Play Football, die younger

[fccool]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14477196/nfl-is-killing-its-players-and-league-doesnt-care

The NFL is killing its players, literally leading them to an early grave -- and now the NFL is trying to kill them even faster.

That's a fact, people.

Of all the football statistics you'll read in your time on Earth, none will be as shocking as this one: According to a 2006 report in the St. Petersburg Times, for every season a player spends on an NFL roster, his life expectancy decreases by almost three years.

The average American male lives to be almost 75. According to the Times report, an NFL player, whose career lasts roughly four years on average, lives to be 55. The more years a player spends in the NFL, the more games and practices he survives, the quicker he dies.

[Gail]

Wowwee!!! Hubby played football at the university level. Gonna watch that.

[Tom Wetmore]

Sport injuries are not a trifling matter. And long-term effects on athletes is become a new area of focus. I saw a report recently about the long term effects of headers by soccer players are being flagged for concern.

[Gerr]

It would have been nice if the study broke the mortality/morbidity statistics by position. While injuries certainly play a part, I suspect that the linemen would have the worst stats because of their diet to bulk themselves up.

[Bravus]

That and steroids, and also a partying lifestyle: would be interesting to see a comparison with other young men who make immense amounts of money very young, like basketballers and golfers.

[Gerr]

I just read this in the news:

STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Stanford assistant coach and four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Chester McGlockton has died.

The school said Wednesday that McGlockton died overnight. He was 42. The cause of death was not immediately announced.

[phkrause]

I don't condone there outragous amounts of money they continully ask for and get, and neither do I covet there money. That goes for all athletes, but if we look at there time that they can play football, from some report I read a number years ago, it was like an average of 8-10 year career, depending the position that they play. I believe that football players of all sports have a shorter career than the other sports. I'm guessing that hockey must be in that area also.

[Bravus]

Oh yeah, I wasn't resenting the money, I was saying it probably tends to buy drugs and drink and parties and fast cars. That life expectancy of 55 is an average, and it only needs a few dying young to bring the average down.

[Bravus]

(and sure, crashing into men twice the size of the average man, at speeds twice those attained by the average man, is not going to be great for your body, padding or no)

[fccool]

Mohammed Ali is still alive at 69. I'm not sure who would take more beating, a football player, or a boxer? I'd think the boxer, but of course they don't fight as often.

[ClubV12]

While it's true Ali is still alive,,, he aint exactly "all that" health wise. :)

[M. T. Cross]

I don't condone there outragous amounts of money they continully ask for and get, and neither do I covet there money. That goes for all athletes, but if we look at there time that they can play football, from some report I read a number years ago, it was like an average of 8-10 year career, depending the position that they play. I believe that football players of all sports have a shorter career than the other sports. I'm guessing that hockey must be in that area also.

There are a fair number of 20 year career players in the NHL. Alot of guys that don't last that long in NHL often go onto play in some other pro league, often in Europe. But the NHL is certainly cracking down on head shots in recent years. While I love the physical play and yes the fighting, I don't see the need to take a guys head off with an elbow when you are checking him.