Good for him.

 

My biggest issue with CTE hysteria is that people do not know what it means, even those studying it. Heck, I may have CTE from just playing HS football or from a car wreck. But it is not a catch all diagnosis that means "you have CTE, that means you will be severely depressed and die at the age of 50" like some make it out to be.

 

Repeated shots to the head are not good for you. That is not breaking news.

Years of collisions. Collective issues.

Years of collisions. Collective issues.

 

No doubt. But really, who didn't know this before CTE-Gate began?

No doubt. But really, who didn't know this before CTE-Gate began?

Come on. You're totally shortchanging the research done on CTE. Those that are gonna play, damn the consequences, won't care what has been determined through research. But to downplay the amount of time, money, and effort put into the research of the problem is silly.

34 players under the age of 30 have retired in the last two offseasons now per Adam Schefter.

Come on. You're totally shortchanging the research done on CTE. Those that are gonna play, damn the consequences, won't care what has been determined through research. But to downplay the amount of time, money, and effort put into the research of the problem is silly.

 

Most of the research seems to have been to find out if football can lead to CTE. Besides finding out if a person had it after they died. There is not much else they truly know about what it exactly means though. They have listed possible symptoms people with it may end up having. However if you read the research on it, even the doctors say those symptoms really might not be related to that. Also how people can have CTE and not have any effects.

 

Research now shows yes playing football for over 20 to 30 years and up to the highest level has led to CTE. Now what does having CTE actually mean. There is still a lot of unknown about that.

Most of the research seems to have been to find out if football can lead to CTE. Besides finding out if a person had it after they died. There is not much else they truly know about what it exactly means though. They have listed possible symptoms people with it may end up having. However if you read the research on it, even the doctors say those symptoms really might not be related to that. Also how people can have CTE and not have any effects.

 

Research now shows yes playing football for over 20 to 30 years and up to the highest level has led to CTE. Now what does having CTE actually mean. There is still a lot of unknown about that.

the bolded is indeed true. However, perhaps some more in depth googling about CTE could lead you to see the research done apart from football. Granted, some of it is in some terminology that might be difficult to muddle through depending on the publication for those not trained in that arena. Still, lots to determine about the issue for sure.

Come on. You're totally shortchanging the research done on CTE. Those that are gonna play, damn the consequences, won't care what has been determined through research. But to downplay the amount of time, money, and effort put into the research of the problem is silly.

 

That is not my intent at all. I think future stated my point better than I did. The CTE scare is legit, but many (not you) paint the narrative as "football = CTE = brain damage and horrific side effects."

That is not my intent at all. I think future stated my point better than I did. The CTE scare is legit, but many (not you) paint the narrative as "football = CTE = brain damage and horrific side effects."

Oh, I think boxers and MMA guys will be in the same category too. Head wasn't meant to be pounded on unless you're a woodpecker

I bet there is a lot more CTE in professional soccer players than most people would ever expect.

I would like to see studies done on other athletes as well as regular people for comparison. I was wondering if runners may have it from the jarring constantly.

The NFL needs to take one specific stand immediately - it will not adopt an 18-game season.

 

If it continues to push for the longer and longer seasons then it is mocking the study and what should be obvious what some have iterated here - more collisions, more issues. In a way, they are killing the key ingredient of their product.

 

Maybe eventually the tide turns against this sport with an 'unsafe at any speed (or number of collisions)' attitude. Apologies to Ralph Nader on that one! But for now, with the evidence, every body of football at every level should say that expanding seasons and increasing collisions for individual players is NOT something that will be done.

It's certainly an easier choice for Mr. Urschel to make, given that he is a Phd candidate at MIT he should be just fine without football. However, you have to feel for those players who don't have much alternative. How many of these kids use football as a way out of their circumstances and in some cases are used by the schools and spit out without much of an education and have little other recourse but to keep playing football to earn a good living.

It's certainly an easier choice for Mr. Urschel to make, given that he is a Phd candidate at MIT he should be just fine without football. However, you have to feel for those players who don't have much alternative. How many of these kids use football as a way out of their circumstances and in some cases are used by the schools and spit out without much of an education and have little other recourse but to keep playing football to earn a good living.

 

And spit out without much education? I didn't realize players couldn't choose their major? Or that players have to leave early for the pros. If a player didn't get as good of a college education as they wanted, usually that is their own choice. Most rather seem to take the easier classes. Players who go to college to play can get a very good education if they choose. In fact with as structured as their daily schedule is, their is an even better chance of them doing very well with what they choose if they want to.

I heard Colin Cowherd talking about this yesterday. He said this study was on brains of former NFL players whose family donated the brains because they suspected CTE.

 

Cowherd also cited a couple of studies on the number of concussions in soccer. I did some googling:

 

This link states a stat that 62.7% of college soccer players had concussion symptoms in a single year. http://full90.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Soccer-Concussions-Get-the-Facts.pdf

 

This link says the number of concussions in soccer are close to the number of concussions in football and that women are 40% more susceptible to concussions than men. 8 Important Facts About Soccer Concussions that You Probably Didn't Know - Rothman Institute Orthopaedics

 

"Compared to other contact sports, head injuries are common in soccer. In neuropsychologist Dr. Jill Brooks’ study of high school soccer players, she found that more than one quarter of them had experienced one or more concussions. Neuropsychologist Dr. Ruben Echemendia reported that in his study of college athletes, over 40 percent of the soccer players had at least one concussion prior to attending college. By comparison, only 30 percent of the incoming football players in the same study reported having had a concussion."Causes of Head Injuries in Soccer | Is Soccer Bad for Children's Heads?: Summary of the IOM Workshop on Neuropsychological Consequences of Head Impact in Youth Soccer | The National Academies Press

I bet there is a lot more CTE in professional soccer players than most people would ever expect.

 

Those guys' kicks sail 50+ yards through the air, and dudes on the other end are fighting for the right to bounce it off their noggins. They often take two shots in one play if opposing players clash heads and also head the ball. I see it all the time in HS soccer, and can imagine it's like that as you level up, with just harder kicks and faster, bigger, stronger and better athletes.