![]() |
|
Locker Room Main Forum Commanders Football & NFL discussion |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 |
Uncle Phil
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 45,256
|
Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
This news sort of went under the radar today but it's a pretty big statement to say concussions on the football field ultimately led to Waters' death. This theory could really impact how teams treat players who suffer concussions on gameday.
NFL.com - NFL News "Brain damage caused on the football field ultimately led to the suicide of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters, according to a forensic pathologist who studied Waters' brain tissue"
__________________
You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You |
![]() |
![]() |
Advertisements |
![]() |
#2 |
\m/
![]() Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NY
Age: 52
Posts: 99,464
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
I saw a piece they had on ESPN tonight about that. Pretty sad story about Waters. Makes sense that too many shots to the head could mess you up.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Mr. Brightside
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Leesburg, VA
Age: 38
Posts: 4,453
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
im not suprised that concussions ultimately lead to his death, im suprised by the analogy they gave. they said his brain was like an 85 year old man's who had early sympoms of alzheimer's...thats crazy
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Living Legend
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: VA
Age: 42
Posts: 17,553
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Playmaker
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Frederick, MD
Age: 45
Posts: 4,628
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Yeah, I was astonished by the news. That's a lot of damage to the noggin'. You have to start wondering if guys like Aikman, Lindros, Chrebet will have problems later in life attributed to concussion related injuries.
__________________
Bad Things man, I mean bad things... “WE TOOK HIM IN THE SIXTH ROUND SO WE'RE NOT SMART EITHER.” - Shanny on what the Skins saw in Alfred Morris |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Special Teams
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 372
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
John Thompson and Doc Walker were talking about that last night on Sports Talk 980. Walker said that back in the day, players would get concussions and then continue to play, or they'd return earlier than they were supposed to. Because apparently back then, if you didn't play, then your spot was just given to somebody else, so people would play hurt and with concussions because they didn't want to lose their jobs; that doesn't really happen as much these days. I think it's pretty ridiculous how tough some of those guys were, I can't imagaine playing with a concussion, but at the same time, it is pretty stupid to play like that.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Living Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: chesapeake, va
Age: 60
Posts: 15,817
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
I think todays NFL pays allot more attention to head injuries than they did in the past and with findings like these it gives them even more reasons to protect the players. I do give the NFL and teams credit for how they treat these concusions now verse back in the days when they did not know how they could effect a player. VT players played a few games in the past with these sensors in their helments to see how big of an impact that they really where taking. The findings (if I'm correct) showed that there was less impact than at first thought and they gave the credit to new tech. in equipment. Maybe others remember moere about the test they ran.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Special Teams
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Norfolk
Age: 49
Posts: 429
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
I think the biggest example of that would be Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe those two poor meatballs are really showing the effects.
__________________
I got nothin' |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Living Legend
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: PA
Age: 45
Posts: 17,460
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Really, I didn't believe it. Later, we saw Mohammed Ali on TV and my wife commented on why she wonders why boxers would want to do that to themselves. I said, it doesn't happen to all of them, look at George Foreman...he's fine and he fought Ali a few times.
It's not a widespread problem with older football players. I think Waters' problems were more genetic and by chance than as a result of football. He's always had psychological issues and has been a hothead...so I don't think you can blame the sport. Now with Aikman...yeah, he'll be messed up, but that's because he played longer than he should've with his injuries. Did he lead with his head a lot on hits, moreso than other players? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | |
Special Teams
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Norfolk
Age: 49
Posts: 429
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Quote:
__________________
I got nothin' |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
\m/
![]() Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NY
Age: 52
Posts: 99,464
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 | |
Playmaker
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Germantown, Md.
Posts: 4,832
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Quote:
You could probably include Steve Young in that group as well. He sustained more concussions than any player in modern day football, and continued to play despite doctors advice to the contrary. I hope he dosen't fall victum to some simular situation in the future.
__________________
A revolution is coming and it will be televised. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Playmaker
![]() Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,159
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
A former colleague of mine - a well regarded physicist who worked for NASA for a while and then became a professor at a major US university - has what is diagnosed as early onset Alzheimers and it is the rapidly developing variety of that disease. The current thinking is that it was brought on by a severe head injury he incurred skiing about 5 years ago.
Because no one actually knows how Alsheimers gets started, this is still conjecture, but there is a segment of the medical community - not the fringies out there screching about theoritical nonsense - that believes that blows to the brain can sometimes trigger the onset of Alzheimers. There are brain studies ongoing to try to demonstrate the mechanisms by which this might happen. My former colleague has been given another 12-18 months to live. He just had his 52nd birthday last month...
__________________
The Sports Curmudgeon www.sportscurmudgeon.com But don't get me wrong, I love sports... |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Pro Bowl
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: San Diego Ca
Posts: 5,296
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Sometimes these types of reports are misleading.
I'm sure in some way concussions did have an effect on his brain, but he likely would've had alzheimers if he had never played football. Keep in mind, it's finacially beneficial for this doctor to blame concussions for his death. the NFL is going to send him MILLIONS for research. And no I do not have a medical background, But I did stay at the Holiday Inn Capital while visiting DC ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
\m/
![]() Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NY
Age: 52
Posts: 99,464
|
Re: Did Football Kill Former Eagles DB Andre Waters?
Alzheimers is such a mysterious disease I don't think anyone can say whether Waters would have developed it or not had he not been a football player.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|