Study: Amateur football hits linked to later-life difficulty

[Franisdaman]

A preliminary study by Boston University researchers shows a link between the number of hits a football player takes in youth, high school and college football and the development of cognitive difficulties as an adult.

The research is piling up on football, hits to the head, and the consequences.

The Link to the article: http://www.startribune.com/study-amateur-football-hits-linked-to-later-life-difficulty/374158781/

Who on here has young kids where you are seriously considering not allowing them to play football? Or are you not worried?

Thoughts in general? It's kind of ironic that studies like these keep coming out and new billion dollar stadiums are built and the NFL is as popular as ever.

 

[1stplacehawk]

It's a contact sport. Play at your own risk. All of these studies are starting to get tiresome

 

[RockEyeState]

These researchers 'other' studies include global warming?

"just think how cold winter would be without global warming?'

 

[vincebrookins]

Studies find soccer is boring.

 

[Herkmeister]

The end of football is upon us. This I fear will gain more traction.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Still waiting to hear about the millions who have played with no after effects. The study estimated how many head shots they took. How can you have a good study with estimates?

 

[Herkmeister]

Still waiting to hear about the millions who have played with no after effects. The study estimated how many head shots they took. How can you have a good study with estimates?

You sell it with emotion. It is to their advantage that not all players can be diagnosed.

 

[ping72]

I played through college. I'm now paranoid about this.

I'm now in mid-30s and can feel I'm not as mentally sharp as I used to be. It's probably just aging...but I worry.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

I played high school ball. Skipped middle school ball and we didn't have any youth program back then. I had the injury bug my last couple of years that I still feel some amount of pain from every now and then.

Junior Year: Torn MCL in the second game of the season, done for the year.
Senior Year: Broken tibia, fibula, and ligament damage in one ankle in the 6th game of the season. Done for the year.

As far as I know I never suffered a significant brain injury. But they're saying that CTE isn't necessarily caused by the major hits, it is caused by the repetitive little ones. I'm hoping that since I effectively played only three seasons that I'll be ok.

As far as the question about anyone's kids. No, I will not be letting my son play competitive football at any level. Either tackle or flag. Not because of the "mechanical" injuries that I suffered, but rather because of the brain risk. I had a lot of fun playing, but it just isn't worth it. You can have a lot of fun doing other sports or activities too.

 

[Franisdaman]

i hope that people don't bury their heads in the sand over this issue.

With awareness, we probably can save lives. Tyler Sash's parents and family had no idea what was happening to their son; all they knew was that he was behaving strangely. He was so young and had so much life to live. They only found out after he was dead that he had an advanced case of CTE.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Considering you get an education worth 1000s....is college still considered amateur?

 

[Roy-munson]

Cte is a strong topic for the people out there trying to kill football. But since they already know what cte is, the have found a way to treat it. (But you don't hear much about that) it's not the hits to the heads that does the damage it the compressing of the spine. That then blocks spinal fluid to your Brain, so to remedy the problem is to remove or shrink the blockage that is slowing down the spinal fluid.

 

[N.Legend]

The studies are one-sided an geared toward the conclusions wanted. I played four years high school football, 4 years college, two pre-seasons with the Denver Broncos and five season in semi-pro ball. I recall being knocked out (today called a concussion) 6-7 times. last year I retired as an attorney (Ya I'm an old dude) and to the best of my knowledge my mind is sharp. But my ,and others in the same position, case has never been included in a study. Keep in mind that studies begin with a bias based on who is selected to do the study. Another thing about studies; if you want to know how they start just follow the money...and how they reach a conclusion, again just follow the money.

 

[hawkedoff]

Follow the money? The money is all on the side of football. That is part of the problem...the NFL deliberately suppressing evidence. What possible motivation, financial or otherwise, would these doctors have to come out against football? None. It is a nifty trick you are pulling to cast doubt on their findings without anything other than your own anecdotal experience and emotional appeal.

Shame that you would come out so incredibly biased against what these multiple studies across institutions re finding in relation to CTE and the impact on youth.

Football has cancer. Terminal cancer. It may live for a good long while but it is dying.

 

[hawkedoff]

And no they do not have a way to treat cte. cte cannot currently be diagnosed prior to death so the idea that there is an effective treatment is nothing but BS. Unless of course you can link to the treatment and methods of diagnosis.


So sad that so many will bury evidence so they drink beer and watch a game while putting all kinds of kids at risk.

 

[RockEyeState]

The end of football is upon us. This I fear will gain more traction.

How about we move this kind of thread to the HROT board?

It has ZERO to do with Hawkeye football

 

[Herkmeister]

How about we move this kind of thread to the HROT board?

It has ZERO to do with Hawkeye football

Hey Rock, I didn't start this thread. Just expressed my opinion.

 

[hawkedoff]

Hey rock. Yes it does.

 

[kjose]

My son played football through middle school and has decided against it as it is not one of his favorite sports, even though he is good at it. I for one am pretty relieved that he has chosen to pass on football. I am sure there is football players that have played that do not have CTE and once those players donate their brains after their death, than maybe we can really draw conclusions whether football is worth the risk. When watching all these documentaries about CTE and young men ( 18-22) that decided that football is worth the risk even though they may not comprehend what it will mean at the age of 40. How do we expect kids ( 12-18 ) to make a logical decision when the implications of their decisions is so far in the future. I think we as parents need to do what we think is best for our children and with so little facts about the risk/reward it really comes down to is it worth it.

 

[Franisdaman]

My son played football through middle school and has decided against it as it is not one of his favorite sports, even though he is good at it. I for one am pretty relieved that he has chosen to pass on football. I am sure there is football players that have played that do not have CTE and once those players donate their brains after their death, than maybe we can really draw conclusions whether football is worth the risk. When watching all these documentaries about CTE and young men ( 18-22) that decided that football is worth the risk even though they may not comprehend what it will mean at the age of 40. How do we expect kids ( 12-18 ) to make a logical decision when the implications of their decisions is so far in the future. I think we as parents need to do what we think is best for our children and with so little facts about the risk/reward it really comes down to is it worth it.

there is so much peer pressure, too. if your son's buddies are playing football, he will more than likely want to play as well. sometimes its hard for parents to say "no" even though they think "no" is the right answer.

i think having lots of science out there is a good thing; more knowledge is a good thing. parents can then take the information and make informed decisions.

 

[Franisdaman]

How about we move this kind of thread to the HROT board?

It has ZERO to do with Hawkeye football

Tyler Sash dying ,with it later being found out that he had advanced stages of CTE, has nothing to do with Hawkeye football?

How deep into the sand is your head buried?

 

[Kinnick4Ever]

These researchers 'other' studies include global warming?

"just think how cold winter would be without global warming?'

I get the feeling some people wish there were no such thing as research since actual facts seem to threaten their preconceived notions. If they don't like the results, they simply demonize the messenger. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

 

[MepoDawg#]

The studies are biased as they are only selecting those suspected to have CTE then only report on those who do. What about the millions who have played high school football, hundreds of thousands who have played through college, and tens of thousands who have played pro football? Is there a link probably, but other factors could be involved, too. More need to be tested including those that are seemingly healthy that have played contact sports.

 

[hawkedoff]

Mepo. That is exactly what they are starting to study and the early findings are not looking to good. It is also exactly the type of research the NFL was suppressing.