Another SF loss: Chris Borland retires after just one season

pheenix11 said:

I have mixed feelings on this. While the league does treat players like pieces of meat I can't help but feel like saying, really dude, you just realized now that the NFL is a violent sport?

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What is previous brain injuries. "Stating the Obvious" for $400 Alex.

Also, this kind of news makes me worry about the future of the sport.

Deus Irae said:

Those of us who are old enough to remember decades back have, at least. The "It's too violent. Mothers won't let their kids play in the future" was being heard at least as far back as the 70's, which is as far back as I can stroll down memory lane without getting into sippy cups and poopy diapers.

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Right, but never was brain trauma, CTE, or permanent incapacitation and a complete lack of well-being considered a possibility.

People had a greater concern about death on the field due to a brutal hit, and/or bad knees, joints, etc.

Tell players that they will cognitively decay, succumb to crippling depression and other mental maladies, and a lot of players will think twice.

dreighver said:

Right, but never was brain trauma, CTE, or permanent incapacitation and a complete lack of well-being considered a possibility.

People had a greater concern about death on the field due to a brutal hit, and/or bad knees, joints, etc.

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Death, disfigurement, crippling and paralysis are pretty good reasons, yet they didn't stop people from playing.

dreighver said:

Tell players that they will cognitively decay, succumb to crippling depression and other mental maladies, and a lot of players will think twice.

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As I posted earlier, maybe this will be different. I doubt it, but it's possible.

Congrats to the kid for making a tough decision that not many can do. He could have been a complete star for an historic franchise, was on route to be DROY, and he certainly would have had a massive pay day in line in about 2 more years.

He's giving it all up for himself and his family, that's awesome, in my book.

Deus Irae said:

Death, disfigurement, crippling and paralysis are pretty good reasons, yet they didn't stop people from playing.



As I posted earlier, maybe this will be different. I doubt it, but it's possible.

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Apples to orange, in my opinion.

Physical maladies can be tough to deal with, but aren't deal breakers. If you can handle the pain, which is a big ask, you're fine. Your mind is still sound.

So long as you aren't paralyzed, you aren't paralyzed. There's no in between. Ditto for death. You either come out alive or you don't.

Disfigurement is unfortunate, crippling injuries even more so (especially if they cause pain), but they pale in comparison to CTE.

There is no way of diagnosing CTE, there is no way of knowing if/when it will occur, and there isn't a telltale cause. It seems that repetitive sub-concussive head injuries cause it.

Again, these guys are warriors. They often can handle the aches, pains, and physical issues that ensue after playing football. But if your mind isn't right, there's no amount of toughness that will make you right. Depression cannot be toughed-out, nor can dementia, etc, etc.

The brain is a different animal.

upstater1 said:

Made $650k, say 40% tax, 5% to agent, grabbed $350k for one year and went on his way.

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Probably more like $250k maybe 300 max. Maybe even less. Agents take would not be so low, taxes would be higher. Plus he's got California state taxes, and probably rents a place in a costly real estate market. His cash flow isn't so flush he can look at saving enough to retire unless he makes a big score when his rookie deal expires. Until then he's looking at huge downside risk, CTE on top of the risk of a knee or other serious injury is just not very appealing to him, obviously.

dreighver said:

Apples to orange, in my opinion.

Physical maladies can be tough to deal with, but aren't deal breakers. If you can handle the pain, which is a big ask, you're fine. Your mind is still sound.

So long as you aren't paralyzed, you aren't paralyzed. There's no in between. Ditto for death. You either come out alive or you don't.

Disfigurement is unfortunate, crippling injuries even more so (especially if they cause pain), but they pale in comparison to CTE.

There is no way of diagnosing CTE, there is no way of knowing if/when it will occur, and there isn't a telltale cause. It seems that repetitive sub-concussive head injuries cause it.

Again, these guys are warriors. They often can handle the aches, pains, and physical issues that ensue after playing football. But if your mind isn't right, there's no amount of toughness that will make you right. Depression cannot be toughed-out, nor can dementia, etc, etc.

The brain is a different animal.

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Again, maybe it will be different this time. Again, I doubt it.

And it's the same animal now as it was then.

What we'll probably see is more Greg Hardy types playing the game....supreme physical talents with 2 cent brains to begin with.There will always be willing subjects as long as the green is long and inviting.

Joker said:

What we'll probably see is more Greg Hardy types playing the game....supreme physical talents with 2 cent brains to begin with.There will always be willing subjects as long as the green is long and inviting.

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Yep....

Spend your life living in a hell hole at the risk of injury/premature death, and working (if you're lucky) for peanuts....

v.

Make millions of dollars playing a fun game that will set up your entire family for life, at the risk of injury/dementia/premature death


It doesn't take an accountant to do that math.

Stories like this and players having headaches months after their concussions take a lot of the joy out of watching this sport.

dreighver said:

There is no way of diagnosing CTE, there is no way of knowing if/when it will occur, and there isn't a telltale cause. It seems that repetitive sub-concussive head injuries cause it.

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As a not-so-minor point, there's no way of diagnosing CTE yet. I don't know the current state of research into CTE, but as an example of how medicine is evolving: within a few years, we might actually be able to use an MRI to diagnose most cases of depression.

Who knows what will happen if we can develop a test for CTE (or CTE risk).

I Have a really hard time feeling sorry for players who get concussions and stuff.

I had a buddy that bounced around as a camp body for a few teams, and dressed for a dozen or so regular season games and these guys live the life. Amazing food, top notch medical care, incredible facilities and people to do stuff for you. He could not believe how lucky he was.

On top of that he was making like 10 times the average median salary in the country.

Tough to feel bad for guys in that position. Regardless of the ailments they might face down the road

Jangles said:

I Have a really hard time feeling sorry for players who get concussions and stuff.

I had a buddy that bounced around as a camp body for a few teams, and dressed for a dozen or so regular season games and these guys live the life. Amazing food, top notch medical care, incredible facilities and people to do stuff for you. He could not believe how lucky he was.

On top of that he was making like 10 times the average median salary in the country.

Tough to feel bad for guys in that position. Regardless of the ailments they might face down the road

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That's the issue though, they get presented this glamourous life with too little education on the potential repercussions. They get into football at a young age and if they're good at it the only reason they go to college is for a chance at the NFL.

They're promised fame and glory.

They aren't promised a potential life of hating yourself or others around you because you took one wrong hit. That one blind sides them. They might be warned about it once or twice, but someone else can use them to make money so they keep the warnings to a minimum and the pep talks to a max.

For most athletes, the ego outshines the brain, because it's programmed to do so from a young age.

When I was in the army we had weekly or at most monthly power point presentations on all of the issues veterans may face because it had become such an issue, they almost kill you with information to help you because its such a big issue.

I hope the NFL does something similar for these guys who throw their bodies around in a reckless fashion.

I don't care how much money they make or how famous they are, these are real issues ruining lives, the money is irrelevant, they didn't make it by being geniuses who invented computers or started up delivery companies or a website like amazon. They got their money by being big, fast, strong, and understanding a violent game. Doesn't mean they asked to get hurt, especially when the majority of players are probably from very poor backgrounds and don't have many options outside of using their physical gifts to get somewhere.

I wonder if HGH testing might have something to do with all these early retirements....

vuudu said:

I wonder if HGH testing might have something to do with all these early retirements....

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11013068

GH replacement therapy was found to improve the psychological capabilities in adult GH deficient (GHD) patients. Furthermore, beneficial effects of the hormone on certain functions, including memory, mental alertness, motivation, and working capacity, have been reported. Likewise, GH treatment of GHD children has been observed to produce significant improvement in many behavioral problems seen in these individuals. Studies also indicated that GH therapy affects the cerebrospinal fluid levels of various hormones and neurotransmitters.

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Didn't read it all, but your post gave me the idea that HGH could potentially be good for the brain. Boy, banning a substance that actually improves brain function, and who knows, even brain recovery? Could get them into some trouble.

Jangles said:

I Have a really hard time feeling sorry for players who get concussions and stuff....Tough to feel bad for guys in that position. Regardless of the ailments they might face down the road

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I don't recall anyone asking any of us to feel sorry for them.

In this case, it sounds like a guy who has made a decision about what he values in life. There will be petty resentment and superficial tough guy talk from some fans, particularly those that would make a different choice if given the option but feel trapped in their current lives.

To me, this guy just sounds awake and intentional about his life, which is different from many people, living (to borrow a phrase) "lives of quiet desperation."

pheenix11 said:

I have mixed feelings on this. While the league does treat players like pieces of meat I can't help but feel like saying, really dude, you just realized now that the NFL is a violent sport?

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The lure of millions of dollars is a strong one, especially to a man in his early 20s. It sounds like it was weighing heavily on him and he did the research and didn't like what he came up with. It doesn't appear as though it was an easy decision for him to make.

Before mocking people for their decisions, make a genuine effort to see things from their perspective. You would be amazed at the insight gained when you become adept at perspective taking.

I have nothing but respect for him. It takes incredible self restraint to walk away from a game you love and big money to protect your health for the long term.

Deus Irae said:

Those of us who are old enough to remember decades back have, at least. The "It's too violent. Mothers won't let their kids play in the future" was being heard at least as far back as the 70's, which is as far back as I can stroll down memory lane without getting into sippy cups and poopy diapers.

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Child

RxJock1120 said:

Makes no sense to, why turn profession and then quit after 1 year...why even turn pro if this is how he felt???

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You act like this was an easy decision for him when in truth it was probably the most difficult decision he has ever made and one he hated making. The guy is in his early twenties and he is demonstrating exceptional clarity and wisdom, qualities most have to develop for much longer to attain and are usually more a matter of hindsight than in the moment.