Tonight @9pm on PBS Frontline: A League of Denial.

[PatriotSeven]

If anyone else is interested in watching this, it's on now.

It's a Frontline PBS documentary that details the efforts the league went to, to try and block research and studies that related concussions to brain damage.

It's on PBS now.

In Damage Control Mode, NFL Shied From Its Own Brain Research

In Damage Control Mode, NFL Shied From Its Own Brain Research | League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis | FRONTLINE | PBS

 

[Tunescribe]

The predictable premise: football is a horrifically violent and dangerous game that the evil corporate NFL exploits to the detriment of its players, fans, tiny children, dogs, cats and anything innocent or good the world over.

We should all be scared and abandon this terrible scourge which has created a sick society that celebrates the creation of brain damage.

:bricks::bricks::bricks:

 

[PatriotSeven]

The predictable premise: football is a horrifically violent and dangerous game that the evil corporate NFL exploits to the detriment of its players, fans, tiny children, dogs, cats and anything innocent or good the world over.

We should all be scared and abandon this terrible scourge which has created a sick society that celebrates the creation of brain damage.

:bricks::bricks::bricks:

No it's more about what the NFL has done to lie about its dangers, including appointing former Jet doc Dr. Elliot Pellman, a rheumatologis, in charge of NFL's brain research committee to basically try and discredit any science, published papers that tried to deny it, and went after numerous other doctors and research with attacks of their reputation and other methods in order to prevent it from coming out.

Papers included the NFL's own research suggesting it's perfectly ok for players to have concussions and return to the same game, and included their suggestion that it might be perfectly ok for college players to do the same.

And in 2007 they sent out pamphlets to every player on what is a concussions, and told them that there was no current research that showed there was any danger of suffering longer term damage from one or more concussions if the injury is managed properly.

Pretty sick and low. Even an amusement ride, lists the dangers.

I feel for Mike Webster's family.

 

[Dr Pain]

This a great show about big business taking care of themselves and screwing those who might hurt the golden goose.

 

[Tunescribe]

No it's more about what the NFL has done to lie about its dangers, including appointing former Jet doc Dr. Elliot Pellman, a rheumatologis, in charge of NFL's brain research committee to basically try and discredit any science, published papers that tried to deny it, and went after numerous other doctors and research with attacks of their reputation and other methods in order to prevent it from coming out.

Papers included the NFL's own research suggesting it's perfectly ok for players to have concussions and return to the same game, and included their suggestion that it might be perfectly ok for college players to do the same.

Pretty sick and low. Even an amusement ride, lists the dangers.

I feel for Mike Webster's family.

Yes, all of that. But doesn't it seem, by extension, an indictment of the game in general?

 

[PatriotSeven]

Yes, all of that. But doesn't it seem, by extension, an indictment of the game in general?

It's more of an indictment of the league's mob like shadiness and bullying, including lying to their own players, going after reputable doctors, to do whatever it takes to protect themselves.

Not even willing to admit the risk or offer help or protection to protect the bottom line.

It's more about that.

So not football, as much as the way the NFL does football as a business and runs their business.

 

[RayClay]

Anything about softer shell helmets?

 

[Dr Pain]

Anything about softer shell helmets?

It is all about the NFL's efforts to keep it secret. Punish those who disagree. I doubt it will get to what can be done. Its like tobacco dealing with lung cancer at this point. Its 2 hours long so not done yet

 

[Joker]

what it shows is that Badsmell is a goddamned liar of the highest order. I've said over and over and over he could care less about this issue and that everything he says about the NFL "addressing the issue" is about as worthless as a pile of manure. He took over in 2006...it's 2013 and the amount of concussions are WORSE THAN EVER.

This goon's "leadership" has led the league to the precipice of unprecedented law suits and severe damage to the "shield" he so mawkishly blabbers on about. These owners better wise up and get a pro in there or the litigation will obliterate this league and this sport.

 

[Dr Pain]

Anything about softer shell helmets?

Now looking at college and high school players. I have to admit I worry sometimes as I have had a few concussions playing from 4th grade through college. No signs but it is something to think about.

 

[PatriotSeven]

Dr. Mackey tested 20 brains for CTE and 19 tested positive. Including a 21 year old that's only suffered sub-concussive hits. That's pretty alarming.

What happens to teens who aren't fully matured banging heads over the course of their middle school, high school and college years?

I honestly think the only way to stop this is to take the helmets OFF. I think the helmet itself is the tool that condones the head hits and using the head as a weapon. Take them off and the players will stop hitting each other in the head at this rate. You might have more serious incidences here and there from freak accidents, but it would stop it from being an epidemic. The issue is the player gets a false sense of protection from the helmet.

 

[Tunescribe]

Dr. Mackey tested 20 brains for CTE and 19 tested positive. Including a 21 year old that's only suffered sub-concussive hits. That's pretty alarming.

What happens to teens who aren't fully matured banging heads over the course of their middle school, high school and college years?

I honestly think the only way to stop this is to take the helmets OFF. I think the helmet itself is the tool that condones the head hits and using the head as a weapon. Take them off and the players will stop hitting each other in the head at this rate. You might have more serious incidences here and there from freak accidents, but it would stop it from being an epidemic. The issue is the player gets a false sense of protection from the helmet.

I tried to tell you in earlier posts: this isn't about just the NFL, it's about the game itself.

 

[PatriotSeven]

I tried to tell you in earlier posts: this isn't about just the NFL, it's about the game itself.

They're not saying that. That's my opinion.

At least for middle school, high schools and maybe even colleges. At least let these kids mature. They could be predisposed and certainly are being exposed to this from an early age if they're being diagnosed at 21.

 

[Tunescribe]

They're not saying that. That's my opinion.

At least for middle school, high schools and maybe even colleges. At least let these kids mature. They could be predisposed and certainly are being exposed to this from an early age if they're being diagnosed at 21.

They have posed this fundamental question several times over: is the game inherently dangerous to long-term health for everyone who plays it?

 

[Zeus]

Dr. Mackey tested 20 brains for CTE and 19 tested positive. Including a 21 year old that's only suffered sub-concussive hits. That's pretty alarming.

What happens to teens who aren't fully matured banging heads over the course of their middle school, high school and college years?.

You can only hope that the schools and colleges have put player safety as the top priority going forward. But the damage is done for a generation of players. The NFL concussion settlement will undoubtedly spawn similar litigation against municipalities and colleges. There's no way to predict how this will affect youth/school/college football going forward.

 

[PatriotSeven]

So after acknowledging it, the NFL flip flopped again, flipped the scrip, Goodell decided to back away and now are basically funding the research for more evidence and discovery.

Sounds like it's cheaper to pay a couple of researchers to do endless research, and delay the conclusion and change indefinitely, rather than honest interest in doing something about it now.

And this year they paid a $765 million dollar settlement in order not to acknowledge anything, they got slapped with this "concussion fine". Ok and now it's business as usual?

 

[Observer]

They have posed this fundamental question several times over: is the game inherently dangerous to long-term health for everyone who plays it?

Certainly, that is the real question here. Perhaps the game IS too dangerous for everyone to play it, just like boxing is. It is not too surprising when you come to think of it that ramming your head and body repeatedly on a daily basis for decades of your life would deal chronic long term damage to it.

 

[Tunescribe]

Certainly, that is the real question here. Perhaps the game IS too dangerous for everyone to play it, just like boxing is. It is not too surprising when you come to think of it that ramming your head and body repeatedly on a daily basis for decades of your life would deal chronic long term damage to it.

That's what the female doctor wondered aloud, that anyone who played organized football at any level might well have brain damage from the repeated "mini-concussions" occurring in the course of every game. Hell, I remember when I played how EVERY solid hit involving helmet-related contact would create a sensation of brief incoherence. But I actually liked it when I was the one dishing out the punishment. Just the opposite when I was the "hittee."

 

[PatriotSeven]

They have posed this fundamental question several times over: is the game inherently dangerous to long-term health for everyone who plays it?

From what I'm seeing, my common sense, tells me the answer appears to be yes. But the NFL seems to be perfectly happy to delay the answer to that question for about 30-40 years from today until "their research" can be concluded. And paid a one time fine to those that complained about it.

Instead of paying something like that amount yearly for a disability or some sort of retirement fund to handle such issues. Seems to me they got off very easy, and they're interested in further delaying their own admittance to that question, unless you sue them and win.

And I imagine more lawsuits will come.

 

[Joker]

guys do things when they're young...GET IT???

guys race 250mph race cars....when they crash, guys DIE!!! guys ride bucking broncos..when they get thrown off and the horse kicks them in the head and crushes their skulls you don't sue the rodeo....guys skydive...guys free dive in the open ocean to 200 meters...guys swim with great white sharks, handle deadly venomous snakes, free climb sheer cliffs without any ropes....guys DO things that DEFY DEATH.

Women do too.

It's called LIFE...you live it...the tribe needs meat you fight the 12 foot Grizzly bear for the goddamned deer meat!!!!


stop the wussification of the planet!! for chrissakes....pros get PAID...every single one of them KNOWS there is danger, just like a goddamned lion tamer when he gets in the cage. This ridiculous fault/blame generation we've spawned will eventually lead to the end of the species. This reality, this LIFE we live was NEVER intended to be "safe". Stop the damned crybaby, post facto "I will be the one to change the world!!!" passion plays.