Bogleheads

[bmb]

In a recent study of 50 players, all had signs of possible premature dementia. The problem is not concussions per se, but the repeated blows to the head occurring even in practice - the equivalent of colliding with your windshield without a seat-belt in a 25 mph car accident thousands of times over a typical career. Watching games at any level, you will see that helmet-to-helmet collisions have become routine, are seldom flagged, and are praised as "great hits" by the moronic broadcasters. And there is little reason to believe that simply improving helmet padding will help.
There is no solution currently available. The only (no doubt unacceptable) answers are changing the game radically or artificially limiting career lengths.

[diasurfer]

[bmb]

The replays I have seen on youtube seem to bear out the claim it was a bad call. From some angles, it looks like a good call, but the best angle shows no interference. Perhaps that is why the official closest to it called it incomplete, another called the interference. Dave Perry, retired Big ten head of officials, recently admitted as much.
So what conference was that official from? (I don't know, just asking)

It is no secret that officials appear to favor front-runners in their conference. This week, some SEC officials were suspended. Until recently when the program has faltered, favored Michigan routinely got the calls in close games in Ann Arbor.
A step in the right direction would be to have a national pool of officials, rather than conference officials beholden to conference administrators who have a vested interest in promoting that conference.

[raymondalombardo]

[bmb]

Again, you absolutely don't know what you are talking about. Of course, the NFl is worse than college and college is worse than high school, ifmonly becasue of the length of the careers, but they all have similar indications of brain injury. This report by Malcom Gladwell supports this:

http://www.newyorker.com/repor...._gladwell/

A couple quotes:

This about a college player in PRACTICE:
He has an 80-g hit to the front of his head. About ten minutes later, he has a 98-g acceleration to the front of his head.” To put those numbers in perspective, Guskiewicz explained, if you drove your car into a wall at twenty-five miles per hour and you weren’t wearing your seat belt, the force of your head hitting the windshield would be around 100 gs: in effect, the player had two car accidents that morning." (It goes on to show the cumulative effect.)

"She has now examined the brains of sixteen ex-athletes, most of them ex-football players. Some had long careers and some played only in college. Some died of dementia. Some died of unrelated causes. Some were old. Some were young. Most were linemen or linebackers, although there was one wide receiver...But all sixteen of the ex-athlete brains that McKee had examined—those of the two boxers, plus the ones that Nowinski had found for her—had something in common: every one had abnormal tau."

She pulled out a large photographic blowup of a brain-tissue sample. “This is a kid. I’m not allowed to talk about how he died. He was a good student. This is his brain. He’s eighteen years old. He played football. He’d been playing football for a couple of years.” She pointed to a series of dark spots on the image, where the stain had marked the presence of something abnormal. “He’s got all this tau. This is frontal and this is insular. Very close to insular. Those same vulnerable regions.” This was a teen-ager, and already his brain showed the kind of decay that is usually associated with old age. “This is completely inappropriate,” she said. “You don’t see tau like this in an eighteen-year-old. You don’t see tau like this in a fifty-year-old.”

[raymondalombardo]

[bmb]

Reread the post for the full story. It supports everything I posted. Where are your facts Mr. Ad Hominem Lawyer?

[raymondalombardo]

[bmb]

No loss, since you never cite any supporting facts for your disagreements.

[RJSachs]

[bmb]

The docs doing these studies were not football players, so I suppose we should ignore their findings. They were probably engaged in nerdy activity, like studying medicine, while the football players were busy damaging their brains.
Any more rank-pulling from the brain-dead, er, I mean ex-football players?

[raymondalombardo]

[black jack]

[chaz]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10....njury.html
_________________
Chaz

http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

[greg24]

Keep this stuff in the brain injury thread...

[diasurfer]

[Munir]

[simplesimon]

Boise State and TCU finishing top 6 and each earning a BCS berth anyone?

[3CT_Paddler]

[mlebuf]

On another topic:
I spent last Saturday night in Baton Rouge at the Auburn-LSU game. It reminded me of how different college football games in the South are from out here in Pac-10 Land. The following, slightly exaggerated but humorous piece captures many of the differences. Enjoy!

Southern Football

Another reason why the South is great! Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different from up North. For those who are planning a football trip in the South, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:

NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:

NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Campus Decor:

NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:

NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America.

Heroes:

NORTH: Rudy Guliani
SOUTH: Archie, Peyton & Eli Manning

Getting Tickets:

NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and purchase tickets.
SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and put name on waiting list for tickets.

Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:

NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because they have classes on Friday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:

NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

Game Day:

NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never broadcast from their campus.

Tailgating:

NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance by "Dave Matthews Band," who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:

NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it becomes the state's third largest city.

Concessions:

NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:

NORTH: Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:

NORTH: Nothing changes.
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Commentary (Male):

NORTH: "Nice play."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Commentary (Female):

NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

Announcers:

NORTH: Neutral and paid.
SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:

NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker. While somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, planning begins for next week's game.

Nothing else in the universe comes even halfway close to the glories of Southern Football!!!!
_________________
Best wishes,
Michael

Invest your time actively and your money passively.

[Ziggy75]

Football is meant to be played in the cold and snow.

I can't imagine watching football by the palm trees and fans wearing bathing suits.

[gatorman]

Just watched Tim Tebow break Walker's rrushing touchdown record playing against Georgia. How sweet it is!
gatorman

[Munir]

How about 'dem Ducks? Oregon demolishes USC 47-20, and is unbeaten in the PAC-10. Was ranked #10 a week ago, and I wonder what their ranking will be tomorrow.

It's the Trojans' worst loss in 12 years.

[dkdoy]

[Sam I Am]

Good for the Ducks!

Now the rest of us won't have to listen about how USC is going to get to the championship game.

Sam I Am
_________________
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. Douglas Adams

[Judsen]

Michael, I don't think that description was much of a stretch. It seemed right on to me. Thanks.

Last week during the Alabama game I had a big grin as Mark Ingram ran 5 yards with a would-be tackler wrapped around one of his legs.
Jud
_________________
Be the change you want to see in the world

[Munir]

For those romanticizing Southern football with their exaggerated descriptions, I invite them to come to Autzen Stadium in Eugene when there is an Oregon Ducks game. It will be a reality check and will cure them of their fantasies.

[mlebuf]

After spending the prior weekend at the Auburn-LSU game in Baton Rouge, I went to the Cal-Arizona State game this past weekend in Tempe. The difference in attendance and crowd enthusiasm was enormous. I drove about 10 miles from my home to near the stadium in 25 minutes with no traffic jams. After the ASU game, it took me 15 minutes to walk from the stadium to my parked car and only 35 minutes to drive home. In Baton Rouge it takes an hour in ball game traffic after the game to drive about 3-4 miles to the hotel.

Greater Phoenix has a population of over 4 million people. Greater Baton Rouge has a population of about 775,000 people. The entire state of Louisiana has a population of about 4.4 million people. Tiger Stadium has a seating capacity of about 92,000 and every seat was taken. Additionally, another 25,000 people without tickets came to the campus to tailgate and watched the game on TV in the parking lot. Sun Devil Stadium holds 72,000 people and the stadium was less than half full on Saturday. While that evidence may be anecdotal, I think it's a good indication of how differently college football is supported in the SEC vs. the Pac-10.
_________________
Best wishes,
Michael

Invest your time actively and your money passively.

[Bored5000]

[TJAJ9]

It would be hard for any school to beat out the atmosphere of the 100k+ who attend a Penn State game. One day, I hope I get the chance to see a game there. It's a bit of a ride from where I live (many hours).

[wbond]

On your North/South college football divide it is interesting to note that LSU’s first president, William Tecumseh Sherman, is thought to be responsible for the school’s physical survival during the Civil War. His stewardship is also responsible for the presence on campus of the cannons that started the rebellion by firing on Fort Sumter.

And for some curious reason, the University of Georgia’s fight song is sung to the tune of “John Brown’s Body.”

[dkdoy]

[fishndoc]

[arthurdawg]

[atwood]

[atwood]

[Bored5000]

My objection was to the claim that the SEC schools have an atmosphere or crowd that cannot be matched elsewhere. Gushing about 92,000 fans at LSU looks downright silly when Ohio St. drew 95,000 fans to their spring game this year.

Year after year, the the top three teams attendance wise are Michigan, Penn St. and Ohio St. With 92,000 fans at a PSU game, I would look around and wonder why the place is so empty.

[greg24]

There is great football and great passion in many areas throughout the country.

[wbond]

[fishndoc]

[3CT_Paddler]

[black jack]

[diasurfer]

I think the big college football schools are more likely to be found in the South, but clearly the South doesn't have a monopoly on passion for college football. Kentucky and North Carolina are southern states where basketball is king. Basketball is generally king in the north, except in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Kansas is a basketball state sandwiched between two football states - Oklahoma and Nebraska. Has success come in the sport that is 'king' because the passion for it is greater in that state, or is the passion greater because the state has had success in that sport?

The further west of Texas you get, the more laid back the fans get in general. But there are definitely exceptions, like Oregon. And then there are places like USC, where the passion is high just as long as the team is winning.

Anyway, it was another good week for the Longhorns. Things are looking good for making the big game as long as we take care of business against Kansas (a freakin' basketball school!) and the Aggies. Now Texas A&M - those fans go beyond passionate to the annoyingly cult-like. I freely admit those fans make Longhorns look like west coast softies.

[atwood]

[atwood]

[fishndoc]

[Bulldawg]

[wbond]

[Sam I Am]

Bulldawg wrote:

[foodnerd]