Thomas Jones to donate brain for study after death

[InChiefsHeaven]

This will be the end of football. Not the documentary, but the concussions. Mom's and dad's won't want their kids to even start playing because of this. If it can be demonstrated that the sport, played over the course of about 20 years, can screw your brain up like this, parents won't even want their kids to get started in it.

Me, I played until sophomore year. Was a "B" teamer and special teams guy. In other words, I sucked, so I was fodder for the A team. I got my ass kicked a lot, but I stopped at the age of 16. I see no ill effects. But I quit way earlier than these guys.

I dunno. It's depressing.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

This will be the end of football. Not the documentary, but the concussions. Mom's and dad's won't want their kids to even start playing because of this. If it can be demonstrated that the sport, played over the course of about 20 years, can screw your brain up like this, parents won't even want their kids to get started in it.

Me, I played until sophomore year. Was a "B" teamer and special teams guy. In other words, I sucked, so I was fodder for the A team. I got my ass kicked a lot, but I stopped at the age of 16. I see no ill effects. But I quit way earlier than these guys.

I dunno. It's depressing.

watch the documentary "Head Games". I watched it for the F of it one late Saturday night after gaming/drinking; I thought it was very interesting.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

This will be the end of football. Not the documentary, but the concussions. Mom's and dad's won't want their kids to even start playing because of this. If it can be demonstrated that the sport, played over the course of about 20 years, can screw your brain up like this, parents won't even want their kids to get started in it.

Me, I played until sophomore year. Was a "B" teamer and special teams guy. In other words, I sucked, so I was fodder for the A team. I got my ass kicked a lot, but I stopped at the age of 16. I see no ill effects. But I quit way earlier than these guys.

I dunno. It's depressing.

So let's assume you started when you were at 8 years old, which is about as early as it gets. You played 8 years, total. And when you're young you seriously just aren't moving all that fast. The violence of the collisions increases as you get older.

If Jones started at the same age as you, he played your 8 years, plus 2 more HS years, plus 4 more college, plus 12 pro, so a total of 26 years. More than triple you, and MOST of those were when the action is much, much faster/harder, and the chances of concussion that might higher.

That, more than anything else, is why you're almost definitely fine, and he is probably ****ed.

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

So let's assume you started when you were at 8 years old, which is about as early as it gets. You played 8 years, total. And when you're young you seriously just aren't moving all that fast. The violence of the collisions increases as you get older.

If Jones started at the same age as you, he played your 8 years, plus 2 more HS years, plus 4 more college, plus 12 pro, so a total of 26 years. More than triple you, and MOST of those were when the action is much, much faster/harder, and the chances of concussion that might higher.

That, more than anything else, is why you're almost definitely fine, and he is probably ****ed.

Agreed, totally. I guess I was trying to illustrate that none if us can know the toll it takes on your body because there are no professional or hell very few college athletes (if any) on this board, so we can't go off our own life experience of "Sucking it up and get through it".

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

Agreed, totally. I guess I was trying to illustrate that none if us can know the toll it takes on your body because there are no professional or hell very few college athletes (if any) on this board, so we can't go off our own life experience of "Sucking it up and get through it".

Yeah, most of us can't relate. Even if you played all the way through high school, varsity, you DID NOT play in a major college program for 4 years (where the speed and force of collisions are what? Double? Triple your average HS?) and then for years more at the NFL (where you can probably double or triple them again).

Also, some positions are going to be far more prone to this than others. QB? Kicker? Punter? Offensive Line? Defensive line? Chances are you probably aren't taking the kind of repeated head shots that players at other positions are taking.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

So let's assume you started when you were at 8 years old, which is about as early as it gets. You played 8 years, total. And when you're young you seriously just aren't moving all that fast. The violence of the collisions increases as you get older.

If Jones started at the same age as you, he played your 8 years, plus 2 more HS years, plus 4 more college, plus 12 pro, so a total of 26 years. More than triple you, and MOST of those were when the action is much, much faster/harder, and the chances of concussion that might higher.

That, more than anything else, is why you're almost definitely fine, and he is probably ****ed.

And I would like to add that ONE NFL hit to the head = Entire High School "career".

[Ecto-I]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

This will be the end of football. Not the documentary, but the concussions. Mom's and dad's won't want their kids to even start playing because of this. If it can be demonstrated that the sport, played over the course of about 20 years, can screw your brain up like this, parents won't even want their kids to get started in it.

Me, I played until sophomore year. Was a "B" teamer and special teams guy. In other words, I sucked, so I was fodder for the A team. I got my ass kicked a lot, but I stopped at the age of 16. I see no ill effects. But I quit way earlier than these guys.

I dunno. It's depressing.

I don't necessarily agree. You're right that many potential players will be kept out because of the injury risk, however many of these athletes are people for which athletics was their only option to "make it".

A lot of these guys are from low class neighborhoods where the choice is either play sports, or play on the streets. As such, I think football will survive even with growing awareness of long term repercussions.