Posted on 07/27/2017 8:37:25 PM PDT by Rockitz
Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel has quit the NFL just days after the world's biggest study into a degenerative brain disease showed that it affects 99 per cent of players.
The study, which was announced on Tuesday, found that out 111 NFL players' brains examined by Boston University, 110 showed signs of damage due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
That news so shook Urschel - who is studying for a mathematics PhD at MIT in the off-season - that he quit on Thursday, a friend told ESPN.
Urschel, who is 26, is studying spectral graph theory, numerical linear algebra and machine learning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He has already published six peer-reviewed mathematics papers and has three more that have yet to be reviewed. He's also an avid - and talented - chess player.
The player has previously complained of having his mathematical skills impaired by concussion, but until now he has maintained that he loves the sport too much to quit.
But on Thursday, just before practice, he turned in his notice without making a statement. He had been expected to compete at training camp for the position of starting center.
A friend told ESPN his decision was linked to the report.
'This morning John Urschel informed me of his decision to retire from football,' coach John Harbaugh said in a statement.
'We respect John and respect his decision. We appreciate his efforts over the past three years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Guess Fox was onto something here.
He’s not your typical football player.
He has other options and wants to keep his brain.
The Giants had another guy in the 1990s who was a real brain. He had been redshirted at a Big 12 school as a freshman so he had one year of eligibility left when he graduated, so he played another season after he graduated and pursued a master's degree in some specialized field of science in his fifth year. They showed his report card on TV during a game, and I didn't even recognize the names of half the classes he was taking. LOL.
Good for him. Better to have your brain and no money than not have it and lots of money.
Bingo! We have a winner!
It would however be interesting to see a somewhat random sample.
Let’s start with all current and former 49ers!
Bingo! We have a winner!
It would however be interesting to see a somewhat random sample.
Let’s start with all current and former 49ers!
Wired covered that story yesterday. Based on that study of soccer players....they attribute their issues to ‘heading’ where you use your head to tap the incoming 50-mph ball into the net. What they said....issues start to develop around 1800 ‘headings’ in your career. There is some suggestion that players need to take a count of these and plan on retirement at some earlier age.
A lot of youth leagues are now banning heading.
It certainly does NOT imply or even come close to suggesting that 99% of football players will suffer from the disease.
I don’t know if football will die, but I imagine regular brain scans, both during and after the season will be required and maybe limits on total playing time. I think careers will be measured in minutes played and not seasons in the near future.
Bingo, you got it. All were donated because it was suspected.
Even if not, they were all football players that were studied. With no background group - who is to say almost EVERY brain wouldn’t come back with it?
Rush will spend all of next week talking about this.
He was talking fb today...had to turn him off. Once he gets going on Apple or fb...it’s time [for me] to move on.
Yeah, he hasn't committed any crimes.
MIT is the best degree on the planet in relation to earnings over a 30 years period.
Football can do a two simple things to improve the health of players:
No more kick-off returns.
No more punt returns.
I know. It is heartbreaking to cancel two major parts of the game. But the health of players are more valuable than the numbers on the scoreboard.
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story!
Those can’t handle contact sports should stick to math.
I think it would be interesting if you took all kicking out of football. The only way to score is via touchdowns, no Field Goals. No punting, you get four downs and if you don’t convert, the other team gets the ball.
Then if you score a touchdown, I would do the two-point conversion, but with the added incentive of making it so that if you convert, you get the ball back. But you would get it back on your own 20 yard line, so you have the pressure of having to get some first downs, because remember, there’s no punting.
>> the world’s biggest study into a degenerative brain disease showed that it affects 99 per cent of players.
“the world” doesn’t play American football.
>> 111 NFL players’ brains examined by Boston University, 110 showed signs of damage
Positions? And what years were they playing?
Dubious report.
Giving up the $$ and lifestyle of a NFL player requires intelligence and discipline. Hope his career using his degree is a full one.
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