Former linebacker Chris Borland, who retired after one NFL season because of concerns about repetitive brain trauma, testified this afternoon at a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He was one of four witnesses to tell the subcommittee about ways corporations use disinformation to mislead the public on matters including climate change and public health. Borland was there to discuss how the football establishment manipulates the science of brain injuries. What follows is the prepared text of the statement he read to the subcommittee. To the members of this committee, thank you for the privilege to testify today to discuss the nature of industry’s manipulation of science and policy as it pertains to brain injury in football. My name is Chris Borland. I was an All-American linebacker at the University of Wisconsin. In 2014, my first year in the National Football League, I led the San Francisco 49ers in tackles. I decided to walk away from the game of football after my rookie season in the NFL. While an active player in the NFL, I spent six months studying the available research on the ramifications of repetitive brain trauma. In relating what I found in the research to my own past experience with brain injury and to the demands of my job, I felt it was in the best interest of my personal health to stop playing football immediately. Per a 2014 NFL actuary, 28 percent of the league’s players will suffer from cognitive impairment. I had a history of brain injury and played an especially dangerous position as a middle linebacker. Personal experience is important in deciphering such data. Since leaving football in 2015, I have advocated for players and families that live with the consequences of brain injury. I’ve gained a keen insight into the failings of industry-funded research. Today, we continue to see industry-funded science misrepresenting the reality of what football players (as well as athletes in other violent games) experience in their sport. While much of the focus with brain injury research in football has been on the NFL, I would like to highlight how NCAA research into concussion is inherently flawed and why the NCAA fails to portray an accurate risk of brain damage for athletes competing under their organization. In 2014, the Department of Defense and NCAA collaborated to create what they call “The Grand Alliance,” a $30 million initiative to study concussion. Under the Grand Alliance, a program was launched dubbed the CARE Consortium. CARE is an acronym for concussion assessment, research, and education. In the words of the NCAA and Department of Defense, the Care Consortium “serves as the scientific and operational framework for the Concussion Research Initiative of the Grand Alliance.” To date, $64 million has been poured into The Care Consortium. There have been 40,000 athletes studied, and the NCAA and Department of Defense report to have captured 3,300 concussions. Due to disincentivization in reporting concussions that I understand well as a former Big Ten linebacker, I believe the figure of 3,300 concussions flawed to the point of being unusable. My intimate relationship with this research further bolsters my personal experience. The University of Wisconsin is a member institution in the Care Consortium. I have played with many men that were participants in the study. I know that most of these men appear in the research as having never sustained a concussion. That is, they have never reported sustaining a concussion. In my experience in football (which is not unique to that of my friends and teammates) symptoms of concussion, whether it be dizziness, tinnitus, imbalance, or others, were weekly occurrences during the season. The NCAA and Department of Defense routinely fail to acknowledge when sharing Care Consortium data, that an estimated 1/8 to 1/20 concussions is actually reported. A second glaring omission is that concussion is not believed by neuropathologists to be solely instrumental in brain diseases like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Focusing only on concussion ignores the repetitive subconcussive hits to the head that football players experience, and that are believed to contribute to neurodegeneration. To be clear, I feel The Care Consortium does tremendous work researching concussion and developing protocols for those that have been diagnosed. My concern is that most of us athletes fall through the cracks. The Care Consortium data fails to take into account that the vast majority of concussions go undiagnosed. The Care Consortium focus on concussion does not capture what may be at the heart of the problem with brain injury in football, repetitive subconcussive hits. A true scientific and operational framework for concussion would include explicit acknowledgment that players so rarely report the injury. A genuine inquiry into brain damage from football must include mention of subconcussive hits. With The Care Consortium, the NCAA and Department of Defense have done a good job studying reported concussions. The Care Consortium has done a better job at distracting athletes and the public by excluding vital information and appropriate context. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to share my experience in football, with research, and as an advocate for former players. I’ll eagerly and happily answer any and all questions. Thank you!
Related Posts
Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
VfB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen will face each other in the Bundesliga this coming weekend. The match between Die Roten and Die Werderaner will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Arena and is scheduled to kick off at 2:30pm UK the on Sunday.
VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart are one of the biggest clubs in Germany, but they are in real danger of getting relegated to the second division at the end of the season. Die Roten wet down to 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2018-19, but they went back up again. And now they could suffer relegation again.
Bruno Labbadia’s side are 15th in the Bundesliga table at the moment with 16 points from 18 matches. VfB Stuttgart are level on points with 16th-pla…
Atletico Mineiro have reached an agreement to sign Diego Costa as a free agent, according to . The final details of the terms will soon be thrashed out and the official announcement should come some time next week, as soon as the medical is completed.
The 32-year-old striker started out at Barcelona Esporte Clube in Brazil, from where he joined Braga in Portugal in the winter of 2006. A year and a half later, he signed for Atletico Madrid and had numerous loan spells before establishing himself as a regular starter under Diego Simeone. Having just helped the Rojiblancos win the La Liga title in 2014, he joined Chelsea for €38m and over the following four years, he won two Premier League titles and one League Cup.
He returned to Atletico for €60m in January 2018 to h…
Arsenal could sell Callum Wilson for £18 million in the final days of the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Arsenal have been alerted to the availability of the 31-year-old England international striker.
The report has claimed that Arsenal are on the hunt for a new striker in the middle of the season. Newcastle have to raise money to stay in line with Premier League profit and sustainability rules. The Magpies are ready to cash in on Wilson now.
Wilson has been on the books of Newcastle since 2020. The 31-year-old is an important player in Eddie Howe’s side, but the England international striker has had injury problems during his time at St. James’ Park. Wilson has made 215 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career, sc…
Harry Kane can still be a trophy winner with Tottenham and deserves a statue in his honour, according to club chairman Daniel Levy.
Levy addressed the Cambridge Union and told an audience of students Kane should also consider it significant that he has legend status already with the north London giants.
The 29-year-old England captain has been linked with a host of bigger clubs, including Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, and his contract is due to expire at the end of next season.
He has never won a major title with Spurs, although he has become the club s record scorer, overtaking Jimmy Greaves in February of this year.
He can absolutely win a trophy at Spurs, Levy said of Kane.
But being a legend is also important. The…
Bayern Munich defender David Alaba has not signed any agreement with Real Madrid, according to his father and advisor.
Spanish publication Marca, which is known for its links to Madrid, claimed on Monday that a deal had been agreed between the club and player for a move at the end of the season.
Alaba s contract expires in June and is therefore free to discuss terms with other clubs, Bayern having seemingly exhausted all chances of a renewal.
The Austria international s future has been a source of speculation for much of the last year, but Bayern insisted throughout that they would not be held to ransom and a departure now looks the likeliest option.
But Alaba s father, who also acts as an advisor, has given hope to other interested parties, adamant nothi…
England take on Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key tournament statistics with one game remaining.
Goals
The 63 matches prior to the final have seen 163 goals scored, an average of 2.59 per game.
That is significantly lower than last summer’s European Championship, won by the Lionesses on home soil, when there was an average of just over three goals per game – 95 in 31.
While that was higher than the last men’s Euros – averaging 2.78 goals per game (142 in 51) – this summer has seen fewer goals than at the most recent men’s World Cups. The 2022 event in Qatar saw 172 goals in 64 games (2.69 per game), three more than in 2018 (169, 2.64 per game).
Spain lead the way with 17, with Japan mana…
Felix Sanchez has left his position as Qatar head coach after the World Cup hosts failed to collect a point in front of home fans.
A long career in Qatari football has ended with former Barcelona youth coach Sanchez saying he hopes to find a new challenge.
Qatar s performance was the worst statistically of any host nation in World Cup history. No other home side had ever lost as many as three matches or conceded as many as seven group-stage goals, which is what happened to Qatar.
Spaniard Sanchez took up an academy job in Qatar in 2006 before becoming directly involved with the national set-up at youth levels, later being appointed boss of the national team in 2017, with an Asian Cup triumph in 2019 marking the peak of his achievement in the job.
The Qata…
Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has bluntly told Memphis Depay to leave the club, or face the prospect of regularly being left out of the starting lineup, according to .
The Catalan club have reinforced their attacking ranks significantly since Xavi s arrival at the helm, signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal and Ferran Torres from Manchester City in January, as well as Raphinha from Leeds United and Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich this summer. These arrivals seriously jeopardize Depay s place in the team, and the former midfielder has made his feelings on the matter quite clear to the Dutch forward.
Depay joined Barcelona from Olympique Lyon last year on a free transfer and went on to put down 13 goals and two assists in 37 appearances for the club t…
Best odds: 43/100
Bookmaker:
Slovenian team Celje will head to the Estonian capital for their Champions League qualifying match against Flora on Wednesday.
The winner over the two legs will advance to the second qualifying round to face either Slovan Bratislava or Struga.
Flora
Flora are set to make their second consecutive appearance in Champions League qualifying after securing the Meistriliiga title last season.
Jurgen Henn departed as manager at the end of the season, allowing Norbert Hurt to begin his second tenure as Flora’s manager.
Hurt will be disappointed with Flora s current league performance, as they sit in third place, 15 points behind leaders Levadia with 16 games remaining.
In their latest match, Hurt s team los…
Best odds: 3/5
Bookmaker:
With Liverpool s quadruple quest one-quarter accomplished following their Carabao Cup victory, attention now shifts back to the FA Cup as they prepare to host Southampton in a fifth-round clash at Anfield on Wednesday night.
The Reds come into this match fresh off a thrilling 1-0 extra-time triumph over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, showcasing their resilience and determination. Meanwhile, Southampton faced a setback with a 2-1 defeat to Millwall in Saturday s Championship encounter.
Liverpool
Since Jurgen Klopp s arrival and the signing of his first contract with Liverpool, the club has already added seven trophies to their cabinet, including their sixth Champions League title and their 19th league title in English footbal…