49ers LB Chris Borland, one of the NFL's "top rookies" last season, yesterday said that he is "retiring because of concerns about the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma," according to Fainaru-Wada & Fainaru of ESPN.com. The 24-year-old Borland said that he made his decision after "consulting with family members, concussion researchers, friends and current and former teammates, as well as studying what is known about the relationship between football and neurodegenerative disease." Borland: "I just honestly want to do what's best for my health. From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk." Fainaru-Wada & Fainaru noted Borland becomes the "most prominent NFL player to leave the game in his prime because of concerns about brain injuries." Borland: "I'm concerned that if you wait till you have symptoms, it's too late. ... I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don't want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise." Borland said that he "has had just two diagnosed concussions: one while playing soccer in the eighth grade, the other while playing football as a sophomore in high school" (ESPN.com, 3/16).
FACE OF THE MOVEMENT: In Oakland, Marcus Thompson II wrote Borland has "become the new face of the concussion awareness movement" and a "pioneer in a growing population of those who believe the pursuit of happiness shouldn’t come at the expense of life and liberty." Borland did it "before he raked in big money." Thompson: "Real change happens when people are willing to make real sacrifices. And few are ever willing to sacrifice money when they don't already have lots" (INSIDEBAYAREA.com, 3/16). Also in San Jose, Tim Kawakami writes Borland retired because he "feared what a long NFL career would do to him ... because I'm sure he saw retired players mangled by this game." Football "can be beautiful, it's entertaining, it can be rewarding, it's absolutely profitable." Kawakami: "But if you have your eyes open, you can't miss that football kills little and big pieces of its participants on every play." Borland knows "exactly what this game does to players, and he is making the decision not to put himself through that anymore." Kawakami: "I salute him for that" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 3/17). NFL Network's Albert Breer wrote, "Good for Chris Borland. And good luck to him. Talk about the money all you want. Takes a lot to give up something you've put that much into." The MMQB's Peter King: "The Chris Borland story could well be a game-changer for the NFL. Good luck to him. Brave decision by a smart person" (TWITTER.com, 3/17).
SOMETHING TO PAY ATTENTION TO: In N.Y., Mike Lupica writes the NFL "will survive and continue to prosper greatly" despite the growing awareness of head injuries. There will be "more voices from his, not just from the league but from the league's loud media, saying that Borland does not speak for them or their own concerns about playing football for a living; that his fears are not theirs." Nobody "will stop watching pro football" because Borland retired, but fans "still better pay attention to this" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/17). SI.com's Doug Farrar wrote this "won't be the last time" a player retires early. As the "true effects of the game have become public, the game will be seen with different, and more knowing, eyes" (SI.com, 3/17). WNBC-TV’s Bruce Beck said, “Here's a guy who is retiring not about an injury, but trying to prevent an injury. That's alarming” (“Today,” NBC, 3/17). The MMQB's Greg Bedard wrote, "Chris Borland retiring, at age 24 and relatively healthy in a football sense, is a very big deal." ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit wrote, "Obviously guys will continue to play Fball, but I guarantee the Borland early retirement gets the attn of a lot of Moms and youth fball" (TWITTER.com, 3/17).
A NEW YOUTH MOVEMENT: In Phoenix, Kent Somers noted four prominent NFLers ages 30 or younger -- RB Maurice Jones-Drew (29), LB Jason Worilds (27), LB Patrick Willis (30) and QB Jake Locker (26) -- announced their retirements last week, and it is "difficult to say if this was an anomaly, or the beginning of a trend." But the retirements "did prompt speculation that an increasing number of players, with plenty of money in the bank, will begin to walk away from the game while they can still walk" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/14).
MEDIA MONITOR: During today’s edition of “CBS This Morning,” a report on Borland came 32 minutes into the broadcast and spanned three minutes. Around 13 minutes into ABC’s “GMA” broadcast, the net aired a brief report on Borland. NBC’s “Today” aired two different segments on Borland’s announcement totaling three minutes of air time. The first report came 19 minutes into the broadcast and the second at just over 31 minutes (THE DAILY).
