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Darkness

According to this report, Junior Seau is dead at 43. Police are investigating this case as an apparent suicide.

My God, this is sad.

[Photo Credit: Sasha Kurmaz]

Categories:  1: Featured  Football  Games We Play

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11 comments

1 Shaun P.   ~  May 2, 2012 2:50 pm

North County Times out in Cali are saying it was a shot to the chest, which is, of course, how Dave Duerson committed suicide, so as to preserve his brain for study.

If this is yet another head trauma related death, I don't see how I can ever watch or get excited by another pro football game in good conscience. This is horrible.

2 Alex Belth   ~  May 2, 2012 2:53 pm

Devastating.

3 rbj   ~  May 2, 2012 2:58 pm

Very sad. And why Godell is coming down hard on the Saints. With all of Posada's concussions, I'm glad the Yankees essentially forced him into retirement. Not worth not being able to enjoy your family in retirement in order to play a couple more years.

4 monkeypants   ~  May 2, 2012 3:04 pm

Maybe this was head trauma related, or maybe he was a steroid nut job. In any case, it's all weird and sad.

5 monkeypants   ~  May 2, 2012 3:05 pm

[3] Not to be cynical, but I don't believe for a moment the Yankees' story that they forced Posada from behind the plate to protect him. They didn't like his defense and were looking for a pretext...at least that's my read.

6 Shaun P.   ~  May 2, 2012 3:07 pm

[3] Not worth severe mental health issues or death, either.

Its to the point where I am not sure we can give any justification for playing pro football. Skill is entertaining. Amazing plays are entertaining. Guys literally killing themselves is not entertaining, for me.

7 Shaun P.   ~  May 2, 2012 3:07 pm

Aww crud. Sorry I forgot to close the bold tag. Hopefully the bit at the start of this comment catches it.

8 NoamSane   ~  May 2, 2012 3:08 pm

[1] I've been reading up a little on football's effect on the brain, and I tried to quit watching last season. I could only stay away for about half the season. I have been able to resist preaching to my friends whose kids play tackle football about the error of their ways, but it is difficult to resist that too. I'd be shocked if Seau's brain shows no sign of CTE. It's pretty well established at this point that any amount of tackle football puts one at great risk for serious brain injury/long-term health effects.

9 RagingTartabull   ~  May 2, 2012 3:13 pm

allow me to reprint Peter King's last few tweet's below, and tell me we don't have to change the way we play/watch/cover football. Remember, this is the NFL we're talking about. This isn't Paul O'Neill chasing after flyballs on a bum knee.

"Witnessed Seau, w/pulled hammy at Buffalo in 2000, have game-high 12 tackles. SD fell to 0-7 that day. In trainers room, Seau looked down and said: 'The corporate game, the media game, I know that's a game we have to play. But you what this game's all about? Respect. The respect you can earn only between those white lines.' There is no way--and SD's trainer told me this--Seau should have suited up that day in Buffalo. And he was the best player on the field."

10 RIYank   ~  May 2, 2012 4:56 pm

Of course, people who have no pro sports history do sometimes commit suicide, so Seau's tragedy might have nothing to do with football.
But none of us believes that, really. I bet it was the head injuries -- steroids don't mess up your brain long-term. Could be addiction, too.
Ugh.

I dunno, he seemed like a mensch when he played for New England. Ugh. Awful.

11 bags   ~  May 3, 2012 5:06 am

I'm done with football. Have been for a number of years.

I really hope it goes the way of boxing. It isn't a civilized sport.

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
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