THE Best Take on NFL Brain Damage Studies
Once in a while, we run across a piece so well-written and easy-to-understand that to try and improve on it would be a waste of time. The following is a recent post written by Jordan Kobritz in The Seymour Herald (out of Seymour, Tennessee) and we’re posting the entire piece with the kind permission of Herald Publisher Joe Karl.
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kobritz’s corner
You gotta love the PR machine that is the $7 billion-a-year juggernaut known as the NFL.
In response to a number of studies released during the past few years that reported finding cognitive issues in retired players, the NFL steadfastly denied the existence of “reliable” data on the issue. To counter the evidence, the league vowed to conduct its own studies and after much delay, commissioned a study by the University of Michigan. A synopsis of the committee’s findings was released last week and to the surprise of no one, except perhaps the NFL, the league’s own committee came to the same conclusion as previous studies.
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It should be noted that the latest findings are preliminary. They have not been published or reviewed. But the findings suggest that former NFL players suffer memory related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, more often than the general population. Not surprisingly, the league immediately sought to sabotage the findings of its own committee.
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NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email message sent to The New York Times that the study was subject to shortcomings and that “there are thousands of retired players who do not have memory problems.” Of course, Aiello is right. But just because there are billions of people living on this earth, that doesn’t mean no one has ever died.
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This isn’t the first time the NFL has engaged in propaganda to counter evidence linking NFL players to cognitive issues. The University of North Carolina’s Center for the Study of Retired Athletes, which works closely with the NFL Players Association, published papers in 2005 and 2007 that found increased cognitive impairment among retired NFL players compared with the general population. A member of the NFL’s concussion committee, allegedly established to conduct research into the subject of concussions in its own players, called the findings “virtually worthless.” Of course, that was when others were making conclusions. Now, it’s the league’s own committee that is sounding the warning bells.
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It should be noted that the Michigan study does not link dementia to playing football or vice versa. But while the results are preliminary, and virtually every scientist of note suggests further study is warranted, the physical toll football enacts on the body – including the head – is obvious to the naked eye. Despite the safety improvements in helmets and other equipment, the human body wasn’t designed to withstand the blunt force trauma sustained by football players at any level, particularly those in the NFL.
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The NFL has taken a page out of the government manifesto. When you don’t want to admit the facts, convene a committee to study the matter further. And after the committee reaches a conclusion contrary to your best interests, deny the conclusions. The reasons for such action are obvious. The NFL stands to be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in annual medical costs and disability payments for retired players if a relationship is established between the sport and the high incidence of dementia suffered by its former players.
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NFL players are currently eligible for up to $110,000 per year in disability payments for physical or mental conditions developed within 15 years of retirement. But dementia may take longer than 15 years to develop, meaning a player who retired at age 32, for example, who is diagnosed with dementia at age 48 is out of luck.
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Any changes to the pension-disability plan are subject to collective bargaining between the league and the union. But both parties believe there are higher priority issues currently on the table. Unless Congress pressures the parties to address the issue of dementia in retired players, as it did by holding hearings in 2007 on the league’s mistreatment of retirees, it’s unlikely that substantive changes will be made in the near future.
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Aiello also told the Times, “Memory disorders affect many people who never played football or other sports.” Of course, he’s right. But the fact that the Michigan study found NFL players are up to 19 times more susceptible to cognitive disease than members of the general population suggests a strong correlation between playing football and a player’s post-career mental health. No PR machine can spin that conclusion in a positive fashion.
©2009 Seymour Herald
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Jordan Kobritz is a regular contributor to the Business of Sports Network. He is a former attorney, CPA, and Minor League Baseball team owner. He is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Eastern New Mexico University and teaches the Business of Sports at the University of Wyoming.
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Dave Pear
October 8th, 2009 at 5:49 am #
Jordan,
The NFL is drowning in money but they’re unwilling to provide disability benefits to the injured players.
Their new medical programs are gibberish! There is nothing there except a fancy name as they attempt to mislead Congress.
I know because when I had a total left hip replacement and my benefit reimbursement amounted to two seat cushions and a $5 co-pay.
Now enter concussions and brain injuries. The NFL is not sure that there is even a problem and they talk of wanting to do yet another study. (Yeah right)
This is more bad publicity about the the actions and the way of life for the NFL.
Remember Players Inc.? The NFLPA Leadership was convicted of Breaching their Fiduciary Duty towards over 2,000 retired players and ordered to pay $28,100,000 in damages. Is NFL films not doing the same thing? Where is John Madden who made over $100,000,000 on Madden Video? Suddenly, “BOOM” – John has nothing to say.
Parents need to count the cost of allowing their children to participate in youth football.
Football is hazardous to your health!
For years the tobacco industry denied the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. They did everything possible to cover up this dangerous addiction that can and will kill you.
The NFL barely even recognizes broken necks, backs, knees, hips shoulders, etc. of the retired players.
Examining NFL doctors write in their report that these disabled players can do sedentary work. What does that mean? Furthermore, these doctors are not qualified to make employment decisions. They are ONLY qualified to give physical limitations and then a vocational specialist is needed to determine the specific job. However, there IS no vocational specialist. This violates ERISA Law.
This word “sedentary” was created by the Groom Law Group and distributed to these doctors paid by the NFL to use in their form reports to deny disabled players access to their disability benefits.
If the NFL won’t even acknowledge these visible injuries, why would they recognize head injuries which are a parent’s worst nightmare?
Sooner or later, this bad publicity, Congress or a Court of Law will force the NFL to play by the rules and obey the laws instead of paying their lawyers millions and millions of dollars annually to swindle and cheat retired NFL Players and their families.
Sincerely,
Dave & Heidi Pear
Larry Kaminski
October 8th, 2009 at 11:57 am #
Dave:
I communicated my thoughts on the Henderson letter yesterday, but the more I think of what he inferred with his letter; the more upset I got. How can anyone in our line of work be compared to the general populus. How many of the sample market had a life span of 4 or less years in their job? How many people, except for Navy Seals, Special Forces or highly trained athletes have the rigorous daily workouts and stress put upon their joints and muscles? This Henderson letter was written in an elite, condescending, and shut-your-face style.
We should all go back to the NFL offices and have our own Independent Players rebellion and burn the letter and study and this arrogant man’s picture in effigy. Does this Henderson think we are just plain stupid?
It is so aggravating and, hopefully, what goes around will come around.
Thanks,
Larry Kaminski
Denver Broncos
1966-1973
George Visger
October 8th, 2009 at 12:17 pm #
I agree with the NFL, more studies are exactly what are needed.
Just as Dr. Omalu’s discovery of tau proteins in Mike Webster’s brain in 2002 showed, when he died homeless, living in the backseat of his car, at age 51. As did the next 17 STUDIES of NFL brains he autopsied showed. All from individuals who died of various causes in their 30′s – 50′s (some by their own hands!!!), when concentrations of tau proteins at those levels are normally only seen in people with advanced alzheimers’ disease. So let’s see if we can find any underlying common thread among the 18 deceased NFL players… Nope. Let’s just keep the brains rolling in and keep the studies going. Keep up the good work NFL – Delay, Deny, and Hope They Die.
There is an old saying where I come from, “What goes around, comes around.” There will be a time when we all answer to the big coach upstairs and no one will able to weasel out the back door of the locker room. No matter how much they are stealing from us now, it will all come out in the end.
I met with Dr. Omalu last Monday to discuss his findings. I am a survivor of 9 brain surgeries to date (and counting), due to developing hydrocephalus during the ’81 season with the SF 49ers. I have a VP shunt, which drains spinal fluid from my ventricles in my brain to my abdomen, where my body reabsorbs it. Your body produces approximately 1 pint of spinal fluid per day, and with my hydrocephalus, the fluid is trapped in the middle of my brain. Basically, when my shunt goes out – which it has 8 times since 1982 – it’s like having a 16-oz. can shoved inside my brain and within 24 hours you’re dead, if you’re not in surgery immediately. As there aren’t any expiration dates on the shunts, it’s a day-to-day crap shoot on when it will go out. I have had shunts last as little as 12 hours, had 4 shunt surgeries and 2 grand mal seizures in one 10-month period, and have had my current shunt for over 15 years (yeah, I’m living on borrowed time). Thus I find any information correlating my advanced short term memory problems & anger management issues somewhat interesting.
Dr. Omalu and others, have shown that Chronic Traumatic Encepholopathy (CTE), is caused by repeated head trauma. They used to call this punch drunk in boxers. With players becoming so much larger and faster, the kinetic energy generated with hits is mind boggling. We have exceeded what the human body was designed for, but the NFL knows huge bodies and bone crunching collisions sell tickets. The steroid testing is a joke, we all know that; thus we have come full circle back to the Romans and Gladiators, with the NFL Romans making a killing off the blood of the Gladiators, with their smirking smiles telling all their hands are clean.
I offered to submit a living brain sample from my next brain surgery, thinking they could swab a small piece on the way out, when retracting the shunt tunneler from my brain (Dr. Omalu thought was a great idea). He’s not aware of anyone having a sample taken from a living (or somewhat living) brain before.
Men and families – we’re on the cusp of major changes, but we need everyone to step forward on this! OUR families lives depend on us winning this battle, and we need everyone in on this. I can’t possibly be the only one whose blood boils when I continue to read the twisted facts the NFL submits.
When do we say enough is enough?
George Visger
San Francisco ’80 & ’81
Larry Kaminski
October 11th, 2009 at 7:05 pm #
Dave:
I just finished watching 60 Minutes and was impressed with the objective coverage that was given to the head injury issue in the NFL and football in general. Again, we have studies by medical academia from the past several years analyzing many former players. The results have been released and yes – we have potential to problems for what we did as players. However, the NFL will still not accept this study and will do another study to see if there are different links to the dementia issue.
I would hope we can get the attention of the producers of this show to do a follow up with one such as yourself and Bob Grant. Maybe, we can let the populus see what the NFL is trying to accomplish with this Deny, Study, Deny, and let them DIE attitude.
I am tired of dealing with my emotional ups and downs. I am learning to deal with the issues with counseling and medication. It is not about money but about the NFL admitting to so many that they have a responsibility to those that made the game what it became today.
I thank you again for your time and consideration.
Larry Kaminski
Denver Broncos
1966-1973
PS: Where was Mr. Smith with his rebuttal to the Henderson letter? As our representative, he should have been the first to condemn the parameters of the sampling.
Larry Kaminski
October 12th, 2009 at 9:19 am #
Dave:
I am glad that you have this forum for former players to keep up with this scam called the NFL.
As you all know, we received a letter from Henderson/Smith regarding the Player Care Plan. I called today to get the specifics on the involvement with AARP. I am on SSA disability and was put on Medicare in June. I found out the NFL will not give me the supplement until I am 65 even though I am ON the plan AND under Medicare. The letter states that the plan is effective 1/1/2009 yet there are already restrictions in place for those of us who are considered disabled by the SSA but not the NFL.
Go Figure.
Thanks again for letting me share my thoughts.
Larry Kaminski
Denver Broncos
1966-1973