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Well this confirms what many of us have suspected over the years since Dronett's death, that his concussions and head trauma during his playing days had an effect that ultimately led to him taking his own life.


http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falco ... 21409.html

Atlanta Falcons 3:43 p.m. Saturday, January 28, 2012

Ex-Falcon Shane Dronett's brain showed signs of CTE


By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three years ago, life with brain disease apparently became too unbearable for Shane Dronett.

Dronett, a former Falcons defensive tackle remembered for his hard-nosed playing style and his gentleness away from football, ended his life by gunshot Jan. 21, 2009, in his Duluth home. He was 38.

An autopsy performed by Boston University neuropathologist Ann McKee, who is at the forefront of research of football-related brain injuries, said that Dronett’s brain tissue was “very supportive of the diagnosis of [chronic traumatic encephalopathy].”

The CTE conclusion made sense of the often violent and erratic behavior Dronett demonstrated in the years leading to his death. Dronett was hard-hitting and tough, traits that enabled him to play 10 seasons in the NFL, the last six with the Falcons. He was a member of the “Bomb Squad,” the nickname given the Falcons’ defensive line in their 1998 Super Bowl season.

Dronett, married with children, also was remembered as easygoing, fun-loving and given to pranks. However, in the years before his death, Dronett often grew confused, delusional and paranoid, behaviors associated with CTE.

Said Dronett’s mother, Candace Henry, “That disease was cruel, mean and dangerous.”

Dronett’s wife, Chris, declined an interview request, but in an interview with CNN last year, she said that her husband played through concussive hits that caused agonizing headaches. He feared that if he sat out, he would be replaced, she said.

“I think if Shane knew at the time how serious [playing through a concussion] could be down the road, he would have backed off,” she said.

Football is bad for your health. Fact. The local orthopeadic surgeon who has worked on my wife a bit said that he is very unpopular with the local coaches of football teams for passing this information along to his patients and their parents. Actions have consequences for all of us. Very sad end for Shane and others. I played in loud bands. My ears ring all the time. I knew it at the time and I know now that this was likely. You can play with ear plugs...but what's the point? The human body was not designed to be smashed into another one running at full speed over and over again or to stand in front of an amp at 115 db for three hours. Gotta know when to say when.

I don't know exactly what your point was, although the gist of what you say I wholeheartedly agree with.

But I do think players knowing "when to say when" is a lot different now than then. They are only just really starting to understand the long-term effects of concussions, and its still a very nascient science/research into it. But the ideal of "toughing it out" that has been the mantra of football players/coaches for decades, now we're starting to understand can have very grave long-term consequences.

And I think going forward, people from kids to pro athletes are going to have a better idea "when to say when."

All facts are good. Hindsight is 20/20. It is good for people to realize that this will possibly be the result but for every Shane Dronnett there will be countless others suffering little to no effect. I read a poll of Olympic athletes in which the majority--or at least a large number--said they would gladly give away the last five years of their lives to win a gold medal. My point is that how someone ends up is probably not going to alter the behavior of a massive number of people though there will be some. The "smart" folks will never play a down. Just like the smart folks won't drink or smoke. Most people will roll the dice. you've gotta be a little crazy to play football and if you aren't you probably will be. It flies in the face of most logic.

Hey my ears ring too. Its called tennutis (you could spell it right); went to 3 doctors and they said tough luck, when I explained I hadn't been around bombs, or airplanes.....They did say speed and earphones on high all night might probably played a part.....opps this isn't football;
just wondering if it might have something to do with being a Falcon fan? (:

That's right, CF. Will be a growing problem with successive generations as we live in a noisy society in general. Some folks get it just by nature. I would venture to guess that headphones--esp the new type with buds crammed down in one's ears--are even worse than loud rock bands because they are less episodal, more habitual with people. But, my point was that I could tell my kids what will happen but in all likelihood they will still put on their iPod and rock out. You can tell football players about concussions but guys will do as Shane did and hide them to stay on the field. But, as I said in my opening post, all facts are good so at least they have that to consider...just liek how cigs have had health warnings on the labels and, therefore, no one smokes.

Pudge, I am not so sure. I see where you are coming from, but I dont think were as close as you think to truly 'understanding' the Human Brain...Even in the 'long term'.

I say this because they have known about blows to the head and it's effects for centuries. Besides boxers, there have been known results about what happens to the brain since Gladiator days. Hell, Cyril probably played football without a helmet! He is right as rain

But where the 'skeptic' in me comes out is when I read about these 'CTE Suicides' is that it seems a little bit of a stretch to get from 'playing a sport' where concussions occur regularly to severe depression that manifests itself in death. THAT is where its gets dicey. The reason I say this is you have to look at the person as a whole: meaning besides playing football, what caused Dronett to get to that place? There are other factors besides getting concussed...Guys like him lived 'high motor', not 'risk averse' like other folks. They are hard wired. Like those MMA guys, they get the crap kicked out of them weekly, get blows to the head if not as bad as an NFL collision, worse. But a guy crazy enough to get in a cage and fight like that probably might be crazy enough to OD or kiss a shotgun shell later when they retire...

I mean we've known about 'punch-drunk' since the 1920's...And it still happens even though it moved from bareknuckle boxing to padded gloves and mouthpieces. But when you add in severe depression, I just dont know.

In a way this reminds me of the whole 'vaccinations cause Autism' debate from years ago...They have an effect and a cause, and folks believe one way or the other, there is loads of info on both sides, but we are nowhere as near to truly understanding what causes it. Sad.

No doubt. But what would people say if that number went from five years to forty years?

Fun gus, I don't know the answer. But I don't think you can be too dismissive of this. They open up these guys heads and look at their brains, and they see tau proteins, which are the same things that accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimers and severe dementia. These guys are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s and their brains are identical to people in their 70s and 80s. So you gotta think there is an obvious link.

And we can't divorce the fact that as you say these are some tough SOBs, and are all men. And most people know about suicide and men, and how while men are less likely to attempt suicide than women, they are for more likely to succeed than women. And without turning this into an unnecessary lecture on male psychology and how it relates to suicide, it should be fairly easy to connect the dots.

And it's not like you're going to stop people from playing the game. And bnb is right, it's still probably in the long run a small percentage of people. Only a few dozen people I believe have been diagnosed with CTE, and while we'll likely get several dozen if not a few hundred in the coming decades, that will still probably pale in comparison to the thousands upon thousands of individuals that played some professional football, not counting the millions that play the game and never make it that far.

But if this awareness means that people are a little less willing to risk their long-term health after the 3rd concussion. then that certainly should be conceived as a good thing. If this increased awareness means that brains are given more time to heal afterwards, which helps prevent some of these issues from developing down the line, that's a good thing. If players are a little less likely to brush it off as a "dinger" and keep playing because of understanding there could be long-term consequences, then for those individuals and their families, that's not a bad thing either.

This sort of research has really only been going on for the past decade. And what they know 20 years from now is probably going to blow away what they know now, and it may contradict many of the things they think they know or suspect now. It's still a nascent, developing science, but at this point it's better to be safe than sorry...

I guess you are right in that safer measures wont hurt in this case..My only beef was the 'causal' link between CTE and mental health.I was probably wrong to use the Autism/Vaccine analogy because ( IMO ) not vaccinating your kids could have disatrous effects. I dont see stopping playing a sport ( even if its your profession ) to reduce possible future health issues as a 'deal breaker'. My point was that I think we like to believe weve got this thing figured out because it gives us faith in our scientists and heath workers, and one thing I have learned in the last decade alone is as much as we would like to believe that we have the answers it's probably not anywhere even close. Especially where the brain is concerned.

But 20 years from now, with the way technology is adapting, we will probably have better answers to brain disorders so better safe then sorry.

And the already watered down NFL will be even more watered down or non existent because it's considered too violent.

meh. old timers griped about the forward pass diluting the precious 'purity' of a sport that was in it's infancy. risk v reward.

If you want purity, go Rugby. I'll take the helmet, thank you ( which is probably the real culprit in CTE ). I know it's anecdotal, but I;ve been around and seen alot of crazy stuff. Ive been to South American football matches that were scary as hell. Saw some muy thai in the public squares in northern Thailand. But the craziest, most blood curdling violent sport I have ever witnessed was in Ireland one month after 9-11. I saw a regional hurling match.

For those that dont know, it's like a cross between rubgy, soccer, baseball and lacrosse. I've never seen so much carnage. During one game 7 guys left bleeding profusely. Besides the usual rubgy-like contact, they can full body check like in hockey and they swing these hurling sticks and hit baseball-like hardballs past a freekin goalie. I swear it's not sport, it is combat. I wish I could begin to desribe the scene, but I cannot. I saw some stuff that turned my stomach a little..I bring this up because I read somewhere that they finally mandated small plastic like helmets a couple years ago, and the cries of protest from the 'purists' was deafening. At first, I was on board, because who has the nerve to change an ancient sports rules? The damn thing predated Christ. But I have a good friend that is Irish, owns a little pub here in the ATL called Steinbecks. And he kind of explained the reasoning to me.

In his opinion, they had to insitute these helmets at the highest level to insure that it would be implemented down the line. You want the 5th and 6th graders to accept wearing helmets, they have to see the big shots do it. And from the way my buddy Jim describes it, the results of no helmet are more devastating. When you have guys who are regular joes, out in the country playing a 2000 year old sport without helmets, it's all fine and good until one of those guys is driving a bus and has a problem. Or similar such stuff.

I bring this up because if the Gaelic's can understand a little prevention is worth a pound of cure, surely we sophisticated, enlightened Westerners can take a page out of thier book.


I mean, if you've had three to four violent concussions, is it really then end of the world if the league makes you sit? Im willing to accept that watering down strictly on face value alone, without the implied damage later in life. Thats just me though. My problems are the 'intent; rulings and the QB protection issues moreso then compulsory benching concussed players, which is what CTE revolves around. My hope is 20 years from now, technology would yield better helmets that would prevent this stuff. I look at Nascar and how they implemented the technology after Dale Sr's accident. There were purists that didnt like those new rules either. But the results after putting that neck brace thingy in there the last decade has made the sport better, not worse IMO.

I guess I'm a pussy

Just goes to show us Americans are getting soft.

BnB posted "Football is bad for your health. Fact. The local orthopeadic surgeon who has worked on my wife a bit said that he is very unpopular with the local coaches of football teams for passing this information along to his patients and their parents. Actions have consequences for all of us. Very sad end for Shane and others. I played in loud bands. My ears ring all the time. I knew it at the time and I know now that this was likely. You can play with ear plugs...but what's the point? The human body was not designed to be smashed into another one running at full speed over and over again or to stand in front of an amp at 115 db for three hours. Gotta know when to say when".



Both well said! The sad fact though is football players from the very young midgets to high school and college don't have the resolve to say NO to a parent or coach that insists they "Tough It Out" or "Play through the pain". It does happen too often and much more often in the past. I never officiated pro or big college associations but spent many years officiating small college and high school football. I always donated my time to officiating midget games. What I saw lends me to agree with BnBs orthopeadic surgeon friend. The lower the football level, the dumber the coach is my humble opinion. I've seen high school coaches take hard casts off players before a game because they couldn't play with one but could with a soft cast (wrap around bandage) and the bottles of Ibupropen in the trash cans in the dressing rooms during pregame inspections. I've been accosted by irate parents because I would not clear a player to play because of obvious injury and that at the instignation of the coach.

The sad fact is that the players are at the mercy of uneducated coaches and parents that should know better. Football is a fun sport and but needs to be regulated to insure it is a safe sport and individuals in authority are answerable for their aactions.

So you're telling me people are stupid?


The "pussification" of the NFL is something people like the complain about, but it's not going to drive anybody away from the game. When it becomes all passing, and the games are decided 56-48, is anybody really going to be upset? Sure, people will complain, but it's not going to stop them from tuning in every Sunday. It's a drug, and people need to get their fix.

And if people really need to see more violence, they'll just watch MMA, which is one of the fastest growing sports. One could argue that the pussification of the game is only going to expand it's popularity overseas and those that view it to be played by your typical dumb jock.

20 years from now when Baylen Brees is the #1 overall pick out of Texas, just as many if not many more people will be tuning into football.

We'll see about that, Pudge. I watched the Pro Bowl last year--which is pretty pussified--and was so disgusted I swore I'd never waste another second watching that sham. The league moves too far toward that and I'm out.

wow. this is stuff I had heard about, but thought was fiction ala Friday Night Lights. scary stuff..

this is gonna keep me awake at nights in a couple years

Ummm, did you happen to catch any of the "highlights" from the Pro Bowl this year? Embarrassing. If that's the kind of football we're going to see in 20 years, count me out.

As I noted above. The only thing that reminded me o fit during the regular season wa swatching Ray Edwards "pass rush" in the waning moments of the Jags game where he was basically just leaning on the tackle.

No, I didn't watch the Pro Bowl. Why I would waste 3 hours of my life like that when I could be watching grass grow, birds chirping, or getting a root canal, all things that are infinitely more interesting and enjoyable than the Pro Bowl?

But will the game be like the Pro Bowl in 20 years? No. Because unlike the Pro Bowl which is nothing more than a charity exhibition game, in real football games, guys will at least try even if the rules are so much against the notion of physical football.

I could be eating crow in a couple of years, but I honestly don't see the rules really going much further down its current path, with how they handle QBs, defenseless players, etc. Linemen tend to be at the most risk for concussions due to their coming off the ball the way they do, and I've heard some speculation that there could be significant changes to how blocking is done in order to minimize the amount of concussions. That's possible, but I just think the technology is already starting to catch up with the re-designed helmets, mouthguards, etc. that they will be able to avert most if not all of that to eliminate that aspect of the game.

And again, people complain about the Pro Bowl because it's a mockery of the "normal" game. But if/when there is a point where that style of play is a normal game, it's not going to stop millions of people from watching. Again, people will always complain because that's what people do. But the people complaining will be wearing their $75 jersey, in front of their TV on Sunday after the plunked down $XX for their satellite TV package, after they've flipped channels to see how their fantasy players are doing.

12.5 million people watched the Pro Bowl this year. That right there proves people will watch bad football just because it's football.

Not to mention, 20 years from now there is going to be an entire generation of kids that don't remember the "old days" and will have grown up watching this "pussified" version, and no nothing better.

Really the only area where the NFL has to be worried about decreasing over the coming years is stadium attendance, and that has little to do with the changes to the game, but the fact that the technology is such now that there isn't a huge incentive to go to the games besides personal preference. And while people like myself (I'm 29) and older still remember a time where people went out and did things, people that are Emmitt's age and younger really don't remember a time where things like the internet were a significant. When the internet was still pretty brand new, he was just an infant/toddler. And so the question becomes will those people once they reach my age and older, will they be as quick to buy season tickets? And without that experience growing up going to the games, which is passed from generation to generation, you will likely get less people willing to splurge for season tickets especially in the environment of $1 billion stadiums.

But these people aren't going to stop loving/watching the game. They just may not be as willing to splurge on tickets to go to actual games, but they'll find some other way to view them. It's just the league may have to rely on another primary source of income than the gate at the stadiums. But it's already getting to that point that TV revenue is already their primary source of income, and it may be just even more so in the future.

the only caveat I see is if there were a viable contender. Let's face it, the XFL sucked balls, but the intent was good. The problem was in the execution.

But I cant see that competition yet. Who knows? Maybe a Marc Cuban or a Khan or someone uber wealthy could put a product out there that would not be 'NFL Arena Ball'. Doubtful.

If there were viable competition, instead of monopoly, you might see a change in the NFL philosophy. But for now, they do hold all the cards.

fun gus, I just don't see that contender developing. The NFL is such huge business that it is really impossible for any league to really develop a sustainable business model. I think the UFL has now proven this, as today the league commissioner stepped down seemingly because they were struggling financially and the 2012 season looks like it could be cancelled in that league.

And because of that huge $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ that the NFL makes, no other league can compete for the same quality of competition. And you just can't compete with contract offers, and you're not going to be able to generate a ton of revenue even in non-NFL cities where you're only going to be able to sustain attendance of maybe 15,000-20,000 people like the UFL does in places like Omaha and Virginia Beach.

The NFL profited what $10 billion? That's what they were squabbling over with the lockout. And the lockout is another example of that fix that people need for football. Many threatened walking away, and I'm sure many actually did. But for the thousands of people that didn't renew their tickets and started to spend their Sundays oil painting or bird watching, there were just as many 7 and 8 year olds that started watching to get close to mom and dad because they are now old enough to really start to get what the game is about. And now they'll very likely to be hooked for a long time.

So much of fandom is generational and like an heirloom that parents pass on to their kids, particularly fathers to sons. And until they outlaw sex, people are going to keep popping out kids and keep passing that passion down the next generation. No offense to many of you out there, but all the people that are the "old timers" and complaining about how it used to be about gladiators and the like will mostly be dead in 20-30 years. But people my age and older will complain, but what else are we gonna do?

People were going to lose their s**t with the lockout. Sundays are for church and/or football. Even people that don't like/do either of those two things know that's what happens on Sunday. You take one of those things away and you'll have anarchy in the streets. So again, people will constantly complain about how soft the game is, but they'll keep watching and plunking down their hard-earned money if for no other reason to give them more to complain about.

Rodgers should be more embarrased of that playoff game. He was doing his finest 'Falcons' impression

Since this thread has gone so off-road, isnt there something the NFL can do to make the game 'mean' something?

I like that MLB made the All Star game relevant by awarding home field advantage to the winners. What can the NFL do to make the Pro Bowl like that?