Junior Seau dead

[shmike]

http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/02/junior.../#.T6F7rhB5mSM

[azoomm]

What an awful situation. Damn our media sucks - they need to leave that family alone.

[Kaneman]

I wonder what they'll find when they analyze his brain. Very interesting that they suspect he shot himself in the chest so his brain could be used for research. Getting hit repeatedly in the head by monsters running full force at you is not good for your later years...

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

I wonder what they'll find when they analyze his brain. Very interesting that they suspect he shot himself in the chest so his brain could be used for research. Getting hit repeatedly in the head by monsters running full force at you is not good for your later years...

Very interesting point. I am not sure if hes one of the guys who donated his brain to be studied. Youre seeing younger players developing symptoms already. I know another LB from the patriots is starting to have problems and he just retired a few years ago.

[Kaneman]

HGH and Steroid use make these motherfuckers so fast and powerful....but they don't do anything to protect the brain from all that extra forces they're exposed to compared to, say, 25 years ago. Its not surprising that they are losing it younger than before...but it sucks.

[tommymac]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

HGH and Steroid use make these motherfuckers so fast and powerful....but they don't do anything to protect the brain from all that extra forces they're exposed to compared to, say, 25 years ago. Its not surprising that they are losing it younger than before...but it sucks.

guys have gotten so much stronger and faster over the last 10-20 years, and you now see a ton more big time hits than you did just a few years back. I think you see it more with the linebackers and the safeties who like to come up and hit.

I also think that poor tackling may play a lesser role as well esp since it seems a lot of these guys cant realy tackle and just try going for that highlight reel hit.

I think now that the first group of these types of players of this era are retiring we will see how many start suffering problems at younger ages.

[defector]

My kid had the option of taking a "before" test before football season started last year. This way, if a concussion is suspected, they have something to go on.
Seemed like a good idea to me. Wasn't cheap, but what is anymore?

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by defector

My kid had the option of taking a "before" test before football season started last year. This way, if a concussion is suspected, they have something to go on.
Seemed like a good idea to me. Wasn't cheap, but what is anymore?

Yeah, the problem is that many times a concussion goes unnoticed... The simplest way I've ever heard to help the situation was to have three key words provided at the beginning of every game - "lunchbox, road, orange"... After a big hit, they are asked to repeat the key words... if they can't, there's a problem...

[defector]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Yeah, the problem is that many times a concussion goes unnoticed...

They are definitely checking the kids out on the sidelines after big hits (in our area). I just haven't decided if it is actually looking out for the well being of the kids, or just an attempt at avoiding potential lawsuits.

I'm curious if there will be a large movement of athletes changing sports (away from football) on an amateur level now.

[derf]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Yeah, the problem is that many times a concussion goes unnoticed... The simplest way I've ever heard to help the situation was to have three key words provided at the beginning of every game - "lunchbox, road, orange"... After a big hit, they are asked to repeat the key words... if they can't, there's a problem...

The problem isn't the concussions so much as mild traumatic brain injury, a very mild version of a concussion, many times you may just get a single dizzy moment or a quick sensation of disorientation that doesn't last and poof its gone, get a few of those in a game and a few games over course of a season and the long term effects are massive.

The military has been targeting soldiers who were in the vicinity of explosions, early on they would only look at those directly affected by a blast, but the more they looked they moved it out to anyone within 50 meters, and now they are looking at those who were within 150 meters because there is a huge trend emerging with folks who have had multiple small brain injuries and they add up if untreated and it gets real bad over the course of a few years.

Originally Posted by defector

They are definitely checking the kids out on the sidelines after big hits (in our area). I just haven't decided if it is actually looking out for the well being of the kids, or just an attempt at avoiding potential lawsuits.

I'm curious if there will be a large movement of athletes changing sports (away from football) on an amateur level now.

I see the same thing, but then I hear my neighbor tell his kid who plays football not to let anyone know that he got hit hard because they might take him out of the game. I think that even though the trend is starting, there is going to be a decent amount of time between now and when it actually gets accepted universally. I believe that pro football will be pretty quick to follow, mostly because of the money, contracts and media but for high school and college still trying to get to the next level not so fast.