NFL acknowledges link between football and brain disease for the first time

[aleshemsky83]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...s-link-football-related-head-trauma-cte-first

The NFL's top health and safety officer acknowledged Monday there is a link between football-related head trauma and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE -- the first time a senior league official has conceded football's connection to the devastating brain disease.

The admission came during a roundtable discussion on concussions convened by the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce. Jeff Miller, the NFL's senior vice president for health and safety, was asked by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., if the link between football and neurodegenerative diseases like CTE has been established.

"The answer to that question is certainly yes," Miller said.

Click to read more...

 

[CDJ]

the hourglass has officially been flipped


15-20 years remaining at most I would imagine

 

[tarheelhockey]

Holy... how can it have taken this long? I just assumed in the background of this huge conversation about head injuries that the NFL would have acknowledged that a problem existed. The fact that they're just admitting it now is a disgrace.

 

[XX]

The league will be fine. They'll take better care of the players during and after. Equipment will be improved. Rules enforced. Guys will retire earlier. Is the clock running on MMA? I don't think so.

 

[CDJ]

The league will be fine. They'll take better care of the players during and after. Equipment will be improved. Rules enforced. Guys will retire earlier. Is the clock running on MMA? I don't think so.

MMA fighters have a lot of time in between fights to recover. Football players have minor collisions every day- some of them on every play- for the better part of 5 months. And almost all of them are coming back with a degenerative brain condition (as that study that showed 87 of 91 with CTE illustrates). Significant changes will have to be made soon enough and it won't be the same.

 

[542365]

I can't believe it took them this long. It's only a matter of time before more parents start keeping their kids from playing football. The NFL's popularity will peak within the next couple of years.

 

[SKRusty]

NFL Official Admits CTE Correlation

The largest piece of news in the last 24 Hours likely has to be the fact that an NFL official has come out and admitted football hits do cause CTE and head injuries.

This will have huge ramification on the class action lawsuit against the NHL.

I welcome you all to read my piece on head injuries.

http://rustys.sportsblog.com/posts/14164259/wideman--the-nhl-just-doesn---t-get-it.html

 

[Your Reality Check]

I always just assumed that NFL players got CTE outside of football related activities.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I always just assumed that NFL players got CTE outside of football related activities.

Investigator: "How did you acquire your head injuries?"

Roger Goodell: "Go ahead, tell them."

Jamal Lewis: "Uh...I fell."

 

[karnige]

what we all knew. the games changed a lot now and for the better.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Huge that they finally acknowledged it, though.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Investigator: "How did you acquire your head injuries?"

Roger Goodell: "Go ahead, tell them."

Jamal Lewis: "Uh...I fell."

I laughed way too hard at this.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

the hourglass has officially been flipped


15-20 years remaining at most I would imagine

Possibly, but I don't see, the league is too profitable. 18 game schedule might finally be dead though, thankfully.

 

[Sports Enthusiast]

what we all knew. the games changed a lot now and for the better.

That's debatable. Too many flags.