NFL Player decides to ERE

[Chad]

I wonder if the difference between football and soccer players is the shear number of hits, not just the number of concussions. Some positions necessitate knocking helmets on almost every play. Maybe the damage results from the shear number of low-level hits?

I'm not just talking about head trauma either. My brother was a college quarterback. Then a horrible hit, two blown discs, and he was done. He lives with terrible pain. He says all of the time he wishes he'd pursued baseball instead of football.

edit: sorry if I'm repeating what M741 said

It is quite possible the little hits add up. Though, as I mentioned in my response to M741 there wouldn't be a massive difference in the number of little hits between positions, except QB.

Unfortunate ending for your brother.

[jacob]

For instance, there are way more concussions in soccer than most people think. Why aren't former pro soccer players having the same issues as the NFL players? Maybe they are, but no one is reporting it? Or, maybe the brain issues with the NFL players are anecdotal and outliers of the normal football population?

In the movie Head Games [about this problem], there's a former US Olympian soccer player being interviewed as well. NFL recently did a large settlement with former players for this kind of head trauma.

[Chad]

In the movie Head Games [about this problem], there's a former US Olympian soccer player being interviewed as well. NFL recently did a large settlement with former players for this kind of head trauma.

Thanks, I've been meaning to watch Head Games.

The settlement by the NFL with the former players doesn't mean there is definitive proof or that it is known what actually causes the damage (concussions? thousands of small hits? both? poor concussion management? nothing?). It basically, just means the players lawyers had enough evidence and made enough negative PR to make the NFL cave.

My concern is from my high school and college football days (played line). Had one concussion in high school, which was poorly treated (they didn't know shit then). I'm 40 now and don't see any signs of mental decline (no memory loss, no personality change, etc.). I probably don't have much to worry about, but there is always a concern.

If it were up to me I would severely limit hitting in practice to the point where they aren't even allowed to where pads and helmets. That would be much more effective than the new rules.

[Seneca]

I wonder if the difference between football and soccer players is the shear number of hits, not just the number of concussions. Some positions necessitate knocking helmets on almost every play. Maybe the damage results from the shear number of low-level hits?

I used to get incredible headaches on motorcycle roadrace weekends, I always assumed it was a sort of endorphin hangover from the incredible physiological responses created by the activity. I mentioned it to a family member who is a Navy Corpsman and he told me he'd recently read a report on a study done with SpecOps troops who get headaches pounding across the desert in high speed offroad vehicles. The finding was the headaches were from micro tears in the brain caused by the vibrations, the conclusion was there was no way to stop it, and the solution was Vitamin I(buprofen).

I still haven't seen much about high frequency/low amplitude trauma, but since then we've gone to war in the desert and the DoD has done a lot of research on traumatic brain injury due to the threats so many of our soldiers now face.

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0312_tbi/

[Seneca]

Reminds me of Jake Plummer, a (pretty good) quarterback who retired early, moved to Idaho, and began playing handball for fun. I always respected him for that.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ortCat=nfl

Cool story, I've heard the name, but never about his retirement.

I saw a story about Connor Barwin the other day, big bucks NFL player who prefers to ride his bike and the bus...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1814 ... m-contract

[mikeBOS]

Couldn't he have just slacked off and warmed the bench for another season while he collected on his contract?

At a job like that the employer is probably banking on a lot of internal motivation from the employees (the irrational desire to get a ball through an apparatus/across a line more times than another guy just to prove you're the "best" to a bunch of people who, in about 3 years, won't even remember you existed). Seems like a ripe environment for taking advantage if you don't really care if you're just sitting on the bench. I mean, sure if you're trying your hardest to be a starter among a bunch of other highly motivated world class athletes, that'd be tough. But how hard is it to put in the minimum effort during practices and just show up for game day and sit on the bench?

[Chad]

Couldn't he have just slacked off and warmed the bench for another season while he collected on his contract?

At a job like that the employer is probably banking on a lot of internal motivation from the employees (the irrational desire to get a ball through an apparatus/across a line more times than another guy just to prove you're the "best" to a bunch of people who, in about 3 years, won't even remember you existed). Seems like a ripe environment for taking advantage if you don't really care if you're just sitting on the bench. I mean, sure if you're trying your hardest to be a starter among a bunch of other highly motivated world class athletes, that'd be tough. But how hard is it to put in the minimum effort during practices and just show up for game day and sit on the bench?

Not possible to slack off and keep the job, unless you are a big name with a lot of goodwill or potential. These guys have to fight everyday in practice or they just bring up someone from the practice squad, draft, or free agents.

At a job like that the employer is probably banking on a lot of internal motivation from the employees (the irrational desire to get a ball through an apparatus/across a line more times than another guy just to prove you're the "best" to a bunch of people who, in about 3 years, won't even remember you existed).

Everything is irrational, other than eating, based on this.

[mikeBOS]

I guess I don't understand how his contract works then. The article said he had a contract through the rest of the season. If the team has agreed to pay him a particular amount for a particular period of time, how can they just choose not to pay him without proving he is deliberately not giving his best efforts?

[C40]

Yeah I think they can just release players at any time and not have to pay them... Not really certain how that works.

[theanimal]

C40 is correct. Players can be released at anytime.

Unlike some other sports, money in the NFL is not guaranteed so although someone may get a 2 year, 5 million dollar contract, they won't be seeing half the money if they are released after 1 year. Players are only paid during the season for each game (i.e. 16 weeks a year, if full season. Nothing the other months).

[Chad]

For the NFL guaranteed money is usually only placed in the signing bonus. This guy probably had a $20-50k signing bonus. The rest of his contract is prorated over every game during the season. This is why guys like Peyton Manning will make a almost a million per game. They only get paid a very small amount during camp and the rest is prorated over all the games of their contract.

Now if he had gotten hurt and was out for the year, the team would have been on the hook for his entire contract that applied to this year.

There are a few exceptions for getting paid. Some of the players will get "bonuses" based on off-season work out attendance, but this is all based on what the player negotiates.

[theanimal]

Another example: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/men-act ... er-chicago

[Chad]

Another example: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/men-act ... er-chicago

It's not really the same. The guy on the Broncos had a job if he wanted it. Zbikowski had already been cut earlier this year.

[Vonhismean]

Another great example is Sam Bradford first pick in the draft in the last year where players got PAID think it was like 70 million they say he still drives the same truck he did in college. But of course he a finance double major of some sort that is extremely smart!
Guess he a bad example since he still playing...

[Chad]

Another great example is Sam Bradford first pick in the draft in the last year where players got PAID think it was like 70 million they say he still drives the same truck he did in college. But of course he a finance double major of some sort that is extremely smart!
Guess he a bad example since he still playing...

I think Bradford is a great counter example. He is the guy who could have theoretically slacked off and done it for a year or two because he was picked #1 and given so much money. Those guys get extra time to develop. Bottom end guys do not.

[billc]

Larry Sanders (no, not this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Larry_Sanders_Show)

decided to leave the NBA (pro basketball in the US)

Career earnings, including contract buy out: approx $35M (some of it spread out over next 7 years)

Guaranteed money given up by accepting buy out: $17.8M

He's young and good enough that he probably would have made $100M+ career earnings if he stayed in the league long term.

Reasons:
- It didn't make him happy
- He uses cannabis

His explanation: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/larry- ... interview/

Clearly he's set for many lifetimes depending on his spending habits, but still unusual decision.

[DutchGirl]

Looked up John Moffitt. Damn, arrested for violence and possession of drugs in 2014. What a shame. http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2014 ... b-mistake/ And an article from Nov 2014: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/06/sport ... .html?_r=0

[cmonkey]

To continue the NFL ER stories... - http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/12/opinions/ ... index.html

"If I want to go fishing tomorrow, I'm going to go fishing. ... If I want to go home and watch my little brother play baseball, I can go to do that. ... Life is amazing right now."