N.F.L. Players' Dementia: Higher Rate Of Dementia In Former Athletes, Study Finds

nytimes.com:

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league's former players vastly more often than in the national population -- including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Carl Caroli]

Brutal sports have brutal effects - it's pretty simple. Anyone that needs a study to figure that out is pretty stupid. Look at Mohammad Ali - would he have his problems if he were an accountant? Not likely. We as humans have not progressed mentally or emotionally enough to see that some sports are barbaric at best, clinging to the thrill of blood and gladiators as did the Romans and used by ruling classes for thousands of years to entertain, distract, excite and control the masses. It's very sad that for all of our technical progress we're still animals at heart. Survival of the fittest - kill or be killed, so macho, so neanderthal.

[GreatNews27]

It's not dementia, they're just stupid.

[43P04T34]

Who could have predicted this ?!?!

[plzchuteme]

Think about the long term ramifications the next time an announcer remarks, offhandedly, that a player who took a blow to the head got his "bell rung."

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee."

[jws2346]

See, that's what happens to being hit in the head constantly. What's Max Baucus's excuse?

[LeonBNJ]

Long-term head trauma problems have been well known problems for those that play and played in the NFL. Now they have a study to prove it. The NFL has long feared this kind of result from a study as now some retired players will use it to sue the league, team owners and the pension plan at a cost of probably for many $ millions. They also played perhaps 12 years or more before playing in the NFL (before High School, High School and College) where there may have been poor monitoring or treatment of head injuries. For years, money greed attitudes or need, the demands to win, the need to act 'macho' even with a mild concussion may encourage many players who get injured to keep playing and their coaches or team owners not pull or properly treat them. There are plenty of situations where that has happened. Now with a study we have the proof and I hope it does lead to more reasonable treatment to prevent long-term head injuries.

[Bettysdad]

Test people that decide to go into the NFL, and see what shows up.

Anyone that's been to a school with a major football program sending guys to the NFL knows they're not normal people.

[jcwtts1]

someone said that in order to simulate what a typical NFL player goes through you should stand ten feet from a brink wall and run into at full speed 20 times a day, every day for the year.

[aardvark13]

This is one of the articles you don't even have to read to know what it says. It must have been a slow day on the news floor.

[StephBr]

Could it be that predisposition to dementia is a factor in being attracted to that sport?
Same for fans actually. When I hear the neighborhood scream and grunt on Sundays I sense a lot of dementia in the air.

[dteg]

American Football players do earn their money though. Most don't make it 3.5 years and wind up broke.

[TXfemmom]

Should anyone be surprised? Think of boxers. Many football players get darned near as man concussions.

[publanski]

In other news, study finds water wet.

[planetjeffy]

this just in
bears seen pooping in the woods

[xtiangodloki]

Just one of the prices you have to pay for being an athlete.

On the other hand, there are plenty of perks which comes with being an NFL star.

[KingCujo]

Makes total sense to me