Dr. Omalu: Over 90% of NFL players have some degree of CTE

[2ram]

http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/12/23/bennet-omalu-cte-professional-football-players?xid=aol_home&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl35%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1043277359

“In my opinion, taking professional football players as a cohort, I think over 90% of American football players suffer from this disease,” Omalu said (http://time.com/4158140/concussion-film-bennet-omalu-cte-nfl/?xid=time_socialflow_twitter). “Over 90% of players who play to the professional level have some degree of this disease. I have not examined any brain of a retired football player that came back negative.”

- Dr. Omalu


pretty scary, but possibly hyperbolic since the data set seems to be only those examined, and likely those would have been positively selected for demonstrating signs indicative of CTE.

still, if possibly up to 90% of ex-pro players suffer from CTE, how many ex-college players suffer? 10%? 50%? 80%?

how many of us have kids of our own playing right now, and does this concern anyone?

[JSUSoutherner]

My question would be how many non-football players have CTE to the same extent as the 90% that is assumed and how does it compare to the NFL stats? He says in the article that they can't determine that number on living patients so I would take that number with a grain of salt. Also I would ask at what degree CTE becomes an issue?

[DFW HOYA]

It's a bit pointless without comparison. How many other sports are in this cohort? Or car racing? Or wrestling? Or, in the public at large?

[Sycamore62]

My question would be how many non-football players have CTE to the same extent as the 90% that is assumed and how does it compare to the NFL stats? He says in the article that they can't determine that number on living patients so I would take that number with a grain of salt. Also I would ask at what degree CTE becomes an issue?

I dont dispute this may be a problem but what does "Some" degree mean. one issue is that they are examining brains of a group who suspected they had issues in the first place. slamming football for anything will get the mainstream media's (read non-football nerd's) attention just because they wish the sport didnt have that much power/pull.

[Missingnumber7]

While this isn't a concern to me as life is livable with CTE. How different is it from driving a car? You have a chance of being killed in a car accident every time you drive down the road. Does that stop you from driving? No they have airbags, and seat belts. I think that it has improved a lot since I played and that was only 14 years ago. I think they will continue to come up with improvements that will decrease the likely hood of concussion or at least the severity of them. I know that I can count at least 5 that I was held out of plays for, and at least 2 of them I wouldn't have been allowed to play for a while with today. But that was the reality at that time. I know that since I finished playing football and have switched to the military I have suffered at least 4 concussions through incidents on my various deployments. It isn't just a football issue and CTE isn't even being discussed on the military level yet for those who have dealt with explosions from IED's. I suffer from many symptoms similar to NFL players who they use as examples for CTE and the VA says I'm normal.

As far as the 90% what degree of CTE are they talking? Its an attention grabbing number.

[Sycamore62]

It's a bit pointless without comparison. How many other sports are in this cohort? Or car racing? Or wrestling? Or, in the public at large?

Soccer has concussion issues too

[Missingnumber7]

It's a bit pointless without comparison. How many other sports are in this cohort? Or car racing? Or wrestling? Or, in the public at large?

The last set of numbers on Concussions, granted not CTE, from NFHS said that Girls Soccer, Girls Basketball, and Lacrosse were all higher than football on the concussion percentage. And Girls Soccer was much higher than football.

[2ram]

My question would be how many non-football players have CTE to the same extent as the 90% that is assumed and how does it compare to the NFL stats? He says in the article that they can't determine that number on living patients so I would take that number with a grain of salt. Also I would ask at what degree CTE becomes an issue?

I don't think anyone knows any of that at this point. if you can only test for CTE on a dead person, and you haven't tested any other dead people for it, other than ex-pro players, you don't have any real measuring stick. however, I think the original concern leading to the discovery of CTE stemmed from the disproportionate # of NFL players that developed mental issues vs. the general population. my own uncle played for Fordham in the '30's and '40's. I met him late in life, and sadly he was a mess... Certainly if 90% of ex-nfl players do wind up having mild to severe CTE, I would think that easily outpaces the general population by several factors of 10.

that aside, not knowing how big, broad or deep the issue(s) is, isn't the real question for us at the moment. The real question is what do the people who are taking this newly found, as yet undefined risk, by playing football right now do about it? For instance, if your kid is playing right now, do you pull him out? What if he's in college right now as a starting linebacker smashing his head every play?

Are you 'risks be damned' or are you 'get out now because you don't know what you're really doing to yourself'?

[Sycamore62]

Ill bet sleep apnea is a bigger issue for the health of half the players

[JSUSoutherner]

I dont dispute this may be a problem but what does "Some" degree mean. one issue is that they are examining brains of a group who suspected they had issues in the first place. slamming football for anything will get the mainstream media's (read non-football nerd's) attention just because they wish the sport didnt have that much power/pull.

I was never denying it may be an issue, but without more data or a comparison we don't know for sure. My "to some degree" is in regards to how far in progression does the disease does a subject have to be considered for this 90%?

Kind of in the same sense of how most people have hearing loss to some degree but in a fewer number it is a noticeable problem that shows its effects.

How do we know that the general public doesn't show signs of CTE to the same extent as some of the football players in this 90% statistic? We don't. We need more data. All I'm saying is we need more data on CTE, its effects, and in this NFL example, a comparison of how the NFL numbers compare to those who participate in other activities or even the general public as it may not be only a "football related" condition.



Are you 'risks be damned' or are you 'get out now because you don't know what you're really doing to yourself'?

Honestly, if it's not showing its effects to the degree it can't be studied throughly on living subjects I personally wouldn't put too much stock into it. Perhaps when more conclusive data surfaces I may change my opinion but there's simply not enough data at this point. Plus, I think associating players in the NFL who have been in the sport 10-15 years sometimes more, is a pretty far cry from my child playing middle school or high school or even college ball.

[2ram]

keep in mind, it's not just the concussions that are the problem as I've read it, it's the numerous sub-concussive hits that are worrying. yes, you might get hit hard playing soccer, but do you get hit everyday? multiple times a day? for the whole season? for seasons on end?

as a starting football player, you are probably hitting someone almost every play of every day during the season. for multiple seasons. for sure.

[Sycamore62]

I was never denying it may be an issue, but without more data or a comparison we don't know for sure. My "to some degree" is in regards to how far in progression does the disease does a subject have to be considered for this 90%?

Kind of in the same sense of how most people have hearing loss to some degree but in a fewer number it is a noticeable problem that shows its effects.

How do we know that the general public doesn't show signs of CTE to the same extent as some of the football players in this 90% statistic? We don't. We need more data. All I'm saying is we need more data on CTE, its effects, and in this NFL example, a comparison of how the NFL numbers compare to those who participate in other activities or even the general public as it may not be only a "football related" condition.

i wasnt disagreeing with you. no matter how poorly i tried to make a point. its all the head injuries I had playing sports....Tennis and golf....not college football

[2ram]

I was never denying it may be an issue, but without more data or a comparison we don't know for sure. My "to some degree" is in regards to how far in progression does the disease does a subject have to be considered for this 90%?

Kind of in the same sense of how most people have hearing loss to some degree but in a fewer number it is a noticeable problem that shows its effects.

How do we know that the general public doesn't show signs of CTE to the same extent as some of the football players in this 90% statistic? We don't. We need more data. All I'm saying is we need more data on CTE, its effects, and in this NFL example, a comparison of how the NFL numbers compare to those who participate in other activities or even the general public as it may not be only a "football related" condition.



Honestly, if it's not showing its effects to the degree it can't be studied throughly on living subjects I personally wouldn't put too much stock into it. Perhaps when more conclusive data surfaces I may change my opinion but there's simply not enough data at this point. Plus, I think associating players in the NFL who have been in the sport 10-15 years sometimes more, is a pretty far cry from my child playing middle school or high school or even college ball.


Well keep in mind, some 5th year seniors have been playing since Pop Warner and that's well over a decade. I started in 8th grade and thru college that's 9 years of football. Looking back on it, I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was more than enough hitting to cause brain damage.

My parents stopped smoking long before they finally linked it to cancer & heart disease. They didn't know enough about the effects of smoking, even though there was suspicion. They did know enough not to take an unknown/undefined risk that could kill you, and wait to see what actually was going on. If smoking wound up not causing cancer, who knows? Maybe they'd be huffing a toker on the porch right now, but I'm glad they strongly advised me against it, even though they weren't sure.

I suppose it really comes down to your risk profile.

[CID1990]

and 95% of women are bipolar




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[TheKingpin28]

and 95% of women are bipolar




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Redeads, hair stylists, and women named Tiffany I avoid like the Plague.

[Nickels]

Football isn't safe, never was safe and never will be safe. The players know the risk these days and decide to do it anyway. Football is organized violent chaos. Stop trying to nerf it or call it flag football already.

[aust42]

I found it interesting that our media made a big deal about Frank Gifford developing CTE the last year of his life. He seemed perfectly fine for decades after he retired from pro football. Who doesn't start going senile in their 80's for whatever reason? As others have noted we don't have enough data. There are plenty of ex pro football players who are perfectly fine. The human body was not made to play football but it's the greatest sport ever created. Leave us alone. The sport has become watered down too much already because of the scrutiny of concussions and safety. Let them sign a waiver and play the game the way it should be played.

[CID1990]

CTE actually raises the IQs of many players.


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[OSBF]

Football isn't safe, never was safe and never will be safe. The players know the risk these days and decide to do it anyway. Football is organized violent chaos. Stop trying to nerf it or call it flag football already.

Football as we know it today will not exist at some point in the future. Will it be in 15 years? 25? Its a given that at some point it will cease to exist in the same form it does today

[2ram]

Football isn't safe, never was safe and never will be safe. The players know the risk these days and decide to do it anyway. Football is organized violent chaos. Stop trying to nerf it or call it flag football already.

ah, no.

no one told us that CTE was a risk. and afaik, not a single player on the squad ever considered sub-concussive hits as a potential issue. certain circumstances or hits that could cause a torn acl, a concussion, a broken bone, a spinal injury even, yes. but not possible permanent brain damage from just playing too much.

[OSBF]

ah, no.

no one told us that CTE was a risk. and afaik, not a single player on the squad ever considered sub-concussive hits as a potential issue. certain circumstances or hits that could cause a torn acl, a concussion, a broken bone, a spinal injury even, yes. but not possible permanent brain damage from just playing too much.

But the mamma's know................

[2ram]

But now the mamma's know................

ftfy! i agree with you btw. don't think the sport will survive in its current state unless CTE is either a very limited thing, or can be reversed.

i'm from a football family. 3 brothers played D I football, father did too. my sons won't be playing at this point.

[chattownmocs]

Do people understand that Dr.Omalus own mentor disagrees with him significantly on the severity of this issue to this day? It's not like this is some medical fact. This is one guys hysterical opinion.

[CID1990]

ah, no.

no one told us that CTE was a risk. and afaik, not a single player on the squad ever considered sub-concussive hits as a potential issue. certain circumstances or hits that could cause a torn acl, a concussion, a broken bone, a spinal injury even, yes. but not possible permanent brain damage from just playing too much.

yeah

because common sense in no way dictates that running headlong full tilt into each other while wearing plastic colanders on our heads could possibly be dangerous

its like the tobacco lawsuit clowns who claimed to not know smoking ciggies could possibly be bad for you, when any neanderthal could tell you standing over a campfire breathing deeply would shorten your stupid life

lawyers are going to end American rules football and they will do it with the help of guys like you who say

I had no idea!

duh


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[Lehigh Football Nation]

CTE to me is an incredibly confusing issue. What we know is a lot of former NFL players had these plaques in their brain. Yet we have no proof that there is a direct correlation from CTE and problems. For example, how many of these players had substance abuse issues, or depression? Were their issues caused by CTE or other things?

Personally I think time and energy are way better spent studying the effects of opioid painkillers on the brains of people, or developing new technologies to help alleviate pain, two issues that don't only affect former players but also society at large. Instead we have this CTE "issue" that have moms terrified to put their kids into any sport with any sort of risk, which effectively is... every sport. Even worse, there's no way to diagnose it until after death, so there's no real way to "prove" anything and no way to "prevent" it unless your kid sits on the couch and watches TV all day instead of playing a sport.

[OSBF]

The problem with CTE is that it isn't caused by the BOOM guy got blowed up type hit

It's caused by the repetitive over and over hitting

You can have CTE and never have been concussed

The Oklahoma Drill should be called the CTE drill

[ngineer]

Football isn't safe, never was safe and never will be safe. The players know the risk these days and decide to do it anyway. Football is organized violent chaos. Stop trying to nerf it or call it flag football already.

Fully agree; however, up until the past ten years this issue has been swept under the rug and the general populace not being told of how severe repeated concussions can be. And, not just football. Concussions can occur not just from hitting one's head on another object, but the whiplash action of the neck causes the brain to move at tremendous speed within the cranium damaging the small sensory hairs that surround it. From what I have now read, no child younger than junior high age should play tackle football and soccer players should not be allowed to head the ball. They can still play and learn the basics, but there is not need to expose their young not so strong necks to violent collisions.

Our sport went under a tremendous transition when the hard shell helmet was introduced with the face mask creating a fulcrum effect on the neck. The hard shell gives the player a false sense of security that the head can be used as a weapon--"Stick your hat in the numbers!"--remember that being yelled at practice? Before the late 50's tackling was done with shoulders and arms. The Game can return to its traditions by changing the equipment and techniques allowed.

[bisonguy]

Fully agree; however, up until the past ten years this issue has been swept under the rug and the general populace not being told of how severe repeated concussions can be. And, not just football. Concussions can occur not just from hitting one's head on another object, but the whiplash action of the neck causes the brain to move at tremendous speed within the cranium damaging the small sensory hairs that surround it. From what I have now read, no child younger than junior high age should play tackle football and soccer players should not be allowed to head the ball. They can still play and learn the basics, but there is not need to expose their young not so strong necks to violent collisions.

Our sport went under a tremendous transition when the hard shell helmet was introduced with the face mask creating a fulcrum effect on the neck. The hard shell gives the player a false sense of security that the head can be used as a weapon--"Stick your hat in the numbers!"--remember that being yelled at practice? Before the late 50's tackling was done with shoulders and arms. The Game can return to its traditions by changing the equipment and techniques allowed.

US Soccer passed regulations in November that prohibit heading the ball for children under 11 and limiting it in practice for children 11-13. There were also substitution rule changes if someone is suspected of having a concussion.

While these aren't technically laws within US Soccer, they were the result of litigation so any local clubs not following them open themselves up to legal action.


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[Sycamore62]

Does age matter for taking contact to the head?

[JSUSoutherner]

Does age matter for taking contact to the head?

I would imagine it would to a degree. The brain doesn't fully mature until around the mid 20s. I'm not a doctor so I'm not sure but my guess would be that blows to the head at a young age may have a larger impact as the brain would still be in its developmental stages. However on the flip side, the veteran NFL guys have taken thousands more hits than any college player.

[Gangtackle11]

I need to read up more on all this research, but it looks that the game of football is headed into an era of dramatic reform.

It's happened before. A century plus the game was almost abolished. Changes were made. I think we are at that point in history once again where we may see changes.

http://www.history.com/news/how-teddy-roosevelt-saved-football

[Prime Power]

Who has some money to invest in the FFL?? It's gonna be big!!

[OSBF]

I need to read up more on all this research, but it looks that the game of football is headed into an era of dramatic reform.

It's happened before. A century plus the game was almost abolished. Changes were made. I think we are at that point in history once again where we may see changes.

http://www.history.com/news/how-teddy-roosevelt-saved-football

Already happening here at the HS level
The small enrollment (class A here in Illinois) schools are struggling to even field teams
And it has nothing to do with enrollment, boys just aren't playing football
Just to the West of where I live 3 schools had to combine in a co-op agreement just to field a team
All 3 are historically successful, proud, and storied programs
and on their own could no longer field a team

The landscape is changing

[Bisonoline]

Already happening here at the HS level
The small enrollment (class A here in Illinois) schools are struggling to even field teams
And it has nothing to do with enrollment, boys just aren't playing football
Just to the West of where I live 3 schools had to combine in a co-op agreement just to field a team
All 3 are historically successful, proud, and storied programs
and on their own could no longer field a team

The landscape is changing

What is the reason? Lack of commitment? Coddling parents.

[bisonguy]

What is the reason? Lack of commitment? Coddling parents.

Overall participation numbers for football haven't really fallen off much, with the number around 10,000 of 1.1 million participants for 2014/2015. The decline is greater in northern schools versus southern schools where numbers are actually increasing in some states.

The largest factor for the decline most likely is single sport specialization. With the pay-to-play models in many youth sports, they had to create a full calendar of alternative travel seasons, camps, clinics, etc and the multi-sport athlete is becoming more scarce. Wrestling would be the other sport that most likely has seen reductions due to specialization.




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[OSBF]

What is the reason? Lack of commitment? Coddling parents.

I'm not gonna lie to ya

I was THRILLED to no end when my son decided he was gonna be a soccer player and XC runner

You don't have to be a genius to realize football is dangerous

And that we're just scratching the surface of the long term implications

Nothing at all to do with "commitment" or "coddling"

Everything to do with just making smart long term health decisions

[dgtw]

My son played a couple times but never really "got" football so he quit trying. Didn't hurt my feelings a bit.

He developed a knack for wrestling so other than a really bad case of cauliflower ear, I think he is fine long term.


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[OSBF]

My son played a couple times but never really "got" football so he quit trying. Didn't hurt my feelings a bit.

He developed a knack for wrestling so other than a really bad case of cauliflower ear, I think he is fine long term.


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don't they have to wear headgear?

[Missingnumber7]

I'm not gonna lie to ya

I was THRILLED to no end when my son decided he was gonna be a soccer player and XC runner

You don't have to be a genius to realize football is dangerous

And that we're just scratching the surface of the long term implications

Nothing at all to do with "commitment" or "coddling"

Everything to do with just making smart long term health decisions

Playing football is less dangerous than driving a car, flying, and riding a train do you still allow your child to do that as well?

[OSBF]

Playing football is less dangerous than driving a car, flying, and riding a train do you still allow your child to do that as well?

90% of football players have CTE

will 90% of car drivers or train passengers have long term physical and mental impairment from the activity

C'mon man get your head outta yer arse and think

[Dane96]

Playing football is less dangerous than driving a car, flying, and riding a train do you still allow your child to do that as well?


This is categorically untrue.

[Missingnumber7]

This is categorically untrue.

How so, how many people die in planes trains and automobiles daily? Does that number compare even anywhere close to number of deaths on a FB field or due to FB? No, in fact there is a significant percentage of deaths that get attributed to football that are accountable to other preexisting conditions/lightning strikes/events outside of FB. Much like driving, you can only control the controllable. Coaches that teach proper techniques, players that listen to coaches only go so far. If both teams don't practice the same techniques then you lead to issues on the fb field. Just like I prescribe to not getting behind the wheel after touching alcohol, not everyone on the road follows the same rule, I could die in a car crash caused by a drunk driver being completely in the right myself.

[2ram]

yeah

because common sense in no way dictates that running headlong full tilt into each other while wearing plastic colanders on our heads could possibly be dangerous

its like the tobacco lawsuit clowns who claimed to not know smoking ciggies could possibly be bad for you, when any neanderthal could tell you standing over a campfire breathing deeply would shorten your stupid life

lawyers are going to end American rules football and they will do it with the help of guys like you who say

I had no idea!

duh
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i think patting yourself on the back so hard has caused you to confuse issues. yes, we all know FB is dangerous and has been since before rules changes long ago to save the sport. (thanks for the link gangtackle!).

it's not that it could "possibly be dangerous", it's that it now seems/sounds almost certain when a Dr. throws out a figure like "90%". again, there's a difference between accepting a low frequency risk even if it has a high severity, like spinal injury, and a near guaranteed risk, like long term mental debility. i've conceded that Dr. Omalu's figure could be hyperbolic and wrong, but the thing is, no one knows what the real # is and what the real effects are. personally, if someone told me that by playing football i'd lose 5-10 IQ points over a decade of playing, i would've stuck to baseball and basketball. in my business, brains count and suicidal thoughts aren't of much value.

if you really knew that you were signing up for permanent brain damage, why the **** did you sign up? too stupid too care, bragging about how smart you weren't, or your 165 IQ needed to drop a few to allow the rest of us to catch up? afaic, if CTE winds up truly being an issue, which i hope not, and if lawyers change american rules football to save a 1 million+ 5-18 year old kids every year from making long term mistakes to be cool, make daddy proud, and have some short lived fun, so much the better.

[CID1990]

i think patting yourself on the back so hard has caused you to confuse issues. yes, we all know FB is dangerous and has been since before rules changes long ago to save the sport. (thanks for the link gangtackle!).

it's not that it could "possibly be dangerous", it's that it now seems/sounds almost certain when a Dr. throws out a figure like "90%". again, there's a difference between accepting a low frequency risk even if it has a high severity, like spinal injury, and a near guaranteed risk, like long term mental debility. i've conceded that Dr. Omalu's figure could be hyperbolic and wrong, but the thing is, no one knows what the real # is and what the real effects are. personally, if someone told me that by playing football i'd lose 5-10 IQ points over a decade of playing, i would've stuck to baseball and basketball.

if you really knew that you were signing up for permanent brain damage, why the **** did you sign up? too stupid too care, bragging about how smart you weren't, or your 165 IQ needed to drop a few to allow the rest of us to catch up? afaic, if CTE winds up truly being an issue, which i hope not, and if lawyers change american rules football to save a 1 million + 5-18 year old kids every year from making long term mistakes to be cool, make daddy proud, and have some short lived fun, so much the better.

It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to know certain truths - like getting whacked in the head is dangerous.

I accepted the risks. I also chew tobacco. I may be dumb, but I'm not "I had no idea" dumb.


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[dgtw]

don't they have to wear headgear?

They do in matches but nobody does in practice.


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[Bisonoline]

i think patting yourself on the back so hard has caused you to confuse issues. yes, we all know FB is dangerous and has been since before rules changes long ago to save the sport. (thanks for the link gangtackle!).

it's not that it could "possibly be dangerous", it's that it now seems/sounds almost certain when a Dr. throws out a figure like "90%". again, there's a difference between accepting a low frequency risk even if it has a high severity, like spinal injury, and a near guaranteed risk, like long term mental debility. i've conceded that Dr. Omalu's figure could be hyperbolic and wrong, but the thing is, no one knows what the real # is and what the real effects are. personally, if someone told me that by playing football i'd lose 5-10 IQ points over a decade of playing, i would've stuck to baseball and basketball. in my business, brains count and suicidal thoughts aren't of much value.

if you really knew that you were signing up for permanent brain damage, why the **** did you sign up? too stupid too care, bragging about how smart you weren't, or your 165 IQ needed to drop a few to allow the rest of us to catch up? afaic, if CTE winds up truly being an issue, which i hope not, and if lawyers change american rules football to save a 1 million+ 5-18 year old kids every year from making long term mistakes to be cool, make daddy proud, and have some short lived fun, so much the better.

There were 1,088,514 High school kids who played football in 2014. Now extrapolate that with Junior high football, pop warner football, FBS, FCS, Division 2, Division 3 , Naia, Semi pro, club teams and professional football. Now extrapolate those numbers X 50 years. Whats the true risk factor if you look at those numbers?

Oh and doctors are like car mechanics. There are some good and some bad.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The statement "over 90% of NFL players have CTE" is categorically untrue because there is no way to know whether a living NFL player has CTE or not. Of the brains donated after death, many have CTE. That is not the same as saying over 90% of them have it today.

[ngineer]

don't they have to wear headgear?

Head gear in wrestling is to protect the ears. The incidence of banging heads similar to the impact in football is extremely rare. There is the risk of falling on your head and/or neck, but a 'helmet' won't protect the neck. Concussions do occur in wrestling, just as they do on other sports. Lehigh has one blue chipper redshirting this year because of concussions incurred last year. Most athletics have a risk of head contact, but the incidence of repeated head blows is the issue. So long as football returned to the old style ways of tackling with shoulders and arms and removing the head as a weapon, the game's risk can be greatly reduced....but nothing ever gets eliminated unless you go live in a bubble.

[JSUSoutherner]

How so, how many people die in planes trains and automobiles daily? Does that number compare even anywhere close to number of deaths on a FB field or due to FB? No, in fact there is a significant percentage of deaths that get attributed to football that are accountable to other preexisting conditions/lightning strikes/events outside of FB. Much like driving, you can only control the controllable. Coaches that teach proper techniques, players that listen to coaches only go so far. If both teams don't practice the same techniques then you lead to issues on the fb field. Just like I prescribe to not getting behind the wheel after touching alcohol, not everyone on the road follows the same rule, I could die in a car crash caused by a drunk driver being completely in the right myself.
I don't know. I would rather drive my car to work then be a runningback if I was trying to avoid injury.

Perhaps the the reason there are more injuries related to land/air travel is because whereas there are only 1700 players in the NFL there are millions everyday who drive around. I'm willing to bet there are a higher percentage of injuries suffered among the population of the NFL than of the drivers in the US. Obviously you're more likely to die in a car crash. Getting tackled by a linebacker is a little different then driving 60mph into a tree.

[BisonFan02]

I've had my fair share of concussions....but zero on a football field. The worst of the bunch was a line drive I took while pitching. A quick glove deflection saved me from it being a lot worse.

[chattownmocs]

NFL players have lower mortality rates than that of the general public. Nothing has been shown that says CTE kills anyone. It hasn't been linked to anything. Players that have committed suicide had it, players that lived long and incredible lives had it. Dr. Omalu is not the Dr. James Andrews of head injuries. His own mentor thinks he is way overstating this problem. Stop believing the media.

[Bisonoline]

NFL players have lower mortality rates than that of the general public. Nothing has been shown that says CTE kills anyone. It hasn't been linked to anything. Players that have committed suicide had it, players that lived long and incredible lives had it. Dr. Omalu is not the Dr. James Andrews of head injuries. His own mentor thinks he is way overstating this problem. Stop believing the media.

This is just another button the media can push and exploit.

[2ram]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/health/football-brain-damage-cte/index.html

"McKee and her team have discovered CTE in the brains of 44 out of 55 college football players. 'To find it in 44 players suggests that it isn't a rare condition, just a condition that we didn't look for before.'"

[Sycamore62]

are all the brains they look at from people who were suspected of having CTE?

Is there any incentive for doctors to find no link to or problems with football and CTE?