Another tragic story of the toll playing football takes on a person. I saw the movie "Concussion" last month and it's just terrible what these guys with CTE go through. I don't personally know what the answer to this problem is, short of banning football, but I've definitely soured on the big hits and the"You Got Jacked Up" portion of the game.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14603566/former-steelers-wr-antwaan-randle-el-wishes-chosen-play-football

Go back to leather caps as helmets.

(01-20-2016, 09:56 AM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Go back to leather caps as helmets.

Yup

I think the leather helmet idea would get people killed before it would solve anything... And then result in freak deaths and paralysis even after.

I think you preach heads up football, adopt the collegiate targeting rules, and then expand on them. Eject players for targeting, and suspend them for the length of the injured player's recovery.

It has to be punitive, because the risk to the person delivering the blow is negligible when compared to the person receiving the blow.

(01-20-2016, 05:02 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Another tragic story of the toll playing football takes on a person. I saw the movie "Concussion" last month and it's just terrible what these guys with CTE go through. I don't personally know what the answer to this problem is, short of banning football, but I've definitely soured on the big hits and the"You Got Jacked Up" portion of the game.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14603566/former-steelers-wr-antwaan-randle-el-wishes-chosen-play-football

He got paid.... And everyone knows football is a dangerous sport. Anyone that says otherwise probly think smoking is good for you.

They all have the choice to walk away whenever they want. Nothing Tragic for me here. The cost on the body maybe wasnt worth the millions but thats what he chose.

XenoMor Wrote:He got paid....  And everyone knows football is a dangerous sport.    Anyone that says otherwise probly think smoking is good for you.

They all have the choice to walk away whenever they want.     Nothing Tragic for me here.  The cost on the body maybe wasnt worth the millions but thats what he chose.

Agree 100% playing was his decision alone. He took the money and ran. There is a price for every decision....

(01-20-2016, 05:02 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Another tragic story of the toll playing football takes on a person. I saw the movie "Concussion" last month and it's just terrible what these guys with CTE go through. I don't personally know what the answer to this problem is, short of banning football, but I've definitely soured on the big hits and the"You Got Jacked Up" portion of the game.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14603566/former-steelers-wr-antwaan-randle-el-wishes-chosen-play-football

No doubt they pay a heavy price.

My Uncle worked on cars for years. That man can't even go up the stairs. If you want paid , you gotta work.
He is right though. I would play baseball way before football. You make way more and way less of injury chance.

(01-20-2016, 11:05 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: He got paid....  And everyone knows football is a dangerous sport.    Anyone that says otherwise probly think smoking is good for you.

They all have the choice to walk away whenever they want.     Nothing Tragic for me here.  The cost on the body maybe wasnt worth the millions but thats what he chose.

Actually, that's rather the literary definition of a tragedy.

(01-20-2016, 11:24 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Agree 100% playing was his decision alone.   He took the money and ran.    There is a price for every decision....

Is it less tragic when the guy makes a lot of money?  I mean, do you go to the VA hospital and tell the disabled veterans they should have just mowed lawns for a living if they didn't want to trade their lives/bodies for that sweet government paycheck?

 Nately Wrote:Is it less tragic when the guy makes a lot of money?  I mean, do you go to the VA hospital and tell the disabled veterans they should have just mowed lawns for a living if they didn't want to trade their lives/bodies for that sweet government paycheck?

I do not think this is at all Tragic.

Those jobs are voluntary.   If you wanted a job with less risk then you are able to find another career.    

Randel El was compensated for his risk.    

As for the military that is a whole other boat and basically the case against single payer healthcare.

gobob Wrote:Actually, that's rather the literary definition of a tragedy.

If he was forced into doing this job with no options to stop. Then it would be tragic.

As it stands this isn't at all tragic in any way.

(01-20-2016, 10:29 AM)gobobro Wrote: I think the leather helmet idea would get people killed before it would solve anything... And then result in freak deaths and paralysis even after.

I think you preach heads up football, adopt the collegiate targeting rules, and then expand on them. Eject players for targeting, and suspend them for the length of the injured player's recovery.

It has to be punitive, because the risk to the person delivering the blow is negligible when compared to the person receiving the blow.

I think there's too much room to abuse if suspensions are based on the injuries and recovery time. The league should standardize that and base it off of the hit and the history of the player - not how bad the injury is or how long they prolong a recovery. Other than that, everything you said should have been part of the NFL decades ago.

(01-20-2016, 04:50 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: If he was forced into doing this job with no options to stop.   Then it would be tragic.  

As it stands this isn't at all tragic in any way.

You can say you don't feel bad for them because they had choices, and that's totally fine. I do, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

All I'm saying is "tragedy," in the literary sense, doesn't make that distinction. Romeo and Juliet is an easy example. It's one of the all-time tragedies, and yet both characters have choice after choice to avoid the "inevitable."

By definition, Randle El's story is still tragic. You just don't have to feel bad for him.

Do you think miners with lung disease at an early age know the risk? Pays well so people put up with it. Just like football.

(01-20-2016, 05:03 PM)gobobro Wrote: You can say you don't feel bad for them because they had choices, and that's totally fine. I do, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

I think the "tough luck, you knew what you were getting into" crowd severely overestimates the amount of transparency certain industries such as the NFL have when divulging the amount of risk involved.  Randel El started playing football in 2002, and while we all know hitting your head isn't a good thing, the amount of information we are given now is pretty vast compared to then.

Maybe now that we are convinced the NFL is no longer covering up the long-term damage of concussions we can start telling players that they "knew" what they were getting into.  Interestingly enough, we are seeing more players retire early due to concerns over this...fascinating.

Anywho, I'm going to get in the car and head to Wal Mart.  If I get in a fatal auto accident on the way feel free to tell my surviving family members how I should have known how prevalent auto accidents are and I still knowingly took an unnecessary risk.

I'm just gonna leave this here...

Look at boxers like Ali. He's real messed up.

6andcounti Wrote:I think there's too much room to abuse if suspensions are based on the injuries and recovery time. The league should standardize that and base it off of the hit and the history of the player - not how bad the injury is or how long they prolong a recovery. Other than that, everything you said should have been part of the NFL decades ago.

Bell wouldn't ever make it a full season of they went leather helmets . Not as long as Nelson and Burfict are playing. Add Brown to that list as well.

(01-20-2016, 03:10 PM)gobobro Wrote: Actually, that's rather the literary definition of a tragedy.

Please, they are paid so many times the rate of a job that people study hard to achieve..

(01-20-2016, 03:40 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Is it less tragic when the guy makes a lot of money?  I mean, do you go to the VA hospital and tell the disabled veterans they should have just mowed lawns for a living if they didn't want to trade their lives/bodies for that sweet government paycheck?

I see your analogy, they both signed up for the job, but the pay rate is much different.

(01-20-2016, 05:03 PM)gobobro Wrote: You can say you don't feel bad for them because they had choices, and that's totally fine. I do, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

All I'm saying is "tragedy," in the literary sense, doesn't make that distinction. Romeo and Juliet is an easy example. It's one of the all-time tragedies, and yet both characters have choice after choice to avoid the "inevitable."

By definition, Randle El's story is still tragic. You just don't have to feel bad for him.

I don't feel bad for him.  He chose to play pro football.  He made millions, if he managed it well, he should be well taken care of.

(01-20-2016, 10:47 PM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Look at boxers like Ali. He's real messed up.

Again, you can tell a person the dangers of what they are good at, but will they listen?



All that I can say is that NFL football is the modern equivalent of Gladiators.  The best are handsomely rewarded, the weak are left to die.  Is it just?  Absolutely.  Everyone that signs up to play football knows full and well what the game is about, and what the possible outcomes are.

Do I feel badly for Randle El?  Meh, maybe for his physical condition, but he chose the gladiator life...