R.I.P. Dave Duerson

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

How does a player get unfairly pressured into participating ?
If the coach says show up and practice, you show up and practice.
If the boss says get to work, you get to work....
Sound like union coddling mentality to me.

Coach to Player......fine you have a boo-boo go sit the bench and we'll take that young rookie and see if he wants a job?

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

How does a player get unfairly pressured into participating ?
If the coach says show up and practice, you show up and practice.
If the boss says get to work, you get to work....
Sound like union coddling mentality to me.

Are you familiar with the so called voluntary work outs and offseason training program? You know the ones that is not obligatory but if anyone one player misses they get slammed first by the coaches in the press, then by the press, then the fans and the player that misses a VOLUNTARY workout is called a malcontent. Sound at all familiar?

Sounds like owner double talk to me. First the owners and commissioner claim to be really concerned about player concussions and head trauma, but then they want to add two more regular season games, because $9 billion dollars a year revenue is not enough?
Some people don't understand how billionaires could demand an additional $1 billion in concessions from players whose careers last an average of just three years, and suffer an assortment of degenerative joint and brain injuries.

[Alvin Walton]

Originally Posted by Giantone

....huh, ever play football?

Not for 1.4 million a year.

[Defensewins]

Yet another player that suffered the same fate due to concussions. Sad.


Ex-Falcons lineman had brain disease linked to concussions - CNN.com

[Leader In Sports]

Dave Duerson's family sues NFL over his suicide - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

The family of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson filed a wrongful-death suit against the NFL on Thursday, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain before he killed himself last year.

The suit was filed in Chicago on behalf of Duerson's son, Tregg, and three other children. Duerson died on Feb. 17, 2011, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at his home in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

The lawsuit accuses the NFL of negligently causing the brain damage that led Duerson to take his own life at the age of 50 by not warning him of the negative effects of concussions. Attorney Thomas Demetrio, who is representing Duerson's family, said the NFL should have been a leader in educating current and former players about head injuries.

''They not only dropped the ball, they maintained until current times that there was no connection between playing football, receiving concussions and brain damage,'' Demetrio said. ''That's wrong.''

The NFL said in a statement that it had not yet seen the lawsuit.

''Dave Duerson was an outstanding football player and citizen who made so many positive contributions but unfortunately encountered serious personal challenges later in his life,'' the NFL said. ''We sympathize with the Duerson family and continue to be saddened by this tragedy.''

A native of Muncie, Ind., Duerson was a third-round draft pick by the Bears in 1983 out of Notre Dame and played 11 seasons in the NFL before retiring in 1993. He won Super Bowls with the 1985 Bears and 1990 Giants, and played in four Pro Bowls.

The lawsuit was filed less than a week after nearly a dozen former NFL players living in Louisiana sued the NFL over their own concussions.

Several former New Orleans Saints players are among the 11 ex-players named as plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in New Orleans. The lawsuit says each of them has developed mental or physical problems from concussions or concussion-like symptoms. Several lawsuits blaming the NFL for concussion-related dementia and brain disease already have been consolidated in Philadelphia.

Duerson had at least 10 concussions during his NFL career, according to his family, and lost consciousness during some. He left notes for his family asking that his brain be donated to science, and researchers at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University's School of Medicine concluded he had ''moderately advanced'' brain damage and CTE related to blows to the head.

The lawsuit says the damage affected his judgment, inhibition and impulse control.

The lawsuit also names helmet maker Riddell Inc., alleging that the helmets didn't adequately protect players from concussions. Messages left for a Riddell spokeswoman weren't immediately returned Thursday.

[diehard]

He's gonna win.

[skinster]

And the root of the pussification of football is evident. I feel like smoking was just linked to cancer.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Ex-NFLers battle with brain trauma may help explain why Dave Duerson committed suicide

Very very sad to hear the news about Brown. I hope things turn out ok for him.

[mooby]

All this talk about the pussification of football, and so on/so forth, is disappointing. I love football as much as the next sport, but I do feel like enough hasn't been done to protect the lives of players long after they've left the game.

I know a lot of you have no sympathy for people who risk their lives to play a game and get well rewarded in the process, but a lot of these players who they talk about in the press today, the ones committing suicide, and living the rest of their lives in pain, weren't getting paid nearly as much as the guys of today are. And all they have to show for their time in football is a lot of medical bills and daily medical problems that make their lives unbearable. Have a little sympathy for the older generation here.

The NFL still has a long way to go to take care of the people who helped make the league what it is, and they also have a long way to go to improve the safety of the sport today. We can still have awesome football without sacrificing players' bodies once they've left the sport.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by mooby

All this talk about the pussification of football, and so on/so forth, is disappointing. I love football as much as the next sport, but I do feel like enough hasn't been done to protect the lives of players long after they've left the game.

I know a lot of you have no sympathy for people who risk their lives to play a game and get well rewarded in the process, but a lot of these players who they talk about in the press today, the ones committing suicide, and living the rest of their lives in pain, weren't getting paid nearly as much as the guys of today are. And all they have to show for their time in football is a lot of medical bills and daily medical problems that make their lives unbearable. Have a little sympathy for the older generation here.

The NFL still has a long way to go to take care of the people who helped make the league what it is, and they also have a long way to go to improve the safety of the sport today. We can still have awesome football without sacrificing players' bodies once they've left the sport.

How can the league can make it safer than it already is. Equipment wise? Perhaps. But they've already taken it too far with all the soft calls. It's a violent game and concussions can't be stopped. If the awareness was better back in the earlier days then perhpas some of these guys wouldn't be in the positions they're in now. I hope the league does something heath care wise for the older guys. But they can't do anything more with the on the field stuff.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by mooby

All this talk about the pussification of football, and so on/so forth, is disappointing. I love football as much as the next sport, but I do feel like enough hasn't been done to protect the lives of players long after they've left the game.

I know a lot of you have no sympathy for people who risk their lives to play a game and get well rewarded in the process, but a lot of these players who they talk about in the press today, the ones committing suicide, and living the rest of their lives in pain, weren't getting paid nearly as much as the guys of today are. And all they have to show for their time in football is a lot of medical bills and daily medical problems that make their lives unbearable. Have a little sympathy for the older generation here.

The NFL still has a long way to go to take care of the people who helped make the league what it is, and they also have a long way to go to improve the safety of the sport today. We can still have awesome football without sacrificing players' bodies once they've left the sport.

Nailed it.

[diehard]

Originally Posted by mooby

All this talk about the pussification of football, and so on/so forth, is disappointing. I love football as much as the next sport, but I do feel like enough hasn't been done to protect the lives of players long after they've left the game.

I know a lot of you have no sympathy for people who risk their lives to play a game and get well rewarded in the process, but a lot of these players who they talk about in the press today, the ones committing suicide, and living the rest of their lives in pain, weren't getting paid nearly as much as the guys of today are. And all they have to show for their time in football is a lot of medical bills and daily medical problems that make their lives unbearable. Have a little sympathy for the older generation here.

The NFL still has a long way to go to take care of the people who helped make the league what it is, and they also have a long way to go to improve the safety of the sport today. We can still have awesome football without sacrificing players' bodies once they've left the sport.

There are plenty of average Joes in the same situation...

[freddyg12]

Would players be willing to play fewer games in a season & have more of their $ automatically allocated to retirement & long-term health care, thus reducing overall take home pay?

The NFL isn't innocent in all this, but the players union until recently was all about getting more $. The players at one point were even open to playing 2 more games. I realize that was a bargaining tool, but the jist of it is that the players have always fought for more $ more than their safety & long-term health. Also, some of these guys need to hang it up earlier.

[skinster]

Originally Posted by mooby

All this talk about the pussification of football, and so on/so forth, is disappointing. I love football as much as the next sport, but I do feel like enough hasn't been done to protect the lives of players long after they've left the game.

I know a lot of you have no sympathy for people who risk their lives to play a game and get well rewarded in the process, but a lot of these players who they talk about in the press today, the ones committing suicide, and living the rest of their lives in pain, weren't getting paid nearly as much as the guys of today are. And all they have to show for their time in football is a lot of medical bills and daily medical problems that make their lives unbearable. Have a little sympathy for the older generation here.

The NFL still has a long way to go to take care of the people who helped make the league what it is, and they also have a long way to go to improve the safety of the sport today. We can still have awesome football without sacrificing players' bodies once they've left the sport.

Woah woah woah. Just because the pussification of football is happening doesnt mean that its not the right thing to do. I'm just saying I'm bummed that the rules are changing. Of course nobody should give up their livelyhood for the game, but it sucks that we're finding out just how damaging this game really is. I guess I am a little selfish because I do care more about the product deteriorating than people I do not know, but I'm not selfish enough to not be able to recognize that taking safety precautions is the right thing to do.

[Defensewins]

Maybe some hope for treatment to help the players with brain injuries. At least it has helped Bernie Kosar. I hope this is real groundbreaking stuff and not some money making BS.

Concussion-scarred Bernie Kosar finds relief with ‘groundbreaking’ treatment - Top Stories - Ohio

Kosar getting 'groundbreaking' help for concussions - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy