Brain of a 67-Year-Old
Aaron Hernandez is dead.
That might end up being bad news for the NFL.
They studied his brain and found that he had stage 3 CTE. His 27-year old brain was aged to that of a 67-year old.
Brain damage.
He played 40 games in the NFL.
He was convicted of killing one man. He may have killed a couple more.
Perhaps he might have done it anyway.
Frank Gifford was diagnosed as a CTE sufferer. He was always a kindly gentleman and lived to 83.
But Hernandez' CTE results are troubling for the league that has been fond of saying:
"We don't have enough information. The jury is still out."
And what is even more troubling?
When the next guy is accused of a violent crime, like beating his wife, or beheading his ex-wife and a waiter, or electrocuting dogs, or raping someone...
...he's gonna' blame it on CTE.
Aaron Hernandez didn't play ball in the 50's or 60's .
He didn't spend the last years of his life as a shell of himself, not recognizing his family, and being ignored by the league and their billions upon billions.
He played less than 7 years ago.
He only played 3 seasons.
His brain was mush.
I suppose the only out the NFL has here is that it will be hard for many to work up any sympathy for the guy.
He was a thug after all.
People don't care what his brain looked like after he hung himself.
Dave Duerson only killed himself.
Same with Junior Seau.
Hundreds of others have suffered in silence.
I'm not sure the "they know the risks" is gonna' be good enough.
The sport devours its participants.
Does that trouble no one?
Do we actually have to watch them die in front of us?
Must be.
The slow, painful, agonizing deaths don't seem to mean anything.
That might end up being bad news for the NFL.
They studied his brain and found that he had stage 3 CTE. His 27-year old brain was aged to that of a 67-year old.
Brain damage.
He played 40 games in the NFL.
He was convicted of killing one man. He may have killed a couple more.
Perhaps he might have done it anyway.
Frank Gifford was diagnosed as a CTE sufferer. He was always a kindly gentleman and lived to 83.
But Hernandez' CTE results are troubling for the league that has been fond of saying:
"We don't have enough information. The jury is still out."
And what is even more troubling?
When the next guy is accused of a violent crime, like beating his wife, or beheading his ex-wife and a waiter, or electrocuting dogs, or raping someone...
...he's gonna' blame it on CTE.
Aaron Hernandez didn't play ball in the 50's or 60's .
He didn't spend the last years of his life as a shell of himself, not recognizing his family, and being ignored by the league and their billions upon billions.
He played less than 7 years ago.
He only played 3 seasons.
His brain was mush.
I suppose the only out the NFL has here is that it will be hard for many to work up any sympathy for the guy.
He was a thug after all.
People don't care what his brain looked like after he hung himself.
Dave Duerson only killed himself.
Same with Junior Seau.
Hundreds of others have suffered in silence.
I'm not sure the "they know the risks" is gonna' be good enough.
The sport devours its participants.
Does that trouble no one?
Do we actually have to watch them die in front of us?
Must be.
The slow, painful, agonizing deaths don't seem to mean anything.
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