You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Play Football...

You don't have to be crazy to start playing football, because you will be eventually:

Dementia Risk Seen in Players in N.F.L. Study
By ALAN SCHWARZ

A study commissioned by the National Football League reports that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population — including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.

The N.F.L. has long denied the existence of reliable data about cognitive decline among its players. These numbers would become the league’s first public affirmation of any connection, though the league pointed to limitations of this study.

Troubling, but I will note this - the Alzheimer's rate for men aged 30 to 49 is roughly zero, so even if the NFL rate is 19 times that, it is still tiny.  Skipping down a bit I
see this:

Players ages 30 through 49 showed a rate of 1.9 percent, or 19 times that of the national average, 0.1 percent.

I love this quote for the designated NFL apologist:

An N.F.L. spokesman, Greg Aiello, said in an e-mail message that the study did not formally diagnose dementia, that it was subject to shortcomings of telephone surveys and that “there are thousands of retired players who do not have memory problems."

“Memory disorders affect many people who never played football or other sports,” Mr. Aiello said. “We are trying to understand it as it relates to our retired players.”

What they are trying to understand is their legal liability under the NFL pension and medical plans.

Comments

[Don't shake that baby.]

Repetitive brain trauma is cumulative. Who's surprised?
==============================

[Neo]

After watching enough NFL football, I've become convinced that some of the referees do have some level of dementia.

[Neo]

I wonder if there is "second-hand repetitive brain trauma" ??

[bgates]

Players ages 30 through 49 showed a rate of 1.9 percent, or 19 times that of the national average

I wouldn't be surprised if the pounding completely explained the difference, but "the national average" is an incredibly weak control group. The researchers may have noticed there are physical differences between the average NFL player and the average man.

[Pops]

Maybe people already pre-disposed to develop dementia gravitate toward violent sports.

Don't you have to have a test group of high school/college football players who didn't make pro, not the entire population to rule out an earlier pre-disposition.

Its kind of like saying a higher percentage of football players exhibit signs of larger muscle mass then the general population.

[Ignatz]

Considering how the usual interview of NCAA and NFL players goes, I suspect the rate of dementia approximates 19 times the average prior to their career.

[matt]

You don't get a lot of rocket scientists playing high level football in the first place, and then the concussive force on every play adds to it. Same holds true with boxers.

Sounds like a bit of the masters of the obvious scientific study of the week to me.

[hit and run]

So, would that make this a health care thread?

Remember that Will Farrell et al PSA video on health care reform? Stupid dumbasses thought it clever to play like they were rich insurance company execs whining about reform.

Well. There is now a response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ9Te1XP8RM>It is awesome.

h/t Jim Treacher tweet.

[hit and run]

Farrell, Ferrell, feral, whatevs.

[clarice]

That really is awesome, Hit.

[JM Hanes]

Just imagine how bad off those afflicted players would be if all that aerobic exercise weren't maximizing their brain power!

[Booker T. Gain]

Obama played in the NFL? I'll need to see a lot more evidence than this.

[Jack is Back!]

Hit,

You have outdone yourself.

But back to the essence of the thread.

I have an old friend who is a graduate engineer of the University of Michigan, All-American, 13 year member of pro-football and a NFL hall of famer (you guys figure out who he is) who has always told me; "Jack, they payed us big money not to grow up".

That said, do you remember what age you stopped banging your head against the wall or the helmet of another kid in football? Neither do I.

Whatever you do don't go out at night for a walk if you are over 65 without a GPS beacon attached to your sneakers.

[matt]

OT, but Rasmussen has Obama back at -11. Those talk shows did a great job for him....

[bgates]

Matt, he's back out of the country, so those numbers should start creeping up again.

Speaking of creep:

In her speech in Copenhagen today, First Lady Michelle Obama said her trip to Denmark, along with the travel of her “dear friend” and “chit-chat buddy” Oprah Winfrey, as well as tomorrow’s visit by President Obama, is a “sacrifice” on behalf of the children of Chicago and the United States. “As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the president to come for these few days,” the first lady told a crowd of people involved in the Chicago project, “so many of you in this room have been working for years to bring this bid home.”

[PD]

Considering how the usual interview of NCAA and NFL players goes, I suspect the rate of dementia approximates 19 times the average prior to their career.

Are you referring to the interview*ees* or the interview*ers*?

[PD]

As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the president to come for these few days

She forgot to add, "but it's not about us."

[centralcal]

bgates: A sacrifice?

hhhmmmm - I read somewhere a few days ago that Valerie Jarrett was saying that when Michelle gives her presentation there won't be a dry eye in the house - or some b.s.

I guess, her introductory remarks are just setting a stage . . .

what if they laugh instead of cry?

[PD]

what if they laugh instead of cry?

Then they're racists.

[centralcal]

You got it, PD!!

[Elliott]

Doubtless, the First Lady meant "sacrifice" in its basic sense, "doing holy things." Like Confucius, Chicago has its Way, and the 2016 games will be nothing if not eleemosynary.

[Jack is Back!]

I wonder about the payment system. In order to win an Olympics bid you need hard cash payable to a number of countries, including such allies as Libya, Iran, China, Indonesia, Zambia and Tongo. How will this be handled now that Rezko is incarcerated and Blogo is dishonored?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Jack-

Auchi's got 'em covered, and then George, if that's not enough.

Besides, If his Oneness runs out of smokes, he can always hit up, her Majesty, Queen Margrethe II. (yes, chains 'em. I know.)

[hit and run]

OK, someone mentioned it in the comments at youtube -- but that PSA I linked above has its number of views stuck on 302.

Now I'm not in a position to definitively claim that something untoward is afoot, nor that anything unseemly is at hand, but with the video being linked at places like hotair and ace, in reality it's certainly in the tens of thousands by now.

302 is reality-based, though, I suppose.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Dear Michelle:

Sacrifice? Yes, mine, in order for you to jet around on your 5-star vacations at my taxpayer expense.

[matt]

The IOC meetings are the greatest swindle on earth. Self important nabobs nattering nothing noisily as lackies fetch and bow obsequiously. His Oneness and Her Excellentness will fit right in.

I wonder what her fashion choice for tomorrow will be? I hope it's something interesting.

[clarice]

Niters. Matt, I thought your blog article linked earlier was very good.
IOC..I think International is a fancy word for big time crooks these days.

[matt]

clarice;

I attended several IOC meetings and saw and heard the negotiations. The Salt Lake City guys who were set up by the FBI in 2000 were acquaintances. Straight arrows who got dragged into the cesspool.

There were IOC members from the 3rd World, and for that matter the 2nd & 1st, who had their hands out all the way down the line. You didn't know if they stayed bought either because the results were clouded at times, purposely.

If you can find it, there was a book, Lords of the Rings, that was banned in the UK after @ 3 weeks because it named names. All true, but British libel laws were very unfavorable to muckrakers. I treasure my copies of both it and the follow up.

[daddy]

You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Play Football...

but if you do and you quarterback the New York Jets, you wind up with girlfriends that look like this.">http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/story_large/2009/05/22/hilaryrhoda_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ballhype.com/story/daily_erin_andrews_check_out_mark_sanchez_s_girlfriend/&h=666&w=448&sz=49&tbnid=s6-cqfP-8HAtiM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmark%2Bsanchez%2527s%2Bgirlfriend&hl=en&usg=__QT9eiA6galKdFwzcvlpafceSpFM=&ei=wVvESqKQKIz6sQPSi5SzCg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&ved=0CAoQ9QEwAA">this.

And yes it's work safe if you're job is being a lifeguard in Malibu.