RIP Junior Seau

One of the only intelligent things Roger Goodell has said in the past five years is when he noted that there were 18 deaths due to skull fractures in one year in the early 1900s. That's what got Teddy Roosevelt interested and I think that's what led to leather helmets.

 

Rugby actually penalizes players for not wrapping up, "shoulder" tackles and dangerous tackles. The latter can lead to a red card and potentially a multi-week suspension. A high tackle (any contact above the shoulders) can also result in a card.

 

I tend to agree that removing facemasks would probably help. There would be a lot more broken noses and busted teeth, but fewer concussions and stingers probably.

 

Making it more than 3,800 players who have sued the NFL regarding concussions. And on the day the suit was announced, the NFL said it was fining Frank Goire $10.5 K because his socks were too low in the NFC title game.

I know I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again ... it's obvious Goodell is more concerned with bread and circuses (socks, Thursday night games on short rest, wanting the Pro Bowl to be like a real game) instead of dealing with the concussion issures. A few PSA's won't cut it.

 

Goodell is concerned with making it look like the league cares, but every time they talk about an 18-game season or let another team slide for letting a player go right back into a game after suffering a concussion, he proves that it's all bullshit.

 

The owners certainly deserve their share of the blame, too, for the league's failure to properly address the issue of concussions.

 

So you're trying to tell me the owners give a damn about socks?

 

I don't know about the other 3,799 lawsuits against the NFL with regard to concussions/brain injuries, but didn't Seau's autopsy results indicate that such issues were not a factor in his death?

This smacks of a greedy, scared, albeit grieving family having lost their cash cow and pretending money is going to make any damn difference in bringing their loved one back. Should they win a suit, however, it would take good care of them.

 

There was more than one autopsy. The report on the initial one did not show evidence of concussions, but further study did show signs of the damage consistent with brain damage related to concussions.