Boogaard Family Donating Brain For CTE Exam

((HT: MyFoxTwinCities))

The New York Post reported Saturday that Derek Boogaard had been receiving counseling in the NHL's substance abuse and behavioral health program in the weeks prior to his death, but there is no indication there were any immediate problems.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Boogaard's family has now signed paperwork to send his brain to researchers at Boston Univiersity, where research is being done at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

"They just felt like this is something that needed to be done," said Michael Russo, hockey reporter for the Star Tribune. "Brain trauma is big in pro sports. ... Derek had a season-ending concussion and multiple in his career."
Here's the update...

Family to Donate Boogaard's Brain to Docs: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that Boogaard suffered any syptoms that would lead to CTE.

MO\ore when we know more...

Probert Likely Suffered From CTE

Boston University researchers say NHL enforcer Bob Probert was suffereing from a degenerative brain disease at the time of his death.

The Sports Legacy Institute is saying that analysis of Probert's donated brain revealed that he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ((CTE)).

Probert died back in July of heart failure at age 45 or 46- reports vary on his age. He played 16 seasons in the NHL mainly with Chicago and Detroit. His 3,300 penalty minutes rank fifth on the league's career list.

He was known for a lot of this...
((HT: NHL/youtube))


Probert is the second hockey player from the program at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to be diagnosed with the disease after death. Reggie Fleming, a 1960s enforcer who played before helmets became mandatory, also had CTE.

More when we know more...

Will Dave Duerson's Death Be In Vain...?

The HQ hopes sure as hell not...

Here's a story WLS-TV had involving the passing...
Karen Jordan was at Halas Hall...


The old turf at Soldier Field was like playing in a parking lot- that oughta be investigated immediately if not sooner as the first place for any Bear injuries.

If there aren't any provisions in the new labor deal where past players aren't taken care of, they should sue the league for all they're worth...

In the new deal dollars...

Here's Coach Ditka remembering Duerson...
((HT: NBC Chicago))

View more videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com.

And where are the Mike Adamle stories on Duerson...???
Just axin'

Dave Duerson wanted brain donated for research after Suicide

Dave Duerson/Courtesy: daylife.com

He appeared to have known that something was wrong.

It's impossible to know what that feeling must have been like. We reported on Thursday about the death of former Chicago Bear and New York Giant Dave Duerson. Duerson, according to police reports, shot himself in the chest.

Before doing that however, he apparently sent a text to his family members asking that his brain be donated to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in Boston.

Read the story from the New York Daily News RIGHT HERE

The reason. Duerson, like other NFL players with similar stories (the list is quickly growing), appeared to realize that something wasn't right.

The New York Times spoke to several former players about Duerson's passing, they all were shaken. You can read that story RIGHT HERE

Without going to deep into detail, one of the many issues up for discussion in the NFL versus the Owners labor negotiations, is the long-term affect of injuries on players. The league itself has done an admirable job of finally realizing that the impact and concussions players are suffering are having affects long after their playing careers end.

While there are some that seem to deal with it better than others, there is no denying the problem exists. Football players at all levels, not just professionally are showing signs of post-concussion problems. Researchers are calling it a disease, CTE, and it has been found in the post-autopsy results of numerous football players who have died...or like Duerson, took their own life.

While we talk often about how much athletes get paid, and sometimes it is an obscene amount of money, how do you put a price...or contract on a life? How can you say, "Oh, he made millions of dollars playing football". Yeah, sure, he...and others did, but what does it matter if you aren't around to spend it?

Here is a story about Duerson, from CBS News:



UPDATE: A memorial service for Duerson will be held Saturday morning at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago...

It's open to the public:

6248 South Stewart Avenue
(773) 873-4433

Cases of CTE getting younger and younger....

Owen Thomas/Courtesy: Penn Athletics/New York Times

We've discussed concussions among athletes on more than one occasion. In particular we've talked about several football players who were thought at the time as "going off the deep end". It would later be discovered that these players showed signs of a brain disease.

That disease is Chronic Traumatic Encephalpathy...or CTE. CTE had been shown to be a factor in the rash of football players with depression and impulse control problems. There have been at least two former NFL players, thought to have CTE, who have killed themselves in the past several years.

In April of this year, an offensive lineman for the University of Pennsylvania was found hanged in his apartment after suddenly having what was termed "an emotional collapse". An autopsy has concluded that the 21-year old, Owen Thomas, had the early stages of CTE.

Read more on what happened to Thomas in a New York Times story....RIGHT HERE

This disease is a growing concern in the medical and NFL community and it probably should be. Concussions, while a part of the game of football, over time have a cumulative effect on people. It's been proven...over and over again.

On the good side, the NFL has taken note of the problem and is trying to deal...albeit slowly...with the problem. We aren't saying it's solely their problem--it isn't, but as one of the, if not the most violent of the sports, they should take the lead in preventing this.

We fully realize that hits to the head and collisions are a part of football. They always have and they always will be. The trick here is finding a middle ground. Finding a way to control hits to the head. Control the "Knockout" shots. Though it wouldn't have prevented what happened to young Mr. Thomas, if it prevents CTE from forming on someone else, than it will be worth the extra effort.

Chris Henry Had Early Stages Of Brain Disease....

This will probably get the attention of everyone playing in the NFL and everyone who has played in the NFL.

Chris Henry, a receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, who had died after falling from a truck in a domestic dispute in December of 2009, has been found to already been suffering from a brain issue that doctors are finding more and more frequently in football players.

The disease, CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a progressive brain disease that has been found in quite a few former players, all of whom died young.

Doctors, think, emphasis on think, that the disease is caused from traumatic brain injuries such as helmet to helmet hits. However, the previous cases had been primarily in older players who played more physical positions such as on the line.

Henry however was 26, and he was a wide receiver and not known as being particularly physical.

Much more on the report from the New York Times RIGHT HERE

((Chris Henry//Courtesy: Cincinnati Enquirer))

The NFL and other sports leagues have finally, after years of ignoring the issue of concussions and long term brain injury effects, started to addressing the issue. At this point, they haven't reacted to this finding, though the doctors from West Virginia University who did the forensic exam are going to discuss what they found later in the day on Monday.

Here's Maureen O'Boyle and Jeff Atkinson with the early run down in Charlotte
Thanks to our friends at WBTV-CBS3