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.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Wright was calling it "the cause". I can think of a lot worse situations than someone being depressed because they don't play pro sports anymore.

Is that really all he was saying? "He couldn't play football and he was sad"?

Or was he talking about ex-NFL players suffering from depression (and many other issues) because of the head injuries they've endured?

[KCUnited]

He is stating that studies show that people who have suffered concussions are 8 time more likely to suffer from depression and that depression can lead to suicide.

I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's what Wright is saying.

[Demonpenz]

I've been around suicides, depression, metal stuff. The people who killed themselves honestly thought they were doing people a favor.

[Deberg_1990]

Yes because only Pro Football players commit suicide.


Another reason to hate sports talk radio....they bring up stupid topics just to fill airtime.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by BigRock

Is that really all he was saying? "He couldn't play football and he was sad"?

Or was he talking about ex-NFL players suffering from depression (and many other issues) because of the head injuries they've endured?

Little of both. He was saying depression and then would toss in dimentia from the physical contact. I could possibly buy the latter but I would think anyway that would have been diagnosed at some point given his past.

Depression is depression. How one gets to that point is rather trivial when you look at it.

I just didn't buy the idea that playing football caused this and the NFL really needs to look into it.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Yes because only Pro Football players commit suicide.


Another reason to hate sports talk radio....they bring up stupid topics just to fill airtime.

Whenever someone actually says that feel free to drop this post on us.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

He is stating that studies show that people who have suffered concussions are 8 time more likely to suffer from depression and that depression can lead to suicide.

I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's what Wright is saying.

The link is pretty clear. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

He is stating that studies show that people who have suffered concussions are 8 time more likely to suffer from depression and that depression can lead to suicide.

I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's what Wright is saying.

I didn't hear him quote any studies and I could see where brain trauma could cause mental conditions but again, how many people in this world are suffering from depression at this moment that are not caused by playing football?

It was just how Wright was coming off.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Yes because only Pro Football players commit suicide.


Another reason to hate sports talk radio....they bring up stupid topics just to fill airtime.

Yeah, the league isn't concerned about this stuff at all.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by petegz28

What I am calling BS on is how he was implying that somehow Football aside from the armed services which he mentioned, causes this tragic behavior and playing pro football "kills the players".

Trauma and depression? Talk to someone who has a family and lost his job. Talk to a Police Office or Fire Fighter. Talk to someone who works in a hostile environment that has them stressed out to the max all the time.

There are occupational hazards to anything peolpe do. True football is very physical but other things such as stress take a physical and mental toll on people as well.

Wright was calling it "the cause". I can think of a lot worse situations than someone being depressed because they don't play pro sports anymore.

I think you are minimalizing the stress it puts on someone physically and emotionally to be a professional football player. Not advocating kid gloves but your characterization is offbase.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by petegz28

It was just how Wright was coming off.

Oh ok. Well why didn't you just tell us you don't like Nick Wright. That is another thread.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

He is stating that studies show that people who have suffered concussions are 8 time more likely to suffer from depression and that depression can lead to suicide.

I'm not saying I agree with it, but that's what Wright is saying.

With that reasoning, shouldn't ex-NFL players be killing themselves at a much higher rate? I mean everyone that played in the NFL had a concussion at some point in their playing career... HS, College, NFL....

The normal population suicide rate is 1.53%, so NFL players should be killing themselves at a 12.24% rate?

[Captain Obvious]

Junior killed Junior. The end.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I didn't hear him quote any studies and I could see where brain trauma could cause mental conditions but again, how many people in this world are suffering from depression at this moment that are not caused by playing football?

It was just how Wright was coming off.

It not that every person that suffers from depression commits suicide. It's not every person that has a concussion commits suicide. It's not every person that suffers from depression has had a concussion. It's not all or nothing.

It's quite simple.

Studies have shown that people who have suffered concussions are 8 times more likely to suffer from depression. Studies have also shown that depression can lead to suicide. There is a clear path. According to Wright of course.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

It not that every person that suffers from depression commits suicide. It's not every person that has a concussion commits suicide. It's not every person that suffers from depression has had a concussion. It's not all or nothing.

It's quite simple.

Studies have shown that people who have suffered concussions are 8 times more likely to suffer from depression. Studies have also shown that depression can lead to suicide. There is a clear path. According to Wright of course.

I want to focus on the bolded part. Depression can lead to suicide. How a person becomes depressed is rather irrelevant. My point is someone being depressed because of football related events is no different than someone being depressed from losing their job, a spouse, a child, etc. Wright was trying to elevate playing in the NFL above the others or so it clearly appeared.