Did Football Kill Junior?

[petegz28]

S I am listening to 610 on the way home and Nick Wright is talking all this shit about how playing football professionally kills the players.

Yes, we know the physical pounding takes some years off a player's life. But he was talking about the depression and such that players may experience after they retire and what not.


I have to call total BS on this.

Edit: I am not saying football didn't cause the depression. I am saying the way Nick Wright was trying to downplay other causes of depression vs. playing in the NFL was bunk.

[petegz28]

I edited the OP because I do realize that it did come off that I was saying football could not have caused this. My issue was more with Nick Wright and they he was talking about it. My apologies to those who found offense and thanks to those who have pointed this out.

[Jenson71]

I posted this article in the Seau thread, and I may as well post it here, too: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...a_fact_mcgrath

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Literature

There is knowledge says that many former NFL players have mental disabilities. Would you want to know that if you were about to sign an NFL contract? Would you want to know what kind of disabilities? The chance of getting a disability? How serious they are?

Seriously? I could have a stroke becasue of the stress level created, intentionally or otherwise by my company. The stroke could leave me disabled.

If someone reaches the pro level and doesn't understand that football could disable you in many ways then they are are just flat out dumber than a box of rocks. And anyone who has played football enough to become a pro has suffered some sort of injury from doing so at some point in their football career.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Literature

To effectively advocate for the players' desires.

So their best interest including safety was not part of that?

The employe negotiates in good faith with an entity that does not have responsibility for the safety and well being of the people they represent?

Something is off in that concept.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Seriously? I could have a stroke becasue of the stress level created, intentionally or otherwise by my company. The stroke could leave me disabled.

If someone reaches the pro level and doesn't understand that football could disable you in many ways then they are are just flat out dumber than a box of rocks. And anyone who has played football enough to become a pro has suffered some sort of injury from doing so at some point in their football career.

Your stress levels are not really inherent to the job. And more importantly, the likelihood of you getting a stroke from your job is very small. Now, if half of the employees were getting strokes? Or the industry you were was stroke-inducing? That's different.

I think the average person understands that football can be physically dangerous. But it's not obvious except to those who study it or see it up close that football causes long term mental health defects for people who only play professionally several years.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

So their best interest including safety was not part of that?

The employe negotiates in good faith with an entity that does not have responsibility for the safety and well being of the people they represent?

Something is off in that concept.

The union represents the players' wants, not what society thinks the players should want.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Literature

The union represents the players' wants, not what the society thinks the players should want.

Sounds damn communist.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Again I am not saying football didn't cause this.

Well I can't say it alone killed the guy. I haven't argued that. But with all this stuff going on... a guy who was a well-known NFL star just killed himself, right at the same time as the bounty stuff with a coach telling players to affect the head, I do think it might forever alter how the NFL treats head contact. They're already down that road, but there's no going back now.

[patteeu]

I heard JC Pearson on Wrights show and he was talking about how the NFL needs to step up to give health care coverage to all players and former players because of all the wear and tear on a football player's body. It was kind of whiny, IMO.

The NFL ought to offer a deal to the NFL players union where 50%* of all contracts will be diverted to a healthcare fund that will provide a healthcare benefit for all current and former players for life and see whether the players go for it.

__________________
* I picked 50% out of a hat. The number might be different and the actuaries can figure out what it should be, but it will still be a sizeable chunk of the money that the player's make.

[Chiefshrink]

I am sure we'll know more in a few days about his personal circumstances surrounding his death.

Whether it was financial or lost relationships or depression( a la no identity outside the game or concussions) or deadly love triangle or a McNair 'crazy lethal psycho bitch'(Borderline Personality Disorder-think the movie 'Jagged Edge') taking revenge, or some combination of those reasons listed above who knows? The reason why I listed the last 2 reasons is this.

What I find interesting is that the report that I heard was that he shot himself in the chest. I have not read anything on this but just what I heard from the radio. If this is true, it definitely goes against the grain for men in general who commit suicide with a gun.

The majority of men that use a gun to commit suicide will shoot themselves in the head in one of 3 ways. Either pointing the barrel up under their chin, pointed up in their mouth or pointed at their temple. If there is gun powder residue on JR's hand then more likely than not it is a valid suicide. And it probably is but I just found it rather odd he shot himself in the chest unless he was that afraid of shooting himself in the head or that vain he wanted an open casket funeral service or probably both? Maybe.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

I am sure we'll know more in a few days about his personal circumstances surrounding his death.

Whether it was financial or lost relationships or depression( a la no identity outside the game or concussions) or deadly love triangle or a McNair 'crazy lethal psycho bitch'(Borderline Personality Disorder-think the movie 'Jagged Edge') taking revenge, or some combination of those reasons listed above who knows? The reason why I listed the last 2 reasons is this.

What I find interesting is that the report that I heard was that he shot himself in the chest. I have not read anything on this but just what I heard from the radio. If this is true, it definitely goes against the grain for men in general who commit suicide with a gun.

The majority of men that use a gun to commit suicide will shoot themselves in the head in one of 3 ways. Either pointing the barrel up under their chin, pointed up in their mouth or pointed at their temple. If there is gun powder residue on JR's hand then more likely than not it is a valid suicide. And it probably is but I just found it rather odd he shot himself in the chest unless he was that afraid of shooting himself in the head or that vain he wanted an open casket funeral service or probably both? Maybe.

Former Chicago Bear, Dave Duerson, committed suicide the same way early last year and left a note asking that his brain be donated to science to be studied (hence the reason for shooting himself in the chest instead of the head).

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

...stuff...

You don't actually read threads that you post in, do you?

[Bump]

how come everybody else hasn't committed suicide?

No excuse for suicide.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Bump

how come everybody else hasn't committed suicide?

No excuse for suicide.

Deep thought bro.

Deeeep.

[Bump]

Originally Posted by |Zoccer|

Deep thought bro.

Deeeep.

go take a super artsy picture for me