Maybe. But by the same token the league’s original stance was stupid. They insisted concussion created no permanent damage at all. Anybody that’s ever felt the bumps on their own shins, the permanent damage from every time you ever bumped something, or looked at the scars from various nicks and cuts on your hands know that EVERY bad thing you do to your body leaves SOME permanent damage. The idea that brain tissue is somehow magically unlike any other body part and can 100% completely recover from damage is laughable.
The league should stop being short sited. They can afford to help guys with mental problems. They could take the high road on it. Say they don’t really care if these problems are related to concussions that happened while in the NFL and they’re just going to help retired players with mental issues. What’s the most that’s going to cost them? Couple million a year? Hundred million? They make 15 billion a year. This would be rounding error.
Amen @ post 41.
I would include the NCAA in that. We have seen a few of these out of college.
The saddest one of all was Junior Seau and even he, a wildly popular player within the league, did not seem to cause much change.