Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Not that I want to encourage or condone suicide but in the case of collision sport athletes there is an odd sense of honor in the self-inflicted chest wound in light of preserving the brain for future research. If for nothing more then the fact that it seems a painful way to go.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

I hope that Junior Seau didn't take his own life. We remember him as a defensive competitor on the gridiron. But as a person and a man, he always was a class act. He's one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Really sad as thoughts and prayers are with his family! :(

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=mlmdub130;914758]just awful news. the second i heard he was dead i knew it was suicide. i had a feeling thats what really happened when he "feel asleep at the wheel" a year or so ago. it will be interesting to find out if a note was left, or if he had talked to anyone before taking his life. one of the all time greats, rip.

anyone else remember his nike commercial with dennis hopper? i used to love it

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaIsuqhHS8g]Nike commercial featuring Stanley talk about Junior Seau - YouTube[/url][/quote]

There was no note left. They have ruled it a suicide and texted his ex-wife and kids the night before telling that he loved them.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

I read that he is now the 8th member of the Chargers SB Team in 94 to have died.. Weird

I had a person really close to me kill themselves. Honestly I think it's the most selfish act someone can make. I don't feel sorry for anyone that chooses to go that route unless there is some mental issue that caused it. While the evidence is building there might be something to head trauma, My opinion is that it might have more to do with supplements, hgh, steroids, or other enhancements that have come about in the last 30 or so years. I would love to see the evidence of how many players has this issue when they didn't wear helmets.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=NYCskinfan82;914677]Will never happen I know you should never say never but theres to much $$$$$ in this game/business.[/quote]
~~~~~~
Agreed. There is waaaaaay too much money invested in this sport and I can't imagine it will change.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=Dirtbag59;914776]Not that I want to encourage or condone suicide but in the case of collision sport athletes there is an odd sense of honor in the self-inflicted chest wound in light of preserving the brain for future research. If for nothing more then the fact that it seems a painful way to go.[/quote]
~~~~~~~
Didn't Duerson do that as well so his brain could be studied? Having lost several people to suicide it is never easy and hell if it ever makes total sense especially for the people left behind.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=TheSmurfs22;914797]~~~~~~~
Didn't Duerson do that as well so his brain could be studied? Having lost several people to suicide it is never easy and hell if it ever makes total sense especially for the people left behind.[/quote]

Yeah, thats probably where he got the idea from. Just tragic but at least it won't be for nothing.

Kind of crazy though. I mean a lot of us have probably thought at one time or another how great it would be to be a star football player with millions of dollars and celebrity. Never mind a star player in sunny San Diego.

However if he was suffering from depression brought on by head injuries to the point where he was willing to take his own life.....maybe all the money and fame isn't worth it.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

This is so sad to see. I didn't want to post so soon after seeing the news just because it was so fresh. After living in San Diego for a few years as a teenager and seeing his impact on that area firsthand, he easily became one of my all time favorite non-Redskin players. It's such a shame to have all signs pointing towards his demons winning out and him leaving the world this way. Sometimes those of us putting on the bravest front are the ones needing help the most. RIP Junior I hope you're at peace now.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=SmootSmack;914642]I knew he was really struggling with his life the past few years, but I thought it was just the usual difficulties of adjusting to life outside playing in the NFL. Never knew it was this bad[/quote]

Everyone though has the out of the limelight moment, you just adjust and maybe do something related such as doing radio or an ESPN analyst or something around those lines, or devote all your time to your charity. It just seems to be a tragic waste of life.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=GusFrerotte;914807]Everyone though has the out of the limelight moment, you just adjust and maybe do something related such as doing radio or an ESPN analyst or something around those lines, or devote all your time to your charity. It just seems to be a tragic waste of life.[/quote]

You're making it sound much easier than it is

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

I chalk this up to the fact the guy must have thought he had nothing left to contribute once football ended. He was very involved in the community, etc. He could have just waged a different kind of fight, that just wasn't on the gridiron.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=SmootSmack;914808]You're making it sound much easier than it is[/quote]

It isn't easy if you are the one that has a ton of $ thrust on you for being an All Pro for so long ,with all the adjulation, etc. Not trying to make light of it, but c'mon now. Guys like Darrell Green don't say oh well my playing days are over and all I have in my charity work and get depressed. Everyone has a different temperment Smooty, I know. But Junior did have a lot going for him in terms of community involvement, etc. He could have still made a difference somehow. He could have coached if he wanted a new challenge. Just is a tragic waste of a good human being is my point

[QUOTE=GusFrerotte;914812]It isn't easy if you are the one that has a ton of $ thrust on you for being an All Pro for so long ,with all the adjulation, etc. Not trying to make light of it, but c'mon now. Guys like Darrell Green don't say oh well my playing days are over and all I have in my charity work and get depressed. Everyone has a different temperment Smooty, I know. But Junior did have a lot going for him in terms of community involvement, etc. He could have still made a difference somehow. He could have coached if he wanted a new challenge. Just is a tragic waste of a good human being is my point[/QUOTE]

Maybe it was something else? He did wreck his car a while back over a domestic dispute I believe..

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/02/lorenzo-neal-reflects-on-the-pressures-of-being-junior-seau/]Lorenzo Neal reflects on the pressures of being Junior Seau | ProFootballTalk[/url]

[QUOTE=BleedBurgundy;914672]wow, this is very sad on a lot of different levels. I'm not sure if anyone agrees, but as we learn more and more of the after effects of concussions/brain trauma, it's making it harder to enjoy the NFL as a whole.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Last season and before I've contemplated boycotting the NFL for those reasons. I seem to be getting closer to that: a moral right over a game I love.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

I saw his mom on television last night crying before the caps game. It's just so sad. Concussions or not, i dont care about that right now. I'm just sad that we lost one of those rare good people that can put everything they've got emotionally, mentally, and physically into something.

I'm a huge fan of his love for the game. I wish he had loved himself and his family more though.

[QUOTE=GusFrerotte;914812]It isn't easy if you are the one that has a ton of $ thrust on you for being an All Pro for so long ,with all the adjulation, etc. Not trying to make light of it, but c'mon now. Guys like Darrell Green don't say oh well my playing days are over and all I have in my charity work and get depressed. Everyone has a different temperment Smooty, I know. But Junior did have a lot going for him in terms of community involvement, etc. He could have still made a difference somehow. He could have coached if he wanted a new challenge. Just is a tragic waste of a good human being is my point[/QUOTE]

I disagree. I've seen depression and other mental related issues plague and impact the best. Depression requires treatment, effort and luck. Its very naive to think coaching or whatever would've prevented this. You don't just say "oh OK I'm depressed".

The way you talk about depression makes me think you have little understanding about it.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=hooskins;914842]I disagree. I've seen depression and other mental related issues plague and impact the best. Depression requires treatment, effort and luck. Its very naive to think coaching or whatever would've prevented this. You don't just say "oh OK I'm depressed".

The way you talk about depression makes me think you have little understanding about it.[/quote]

Events like this remind most of us that we dont understand depression. And because of that, when it happens to us, we dont know what to do about it.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=hooskins;914842]I disagree. I've seen depression and other mental related issues plague and impact the best. Depression requires treatment, effort and luck. Its very naive to think coaching or whatever would've prevented this. You don't just say "oh OK I'm depressed".

The way you talk about depression makes me think you have little understanding about it.[/quote]

Well said

[QUOTE=Monksdown;914843]Events like this remind most of us that we dont understand depression. And because of that, when it happens to us, we dont know what to do about it.[/QUOTE]

I'm by no means an expert, but I've been around family/friends who have gone through this type of stuff and read enough medical journals and research to know you can't reach a broad generalization/conclusion for depression. There are many factors that cause and help address depression.

That's what I know and understand.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=NYCskinfan82;914677]Will never happen I know you should never say never but theres to much $$$$$ in this game/business.[/quote]

Sure there will be a movement.

There's big money in the energy industries and there are still insane radical activists protesting to ban every type of energy that's not from the clouds or sun...and energy is much more of a necessity in life than sports.

Some groups want to ban meat. Others, religion.


There will definitely be a liberal movement to ban sports someday, if there's not a quiet one going on already, but we'll crush them. It will never be allowed to happen. Even Congress would not allow it. They think sports are so important that they're spending our tax money right now in an unnecessary trial to see if a pitcher lied about cheating in baseball. They understand the social and economic importance of sports, that's why they're always meddling in it to do what they THINK is good for the sports.


[quote=skinsfaninok;914789]I read that he is now the 8th member of the Chargers SB Team in 94 to have died.. Weird[/quote]

[url=http://deadspin.com/5867720/death-is-stalking-the-1994-chargers]Death Is Stalking The 1994 Chargers[/url]

[quote][B]Death Is Stalking The 1994 Chargers[/B]

[URL="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17lhabvpf3nvwjpg/original.jpg"][IMG]http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17lhabvpf3nvwjpg/medium.jpg[/IMG][/URL]It is the plot of the least likely [I]Final Destination[/I] sequel ever: members of the 1994 AFC Champion Chargers have been dying premature deaths. Even more premature than the average CTE-doomed football player: with [URL="http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Former-Charger-Lew-Bush-passes-away/762bf2d3-dfb2-4303-91c4-f471a52bfb2a"]Lew Bush's death last week,[/URL] seven players from that Super Bowl team have passed away before the age of 45.
• Five months after that Super Bowl, LB David Griggs [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/21/obituaries/david-griggs-football-player-28.html"]drove his car off a freeway ramp and slammed into a sign pole.[/URL] Subsequent tests would show that [URL="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1995-07-09/sports/9507090129_1_david-griggs-dolphins-alcohol"]his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.[/URL]
• In 1996, RB Rodney Culver and his wife were aboard ValuJet FLight 592 from Miami to Atlanta when [URL="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1998/03/the-lessons-of-valujet-592/6534/"]it crashed into the Everglades, killing all on board.[/URL]
• In 1998, LB Doug Miller was [URL="http://lubbockonline.com/stories/072398/LS0438.shtml"]struck by lightning while camping in Colorado.[/URL] CPR was being performed on Miller when he was struck again by a second bolt.
• In 2008, C Curtis Whitley [URL="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80850307/printable/former-center-whitley-found-dead-in-texas-trailer-home"]was found dead in his trailer in Texas. Whitley had a history of substance abuse and had twice been suspended by the NFL, and toxicology results pointed to an accidental overdose.[/URL]
• Also in 2008, DE Chris Mims [URL="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/jun/07/1n7mims225244-fallen-stars-burnout/"]was discovered facedown on the bathroom floor of his Los Angeles apartment.[/URL] An autopsy revealed an enlarged heart, and Mims weighed 456 pounds at his death.
• Earlier this year, DT Shawn Lee [URL="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/28/former-chargers-dl-shawn-lee-dead-44/"]died from cardiac arrest brought on by years of complications with diabetes.[/URL]
• On Thursday, Bush suffered a heart attack at his home in San Diego. Since retiring in 2002, friends say he had struggled with his weight.
A combination of freak accidents and typical post-football life demises. This is a statistical anomaly, not the spectral fingers of death personified plucking Bobby Ross's squad from this mortal plane. Still: football is a really, really dangerous game.
[B]Update (May 2, 2012):[/B] [URL="http://deadspin.com/5907073"]Junior Seau is dead, an apparent suicide[/URL].

[/quote]

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Still can't believe he is dead. A great player. My question --as is a lot of our's main question is --"Why?" Why did he kill himself? His life was great. A lot of people who had seen him were saying he seemed normal. Why was killing himself the answer? We are going to find out a lot more in the next upcoming days and weeks.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

His life obviously wasn't as great as it appeared from a distance.

A lot of these guys know nothing but playing football, and when their careers are over they're lost.

20 years of getting your head rattled around can't help either.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Hearing all these people on tv and radio today makes this so much worse. A lot of people really cared about him. I just wonder why no one ever saw that he really needed some serious help.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

^ Hank Baugher a form great of the Chargers at RB said he saw Junior a few weeks ago and that Junior appeared normal and saw nothing wrong with him.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=skinsfan69;915026]Hearing all these people on tv and radio today makes this so much worse. A lot of people really cared about him. I just wonder why no one ever saw that he really needed some serious help.[/quote]

That's the thing with a lot of people with depression/sucide issues, many times they tend to fall into 1 of 2 categories:

They're either talking about it all the time or its obvious they need help

or

They're hiding it so well, you think nothing's wrong with them.

Unfortunately it seems that Seau fell into the latter.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=skinsfan69;915026]Hearing all these people on tv and radio today makes this so much worse. A lot of people really cared about him. I just wonder why no one ever saw that he really needed some serious help.[/quote]


While in College(decades ago) I had a psychology Professor that had a interesting take on this ....."everyone at some point in their lives will consider this ",she said that it might be while young and in school or older and retired but at some point in life you will consider it.People under this type of stress will hide it well till it gets overwhelming and if the means are available at that time then the result is not good.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-junior-seau-brain-study-20120503,0,1280862.story]Family of Junior Seau will allow his brain to be studied - latimes.com[/url]

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

When his life was football, he dominated it. He was the king on the field. When football was over for him it was a hit to his pride. Being 'the man' became a part of who he was over that long career. He wasnt prepared for slowing down, mentally.

That's my take anyway.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Not to sound morbid, but do you think he deliberately chose the manner of death he did to leave his brain in tact?

Also, there have been so many former players experiencing mental health problems, and a shocking number of suicides and it seems like we've never heard of it before. I wonder if it just never got the proper attention before or could it be it's due to changes in the game to cause concussions to occur more frequently?

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

It's been speculated by a few of us here that that's exactly why he shot himself in the chest. To preserve his brain, a la Dave Duerson

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

Still cant believe it. RIP Junior Seau.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8TuSVmOrw]Bro hymn-Pennywise - YouTube[/ame]

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

rip junior
i remember reading an article with him in si for kids in early elementary school. i wore #55 because i wanted to play like him. i hope he is in a better place now. best wishes for his loved ones.
i wonder if he really wanted his brain touched, if he had that intention he could have made it more clear with a note or with a box jellyfish

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=los panda;915136]rip junior
i remember reading an article with him in si for kids in early elementary school. i wore #55 because i wanted to play like him. i hope he is in a better place now. best wishes for his loved ones.
i wonder if he really wanted his brain touched, if he had that intention he could have made it more clear with a note or with a box jellyfish[/quote]

Are you going Seven Pounds on me.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

I saw this while on vacation between beers and rounds of golf. Very sad to hear.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[url=http://www.kurtwarner.org/blog/?p=36]Response to Critics | Kurt's Writings[/url]

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=SmootSmack;915611][url=http://www.kurtwarner.org/blog/?p=36]Response to Critics | Kurt's Writings[/url][/quote]

I think he raises some valid concerns.

Too bad knuckleheads like Hoge and Toomer don't seem to understand.

Re: Junior Seau Confirmed Dead
 

[quote=Mattyk;915613]I think he raises some valid concerns.

Too bad knuckleheads like Hoge and Toomer don't seem to understand.[/quote]

I agree with you Matty.I have 3 grandsons and I have talked to their parents and asked them not to have the boys play football.My concern isn't the game itself but the people running the game at other levels..pop warner,middle school ,High school and College.
My daughter came to me and wanted some advice about starting my oldest grandson in football and I said we can look around an see if he would like it first.Went to the local rec people and they told me about a flag league that he could play in so we went on a sunday afternoon and watched .After the games were over I went to a group of coachs that were packing up and was asking some questions when one asked me has he ever played before(orginized football)I said no......they said he was to far behind the others....HE IS 8 YEARS OLD.
Still it's just not them high schooll isn't much better seems every coach is Lombardi and every game is the super bowl when do the kids get to enjoy the game?Jim Garrett yup Jason Garrett's father coached at a high school in NJ and got fired and sued for forcing players to play hurt.Sorry but I get carried away on the subject of footbal and injuries.