Junior Seau reportedly found dead...

[Ty in Tampa]

TMZ reporting.

[BizidyDizidy]

Shot himself in the chest

[Bench]

The Saints will be fined again.

[Limey]

If Seau committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest, it is similar to the way former Chicago Bears great Dave Duerson ended his life. Duerson shot himself in the chest on Feb. 17 -- the method used so that his brain could be examined for symptoms of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a trauma-induced disease common to NFL players and others who have received repeated blows to the head.

Link

More weirdly:

Seau is the eighth member of the Chargers' 1994 Super Bowl team to pass.

[Bench]

Link

Even more sobering:

Seau is the eighth member of the Chargers 1994 Super Bowl team to pass.

[Bench]

Link

More weirdly:

It's not weird, it's football.

[MusicMan]

It's not weird, it's football.

I'm honestly not sure how much longer it will be football.  At least as we know it.

[Mr. Happy]

I'm honestly not sure how much longer it will be football.  At least as we know it.

You said a mouthful there, and I agree. I'm a bit puzzled as to why this hasn't surfaced earlier. The NFL has been around since around 1920, and thousands have played in the NFL over that time period. Is it really an NFL cover up, as some of the former players have alleged? Frankly, I don't see how such a fact could have been covered up for this long. Is it just a matter now of the players being so huge and so fast, much larger and faster than they were just 20 years ago? I don't know. I just don't know. However, I am very sad for Seau and his family and friends.

[Bench]

You said a mouthful there, and I agree. I'm a bit puzzled as to why this hasn't surfaced earlier. The NFL has been around since around 1920, and thousands have played in the NFL over that time period. Is it really an NFL cover up, as some of the former players have alleged? Frankly, I don't see how such a fact could have been covered up for this long. Is it just a matter now of the players being so huge and so fast, much larger and faster than they were just 20 years ago? I don't know. I just don't know. However, I am very sad for Seau and his family and friends.

A little bit of all of the above.  But I think former players have suffered debilitating brain injuries for years and it's just been under the surface for the most part. 

[Mr. Happy]

A little bit of all of the above.  But I think former players have suffered debilitating brain injuries for years and it's just been under the surface for the most part. 

I think that you are right, and I agree. Maybe it's just in our 24/7 McNews world, we just hear about every suicide now, especially since it's become such a hot button issue along with the concussions.

[hostros7]

I think that you are right, and I agree. Maybe it's just in our 24/7 McNews world, we just hear about every suicide now, especially since it's become such a hot button issue along with the concussions.

A lot of contributing factors to the increased awareness.  Also, football may have been around since the 1920s, but I think that as life expectancies for Americans have generally lengthened across the board, it makes the early deaths of football players more glaring anomalies. 

[Mr. Happy]

A lot of contributing factors to the increased awareness.  Also, football may have been around since the 1920s, but I think that as life expectancies for Americans have generally lengthened across the board, it makes the early deaths of football players more glaring anomalies. 

That is an excellent point, and you're right. In 1900, life expectancy was still only around 37. In fact, when social security was originally enacted in the early 1930's, I think that life expectancy was around 59, making it somewhat unlikely that someone was even expected to ever receive social security at 65.

[Bench]

That is an excellent point, and you're right. In 1900, life expectancy was still only around 37. In fact, when social security was originally enacted in the early 1930's, I think that life expectancy was around 59, making it somewhat unlikely that someone was even expected to ever receive social security at 65.

Here's a FACT! I've seen tweeted a few times:  The average American lives to be 75. The average NFL player lives to be 55

[subnuclear]

Here's a FACT! I've seen tweeted a few times:  The average American lives to be 75. The average NFL player lives to be 55

As far as I can tell, that number is completely false.

[Mr. Happy]

Here's a FACT! I've seen tweeted a few times:  The average American lives to be 75. The average NFL player lives to be 55

That sounds wrong to me, but even though my sarc-meter is broken, I think that you're being facetious. That sounds like NFLPA propoganda.

[Bench]

That sounds wrong to me, but even though my sarc-meter is broken, I think that you're being facetious. That sounds like NFLPA propoganda.

As far as I can tell, that number is completely false.

I didn't make it up, here's one of several tweets tossing it around with a link to an article including that tidbit, but it did sound outlandish enough for me to designate it as a FACT!* as opposed to, you know, actual truth.

I have no idea what the actual number is, but it would hardly surprise me to learn that NFL players have dramatically shorter life expectancies than the rest of the general population.



*Registered TM of Alkie

[subnuclear]

I've seen it before and I've never seen anything that resembles any actual study that says such a thing. The vast majority of players who have played football when the AFL and NFL merged in 1970 are still alive.

Here is a guy who actually went back and counted the deaths of players since 1920 and found the average lifespan to be between 63-68, but there is a lot of missing data. The correct number to compare to would be the average lifespan of a man born the same year as the player. 
 

[Phil_in_CS]

You said a mouthful there, and I agree. I'm a bit puzzled as to why this hasn't surfaced earlier.

Because lots of people make lots of money from the situation.