Charlie Garner brain issues..

[99gator]

I am not disagreeing with you but you don't hear about horseback riders, fighters, Nascar, having brain issues at rate. Sure I would football to last a longtime but reality is it may not.

Not disagreeing, actually.

My complaint is that the logic is flawed. The logic is that it's dangerous, people are getting seriously hurt, and in some cases it leads to death.

Obviously, all of that is true. But, all of that is true of so many other things.

So, once again, someone somewhere is going to determine what is ok for you to do because of what they think or how they feel and deny you the choice. People feel the need to protect people from themselves and it's not their responsibility.

 

[kennedy262]

First of all, sad to see this about Garner or anyone else in this circumstance.

But, and kind of piggybacking on fade's post earlier, we have to (1) recognize what someone is doing out of their own free will and (2) accept that as human beings we enjoy some stuff that we really shouldn't.

Steve Irwin messed with dangerous animals. He died because of it.

Dale Earnhardt liked to drive really fast. And I can't tell you how many people I have spoken to who watch auto racing for the wrecks. They don't care which dude wins this week. They want to see the car flip over 3 or 4 times and then burst into flame.

We watch boxing and MMA and love watching someone get knocked out. In fact, the more impressive the knockout, the more we like the guy.

When there is a wreck on the highway, people slow down to look at it. The nastier the wreck, the slower they drive and the longer they look.

take some time to look up "epic fail" on youtube and watch people do stupid stuff and get seriously injured while their friends' first reaction while standing around is to laugh at it.

Does that make all of us horrible human beings? Maybe. I don't know. But, the vast, vast majority of people do these things. And of course, none of us want to see anyone get hurt. We just want to see all of this stuff and everyone be ok and, of course, it doesn't work that way.

And when the next thing happens, we'll all be there watching. And if a Tennessee safety lights up a Florida or Alabama WR coming across the field and causes a fumble, you'll give your buddy a high five.

Don't feel guilty about it. It's who we are.

Why not feel guilty about it? Understanding the consequences of those hits and the injuries they cause has led to targeting fouls and hopefully even more advancements in player safety, IMO.

I think fandom is moving towards a greater understanding of game strategy for enjoyment rather than just watching bone-crushing hits.

*Also, I don't watch MMA/boxing anymore, because I don't enjoy watching grown men get knocked out and I don't slow down at wrecks to look, because I'm not an assh*le.

 

[knucklehead_vol]

Not disagreeing, actually.

My complaint is that the logic is flawed. The logic is that it's dangerous, people are getting seriously hurt, and in some cases it leads to death.

Obviously, all of that is true. But, all of that is true of so many other things.

So, once again, someone somewhere is going to determine what is ok for you to do because of what they think or how they feel and deny you the choice. People feel the need to protect people from themselves and it's not their responsibility.

Of course the logic is completely flawed. It should be up to the individual otherwise what kind of life do we live? And this just doesn't pertain to sports.

 

[wildorange]

I am not disagreeing with you but you don't hear about horseback riders, fighters, Nascar, having brain issues at rate. Sure I would football to last a longtime but reality is it may not.

If you have never heard of or seen the effects of boxing then you haven't been watching. Ali and Frazier both had complications from boxing and I could go on. There have been deaths in boxing in the ring, boxing has had tons of fighters to have serious issues. Percentage wise way higher.

 

[knucklehead_vol]

If you have never heard of or seen the effects of boxing then you haven't been watching. Ali and Frazier both had complications from boxing and I could go on. There have been deaths in boxing in the ring, boxing has had tons of fighters to have serious issues. Percentage wise way higher.

Reread and look for the phrase 'at this rate'. I used to fight I am very familiar with injuries from fighting.

 

[joevol33]

Hate that for him.

 

[99gator]

Why not feel guilty about it? Understanding the consequences of those hits and the injuries they cause has led to targeting fouls and hopefully even more advancements in player safety, IMO.

I think fandom is moving towards a greater understanding of game strategy for enjoyment rather than just watching bone-crushing hits.

*Also, I don't watch MMA/boxing anymore, because I don't enjoy watching grown men get knocked out and I don't slow down at wrecks to look, because I'm not an assh*le.

IMO.....feeling guilty is to be in denial of reality. We don't like reality, so we like to pretend we're above it or that we're evolving, etc.

As knucklehead said, it extends to so many things.

We have people out there, as an example, trying to redefine what sexy is because they don't like it. It's politically incorrect or people don't like that they aren't, etc. So, they seek to redefine it and we all end up living a lie because you can't reprogram human nature.

So, we've changed the rules of the game and now we think it's safer. It's not safer. We just want to believe it is, but it isn't. Big, strong, fast human beings are colliding at full speed. Thanks to evolution, they are getting bigger, faster, and stronger. Bad stuff is going to happen. We've changed the rules to feel better about it so that we can watch without the guilt. We're lying to ourselves.

It's bad and we like it. It is what it is.

 

[wildorange]

Reread and look for the phrase 'at this rate'. I used to fight I am very familiar with injuries from fighting.

My point is boxing is much more dangerous. I would much rather play football than box where I knew my head was taking a constant punching with no protection at all. Heck gymnast flip into the air and have went paralyzed from injuries, where do you draw the line. We have a part of society that thinks they can protect everybody from everything. GBO!!!!

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Very sad, and cases like this will the ultimate end to tackle football. This sport has about 7-10 years left before it is stripped down to some variation of 2 hand touch. Don't laugh, there are elected officials in Washington who believe its society's job to protect people from themselves regardless of their free will choices. There will be a major push to end tackle football it is current form over the next 5-7 years.

I hate to break it to you but it's not just some boogeymen in Washington. When you have Hall of Fame greats saying they don't want their kids playing and guys retiring at age 24 in their primes because the don't their 5th concussion in 3 years, it's not just some politicians trying to tell you what to do.

Also you have people mocking the attempts at making the game safer, claiming it's "wussing up the game". Well that's real easy to say when you're sitting on your couch downing beer and nachos. I get they have a choice but guys in the past legit didn't know the real effects of all this and we're learning every year more and more.

 

[wildorange]

IMO.....feeling guilty is to be in denial of reality. We don't like reality, so we like to pretend we're above it or that we're evolving, etc.

As knucklehead said, it extends to so many things.

We have people out there, as an example, trying to redefine what sexy is because they don't like it. It's politically incorrect or people don't like that they aren't, etc. So, they seek to redefine it and we all end up living a lie because you can't reprogram human nature.

So, we've changed the rules of the game and now we think it's safer. It's not safer. We just want to believe it is, but it isn't. Big, strong, fast human beings are colliding at full speed. Thanks to evolution, they are getting bigger, faster, and stronger. Bad stuff is going to happen. We've changed the rules to feel better about it so that we can watch without the guilt. We're lying to ourselves.

It's bad and we like it. It is what it is.

Look back at some of the old baseball records, people used to get killed from pitches because they wore no helmets. It actually happened a lot. Nobody wants people to be hurt, but I am not going to fell guilty about watching football or auto racing or whatever. It's sports from willing participants that are willing to play, nothing in life is guaranteed no matter what sport or occupation we are in. If people on here are fell guilty I suggest you quit watching, but I imagine most will be watching UT play football come fall if they are honest. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. No more than it is too watch somebody on a crosswire over the grand canyon or going to a nascar race. Or watching teenage girls flip and twirl up in the air and come down on their feet hopefully. This is life. GBO!!!!

 

[99gator]

I hate to break it to you but it's not just some boogeymen in Washington. When you have Hall of Fame greats saying they don't want their kids playing and guys retiring at age 24 in their primes because the don't their 5th concussion in 3 years, it's not just some politicians trying to tell you what to do.

Also you have people mocking the attempts at making the game safer, claiming it's "wussing up the game". Well that's real easy to say when you're sitting on your couch downing beer and nachos. I get they have a choice but guys in the past legit didn't know the real effects of all this and we're learning every year more and more.

That would be another example. It was ok for them, but they don't want their kids to do it. Don't misunderstand, I get it. Again, though, the list is long of things that children do that their parents wish/hope they wouldn't

I always post this when these discussions come up.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article1946293.html

No one I would call sane would do this, but he did. NO doubt, you wouldn't want your child to do it. Why he didn't use the same line of thinking about himself, I don't know.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

Hang in their Charlie.

I pray they make progress in treatment and more importantly prevention.

 

[knucklehead_vol]

My point is boxing is much more dangerous. I would much rather play football than box where I knew my head was taking a constant punching with no protection at all. Heck gymnast flip into the air and have went paralyzed from injuries, where do you draw the line. We have a part of society that thinks they can protect everybody from everything. GBO!!!!

Okay so the point here is getting lost. Boxing was maybe the most popular and at the height of its popularity in the 70's. Ali was a big part of that. Wonder why boxing has lost viewers and boxers? I am sure you can find correlation somewhere. But today football is the most popular and because it is, along with the high profile injuries, it's going to be on people's list as the bad sport. Whether we agree or not, a kid can run out in the street and killed by a car. What are you going to do? Put a leash on kids? No. But it's dangerous to let your kids play outside in the front yard. But to get back on the subject, NFL is the big dog and people will go after it. I don't watch the NFL anymore. It's not as much fun. College is much better imo.

 

[allvol123]

A great Vol. Sad to hear.

 

[VolBricks]

Man I hate this for him and his family. I had the chance to walk on and be a long snapper in college but I chose not to play. Man am I glad I did not continue to take shots playing football. CTE is a scary.

Good Luck Charlie, you were fun to watch play.

 

[skoalbeans]

Very sad, and cases like this will the ultimate end to tackle football. This sport has about 7-10 years left before it is stripped down to some variation of 2 hand touch. Don't laugh, there are elected officials in Washington who believe its society's job to protect people from themselves regardless of their free will choices. There will be a major push to end tackle football it is current form over the next 5-7 years.

Eventually...maybe, but 5-7 years from now? No. Football in its current form will be around for generations to come. Now, I could possibly see the public schools doing away with it due to liabilities and pressure from state in say...30-40 years in the future. But even then, some private schools will still have it. And, when/if the day comes when the USA bans full contact football, by then it will be really big in other countries. So, the NFL may be in another country, but football will still be aired. As far as the effects that football has on the brain, not all go through some of these horrific cte related injuries. Plus, to do away with football means to do away with other concussion causing sports like....all of them. Basketball, soccer, baseball, and even tennis has had, and will have players sustaining concussions. There's a lot to take into consideration and a lot of money to be lost by eliminating these major sports. With that being said, do we eliminate jogging bc of the wear and tear on the body?Or get rid of driving a vehicle due to the chances of injury or death? Or, how about making alcohol illegal bc of the dangers we potentially put ourselves in by being drunk? I just don't see it happening, and if it ever does....I'll be long gone. Just my opinion. GBO!

 

[TNnative]

Very sad, and cases like this will the ultimate end to tackle football. This sport has about 7-10 years left before it is stripped down to some variation of 2 hand touch. Don't laugh, there are elected officials in Washington who believe its society's job to protect people from themselves regardless of their free will choices. There will be a major push to end tackle football it is current form over the next 5-7 years.

Well if they outlaw it and try to replace it with soccer, I hope I am dead and gone beforehand. Naked cheerleaders on the sidelines couldn't make that crap interesting.

 

[Volz4lif3]

First of all, sad to see this about Garner or anyone else in this circumstance.

But, and kind of piggybacking on fade's post earlier, we have to (1) recognize what someone is doing out of their own free will and (2) accept that as human beings we enjoy some stuff that we really shouldn't.

Steve Irwin messed with dangerous animals. He died because of it.

Dale Earnhardt liked to drive really fast. And I can't tell you how many people I have spoken to who watch auto racing for the wrecks. They don't care which dude wins this week. They want to see the car flip over 3 or 4 times and then burst into flame.

We watch boxing and MMA and love watching someone get knocked out. In fact, the more impressive the knockout, the more we like the guy.

When there is a wreck on the highway, people slow down to look at it. The nastier the wreck, the slower they drive and the longer they look.

take some time to look up "epic fail" on youtube and watch people do stupid stuff and get seriously injured while their friends' first reaction while standing around is to laugh at it.

Does that make all of us horrible human beings? Maybe. I don't know. But, the vast, vast majority of people do these things. And of course, none of us want to see anyone get hurt. We just want to see all of this stuff and everyone be ok and, of course, it doesn't work that way.

And when the next thing happens, we'll all be there watching. And if a Tennessee safety lights up a Florida or Alabama WR coming across the field and causes a fumble, you'll give your buddy a high five.

Don't feel guilty about it. It's who we are.

Bingo i choose my job which is a firefighter I know I may die but that's the reality of it, if we can accept this and continue to know the circumstances of football or anything which is dangerous or potential life threatening, I'm sure Charlie or anyone who loves what they do wouldn't change a thing if they knew. I can't say that for sure but I'm pretty sure the majority of peeps would...

 

[OrangeDog]

Well if they outlaw it and try to replace it with soccer, I hope I am dead and gone beforehand. Naked cheerleaders on the sidelines couldn't make that crap interesting.

I beg to differ...............

 

[wildorange]

Okay so the point here is getting lost. Boxing was maybe the most popular and at the height of its popularity in the 70's. Ali was a big part of that. Wonder why boxing has lost viewers and boxers? I am sure you can find correlation somewhere. But today football is the most popular and because it is, along with the high profile injuries, it's going to be on people's list as the bad sport. Whether we agree or not, a kid can run out in the street and killed by a car. What are you going to do? Put a leash on kids? No. But it's dangerous to let your kids play outside in the front yard. But to get back on the subject, NFL is the big dog and people will go after it. I don't watch the NFL anymore. It's not as much fun. College is much better imo.

While it may be on some peoples list as a bad sport it's popularity will continue to soar. Boxing didn't lose it's luster because of the violence, it lost it's luster because of too many belts and the decline of good boxers overall. That why UCF has come in and taken over, more competitive than most boxing matches. Football will remain king for at least the next 20 years. It's not just the hits it's the total game that makes it so great. The ultimate team game. GBO!!!

 

[wildorange]

Bingo i choose my job which is a firefighter I know I may die but that's the reality of it, if we can accept this and continue to know the circumstances of football or anything which is dangerous or potential life threatening, I'm sure Charlie or anyone who loves what they do wouldn't change a thing if they knew. I can't say that for sure but I'm pretty sure the majority of peeps would...

Firefighter here as well, been in many fires and seen many tragedies. 99% of people that love football do not want to see anyone seriously injured, no matter how safe anything is there is always a danger. It is a tough sport, and the game has changed with the head to head rule and tougher concussion protocol things will get better as we move forward. What we are seeing now is from the effects of before many or all of these rules were in place. And while the game continues to come up with better equipment and even with the new rules regarding concussions and head to head contact injuries are still going to happen. But the new rules will help in the long run, I can already tell players for the most part try to hit lower in the secondary than what they used too. GBO!!!

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Back when Charlie first joined the Vols the saying used to be...

"when he gets ball, count 1...2...3. If he's not down, he's gone."

 

[kennedy262]

I'm sure Charlie or anyone who loves what they do wouldn't change a thing if they knew. I can't say that for sure but I'm pretty sure the majority of peeps would...

In the article Charlie said, "People ask me all the time if I would do it all over again if I knew more about concussions. I say yes, but I would do it as a defensive back because I wouldn't have taken so many hits"

 

[Hacksaw]

What a great Vol! Sorry to hear he is having problems and I wish him well. He is one of those WOW! players in Tennessee history that you remember the reaction you had the first time you saw him make a great play. You never looked away when he was playing, because if he was on the field we were a threat to make a spectacular play or score at any moment.

 

[savannahfan]

Very sad, and cases like this will the ultimate end to tackle football. This sport has about 7-10 years left before it is stripped down to some variation of 2 hand touch. Don't laugh, there are elected officials in Washington who believe its society's job to protect people from themselves regardless of their free will choices. There will be a major push to end tackle football it is current form over the next 5-7 years.

I know it will be hard to do, but players' teachers at the youngest level are going to have work to harder at making kids quit leading with their heads. I still remember from way back younder, the coachs hollering "keep your head up!"

In the case of running backs, they all seem to run head first as head down looking up. I don't see how they keep from getting their necks broken or concussed nearly every play. I know an upright runner is not thought to be running in the best form, but it has to be the safest.

Back younder, I don't think they had concussions in mind, that's the way it was thought you could see what was going on and what you needed to do much better than looking down. (in my neck of the woods, faceguards (1 bar) were just coming in).

Troy Ackman (misspelled?) once said the equipment was getting too good. Guy's were not so likely to lead with their heads when their helmets were less protective. Like back when they were leather. He was not saying go back to leather, but using it as an example.