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Rick Martin had degenerative brain disease


X. Benedict

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Posted

"Rick Martin, the former Buffalo Sabres star, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disorder caused by repeated brain trauma, researchers at Boston University said Wednesday evening."

 

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2011-10-05/rick-martin-brain-disease/50673424/1

 

 

Major respect to the Martin family for allowing this to help others.

 

And AP:

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izeSZ6A1SXMaDAO96AfxkArir38g?docId=80e1f06d8dcc4a0da9816d8ed465d231

 

and Globe and Mail:

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/former-sabres-star-rick-martin-had-brain-disease/article2192489/

Posted

Wow. And you never heard talk of concussions back then. Makes you wonder how many times he played fuzzy and how many others did the same.

Posted

Wow. And you never heard talk of concussions back then. Makes you wonder how many times he played fuzzy and how many others did the same.

Him and others, The context was really that head injuries were never taken that seriously, he could have played concussed multiple times.

 

What I really have hard time admitting is how much playing with no helmet and 'getting back out there' after a head blow was wrapped up with ideas of toughness. It was a common ethos.

Posted

It still is. I'm sure the scorers and top pay guys with big contracts are more careful now, but i can't imagine a borderline guy like Andrew Peters letting the medical staff know that he was having headaches or memory issues. I think the tough guys still live in the old world. I'm sure it's hard to admit to something that may end your career and cut your income by 90% or more, but I hope the tragedies of the past summer are a warning to these guys.

Posted

This doesn't bode well for Timmy...

 

Say what you will about Tim Connolly, but all those serious head injuries ...

 

If I were him I would retire immediately. Most things are worth much more than millions and millions of dollars. I am not certain, but if he were to retire due to injury (as Chris Drury did) I think the Leafs would have to honour (or the insurance ... not sure if someone in Tim's situation would be insurable) at least a portion of his contract.

Posted

It still is. I'm sure the scorers and top pay guys with big contracts are more careful now, but i can't imagine a borderline guy like Andrew Peters letting the medical staff know that he was having headaches or memory issues. I think the tough guys still live in the old world. I'm sure it's hard to admit to something that may end your career and cut your income by 90% or more, but I hope the tragedies of the past summer are a warning to these guys.

 

That's going to change. They can't ignore this anymore.

Posted

Him and others, The context was really that head injuries were never taken that seriously, he could have played concussed multiple times.

 

What I really have hard time admitting is how much playing with no helmet and 'getting back out there' after a head blow was wrapped up with ideas of toughness. It was a common ethos.

 

They had a piece on HBO sports a few years ago where they now have tied some forms of ALS to repeat concussions without proper rest. They went back to the newspapers and concluded that Lou Gehrig likely had played many times while concussed to keep his consecutive game streak going. It's quite likely that the Iron Horse was done in by ALS largely due to the streak that gave him his nickname.

Posted

They had a piece on HBO sports a few years ago where they now have tied some forms of ALS to repeat concussions without proper rest. They went back to the newspapers and concluded that Lou Gehrig likely had played many times while concussed to keep his consecutive game streak going. It's quite likely that the Iron Horse was done in by ALS largely due to the streak that gave him his nickname.

 

I don't doubt those results, but I don't think there's any scientific basis to that yet. It would have gotten a large amount of press, but instead, this is the first time I'm seeing this. It's just speculation at this point, but hey, it has to start somewhere.

Posted

I don't doubt those results, but I don't think there's any scientific basis to that yet. It would have gotten a large amount of press, but instead, this is the first time I'm seeing this. It's just speculation at this point, but hey, it has to start somewhere.

 

There is no definitive link yet, but the work was published in a peer reviewed journal. It definitely warrants more research.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/17/als.lou.gehrigs.concussions/index.html

 

"Is there a possibility that Lou Gehrig did have this new disease instead of sporadic ALS?" said Dr. Robert Stern, co-director of Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. "It is possible but we really will never know. What's important to know is that Lou Gehrig, like so many athletes, went back to play over and over again with a repetitive head injury. We know that's not good."

 

McKee and colleagues took sections of the brain and spinal cord and excised very fine slivers, exposing them to stains that could reveal the presence of specific proteins. In this case, scientists were looking for TDP-43 and tau, a protein associated with head trauma. The three brains had copious amounts of both proteins littered throughout sections of the central nervous system.

 

 

Here is a link to the actual research paper if anyone is interested in the methodology of the study.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951281/pdf/nihms235985.pdf

Posted

There is no definitive link yet, but the work was published in a peer reviewed journal. It definitely warrants more research.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/17/als.lou.gehrigs.concussions/index.html

 

I've never paid too close attention to the stories of old time baseball players. How did he wind up having a series of head injuries? It doesn't seem like that would be all that common for a 1B. Beaned in the head a couple times?

Posted

I've never paid too close attention to the stories of old time baseball players. How did he wind up having a series of head injuries? It doesn't seem like that would be all that common for a 1B. Beaned in the head a couple times?

 

I know he was definitely beaned in the head a few times (no batting helmets then of course) and kept playing. I believe they also cited a few times where he collided with fielders during close plays at various bases and was knocked woozy.

Posted

I did ... he and the other members of the French Connection were absolutely "poetry in motion".

 

Indeed it was.

 

 

Also, you know you are watching something special when you could watch a highlight reel of those guys...on plays where they DIDN'T score and still be impressed as all get out.

  • 9 months later...
Posted

Well my family got our first dog today (my kids are ecstatic). We named him Rico, after my favorite athlete in any sport when I was a kid.

 

Gone but not forgotten, and remembered well.

Posted

Say what you will about Tim Connolly, but all those serious head injuries ...

 

If I were him I would retire immediately. Most things are worth much more than millions and millions of dollars. I am not certain, but if he were to retire due to injury (as Chris Drury did) I think the Leafs would have to honour (or the insurance ... not sure if someone in Tim's situation would be insurable) at least a portion of his contract.

 

At least Timmy has had proper time off and therapy for his problems, not like they did back in the day.

Posted

Well my family got our first dog today (my kids are ecstatic). We named him Rico, after my favorite athlete in any sport when I was a kid.

 

Gone but not forgotten, and remembered well.

Congrats!

Guest Sloth
Posted

This is how I feel. But I guess when I'm old there'll be kids saying "I just wish I could have seen Lemiuex play."

 

Don't you mean Lepiuex? :D I get what you're saying. I teach/coach junior high and I hear so much of how Lebron is better than Jordan. Drives me nuts! Almost feel like the PE teacher, Jason Segel, in Bad Teacher. Couldn't tell you the number of "debates" I've had. ha Kids

Posted

Don't you mean Lepiuex? :D I get what you're saying. I teach/coach junior high and I hear so much of how Lebron is better than Jordan. Drives me nuts! Almost feel like the PE teacher, Jason Segel, in Bad Teacher. Couldn't tell you the number of "debates" I've had. ha Kids

Like the WHO said 'talking bout my generation."

 

I never considered Jordan better than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson. I considered Jordan a creation of the NIKE marketing department. He was great, don't get me wrong there, just not the best of all time IMO.

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