Chris Borland to Retire

Originally posted by Bluesbro:

Originally posted by TheHYDE49er:

Originally posted by Jesu80ncleats:

Originally posted by TheHYDE49er:

Originally posted by Jesu80ncleats:

Originally posted by bzborow1:
Honestly, what's wrong with some people here? The guy retired and it is his right and choice, that doesn't make him a coward. WTF....

He isnt a coward by any means, some people just don't like the timing is all, nothing we can do about it though except move on. NEXT MAN UP!

any player that played college football from 2010 on up, understands the risks of playing football. for Borland to have a coming to jesus moment now is just pathetic. he should've retired while he was in college if he was so concerned.

Again im not sure very many are disputing the timing of it all and whether or not he knew what he was getting into,or maybe he thought he was impervious to pain like so many people his age think lol idk but I say f*ck it and move forward.

We can find someone else Baalke knows his defense

This really just made me mad. I totally understand it with Willis and even if Cowboy decides to retire. But this kid was playing college football during the time when ESPN and whoever else kept talking about the dangers of football. Even PBS did a documentary on this. And the lawsuit, plus all the players that kept coming out and saying how dangerous it was, he should've called it quits before even getting to the NFL. He had the same info 2-3 years ago that he does now.

What I don't understand is people saying he 'knew about the dangers'. I would be shocked if every player does not. I am sure he did, but that has nothing to do with him making a decision 'now' ... nothing at all! I bet you change your mind on things multiple times a day. Decisions and free will, we all exercise it.

I do not believe very many current pro or college players knew very much about the extent of the information available due to the cover-up by the NFL. Only last month did a judge order additional modifications to the settlement announced just last July. In that case, Borland had already been drafted before many of the details of the suit were made widely known.

Most college players are too busy "chasing their dream" to stop to consider the possible ramifications of their "dream." They are exceptional athletes that feel immortal and have no time to consider how their dream might end, so they don't.

Originally posted by dj43:

Originally posted by communist:
This is a dangerous sport but you know it exactly before you enter this league. This is THE crucial point to me.

The problem with that is that the league has concealed evidence, even lied about what they knew to be the case, for years. Consequently, the players DIDN'T know exactly the extent of the danger before they enter. Only within the past five years, and that largely the result of the massive lawsuit brought, and won, by the players, has the league finally begun to admit the extent of the danger. We now see many rule and equipment changes to try to better protect the players. Trouble is, that should have been done decades ago.

I remember Steve Wallace, an OT with the 49ers in the '80s wearing an extra layer of cushioning material over the top of his helmet because he had had several concussions. (A poster here even uses his helmet as screen name) Even then, however, it was viewed as a random case.

It is sad when a great player like Junior Seau finally realizes the extent of his injury. Sean had barely finished his career when dementia, brought on by multiple concussions, began to set in. As we all know, he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest rather than the head, so that his brain could be examined to bring further evidence to the table.

With each concussion, the brain becomes more susceptible to another concussion. In Borland's case, he suffered his first concussion in the 8th grade, and another in HS playing football. It is just my guess but I would suggest that once he got into the league, and saw the tremendous escalation of the violence of the impacts, he thought better of his decision to play professional football. Bad for the 49ers but a wise decision on his part.

Just what evidence dose one need to know that football is a dangerous sport? How much evidence dose a grown man need to understand that there's nothing "safe" about grown muscle-bound men running full speed into each other for 60 minutes, especially when they're around it their whole life? Make me understand just how was it that after all the years of playing this sport they somehow need to be educated about the dangers of the sport once they reach the NFL.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that the NFL needs to do MUCH better with after-football-care for retired players. There's no reason these guys should be suffering with no medical care from the NFL in their retirement life. The NFL has no excuse there. Granted, these guys aren't doctors or scientists. But it don't take a medical degree to figure out that this sport could cause serious long-term damage to your head and body.

Originally posted by Niners99:
I dont buy that for a second. Its common sense that bashing your head repeatedly would carry long term consequences. I think every player understood it was a dangerous game. Everyone understands smoking causes lung cancer, yet millions of people choose to smoke.

The lawsuits came from players who were bitter about the NFL's lame healthcare package for retired players. Theyre all mad that in todays game players get millions, when they were paid peanuts. They wanted their piece of the pie.

The NFL should have protected themselves by putting an understanding agreement about head injuries in every contract, and not being cheap about the healthcare. But, players all knew the potential consequences.

The lawsuit was decided on the fact the NFL lied and concealed evidence, not about being cheap on healthcare.

Originally posted by 9ersLiferInChicago:
Just what evidence dose one need to know that football is a dangerous sport? How much evidence dose a grown man need to understand that there's nothing "safe" about grown muscle-bound men running full speed into each other for 60 minutes, especially when they're around it their whole life? Make me understand just how was it that after all the years of playing this sport they somehow need to be educated about the dangers of the sport once they reach the NFL.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that the NFL needs to do MUCH better with after-football-care for retired players. There's no reason these guys should be suffering with no medical care from the NFL in their retirement life. The NFL has no excuse there. Granted, these guys aren't doctors or scientists. But it don't take a medical degree to figure out that this sport could cause serious long-term damage to your head and body.

See my quote above about the grounds upon which the suit was decided. To wit; it was about the NFL lying and concealing evidence. If the evidence is concealed, the players won't know the possible extent of the injury.

Originally posted by verb1der:
Jerry Rice ‏@JerryRice 1h1 hour ago
Chris Borland I commend you on your decision . When I played we didn't have all the research! I think the game is so much safer now.

this That is the key. And the fact that the decision was not announced until after the draft last year.

This dude just wanted to cash in on a year's worth of NFL salary. Nothing more, nothing less. Why wouldn't he announce this before free agency so that we could have gone after other linebackers or held onto Dan Skuta? Douche.

golf calls. I'm out.

Originally posted by est1985:

This dude just wanted to cash in on a year's worth of NFL salary. Nothing more, nothing less. Why wouldn't he announce this before free agency so that we could have gone after other linebackers or held onto Dan Skuta? Douche.

Yup. Even told his family the same.

He's a shady little taranasaurus turd.

I think with Willis retiring Borland wasn't trying to see Beast Mode twice a year.