Predisposition is a genetic term. NFL players comes from all over the country. As a result, they are part of the national genetic pool. It is likely that football players would have the same genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's and dementia as the general population. You receive your genetic make-up at conception.Pardon the Interruption is a sports show on ESPN. The hosts are Washington Post columnists Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. They are two smart, successful journalist.
On Friday, Tony and Mike decided to delve into the issue of concusssions and the effects they are having on retired National Hockey League (NHL) and National Football League (NFL) players.
Tony decided to use the word predisposition in the discussion.
He went on to wonder if the sample size of NFL players is too small to assume that NFL players are "predisposed" to dementia.
Predisposition is a genetic term. NFL players comes from all over the country. As a result, they are part of the national genetic pool. It is likely that football players would have the same genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's and dementia as the general population. You receive your genetic make-up at conception.
Maybe Tony used the word predisposition in a different context. Maybe he meant that since there are only a small number of retired football players it would be hard to determine if blows to the head from playing football could cause Alzheimer's or dementia. Not enough people in the sample to come to a conclusion.
Well here is what we know so far. The National Football League commissioned a study. The study was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. The study was conducted via telephone. So the methodology could be called into question.
Here is what the researchers discovered:
The researchers reported that Alzheimer's disease or dementia like disease appears to have been diagnosed in the league's former players more often than in the national population -- including a rate 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.Source: One Out of Every Sixteen Retired NFL Players Could Suffer from Alzheimer's or Dementia During Their Lifetime and University of Michigan Institute for Social Research -- Study of Retired NFL Players
Michigan researchers also found that 6.1 percent of players age 50 and older reported that they had received a dementia-related diagnosis -- this is five times higher than the national average.
Tony might want to look at this story I wrote on October 1 -- The NFLs Dirty Little Secret--Early Onset Alzheimer's at a Young Age.
Tony and Mike might decide to do five good minutes with Brent Boyd. Boyd, a former N.F.L. lineman, who began experiencing memory loss and dementia-related symptoms in his 40s.
In Boyd's case the National Football League’s plan-appointed doctor concluded that football “could not be organically responsible for all or even a major portion” of his condition". As a result, Boyd did not receive payments for the condition from the pension plan.Well Brent, it now appears the NFL is getting worried. Just two weeks ago they changed the rules for dealing with concussions. Now players must sit out after suffering a concussion. It is likely these new rules will be strenghtened during the off season.
“I was told once that the owners would never open up this can of worms — approving any connection between brain injuries with N.F.L. football. Now that claim is clear to any reasonable person. I don’t think there’s any way they can make their case anymore. I’d like to see how they try to weasel out of it this time.”
It is likely that the new study and Brent's words have the NFL worrying about the legal liability they could be facing. In other words, MONEY talks. So finally they are forced by economics to look into the problem.
In October, 60 Minutes jumped in with their report -- Study Links Concussions To Brain Disease.
At the time I wrote this story -- 60 Minutes A Blow To The Brain -- This is Your Brain on Football.
In the story I included the shared video of the 60 Minutes segment. It begins with Tim Tebow laying on his back on the football field -- knocked out and concussed.
This 60 Minutes story served as a wake up call. To the National Football League and to parents of children playing football.
I know it woke up Mike Wilbon. A couple of weeks ago on Pardon the Interruption he said that his young son wouldn't be playing football.
There are a long list of articles now available on this issue. This issue has been covered in great detail by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and by 60 Minutes. It is no longer a dirty little secret.
There you go Tony and Mike. I'll leave it to Tony Reali to get you up to speed. You might consider doing FIVE GOOD MINUTES on this issue.
I'm sure we will be getting a good education on this subject from ESPN in the not to distant future. This is a good thing for the parents of sons playing football.
It won't be a good thing for the NFL. They will need to identify a good solution to the growing problem with concussions -- they need to do it NOW.
If the NFL can't come up with new rules and better equipment (helmets), the sport could become an endangered species.
Right Mike?
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