Eric Kramer suicide attempt

[boogerlovejoy]

Maybe so, but football has always been a super violent sport. It's more about technique than it is about the guys being super strong. If I was on the field with a helmet, and I have no idea how you are built, but I'll go out on a limb and say you aren't chiseled granite. If you got a full head of steam and launched into my head with yours, you'd be damn well sure i'd be concussed or hurt bad.

If I lined up across the field from guys without helmets, there would be a huge part of me that would make sure that I'd do my best not to take out someone's head and focus on a body tackle. These players have so much freaking padding and giant helmets they feel like they are invincible.

I think it's less about how strong they are, more about how they play.

Yes, the players today are a lot more physical due to the amount of supplements and technology they have, but let's not cut out the older generation to a bunch of guys that were 5'5 150lb. Plenty of players back in the day were physical specimens.

Alax Karras - 6'2" 248 lbs. Today......he is a LB.

He played DT

My guess was he was not nearly as fast or strong as a Patrick Willis.

I am agreeing that part of this is the fundamentals of the way the game is played.....but be realistic....look at the number of all injuries.....concussions....ACL's.....shoulder seperations......injuries that were much more rare than they are now.

Good high school rosters have players the size that NFL teams were in the 60's and 70's. HIGH SCHOOLS!!!

 

[dubbsco]

Right, but my point is that no matter how different the players are today, a blow to the head is still going to do some real damage. Like I said, if you launched yourself at me (dubbs) while I'm running a crossing route not looking, you'll F me up. With the advent of more and more padding and harder helmets, it's done a real damage to the game.

And like I said prior, Rugby does not seem to have nearly the amount of these stories coming out and those dudes basically wear nothing but uniforms and minor padding. There is a complete lack of competence with tackling form. To me, that's a MUCH bigger issue than the guys being more muscular.

 

[inkfreq]

Right, but my point is that no matter how different the players are today, a blow to the head is still going to do some real damage. Like I said, if you launched yourself at me (dubbs) while I'm running a crossing route not looking, you'll F me up. With the advent of more and more padding and harder helmets, it's done a real damage to the game.

And like I said prior, Rugby does not seem to have nearly the amount of these stories coming out and those dudes basically wear nothing but uniforms and minor padding. There is a complete lack of competence with tackling form. To me, that's a MUCH bigger issue than the guys being more muscular.

I think Dubs is right in that the sense of security guys have now helps.

The better pads, the better helmets, the give technology that allows them to absorb and flex... the players feel invincible, so they are willing to throw their own bodies harder as well.

Go back and talk to the guys who played pre-helmets... they didn't go head to head, ever. Talked to the guys who wore leather helmets.. they didn't go helmet to helmet, ever.

A few years ago they passed the rule against running backs hitting with the crown of the helmet. Jim Brown said at that time he NEVER would have lead with his head.. because it was stupid.

When they passed the rule.. most RBs were doing it. That new helmet protected them so they felt like they could, even though concussions were up as a result.

It's a lot like wearing a kevlar vest and feeling as though a gun can't hurt you. It can if you're shot in the head... but guys still feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof.

 

[mhughes0021]

Ill go ahead and be the dick....im used to it. But how the fuck do you fail at suicide? You either are successful at it....or youre just trying to draw attention to yourself. I didn't read the story or anything cause I really don't care.....but I just don't get how if you want to end your life....why you aren't dead yet?

 

[Mitchrapp]

I suspect they had many concussions back in the day you never heard about.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Ill go ahead and be the dick....im used to it. But how the fuck do you fail at suicide? You either are successful at it....or youre just trying to draw attention to yourself. I didn't read the story or anything cause I really don't care.....but I just don't get how if you want to end your life....why you aren't dead yet?

Yes, you're being a dick. Btw, it's not an either or situation..

 

[cheeno]

Ill go ahead and be the dick....im used to it. But how the fuck do you fail at suicide? You either are successful at it....or youre just trying to draw attention to yourself. I didn't read the story or anything cause I really don't care.....but I just don't get how if you want to end your life....why you aren't dead yet?

Seinfeld beat you to it.

 

[mhughes0021]

Yes, you're being a dick. Btw, it's not an either or situation..

So i read it anyway....gunshot wound. Ya, if he wanted to be dead he would be dead.

 

[zyxt9]

you guys are forgetting that Kramer played in the era before today's missile launch tackle style. he also played when average size and speed was less than today. additionally, the guys who are currently having mental challenges from football are mostly in their 70s and up, which means they played in the era of Brown and Kalas (using them as examples as they were previously mentioned in the thread).

Point being, the concussion issues going to court were from the era of smaller, slower guys who form tackled better. Not saying today's guys are going to fair better, just pointing out that reduced size, speed, and better form tackling is not going to resolve the problems the NFL faces with the concussion issues today...even with the better padding and helmets. The issue is the whiplash effect of the brain inside the head caused by sudden stops. Blows to the head amplify the potential of that effect, but guys used to play concussed all the time, just go back and listen to stories from those guys where they talk about how they would "get their bell rung".

 

[mhughes0021]

Not sure how one cam prove he's depressed from football moreso than from his kid dying until they can carve his brain up.

 

[dubbsco]

Well, losing your child obviously will cause someone a great deal of depression. But there's no doubt that when someone suffers multiple head injuries, concussions, etc... there is a much greater risk of becoming depressed. That's not speculative, that's just how the brain works.

 

[tomdalton22]

Well, losing your child obviously will cause someone a great deal of depression. But there's no doubt that when someone suffers multiple head injuries, concussions, etc... there is a much greater risk of becoming depressed. That's not speculative, that's just how the brain works.

I think on aspect that is not looked at as much is the fact that these guys are suddenly pulled from being in the spotlight to normal every day guys. Even a guy like Kramer. HS, College and parts of his NFL career....he was a "star". Once football is over a lot of these guys can't cope with the fact they are like everybody else. For a lot of them their entire life was devoted to being a football player and then one day that is over.