to the tune a $1 billion+. What else do you want? The league isn't going away and it's not going to become flag football.

Can't tell if a sarcastic post mimc something the NFL would say, or if you're actually serious.

If it's real you didn't read the article and you don't understand that concussions aren't the main cause of CTE, it's small repetitive hits that cause CTE.

The idea that a 800 million dollar settlement and a complete lack of admission of guilt is a joke considering the money the NFL makes on a yearly basis.

CTE is a currently unpreventable side effect of the physical aspect of the NFL.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Any reason you cut out the sentence pertaining to the extreme selection bias?

For people who won't click:

But the figures come with several important caveats, as testing for the disease can be an imperfect process. Brain scans have been used to identify signs of CTE in living players, but the disease can only be definitively identified posthumously. As such, many of the players who have donated their brains for testing suspected that they had the disease while still alive, leaving researchers with a skewed population to work with.

 

[TheSecondSpitter]

Anyone know concussion numbers for Rugby players? The padding/helmets seem to enable more injuries in american football (my personal opinion, no data on it).

Often but not as prevalent as the NFL but at least the governing body is tackling the issue head on (no pun intended either)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...s-at-last-using-its-head-over-concussion.html

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

This is a solved problem guys. Equipment is better, there are rules and protocols to keep concussed players off the field, and the players themselves know all the risks which is why many are choosing to retire early. The NFL has even paid for their past transgressions on this issue, to the tune a $1 billion+. What else do you want? The league isn't going away, young kids will still grow up playing it, and it's not going to become flag football.

Joking? The problem is not solved.

No equipment can prevent this.

 

[GhostWriter24]

Not surprised.

Calvin Prior ain't nothing to fuck with.

 

[Baleoce]

Well, if Rugby proves to be safer than it would be maybe an alternative to copy elements of it.
No football gear would force the players to play general less risky. .

That, but also the difference in nature in how contact is conducted in the sport might be pause for thought. Then again, without an identical test there's not really much information to go on.

 

[Spike Spiegel]

With so many available sports out there, I'll never understand how a parent can let his kid play Eggball in school. You really have to be reckless or completely delusional - I want ma kid to become a professional and make millions of dollarz - to let that happen.

The numbers are already declining but nothing will be done was the only thing that matters is money and people want to be entertained at all cost.

26% of parents with high-school athletes think they're raising a pro. (NYT)

A nation of delusional parents thinking their baby boy is the next Manning or Lynch.

 

[Archaix]

Not surprised.

Try reading, you might actually learn something and get surprised

That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions.

You can eliminate every single "highlight" hit in the NFL and you would still have these problems because of the constant collisions are low speeds.

 

[Crisco]

Can't tell if a sarcastic post mimc something the NFL would say, or if you're actually serious.

If it's real you didn't read the article and you don't understand that concussions aren't the main cause of CTE, it's small repetitive hits that cause CTE.

The idea that a 800 million dollar settlement and a complete lack of admission of guilt is a joke considering the money the NFL makes on a yearly basis.

I don't care about the article, there is nothing scientific about the testing in it. They took 91 brains from people who said they were experiencing symptoms before death and indeed confirmed they were due to CTE. That's called selection bias and completely invalidates any results or conclusions that could be drawn from it. Go hate on the NHL or women's soccer, which has done less than nothing about this exact same problem.

 

[eznark]

Sure, there is a heavy selection bias. But the raw numbers can't really be ignored, either. NFL players as a group are already a rather small population so the frequency is still of note even if these rates aren't representative of players as a whole.

How prevalent is CTE in non-football player brains?

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

I don't care about the article, there is nothing scientific about the testing in it. They took 91 brains from people who said they were experiencing symptoms before death and indeed confirmed they were due to CTE. That's call selection bias and completely invalidates any results or conclusions that could be drawn from it. Go hate on the NHL or women's soccer, which has done less than nothing about this exact same problem.

rofl you're a joke.

you sound like someone trying to deny climate change.

It sounds like you don't want the NFL to be a league that's actively causing massive brain damage and you want to remove any possible guilt for enjoying it.

I enjoy the NFL, however I understand how hypocratic I am for doing so considering the amount of damage it has done for decades to players and the NFL's constant coverups.

 

[TheSecondSpitter]

You can eliminate every single "highlight" hit in the NFL and you would still have these problems because of the constant collisions are low speeds.

Well said

If in doubt, trying tapping your head against the wall every 3-4 minutes for 2 hours and see how far you get (and that's only with force coming in one direction).

 

[HariKari]

How prevalent is CTE in non-football player brains?

Not really relevant if we're testing the danger of playing football.

 

[eznark]

Not really relevant if we're testing the danger of playing football.

wat

If you don't know the baseline how can you know if playing football is worse than anything else?

rofl you're a joke.

you sound like someone trying to deny climate change.

CTE is probably a major, major issue.

This study is garbage.

 

[Basileus777]

How prevalent is CTE in non-football player brains?

It's a very rare disease.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

I don't care about the article, there is nothing scientific about the testing in it. They took 91 brains from people who said they were experiencing symptoms before death and indeed confirmed they were due to CTE. That's called selection bias and completely invalidates any results or conclusions that could be drawn from it. Go hate on the NHL or women's soccer, which has done less than nothing about this exact same problem.

I'm sure you don't care about the facts but...

College football players are three times more likely than the general population to have symptoms related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

 

[brochiller]

Not really relevant if we're testing the danger of playing football.

What? It's absolutely relevant. You have to have a baseline to compare this data to or else it's meaningless.

Having said that I'm sure the rate for average people is far less than 87/91.

 

[eznark]

It's a very rare disease.

We don't know that.