Aaron Hernandez Found to Have Severe C.T.E.

[stillers4me]

There is one statistic I never see. The ratio of dementia/Alzheimer's in NFL players vs the general population.

I work in a medical office and deal with patients who suffer dementia and Alzheimers every day and I'm pretty sure most of them never played professional football or sports of any kind. Especially that sweet, vacant eyed little lady I worked with yesterday.

[fansince'76]

Most on this forum whine and complain about how they need to go back to the way it used to be played with more contact and less penalties for illegal hits.

No, fewer penalties (and fines) for HARD hits. There's a big difference. Of course, the line between the two has become increasingly blurred by the league over time, which is a problem in itself, IMO.

The super-late calls like the one on William Gay in the Browns game (which also converted what would have been a 4th down into a 1st down and 15 yards' worth of better field position for the Browns) have become really tiresome, in my view.

[AtlantaDan]

There is one statistic I never see. The ratio of dementia/Alzheimer's in NFL players vs the general population.

I found this when I Googled "dementia in NFL players compared to general population"

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/sp...a.html?mcubz=0

Eye-catching NFL player data released for the first time on Friday suggests that nearly 30% of former NFL players will end up developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia across their lifetime, placing them at a significantly higher risk than the general population.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiam.../#75bdfc464581

Just hours before the 2012 NFL season kicks off, a new study suggests that professional football players are three times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases than the general population.
When researchers specifically looked at Alzheimer's disease and ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- that risk increased to four times greater than the rest of us.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/health...ase/index.html


A new study of NFL players adds to the evidence that repeated head blows absorbed during a football career could lead to changes in the brain that affect the athletes' behavior.
The study, published Jan. 7 in JAMA Neurology (formerly known as the Archives of Neurology), found retired NFL players were more likely to report cognitive impairment and depression and show physical brain changes on an MRI scan compared to healthy individuals.
"NFL players may be more likely to develop cognitive impairments (problems with memory, naming and word finding) or depression as they age compared with the general population," wrote the authors, led by Dr. John Hart Jr., medical science director at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-ret...n-study-shows/

[stillers4me]

I found this when I Googled "dementia in NFL players compared to general population"

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/sp...a.html?mcubz=0

Eye-catching NFL player data released for the first time on Friday suggests that nearly 30% of former NFL players will end up developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia across their lifetime, placing them at a significantly higher risk than the general population.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiam.../#75bdfc464581

Just hours before the 2012 NFL season kicks off, a new study suggests that professional football players are three times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases than the general population.
When researchers specifically looked at Alzheimer's disease and ALS -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- that risk increased to four times greater than the rest of us.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/health...ase/index.html


A new study of NFL players adds to the evidence that repeated head blows absorbed during a football career could lead to changes in the brain that affect the athletes' behavior.
The study, published Jan. 7 in JAMA Neurology (formerly known as the Archives of Neurology), found retired NFL players were more likely to report cognitive impairment and depression and show physical brain changes on an MRI scan compared to healthy individuals.
"NFL players may be more likely to develop cognitive impairments (problems with memory, naming and word finding) or depression as they age compared with the general population," wrote the authors, led by Dr. John Hart Jr., medical science director at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-ret...n-study-shows/

Good info.

[BostonBlackie]

Bull Riding Struggles to Combat Concussions

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 23, 2015
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Kasey Hayes hopped on the bovine beast trapped in the narrow holding pen, as he had done hundreds of times. He signaled he was ready to dominate the bull for the next eight seconds — or, at least, hoped to.
After 3.72 seconds on this March evening, Hayes lost control, hit the ground and got his head stomped on by the 1,600-pounder named Shaft. His hockey-like helmet split in two. The arena fell silent.
It took about a minute or so before Hayes could be helped to his feet. He had a concussion — his third in 12 months.
Doctors, riders and researchers say the most pervasive injuries for bull riders are concussions. The Professional Bull Riders’ circuit provides a stable of doctors, requires helmets for anyone born after 1994 and insists that concussed riders pass a test before competing again.
Amid concern about head injuries in the N.F.L. and N.H.L., the circuit’s lead medical staff member said he had not seen a drop in the number of concussions despite the widespread use of helmets. There are no multimillion-dollar contracts or unions in professional bull riding; if you do not ride, you do not make money, which causes athletes to push themselves back into action.
Continue reading the main story