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BREAKING: 49ers Chris Borland retires.

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  • i liked borland as a player but if were him i'd be more worried about his shrinking testicles from being on the juice since HS than concussions.

  • He said he has had two concussions in his life and doesn't want to risk permanent brain injury and decided to retire. Sounds kind of fishy too me. His last concussion was in High School. So he played 4 years at an obviously high tempo in College to get selected by the 49ers and then plays one year. Strange. But, its his choice.

  • What an offseason for the 49ers....

    (thanks for the coach though)

    @mld-woody said:

    What an offseason for the 49ers....

    (thanks for the coach though)

    Michigan, LOL.

  • He said he has had two concussions in his life and doesn't want to risk permanent brain injury and decided to retire. Sounds kind of fishy too me. His last concussion was in High School. So he played 4 years at an obviously high tempo in College to get selected by the 49ers and then plays one year. Strange. But, its his choice.

    @diehardbrownsfan said:

    He said he has had two concussions in his life and doesn't want to risk permanent brain injury and decided to retire. Sounds kind of fishy too me. His last concussion was in High School. So he played 4 years at an obviously high tempo in College to get selected by the 49ers and then plays one year. Strange. But, its his choice.

    Yes, his last diagnosed concussion was in HS. I'm sure it happens less now that with the new concussion protocols, but players get their bell rung all the time and don't report it to trainers or coaches whether that happened in practice or in games.

    I can't fault him for wanting to live a healthy life past the age of like 35. Honestly, expect USA soccer to start dominating in 10-15 years when kids start playing that instead of football in the Fall.

  • The easiest way to stop the concussions.

    Quit putting the guys in armor.

    Remove that perceived invincibility and you will have less leading with the head, and head injuries. Go old school.

    Im not talking leather helmets, but seriously, if we removed some of the armor, guys would be less likely to run around with reckless abandon and get themselves or others hurt.

    Reduce the roster size would also help.

    Then again, I could be off my rocker.

    Just my $.02

    Flame away...

  • @diehardbrownsfan said:

    He said he has had two concussions in his life and doesn't want to risk permanent brain injury and decided to retire. Sounds kind of fishy too me. His last concussion was in High School. So he played 4 years at an obviously high tempo in College to get selected by the 49ers and then plays one year. Strange. But, its his choice.

    Yes, his last diagnosed concussion was in HS. I'm sure it happens less now that with the new concussion protocols, but players get their bell rung all the time and don't report it to trainers or coaches whether that happened in practice or in games.

    I can't fault him for wanting to live a healthy life past the age of like 35. Honestly, expect USA soccer to start dominating in 10-15 years when kids start playing that instead of football in the Fall.

    @utzie said:

    Yes, his last diagnosed concussion was in HS. I'm sure it happens less now that with the new concussion protocols, but players get their bell rung all the time and don't report it to trainers or coaches whether that happened in practice or in games.

    I can't fault him for wanting to live a healthy life past the age of like 35. Honestly, expect USA soccer to start dominating in 10-15 years when kids start playing that instead of football in the Fall.

    You realize how many concussions happen in soccer right?

    http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/cost-header

  • The easiest way to stop the concussions.

    Quit putting the guys in armor.

    Remove that perceived invincibility and you will have less leading with the head, and head injuries. Go old school.

    Im not talking leather helmets, but seriously, if we removed some of the armor, guys would be less likely to run around with reckless abandon and get themselves or others hurt.

    Reduce the roster size would also help.

    Then again, I could be off my rocker.

    Just my $.02

    Flame away...

    @kvoethe said:

    The easiest way to stop the concussions.

    Quit putting the guys in armor.

    Remove that perceived invincibility and you will have less leading with the head, and head injuries. Go old school.

    Im not talking leather helmets, but seriously, if we removed some of the armor, guys would be less likely to run around with reckless abandon and get themselves or others hurt.

    It's really not that crazy of an idea-people in rugby get hurt a lot but because they don't wear helmets it's just natural to not lead with the head. I think what I'm more surprised at is that there isn't more solid technology on a "concussion-proof" helmet. I mean, I know there are some out there like Wes Welker has worn but there's nothing league-wide. I think that's the next step that some company is going to make billions on when they are required.

  • @kvoethe said:

    The easiest way to stop the concussions.

    Quit putting the guys in armor.

    Remove that perceived invincibility and you will have less leading with the head, and head injuries. Go old school.

    Im not talking leather helmets, but seriously, if we removed some of the armor, guys would be less likely to run around with reckless abandon and get themselves or others hurt.

    It's really not that crazy of an idea-people in rugby get hurt a lot but because they don't wear helmets it's just natural to not lead with the head. I think what I'm more surprised at is that there isn't more solid technology on a "concussion-proof" helmet. I mean, I know there are some out there like Wes Welker has worn but there's nothing league-wide. I think that's the next step that some company is going to make billions on when they are required.

    @jrb12711 said:

    I think what I'm more surprised at is that there isn't more solid technology on a "concussion-proof" helmet. I mean, I know there are some out there like Wes Welker has worn but there's nothing league-wide.

    No such thing exists... same as the "light cigarette".

    There are helmets that flex to absorb a fraction of the impact energy, but there is none that can appreciably change the deceleration of the skull to prevent the brain from impact it.

    As said above, tackling has to change.

  • @utzie said:

    Yes, his last diagnosed concussion was in HS. I'm sure it happens less now that with the new concussion protocols, but players get their bell rung all the time and don't report it to trainers or coaches whether that happened in practice or in games.

    I can't fault him for wanting to live a healthy life past the age of like 35. Honestly, expect USA soccer to start dominating in 10-15 years when kids start playing that instead of football in the Fall.

    You realize how many concussions happen in soccer right?

    http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/cost-header

    @kvoethe said:

    You realize how many concussions happen in soccer right?

    http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/cost-header

    I stand corrected.

    I grew up in an area where soccer was essentially non-existent, so I guess I always assumed that a majority of the injuries were lower body.

  • @jrb12711 said:

    I think what I'm more surprised at is that there isn't more solid technology on a "concussion-proof" helmet. I mean, I know there are some out there like Wes Welker has worn but there's nothing league-wide.

    No such thing exists... same as the "light cigarette".

    There are helmets that flex to absorb a fraction of the impact energy, but there is none that can appreciably change the deceleration of the skull to prevent the brain from impact it.

    As said above, tackling has to change.

    @tour2ma said:

    No such thing exists... same as the "light cigarette".

    There are helmets that flex to absorb a fraction of the impact energy, but there is none that can appreciably change the deceleration of the skull to prevent the brain from impact it.

    As said above, tackling has to change.

    Well, I'd make the argument that vaping is a "light cigarette". I mean we definitely agree, I'm just saying having no knowledge of how it works that someone will probably make a helmet that drastically lowers concussion rates. How or what time frame I don't know, but it seems possible to me.

  • Really.... I don't feel bad for these guys. They get paid millions to do what they do. I just read an article that said NFL players are 3 times as likely to die of diseases of the brain than the average population.

    Really? For 100x more money than then the average salary. Sign me up.

    If I live 60 years like a pro athlete does, retire at 35 then doing and going where ever you want and if invest correctly can provide for my whole family for generations, versus living 75 years working till I'm 65, and probably dying from the same disease or something worse than these guys do. Sign me up. I watched as 57 year old co worker that had been at the steel yard I worked at since he was 18 doing one of the worst jobs on earth pulling in 35k a year, get crushed/cut in half by rail car that came unhooked and blindsided him. I'm sure he would have taken the high life and died of head trauma if given the choice.

  • lol... other than "vaping" is not smoking, sure... 😉

    As for the helmet... It's physics. And the science simply says it's not possible.

    Think of it this way... people (the brain) in a car's passenger cabin (the skull) surrounded by the rest of the car (the helmet). So long as nothing penetrates the cabin, the way passengers are hurt is by their impacting the cabin (dashboard, seat back, steering wheel) when it decelerates fasters than the people do.

    Whatever you do outside the cabin (energy absorbing bumpers, crumple zones, etc.) all are negligible in preventing people from flying forward in the cabin upon impact UNLESS they are anchored to the cabin by using seat belts. Even the advent of in cabin devices like air bags offer little protection unless seat belts are also used.

    So far there are no seat belts for the brain...

  • @jrb12711 said:

    I think what I'm more surprised at is that there isn't more solid technology on a "concussion-proof" helmet. I mean, I know there are some out there like Wes Welker has worn but there's nothing league-wide.

    No such thing exists... same as the "light cigarette".

    There are helmets that flex to absorb a fraction of the impact energy, but there is none that can appreciably change the deceleration of the skull to prevent the brain from impact it.

    As said above, tackling has to change.

    @tour2ma said:

    No such thing exists... same as the "light cigarette".

    There are helmets that flex to absorb a fraction of the impact energy, but there is none that can appreciably change the deceleration of the skull to prevent the brain from impact it.

    As said above, tackling has to change.

    +1

  • lol... other than "vaping" is not smoking, sure... 😉

    As for the helmet... It's physics. And the science simply says it's not possible.

    Think of it this way... people (the brain) in a car's passenger cabin (the skull) surrounded by the rest of the car (the helmet). So long as nothing penetrates the cabin, the way passengers are hurt is by their impacting the cabin (dashboard, seat back, steering wheel) when it decelerates fasters than the people do.

    Whatever you do outside the cabin (energy absorbing bumpers, crumple zones, etc.) all are negligible in preventing people from flying forward in the cabin upon impact UNLESS they are anchored to the cabin by using seat belts. Even the advent of in cabin devices like air bags offer little protection unless seat belts are also used.

    So far there are no seat belts for the brain...

    @tour2ma said:

    lol... other than "vaping" is not smoking, sure... 😉

    As for the helmet... It's physics. And the science simply says it's not possible.

    Think of it this way... people (the brain) in a car's passenger cabin (the skull) surrounded by the rest of the car (the helmet). So long as nothing penetrates the cabin, the way passengers are hurt is by their impacting the cabin (dashboard, seat back, steering wheel) when it decelerates fasters than the people do.

    Whatever you do outside the cabin (energy absorbing bumpers, crumple zones, etc.) all are negligible in preventing people from flying forward in the cabin upon impact UNLESS they are anchored to the cabin by using seat belts. Even the advent of in cabin devices like air bags offer little protection unless seat belts are also used.

    So far there are no seat belts for the brain...

    I think most people who smoke would tell you differently but I don't do it so I don't know.

    I hear ya, I understand that at the end of the day nothing is going to make the game concussion free. Without looking at the concussion rate in the NFL though, it just has always seemed to me that the technology of a helmet could be created to bring that number down a good amount. Even if it was something that say took it from 60% to 35% (not real numbers) it would still make the game way safer.

  • i agree with hx.

    Football isn't supposed to be safe or injury free... the same way MMA isn't supposed to be safe or injury free. These guys are supposed to risk it all, that is why they get paid so much.

    Everything they do to make this game more safe ends up taking away from the game and devalues the greatest players of the past. Nobody ever forces these kids to play the game and if they really turn it into a soft game then they need to start paying these guys a lot less.

  • well, good for Chris Borland.......looks like he has a real good head on his shoulders......and plans to keep it that way!....😉

    And the 49er's???...never have I seen a team melt down so quickly...and folks think the Browns have all the problems....ha!

  • @kvoethe said:

    You realize how many concussions happen in soccer right?

    http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/cost-header

    I stand corrected.

    I grew up in an area where soccer was essentially non-existent, so I guess I always assumed that a majority of the injuries were lower body.

    @utzie said:

    I stand corrected.

    I grew up in an area where soccer was essentially non-existent, so I guess I always assumed that a majority of the injuries were lower body.

    I am pretty shocked by this concussion in soccer article too, it's an injury I have rarely heard of happening in the sport.

    And I watch soccer 4-5 times a week all throughout europe.

  • well, good for Chris Borland.......looks like he has a real good head on his shoulders......and plans to keep it that way!....😉

    And the 49er's???...never have I seen a team melt down so quickly...and folks think the Browns have all the problems....ha!

    @mudfly said:

    well, good for Chris Borland.......looks like he has a real good head on his shoulders......and plans to keep it that way!.... 😉

    And the 49er's???...never have I seen a team melt down so quickly...and folks think the Browns have all the problems....ha!

    We have the Niners at home this year too 😁

  • i agree with hx.

    Football isn't supposed to be safe or injury free... the same way MMA isn't supposed to be safe or injury free. These guys are supposed to risk it all, that is why they get paid so much.

    Everything they do to make this game more safe ends up taking away from the game and devalues the greatest players of the past. Nobody ever forces these kids to play the game and if they really turn it into a soft game then they need to start paying these guys a lot less.

    @browns_fucking_rule said:

    i agree with hx.

    Football isn't supposed to be safe or injury free... the same way MMA isn't supposed to be safe or injury free. These guys are supposed to risk it all, that is why they get paid so much.

    Everything they do to make this game more safe ends up taking away from the game and devalues the greatest players of the past. Nobody ever forces these kids to play the game and if they really turn it into a soft game then they need to start paying these guys a lot less.

    I like this viewpoint!!!!

  • Borland went with his gut and is looking after his health. That said, the 49ers are having an off season that could end with locusts.

    @logicisforsquares said:

    Borland went with his gut and is looking after his health. That said, the 49ers are having an off season that could end with locusts.

    No dount a team in disfunction. They can't even get players on board a year to stay. 😉