Brain damage...

[CommissarSpartacus]

I don't know about you guys, but in my 50 years watching the NFL, I can't count the number of times I've screamed at the coaching staffs and management because of some monumentally stupid move and wondered out loud if the person or persons I've been yelling at was brain damaged.

But, I always considered it metaphoric.

But with all the mounting evidence about the extent of concussions suffered in the league, and realizing that a large percentage of the coaching and scouting staffs of NFL teams are made up of ex players, I've started to really wonder to what extent actual brain damage has an effect on the league and the games.

Take Marrone for example. He was a lineman, was he not?

Bet he had his bell rung plenty.

But of course, he's not the only guy.

Repetitive head injuries **** you up sooner or later, but most of the time it takes years to develop so it's hard to spot until it's too late.

Well, at least I know that from now on, when I yell at the screen "what the **** were they thinking", I'll have to consider that maybe they were trying to think but just...couldn't....figure...it...out.

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/17/21772630-nfl-wives-we-pick-up-the-pieces-after-brain-injuries-to-football-player-husbands?lite

NFL wives: We 'pick up the pieces' after brain injuries to football player husbands

By Stephanie Gosk and Monica Alba
NBC News

The wife of an ex-football player who is suing the NFL for allegedly concealing the danger of concussions said that during games, even way up in the stands, she could hear the sound of helmet-clad heads slamming into each other.

“You would hear the clapping of the helmets,” said Garland Radloff, whose husband Wayne played five seasons at center for the Atlanta Falcons. “But then you’d hear cheering. … You know, you didn’t think about any head injury.” She says she wasn’t thinking about long-term effects even after the time her husband was knocked out cold for five minutes.

More than 20 years later, Wayne Radloff, at age 52, has been diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia brought on by repeated concussions. He is unable to work and the bank has started foreclosure proceedings on his South Carolina home. And Garland Radloff has become one of the football wives who are left to carry the ball -- to earn a living, take care of the kids, and fight for what they believe the NFL owes their families.

...more...

[imbondz]

The Monday night game we lost to the Cowboys after they turned it over 5 or 6 times, and the MN game we lost to the Patriots...those games caused me brain damage so I don't have a lot of sympathy.

[Historian]

"Try earning that kind of money in the real world!"-Dabney Coleman, North Dallas Forty.

[Typ0]

Great song!

[Generalissimus Gibby]

The Monday night game we lost to the Cowboys after they turned it over 5 or 6 times, and the MN game we lost to the Patriots...those games caused me brain damage so I don't have a lot of sympathy.

Please specify which night game v. the Pats, I've suffered repeated aneurisms because of those games. The ones, that were the most pernicious however, were the 05 "an evening with Ted Brewski game in which ESPN devoted three and a half hours of extremely expensive prime-time television to interview Ted Brewski, his family members, his coaches, former team mates, a ball boy who once held Teddy's jock strap, media pundits, random drunk people in the stands, Chuck Norris who said Brewski is tougher than me, Pope Benedict (this was mostly done to see if the Church would amend its rules to allow currently living people to be canonized), Billy Graham and Jesus of Nazareth were also there and our Lord said something like when dad (God the Father) needs advice he consults Ted Brewski. As I recall there was also a football game going on simultaneously and Kelly Holcomb threw a 6 yard pass on 4th and 8 and we lost a very close game. Or do you refer perhaps to the 09 McKelvin mcfumbles game?

[Thief]

“You would hear the clapping of the helmets,” said Garland Radloff, whose husband Wayne played five seasons at center for the Atlanta Falcons. “But then you’d hear cheering. … You know, you didn’t think about any head injury.”

And that is somehow someone else's fault??

[Thurmal]

Ha, only a Bills fan could come up with a hypothesis like this.

[K-Gun]

As much as 20% of professional boxers suffer from serious brain injury like we're starting to addmitt is happening in football. What are the ramifications for the game if nearly 2 out of 10 professional football players develop dementia in their 40's and 50's?

I remember when using the helemt used to be a spearing penalty. If you watch videos of Ronnie Lott and Night Train Lane's biggest hits, you'll neer see them use thier heads as a weapon. They used thier shoulder and forearm.

This random chain of thoughts is brought to you by repeated blows to the head.

[jimmifli]

To answer Shiva's question: Yes Marrone has brain damage. Literally.

It's virtually impossible to play a line position in the NFL without injuring your brain. For comparison, here's some info (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:L44ZukVcFQQJ:news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130614-soccer-heading-concussion-brain-injury-science/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca) on soccer players that had the ball. Players that headed the ball more than 900 times in a season showed damage. I don't know, but my guess is that the impact between linemen is a lot harder than a soccer ball on head. Maybe today's helmets are good enough to help, but that's not what he was wearing in high school, college and the NFL. Add in the bigger hits and there just is no way guys from his era have healthy brains.

That study showed young people that were most affected had 20% worse memory. We also know lots about what happens to people with brain injury from contact sports later in life. The evidence seems to indicate that impairment starts early and proceeds steadily throughout the person's life.

[CommissarSpartacus]

To answer Shiva's question: Yes Marrone has brain damage. Literally.

It's virtually impossible to play a line position in the NFL without injuring your brain. For comparison, here's some info (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:L44ZukVcFQQJ:news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130614-soccer-heading-concussion-brain-injury-science/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca) on soccer players that had the ball. Players that headed the ball more than 900 times in a season showed damage. I don't know, but my guess is that the impact between linemen is a lot harder than a soccer ball on head. Maybe today's helmets are good enough to help, but that's not what he was wearing in high school, college and the NFL. Add in the bigger hits and there just is no way guys from his era have healthy brains.

That study showed young people that were most affected had 20% worse memory. We also know lots about what happens to people with brain injury from contact sports later in life. The evidence seems to indicate that impairment starts early and proceeds steadily throughout the person's life.

I bet Bill Belichick's happy he never played.