Comments on: Royals express sympathy, offer thoughts and prayers in wake of Chiefs player’s murder-suicide

By: mybrunoblog

mybrunoblog — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:54:01 +0000

Did you make up that statistic about NFL players dying at 55?
The fact is a 2011 Journal of American Cardiology report found that former NFL players actually have a longer life expectancy than regular citizens. The study is fascinating. They attribute the longer life to the fact that NFL players tend to be non smokers, abuse alcohol less frequently, tend to exercise more than the rest of us and have access to good health care.
I understand this flies in the face of what the media and NFLPA tell us but facts often have a way of toppling over the hyperbole.

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:02:22 +0000

Stuff like this is just doubly upsetting. It hits me in a soft spot. I come to sites like this when I need a distraction from “crappy life in general” stuff, so to get it here just seems to pile on. I know it is relevant, especially when tragedy hits the baseball world directly, but damn do I wish it wasn’t.

By: astrofaninkc

astrofaninkc — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:29:43 +0000

Junior Seau also shot himself in the chest instead of the head.

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:00:41 +0000

samu, That was former Bear Dave Duerson. He was working for the NFLPA, interviewing brain injured players when he recognized the symptoms in himself and he decided the ride down the down slope wasn’t worth living.

By: samu0034

samu0034 — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:11:12 +0000

Again, it’s kind of a morbid thing to consider, but it kind of depends on how he did it. I distinctly remember hearing about another NFL player who shot himself, and did it in such a way that his brain could still be examined afterward. Though in that case I think he shot himself in the chest. Man, sometimes it’s just a really messed up world we live in.

By: kkolchak

kkolchak — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:55:28 +0000

The NFL has been in denial about this issue for many years and is only beginning to acknowledge that it has a serious problem.

In the bigger picture, it is simply incredible that an NFL player’s life expectancy is merely 55, or nearly 20 years shorter than the average American male. Beyond this horrible tragedy, these guys are literally killing themselves for the game. I don’t know what the answer is, but this issue was a big factor towards me giving up my NFL season tickets and reverting to being a baseball fan.

By: Drew Silva

Drew Silva — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:06:55 +0000

Apologies. Thank you.

By: astrofaninkc

astrofaninkc — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:05:37 +0000

Even if the NFL or his family asked for it to be done, I’m not sure it is medically possible to examine the brain for football-related trauma once a bullet has gone through it.

I’m not trying to be a smart ass or make light of this situation either. Just pointing out that I don’t believe it’s going to be able to put his brain back together for an examination.

By: astrofaninkc

astrofaninkc — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:03:00 +0000

It’s a minor detail given the scope of this tragedy, but Kasandra was the mother of Jovan’s daughter, not son.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 19:00:12 +0000

Think his brain will be checked to see if football-related trauma could have been a contributing factor? Doubt it. Then the NFL and football fans can keep their heads buried in the sand and continue pretending football isn’t a brutal bloodsport.