# Retired football players exhibit high rates of dementia **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128 "2009-09-30T17:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/21 "2009-10-08T17:57:35Z")
A young healthy athlete thinks it won’t happen to me. It is a human thing to think. But when it comes, it is too late. When you are a great football player you do little else but train and play. You don’t often have time to develop other marketable skills. Your entire being is wrapped up in playing a sport. Then when you retire at a young age, you have physical problems and some have mental problems. You spend a long time in diminished condition and have to make your money last a lifetime. A couple divorces will eat it up quickly. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/22 "2009-10-12T17:20:08Z")
Malcom Gladwell has a new article on this subject: [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa\_fact\_gladwell?currentPage=all](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/23 "2009-10-12T18:44:13Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > A young healthy athlete thinks it won’t happen to me. It is a human thing to think. Yeah, it’s the same mindset behind “oh no condoms… well, for once it won’t matter…” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/24 "2009-10-13T12:54:35Z")
60 minutes did a story on this Sunday. The NFL has a new fund to help guys with problems. There are about 100 guys using that fund now. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/25 "2009-10-14T03:10:49Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > Malcom Gladwell has a new article on this subject: > > [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa\_fact\_gladwell?currentPage=all](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all) That is a devastating article. The way he connects it to pitbull fighting was appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/26 "2009-10-14T03:50:18Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > That is a devastating article. The way he connects it to pitbull fighting was appropriate. Jesus Christ. It’s a gladiator game, deal with it already. This article sucks. Kyle Turley was always a headcase before his description of his head injuries. I do agree that NFL vets from yesteryear deserve more care than they are getting, but guys like Turley that played in the era of multi-million dollar contracts? And was a headcase to begin with? No sympathy, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/27 "2009-10-14T04:20:04Z")
If a US manufacturing plant had the lost time accident rate that the NFL does, how long would it be until OSHA shut down the plant? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/28 "2009-10-14T13:38:46Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > If a US manufacturing plant had the lost time accident rate that the NFL does, how long would it be until OSHA shut down the plant? If the manufacturing plant paid similar wages, the employees would protest the closing. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/29 "2009-10-14T14:12:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If the manufacturing plant paid similar wages, the employees would protest the closing. That’s irrelevant. but go ahead take it down a couple of levels and goto college and high school football. They don’t get paid at all. (Officially, w/money) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/30 "2009-10-14T19:34:14Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Jesus Christ. It’s a gladiator game, deal with it already. > > This article sucks. Kyle Turley was always a headcase before his description of his head injuries. I do agree that NFL vets from yesteryear deserve more care than they are getting, but guys like Turley that played in the era of multi-million dollar contracts? And was a headcase to begin with? No sympathy, sorry. It was not just about Turley. Reread it. It includes kids in high school and any college kid that gets strings of concussions in practice and in games. Turley was getting his mellon scrambled for 15 years before he became a pro. If he arrived as a bit crazy, that may have been a contributing factor. Indeed it may have been the cause. What does money have to do with the damage football causes? I know most of them would just do it again. But that does not change the fact that it is a mentally debilitating sport. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/31 "2009-10-14T19:37:21Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Jesus Christ. It’s a gladiator game, deal with it already. Awesome combo of name and post. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/32 "2009-10-14T19:49:07Z")
I think the helmets, rather than helping this problem, are actually the cause. As I said once comparing football to rugby, and as anyone who played football knows, the main thing that current helmets allow is for players to use their heads as weapons. I think that the solution (as the article mentioned if I recall), is put some sort of soft coating on the outside of the helmet. The players will be able to hit just as hard, but without using a rock hard object as a bludgeon. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/33 "2009-10-14T22:41:07Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It was not just about Turley. Reread it. It includes kids in high school and any college kid that gets strings of concussions in practice and in games. > Turley was getting his mellon scrambled for 15 years before he became a pro. If he arrived as a bit crazy, that may have been a contributing factor. Indeed it may have been the cause. > What does money have to do with the damage football causes? I know most of them would just do it again. But that does not change the fact that it is a mentally debilitating sport. I did. I appreciate the concerns, I really do. But there’s really nothing that can be done short of abolishing the sport. Most of these former players live normal lives after their playing days are over. And as for the pitbull comparison, what’s up with that? Showing that a wounded animal/player will continue to fight/play? Big deal. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/34 "2009-10-15T01:50:36Z")
I would dispute most. The pros I have met have had serious damage. They needed help to put their shirt on . The wore loafers because there was no way they could bend over and tie their shoes. They paid a bad price. If you add in the mental damage it is a mess. When Inside the NFL was on HBO, they had up close cameras taking pictures of the collisions. It was horrifying. Should football be banned. I hate to say it. I had Lion season tickets for over 20 years. I certainly got caught up in it. But it is just too nasty to save. Our gladiators pay too big a price to amuse us. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/35 "2009-10-15T01:57:42Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I would dispute most. The pros I have met have had serious damage. They needed help to put their shirt on . The wore loafers because there was no way they could bend over and tie their shoes. They paid a bad price. If you add in the mental damage it is a mess. > When Inside the NFL was on HBO, they had up close cameras taking pictures of the collisions. It was horrifying. Should football be banned. I hate to say it. I had Lion season tickets for over 20 years. I certainly got caught up in it. But it is just too nasty to save. Our gladiators pay too big a price to amuse us. Maybe it’s a Lions issue because they suck balls? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/36 "2009-10-15T03:53:21Z")
No. It is a brutal sport , too brutal. I watch boxing too. I suppose that could be considered a little brutal. I think in about 20 years from now, both should be abolished. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/37 "2009-10-15T17:35:06Z")
I don’t think football should be banned, but clearly the NFL needs to be doing more to protect current players and care for former players. We are talking about a sport where the _average_ lifespan for former offensive linenmen is [52 years](http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Sports/A_huge_problem.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/38 "2009-10-15T17:40:27Z")
That sounds bad in isolation, but what’s the average life expectancy of any random 300 pound guy? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/39 "2009-10-15T18:00:52Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > That sounds bad in isolation, but what’s the average life expectancy of any random 300 pound guy? Yes, and what were their causes of death? Was there a lot of dementia/brain damaged behavior involved, or was it mostly heart attacks from obesity and bad habits? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128/40 "2009-10-15T19:43:31Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > We are talking about a sport where the _average_ lifespan for former offensive linenmen is [52 years](http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Sports/A_huge_problem.shtml). Clearly, I should re-evaluate my strategy for the death pool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retired-football-players-exhibit-high-rates-of-dementia/512128.md?page=3)