Junior Seau's brain results

[MacIrish82]

Says he suffered from a traumatic brain disease known as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). Sure wish this could have been detected before his tragedy. I personally think it should be mandatory for every retired player from the NFL to go through tests on their overall health within a year or less of their retirement. Although, from what I have read on the disease. It could be days, weeks, years, or even decades before the changes occur on the brain after your last brain trauma or athletic involvement. I think this gives me a little better perspective on why the NFL wants the game to be played a little softer in order to protect the players long term.

[Ray27Ray52]

People get paid to hit the snot out of each other for a living. No one makes them do it. No one tells them to do it for free. In 10 years they will be wearing skirts and tutus.

My point is.... Injuries happen. Some heal, some you are stuck with for life. That's football.

[pierrethomasfan]

Very sad but not shocked at all. Feel bad that nothing could've been done :(

[brado8236]

BREAKING NEWS: Seau had CTE.

In other news, water is wet.

Anybody surprised by this "news" either hasn't been paying attention or is a moron. It's terribly sad, I was a big Seau fan. But if you didn't think he had brain damage when he killed himself, you might have a little CTE yourself.

[Razorsharp79]

Says he suffered from a traumatic brain disease known as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). Sure wish this could have been detected before his tragedy. I personally think it should be mandatory for every retired player from the NFL to go through tests on their overall health within a year or less of their retirement. Although, from what I have read on the disease. It could be days, weeks, years, or even decades before the changes occur on the brain after your last brain trauma or athletic involvement. I think this gives me a little better perspective on why the NFL wants the game to be played a little softer in order to protect the players long term.

Terrible knowing something might could have been done to prevent what eventually happened.

However, to your last point, football is a contact sport. These players are paid handsomely to put their body and lives on the line and know what the consequences are before they ever play a down in the NFL...If the NFL was two hand touch do you think players would be earning 20 million a year? Do you think ESPN would pay millions to a bunch of loud mouths to talk about a game I just watched?

[MacIrish82]

BREAKING NEWS: Seau had CTE.

In other news, water is wet.

Anybody surprised by this "news" either hasn't been paying attention or is a moron. It's terribly sad, I was a big Seau fan. But if you didn't think he had brain damage when he killed himself, you might have a little CTE yourself.

You just seem like a sad kind of fella that is just looking for a morning argument. Of course it was presumed that he had a brain trauma. Which is now confirmed. But, I hate to break it to you, but not everyone that has committed suicide, and was former NFL player suffered from a brain disease or CTE. Some former players have other issues other than what hits they gave or took during their NFL career.

[flagshipchromecollector]

Shocker. He ran into guys at high speed for a living. His job was causing collisions with his body. It's not like these players don't know this can happen to them when they play the game.

[achilles01987]

BREAKING NEWS: Seau had CTE.

In other news, water is wet.

Anybody surprised by this "news" either hasn't been paying attention or is a moron. It's terribly sad, I was a big Seau fan. But if you didn't think he had brain damage when he killed himself, you might have a little CTE yourself.

To the OP, um yeah... This was obviously the case and not really a surprise. If you've ever had concussions, your brain will probably show some kind of symptoms. From what I've heard, it isn't necessarily caused by concussions type injuries either.

[mwheeler27]

The game of football does not need to be made softer. The equipment used needs to not be made into weapons. Go back to leather helmets, and see what happens.

If football is made softer, when does boxing and MMA?

[hugh]

these players make millions playing a brutal game and then want to sue to get more money because the NFL didn't explain to them that repeated blows to the head might hurt them...that's society nowadays, they have to tell you on the label of rat poison for you not to eat it

[trixstar]

I feel bad for players who played in the 60's - 80's who had low salaries and no pensions. I feel bad for all of them but at least the current players are making multiple millions of dollars. The guys who built the foundation for the NFL are the ones that need help.

[matt roberson]

The game of football does not need to be made softer. The equipment used needs to not be made into weapons. Go back to leather helmets, and see what happens.

If football is made softer, when does boxing and MMA?

these players make millions playing a brutal game and then want to sue to get more money because the NFL didn't explain to them that repeated blows to the head might hurt them...that's society nowadays, they have to tell you on the label of rat poison for you not to eat it

I feel bad for players who played in the 60's - 80's who had low salaries and no pensions. I feel bad for all of them but at least the current players are making multiple millions of dollars. The guys who built the foundation for the NFL are the ones that need help.

My sentiments in a nutshell.

[HBMC]

This is not a simple black/white issue. Seau was never formally diagnosed with a concussion in his career, that's colossal rug-sweeping by the training staffs of the teams he played for a poor policy from the league.

CTE essentially turned Seau into an entirely different person and it killed him. He ceased bring a vibrant and happy person and became a violent, moody introvert. He didn't sign up for that, Mike Webster didn't play football to only become a lunatic and kill himself, neither did Dave Duerson.

The game's going to change whether we like it or not. We'll lose it otherwise.

[asujbl]

This is not a simple black/white issue. Seau was never formally diagnosed with a concussion in his career, that's colossal rug-sweeping by the training staffs of the teams he played for a poor policy from the league.

CTE essentially turned Seau into an entirely different person and it killed him. He ceased bring a vibrant and happy person and became a violent, moody introvert. He didn't sign up for that, Mike Webster didn't play football to only become a lunatic and kill himself, neither did Dave Duerson.

The game's going to change whether we like it or not. We'll lose it otherwise.

Spot on.

We all agree, and all the players realize, that they get paid to do what they do - they know the "risks"

The problem however is their expectation of teams (and the league in general) making them aware of the additional risks when they do happen as to not put them in harms way of additional damage. The first concussion is the "risk" - the 2nd one that same game or the next week, when the team didn't tell them about the first one, is where the problem lies.

That's where the lawsuit comes from. Not because they didn't know what they signed up for. It's because what they signed up for wasn't carried out correctly by their employers.

[brado8236]

You just seem like a sad kind of fella that is just looking for a morning argument. Of course it was presumed that he had a brain trauma. Which is now confirmed. But, I hate to break it to you, but not everyone that has committed suicide, and was former NFL player suffered from a brain disease or CTE. Some former players have other issues other than what hits they gave or took during their NFL career.

Nope, I'm neither sad nor looking for an argument. I'm only saying that if you were stunned by the news that a 250 pound man who launched himself head first into the heads and bodies of other men at high speed for 20+ years ended up with some brain damage, you just might be a world class dumbass.

That is all.

[fullmetal]

Expect Dr. VanLandingham's drug, known as Prevacus, to begin clinical trials soon.

Home Page (http://prevacus.com/Home_Page.html)

A research update is coming soon.

[trixstar]

This is not a simple black/white issue. Seau was never formally diagnosed with a concussion in his career, that's colossal rug-sweeping by the training staffs of the teams he played for a poor policy from the league.

CTE essentially turned Seau into an entirely different person and it killed him. He ceased bring a vibrant and happy person and became a violent, moody introvert. He didn't sign up for that, Mike Webster didn't play football to only become a lunatic and kill himself, neither did Dave Duerson.

The game's going to change whether we like it or not. We'll lose it otherwise.

have you seen or read the reports stating that Seau was treated behind closed doors and never let another teamate see him get treated. Seau was the one hiding concussions not the NFL. Dude played longer than he should have AND hid his treatment so he could deny concussions. 17 years and no concussions? Sure Junior

[HBMC]

have you seen or read the reports stating that Seau was treated behind closed doors and never let another teamate see him get treated. Seau was the one hiding concussions not the NFL. Dude played longer than he should have AND hid his treatment so he could deny concussions. 17 years and no concussions? Sure Junior

Where's that info from? Just curious.

[BroncosFAN#1]

Head injuries are tough to understand. Sometimes they dont show symptons until years later and other times it is right away. They should have them undergo tests every year or have a plan for retired players

[Zacky1053]

It's in the VERY early stages, but supposedly UCLA is working on a test that could detect CTE in LIVING people:

UCLA study finds signs of CTE in living former NFL players for the first time - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8867972/ucla-study-finds-signs-cte-living-former-nfl-players-first-time)

[ajlaxmn]

Players that will sue is just flat out stupid. Still, I hope the league does do some research and improve the equipment to make the game safer, I just hope the integrity doesn't suffer in the process.

[Zacky1053]

Players that will sue is just flat out stupid. Still, I hope the league does do some research and improve the equipment to make the game safer, I just hope the integrity doesn't suffer in the process.

Seau's family just sued I believe.

[hitman1116]

The NFL owes it to the players to make the game safer by any way they can. They need to be more proactive in research and development in the areas of concussion prevention, most notably in research in bettering helmets and pads.

How many years do you think a guy like Troy Aikman has until he's seriously affected by his concussions?