[autograf]

DRD.....

The Real Sports piece was looking at primarily NFL & CFL football players along with boxers but also threw in some alarmingly high rates for soccer players from Europe. The average occurrence of ALS in 'normal' population was 1/100K. Based on the stats, there should be few to any ALS cases in the NFL current or previous players nor for boxers. The actual rates, however, were significantly higher with multiple cases in each type of sport. The results were to be published I think yesterday in a Neurological medical journal (not sure which one). The two people doing the study had actual brains from football players and boxers and spinal cords as well and there were indicators in both the brain and the spinal columns that repetitive concussions caused ALS indicators in both the brains and the spinal cords. Not a doctor here, nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night but the piece seemed to have merit. Guess anyone can do any type of study out there and fine someone to validate it but it sure seemed like these folks had their ducks in a row.

p.s. I'm not sure if it was for effect or another indicator but almost all the people previewed with ALS that had been in NFL or CFL were defensive players and backs whose primary job it is to wind up and hit people. Found it odd that not a lot of offensive 'skill' players were among the group..........