The point of the documentary was that the NFL pushed the line that there was no danger. Now that danger has been strongly supported but not yet admitted, the question still stands whether or not players are made adequately aware. But the issue goes well beyond the NFL right down to the youth level. Kids are not expected to know and understand dangers, they are told what to do and more importantly what not to do. So the question is should the kids be told not to play football just as they are told not to smoke? Or is that wussification too?
I also take issue with your comment that being concerned about one's long term health is somehow wussification. As new knowledge emerges, accepted practices are questioned. What was manly yesterday becomes stupidity today. Even Junior Seau who thought he well understood the dangers to his long term health (there was a part in the documentary where he says "you are sacrificing your life past 40 or 50" or something to that effect) was speculated to have shot himself in the chest so that his brain could be studied, like Duerson. Were they wussies too for being concerned about the future health of others? Had Seau really known that his years of brain injury due to football would lead to his ultimate end, do you think he would still do it?
Yeah, I can't possibly put brain injury and wussification in the same sentence. Other areas of your body, I can understand, or overcoming temporary pain, but if there is a significant danger of brain damage over prolonged exposure, then I don't want to see it and I don't see it as a manly thing either. There's few other injuries that puts you as close to being a dead person as a brain injury. I'd rather be dead than a vegetable. And these guys who are committing suicide, are probably feeling those types of feelings.
I just don't think those players, like Junior Seau understood, and the NFL did its part to keep them ignorant.
It really is just plain stupid as nobody wants to end up like that. I don't think there's any other sport, or profession really, other than perhaps boxing, that basically has this risk. And 45 out of 46 sampled cases, says there's more to this than just a "risk". You also have examples of guys like Steve Young, a quarterback, having to retire early due to concussions. The most protected position. What about guys like Junior? And that young 21 year old who apparently only suffered sub-concussive hits.
And when the NFL put out pamphlets, and gave them to each NFL player and basically told them there were NO risks, then they are guilty as sin. That's despicable.
Going back to my helmet argument, I think even boxing could also be due to the protective gear. In a lot of ways it could be more dangerous than something like UFC because it's prolonged exposure to repeated hits where the exterior pain of the fist and face and head are numbed at the expense of the interior damage of their brains. So you have repeated blunt force trauma which is ignorant to the victim. You really don't feel "pain" in the normal sense when your brain makes that impact with your skull. You feel slight dizziness.
I guess that's why normal hits to the head or busting your head open usually causes significant pain and disorientation. It's the body's own way of protecting the brain. Take away that sensation of pain, by using a helmet, and you basically took away that defense mechanism. Take off the helmet, and football players are far less likely to bang heads like they do today.
