re: Aaron Hernandez had "severe" case of CTE

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I'd really like to know how many college and pro football player's brains have been autopsied so far that have shown NO evidence of CTE?

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Not only that, but you need to have a study of the general population to see just how common it is. I've played soccer and basketball and have seen some head injuries occur in both of those as well, for instance. That's not including backyard/neighborhood tackle football, in which I also saw head injuries.

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I'd really like to know how many college and pro football player's brains have been autopsied so far that have shown NO evidence of CTE?

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Well that's the thing. The brains that have been tested are mainly people who were noticing signs that suggest they had CTE.

It's a pretty big problem of self-selection bias. So until there are more people donating their brains for testing (or a way to test without the subject being deceased), it's difficult to really tell how wide spread that problem is in the larger population; even just in the NFL.

Here's the thing about CTE... We know these TAU proteins exist but we don't know what they actually do (a lot of assumptions have been made but no legit science). We also don't have any legit studies of the regular population so there's no control group.

This bothers me a great deal because I was a concussion advocate before that shite was cool due to my own and am still a concussion advocate. BUT right now the shite we here about CTE is largely without evidence to back much up. The best study that was done was completely self-selected - meaning families who suspected problems sent things in. Again that's terrible science.

We need this shite fixed but we need evidence to do it. Assumptions and guesswork don't cut it in science. Those proteins could be a sign of another issue - we simply don't know. Fund the hell out of it - get the military involved because they have an even bigger concussion problem and let's work from there.

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How valid is the science behind CTE?
Is it indisputable? Could there be some genetics behind the "CTE" diagnosis?

Just curious as I admit I have not done a lot of research or reading about CTE.

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Justgetitright has a good post about the possibility of finding it among the general population.

Look, this stuff isn't super hard, but there are a lot of angles. The micro impacts that linemen go through are a lot worse than for a star qb who gets a couple of concussions and retire, at least as far as CTE goes.

The only thing that is not in doubt is that CTE exists. Basically this is a protein that is formed when the brain experiences a traumatic event. Basically it happens where the brain is "bruised" for lack of a better word.

They've had odd cases with football players (Mike Webster, Duerson, Seau, etc). And they've found these formations in dead people's brains.

And while Justsayitright didn't address it, there are other sports with considerable risk for this kind of thing like boxing. From what I've read though, rodeo has to be the worst sport ever invented for CTE risk. It's like someone designed something (talking about Bronco and Bull-Riding) designed to give you CTE.

Anyway, like all things like this, it's going to be argued about and debated.

Until the day they can test still-living people for it safely. That will give us all the info we need to... make a better decision?

But like he said, we might find really bad things from other walks of life where CTE is concerned.

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How valid is the science behind CTE?
Is it indisputable? Could there be some genetics behind the "CTE" diagnosis?

Just curious as I admit I have not done a lot of research or reading about CTE.

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The condition exists for sure.

What isn't known is how it ties to things like dementia and degenerative neuro diseases or behavioral issues.

It was assumed to be tied to head trauma/brain injury but earlier this year they found a guy with a significant case who had no history of either and lived his whole life with none of the ailments being tied to it.

Like I said, I suspect the long term findings will be that it is more common and doesn't play anywhere near the role in these conditions as is being suggested now.

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Big difference between having a conviction retired do to being permanently under appeal than being deemed innocent.

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Doesn't matter. No conviction = innocent