(CBS) Retired football players are at heightened risk for mild cognitive impairment wholesale buccaneers jersey (MCI), a subtle form of dementia that is considered a prelude to Alzheimer's disease.
NFL brain drain: 13 players who donated wholesale 49ers jersey their brains to science
That's the word wholesale flames jersey from wholesale kings jersey Dr. Christopher Randolph, a Loyola University neurologist whose preliminary study of 513 wholesale avalanche jersey retired NFL players, average age 61, and their wives was presented at the Alzheimer's wholesale titans jersey Association International Conference 2011 wholesale bruins jersey in Paris.
"It appears there may be a very high rate of cognitive impairment in these retired wholesale whalers jersey football players, compared to the general population in that age wholesale ducks jersey range," he said in wholesale steelers jersey a written statement. Thirty-five percent of the players who participated in the survey had scores suggestive of MCI. In other words, wholesale sabres jersey more than one in three retired players may wholesale thrashers jersey be wholesale stars jersey suffering from wholesale eagles jersey MCI.
MCI causes wholesale islanders jersey problems wholesale oilers jersey with memory, language, and/or another wholesale canada jersey mental wholesale devils jersey function. The impairment is obvious wholesale red wings jersey to sufferers and those wholesale canadiens jersey around them but is not severe enough to interfere with daily wholesale rams jersey living.
The increased risk presumably is the result of repeated blows to the head that pro footballers sustain. Animal studies have shown that wholesale predators jersey blows to the head wholesale wild jersey can kill brain cells even when wholesale redskins jersey they are not severe enough to cause a concussion, according the statement.
Previous research on wholesale chargers jersey college football players has shown that, on average, players wholesale hurricanes jersey receive more than 1,000 10-g or higher blows wholesale rangers jersey to wholesale seahawks jersey the head each season. More than 250 of wholesale jackets jersey these blows are greater than 30 g-force. One G is equal to the force wholesale blackhawks jersey of gravity.
Stanford product Richard Sherman has the prototypical size and speed that Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll cheap jersey covets in a press corner.
At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, the 21-year-old played receiver his first three years at Stanford before cheap jerseys from china moving over to the other side of the ball during spring drills heading into is senior year.
Sherman has the ball skills to be a solid cover corner, but he’s got some work to do better transitioning out of his back pedal, anticipating routes and breaking on the ball.
But Carroll, who recruited Sherman as a cornerback while at USC, likes his potential.
“We know he has great length, he has terrific ball skills, and the fact that he tackles so well,” Carroll said after the draft. “All cheap jerseys for sale that adds up, and he ran 4.4’s. We had no problem with any aspect of his build up.
“Not everyone appreciates press corners like we do, and the length that he has to help him with the jam stuff. It’s a big deal in our style of play, if we can suit our players to it, and Richard is really one of those guys that we’re going to go right at it with him. He’s a big kid; there are very few kids who play corner like that.”
A true press corner: Sherman’s cheap jerseys usa combine numbers back-up Carroll’s claim. He ran a 4.54 40-yard dash, posted a vertical leap of 38 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 5 inches at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, so the athleticism is there.
But I think there are legitimate concerns about Sherman’s ability to play physical, along with his overall defensive anticipation after having played only one year at cornerback in college.
“Playing press-man is basically what Coach Carroll and his staff I believe brought me in for, and that’s what he preached to me on the phone,” Sherman said after Seattle drafted him. “That is one of my biggest strengths. I can press and play man. I’m good in the red cheap jerseys usa zone against bigger receivers, smaller receivers. I think those are the strengths that I try to bring.”
Did you know? Sherman graduated from Stanford with a degree in communications and was highly recruited out of Dominguez High in Compton, Calif, but chose Stanford over nearby USC because he wanted to make a statement about the importance of education, becoming the first athlete from Compton to attend cheap jerseys usa Stanford.
“I’m from Compton, and it’s hard for people to understand that you can be an athlete and have high academic standards and achieve high academic things,” Sherman said. “And so I really wanted to make that know to cheap jerseys for sale people that you can go to Stanford from Compton.”
Sherman also cheap jerseys free shipping was roommates at Stanford with former Washington All-State quarterback and defensive back Kellen Kiilsgaard, a cheap jerseys free shipping standout quarterback at Auburn High who played both football and baseball at Stanford, and is now trying to make his way through the minor leagues in cheap jerseys the Houston Astros organization cheap jerseys for the Tri-City Valley Cats in Troy, N.Y.
2011 expectations: Sherman fits that mold of a late-round prospect with a big, athletic frame that appears to be a good fit cheap jerseys for sale in Seattle’s press corner scheme. However, I think he’s still a work in progress and will be in a dog fight for a spot wholesale jersey on the final, 53-man roster, particularly without the benefit of an offseason program learning wholesale jerseys the tricks of the trade from veterans like Marcus Trufant. cheap jerseys free shipping But he could be a solid contributor on special teams for Seattle as a gunner on punt and punt returns.
Check out video highlights of Sherman below.
Richard Dickson said wholesale clippers jersey it wasn't the speed that surprised him wholesale nationals jersey but the smarts.
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Detroit Lions tight end Richard Dickson, a former LSU wholesale rockets jersey standout, worked with high-school athletes wholesale padres jersey at last week's Pro wholesale nuggets jersey Football wholesale pistons jersey Combine Camp at Nicholls State University.
Abby wholesale hornets jersey Tabor/Staff
The second-year pro, who signed with the Detroit Lions wholesale giants jersey as an undrafted free-agent after breaking virtually every tight wholesale yankees jersey end record at LSU, said he was ready for the speed of the NFL, but the intelligence of its players really surprised him.
"You wholesale cardinals jersey know, it's funny," the Ocean Springs, Miss., native wholesale mariners jersey said at the recent Pro Football Combine camp at Nicholls. "You learn a lot of stuff interacting with guys who wholesale Blue jays jersey have been doing this for a long time. When you jump from high wholesale pirates jersey school to wholesale pilots jersey college, it's the speed that changes. But from college to the pros, wholesale athletics jersey it's how smart everyone is. It's a mental game. It's really good to wholesale hawks jersey get wholesale mavericks jersey that first year out of the way. We've got a lot of guys I learned a lot from."
Dickson said playing in the SEC, with its notoriously wholesale phillies jersey fast defenses, helped him transition wholesale bulls jersey into the pro game.
"The speed isn't much different from LSU," he said. "We had a lot of great players there. wholesale browns jersey But what you wholesale lakers jersey really have wholesale cavaliers jersey to learn to do is wholesale expos jersey learn to play smarter. That makes it seem faster. People react faster to what's going wholesale heat jersey on. It took a little time to get the mental part wholesale mets jersey down, but wholesale bucks jersey I'm a fast learner. That's why I'm looking forward to training camp this year, just to be having fun playing football again."
News reports suggest wholesale pacers jersey the NFL wholesale rays jersey lockout may wholesale celtics jersey be ending soon, but Dickson said he wholesale rangers jersey doesn't follow the news that closely.
It's been a long time my fine S&BP brethren, the lockout and other things have kept me from writing on here and I apologize. But I've been holding this in for a long time and I have to let off some steam. I respect Roger Goodell for cleaning wholesale nordiques jersey up the league and heavily reducing the illegal conduct of the players.
Let's face facts here, the NFL is becoming incredibly soft. As I type this, Mike Golic is going wholesale angels jersey off on how the NFL's becoming so soft. His view point and my own are very similar. I hate these long intros, so let's just delve right wholesale lightning jersey in to then nitty gritty after the jump.
Star-divide
A couple days ago, I was watching my wholesale twins jersey Raiders Super Bowl DVD. I loved watching the year in review movie for each Super Bowl season. And in watching that DVD, I found two things.
Reggie Kinlaw is a horribly underrated Raiders player.
The league is wholesale flyers jersey boringly soft now.
The league used to be full of the biggest, baddest, and toughest guys in the world. They were gargantuan monsters who wanted to beat the snot out of the guy across from them. These players were what built the stereotypical football player that the kids see in wholesale brewers jersey their goofy cartoons. Larger than life, growling and snarling with evil in their eyes, and just itching to crush someone.
I'd hate to see what football episodes of cartoons would be like if they were based on today's NFL. Instead of the wholesle usa jersey cartoon character who's over his head playing football getting flattened by two guys. He'd just get pulled down to the ground. The football characters looking much smaller, with less hatred, less nastiness, less appealing.
Okay, so maybe that analogy wasn't crystal clear. So here's a stark reality for everyone. You ready?
My high school's football team plays tougher and harder football than the NFL players. Now you'll say that's horribly wrong. That only the best players and best hitters go to the NFL. No duh. Of course Ray Lewis, or even guys as low as Ricky Brown will wholesale reds jersey hit harder than a high school kid.
I'm talking for their age and their level of play comparatively, my high school team is playing harder and tougher football.
NFL Rule: Can't put all your weight on a wholesale canucks jersey QB.
Someone should have told that to our team's defense. Can't tell you how many times we'd have two or three guys jump right on top of the QB trying to crush him.
NFL Rule: Can't lead with your helmet to tackle.
Someone should have told our arch rival that. We always beat the crap out of wholesale sharks jersey them, but not without getting speared by a helmet into the ribs countless times.
NFL Rule: No head to head collisions.
Trust me on this one. wholesale royals jersey In a single-A high school stadium, you'll hear so many helmets cracking together you'd think there was a guy sitting beside you popping his own popcorn.
NFL Rule: No launching wholesale blues jersey (leaving your feet) into a tackle.
I won't even go into how stupid I think this rule is, I'm just glad that's not in wholesale indians jersey the high school wholesale astros jersey rule book or else no team would be able wholesale colts jersey to field enough players due to suspensions from repeated violations of this rule.
So why in the world is this? The NFL is full of investments and highly paid players and teams don't want to blow all their money on a concussion case? That's risk of playing the owner's game. High school is full of young men wholesale braves jersey and women, kids compared to NFL players. Their bodies not as strong, not as battle-tested, not as developed.
And when those young men take the field, they're at more risk of injury, and their lives hardly begun. An NFL player is probably already set for life. Yet these kids are out there playing harder and more physical for their level of football. Why? Because somewhere along the way it seems that the NFL forgot what the F stands for. What football stands for.
Football is one of the truest sports metaphors for life. Any Given Sunday is only challenged by Rocky in my mind as the best sports movie that is actually about life. The only reason Rocky wholesale white sox jersey doesn't win it for me is because Al Pacino gives one hell of a great speech.
Football isn't just a game for these guys, it's life. But yet football in the NFL got misconstrued. A league that favors QB's to the point it's wholesale leafs jersey sickening and will do whatever it can to the defense to get Arena League wholesale senators jersey scoring numbers without the gimmicks. All wholesale orioles jersey the while caring more about their wholesale tigers jersey precious investments and avoiding lawsuits about injured retired players, than the spirit and heart of the game.
Any Given Sunday was made around 2000, just 11 years ago. The football of that era that they're wholesale rockies jersey portraying, just 11 years ago, was far more physical and soulful than what we have now. It's wholesale dodgers jersey sad honestly. The tackles on TV are nothing compared to what it used to be. Even the interactions between the WR and DB's in coverage are nothing more than a game of patty cake. What happened to real in-your-face press coverage?
Now the only rule I honestly am in agreement with towards safety is helmet-to-helmet collisions. It's unnecessary, incredibly dangerous, and shouldn't be in any level of football. I mean you never want people to go from a star 28-year old having the time of his life, to 50 year old with major brain damage and dementia.
However, the league shouldn't take away from the physical nature that makes football great to keep that from happening. The only safety measure that should be needed, is when that player signs his contract. When he decides to play pro, or play college, play high school, or even play pee-wee.
The decision on whether or not to play football and accept the risks wholesale cubs jersey that come with the raw physical battle that is wholesale coyotes jersey football is made when you take that first look at the label on the back of your helmet.
WARNING: THIS HELMET DOES NOT GUARANTEE PROTECTION AGAINST CONCUSSIONS, HEAD TRAUMAS, PARALYSIS, wholesale penguins jersey OR DEATH.
Players know the risks. They always have. From the days of leather helmets, to the one bar, to the ugly revolution facemasks and futuristic wholesale red sox jersey helmets. From Jim Brown, to Johnny Unitas, to Joe Namath, to Roger Staubach, to wholesale marlins jersey Jack Lambert, to Howie Long, to Warren Moon, to Ray Lewis, to Adrian Peterson, to Cam Newton; they know the risks.
But they still want to play football. They've wholesale capitals jersey come this far watching the big mean physical games of the past, to playing the more casual blue collar high school game, to reaching college wholesale jets jersey and having to reel back and playing soft and having to make a living doing so in the pros? Something just isn't adding up.
I can wholesale sabres jersey watch the moon landing on my TV, wholesale jackets jersey but wholesale kings jersey still can't get NFL Network. Here are some wholesale whalers jersey other wholesale steelers jersey gripes.
One wholesale canadiens jersey of my wholesale ducks jersey favorite comedy bits of all-time comes from Brian Regan who talks about how putting a man on wholesale predators jersey the moon is the worst thing to ever wholesale devils jersey happen to society-- because no matter what goes wholesale canada jersey wrong, the fact that we wholesale eagles jersey have put a man wholesale thrashers jersey on wholesale wild jersey the moon wholesale hurricanes jersey makes our lives worse. Or wholesale redskins jersey so we wholesale blackhawks jersey believe.
Like if your phone cord gets tangled people will often say "They wholesale flames jersey can put a man on the moon, but they wholesale avalanche jersey can't make a phone wholesale titans jersey cord that won't bunch wholesale stars jersey up." (Hey, I am not doing this thing wholesale rams jersey justice, check out the YouTube yourself.)
Well, with the anniversary of the moon landing today on July wholesale buccaneers jersey 20 (the real anniversary, not this one from Lloyd Christmas), here are six grievances about the NFL that are exuberated because we put a man on wholesale chargers jersey the moon! Of course, this is all wholesale oilers jersey assuming wholesale 49ers jersey that wholesale rangers jersey you believe in the moon landing.
And without further wholesale red wings jersey ado …
Also be wholesale bruins jersey sure to wholesale islanders jersey say this before you read each of these six entries, " We can wholesale seahawks jersey put a man on the moon but we can't …