Former Dolphins see declining health of predecessors and wonder: Are we next? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Former Dolphins see declining health of predecessors and wonder: Are we next?

DKphin

DKphin

Active Roster
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
14,535
Reaction score
6,353
Location
Pattaya, Thailand
AP_930913086

Mark Higgs is tackled by Jeff Lageman, left, and Ronnie Lott, right, during the Miami Dolphins’ game against the New York Jets on Sept. 13, 1993. HANS DERYK AP

This was the place where his dreams went to die: Surrounded by the royal blue Pacific, bright Hawaiian skies, powder-white sand, posh pools and palm trees. “Best sunsets in the world,” Keith Sims remembers, until he couldn’t focus on sunsets anymore.
Click to expand...
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article157966774.html
 
Great read, DK. Unfortunately, we're going to be seeing our heroes more and more end up in poor health from their playing days.
 
The NFL must find a way to take care of the players. The league makes plenty of money.
 
It's the biggest unanswered question in football. Goodell has everything to lose and nothing to gain yet takes it on the chin just because. A multi billion dollar cash cow that results in the people who got them there to die in confused agony. It's the easiest fix ever and everyone wins. I don't get it.
 
BobDole said:
It's the biggest unanswered question in football. Goodell has everything to lose and nothing to gain yet takes it on the chin just because. A multi billion dollar cash cow that results in the people who got them there to die in confused agony. It's the easiest fix ever and everyone wins. I don't get it.
Click to expand...

Easiest fix? If you mean by acknowledging it and offering money for "treatment", then yeah that's a fix. However, there is no easy fix when it comes to CTE. In fact, there is no cure, or even effective treatment, at all. No amount of money in the world will improve these affected player's chance at any kind of recovery. Comfort-care is their only option once the disease and its symptoms have kicked in.

Based on the lack of progress research has made on treating Alzheimer's (CTE is basically trauma-induced Alzheimer's), I don't expect that to change any time soon.
 
Xbrett82us said:
Easiest fix? If you mean by acknowledging it and offering money for "treatment", then yeah that's a fix. However, there is no easy fix when it comes to CTE. In fact, there is no cure, or even effective treatment, at all. No amount of money in the world will improve these affected player's chance at any kind of recovery. Comfort-care is their only option once the disease and its symptoms have kicked in.

Based on the lack of progress research has made on treating Alzheimer's (CTE is basically trauma-induced Alzheimer's), I don't expect that to change any time soon.
Click to expand...

Easy fix = insurance for the people who got you there. Johnny U - and countless others - should not have died like that. Resistance is odd given what we know and the pool of money available.
 
BobDole said:
Easy fix = insurance for the people who got you there. Johnny U - and countless others - should not have died like that. Resistance is odd given what we know and the pool of money available.
Click to expand...
I don't think it's "odd", in the same way tobacco companies were so reluctant to admit that their product, if used the way it was designed to be used, can greatly contribute to someone's death. That would mean that they knew that their product was detrimental to their customer's health and chose to fight the public finding out about it rather than offer compensation. The tobacco companies definitely knew as far back as the 1930s that smoking kills, but it was not in their best interest to alert the public to that fact. To a degree, the same could be said for any contact sport. For decades, the owners' primary focus on putting a good product out on the field and there wasn't a large enough time frame to make the connection between concussions and brain death. Now we know definitely that there is a direct and unmistakable connection between repeated blows to the head and long term brain health. The NFL has known about this for almost two decades and is only now coming around to the fact that taking care of the former players is not only good for the former players, but also good PR. Good PR is priceless when you're trying to recruit new customers (i.e. younger athletes and their parents).
 
BobDole said:
Easy fix = insurance for the people who got you there. Johnny U - and countless others - should not have died like that. Resistance is odd given what we know and the pool of money available.
Click to expand...
I think it's more the case of who pays for.the treatment and insurance. The NFL PA wants the owners to pay for the majority if not the entire healthcare bill .Of course the owners think vica versa.
 
coalesce said:
I don't think it's "odd", in the same way tobacco companies were so reluctant to admit that their product, if used the way it was designed to be used, can greatly contribute to someone's death. That would mean that they knew that their product was detrimental to their customer's health and chose to fight the public finding out about it rather than offer compensation. The tobacco companies definitely knew as far back as the 1930s that smoking kills, but it was not in their best interest to alert the public to that fact. To a degree, the same could be said for any contact sport. For decades, the owners' primary focus on putting a good product out on the field and there wasn't a large enough time frame to make the connection between concussions and brain death. Now we know definitely that there is a direct and unmistakable connection between repeated blows to the head and long term brain health. The NFL has known about this for almost two decades and is only now coming around to the fact that taking care of the former players is not only good for the former players, but also good PR. Good PR is priceless when you're trying to recruit new customers (i.e. younger athletes and their parents).
Click to expand...


Your last few sentences is what I think is odd. We're past the threshold here. We're at the point where the NFL can only help itself by being proactive about this. Subterfuge is no longer an option. Why is it still happening? Why is there not an amazing facility out there that caters specifically to former NFL players, who are falling like dominoes? How many more publicized Mike Webster or Junior Seau scenarios can the NFL survive? It's my main gripe with the politician in charge. People don't die horribly and the NFL doesn't look like a monster for spending the money on PR goons instead of treatment.

I think your tobacco analogy is interesting given those people are monsters. Cigarettes are the only thing you can legally buy that causes harm when used as directly. They're actively trying to kill people. Is that what the NFL is now? Through the ridiculous PR parade, Goodell has successfully made the NFL comparable to tobacco executives, despite his opposite intent. Use that money to combat the problem, not put on a transparent charade to deny it's existence.

The most horrible part is the money is there and people are in agony right now who are desperate for something. Anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom