All Things Bubba

The NY Times reports that Ryan Freel's parents have donated his brain to science, so it can be tested for chronic traumatic encephalopathy - the brain injury blamed for many former NFL players' suicides.

According to the article, Freel felt he had to play like his hair was on fire, because he was undersized, and, he felt, less talented than his peers. He went all out to make up for it.

But it sounds like there was more to it than that. According to his mom, even as a child, he was reckless and injury-prone. There was that story he told when he was a Red, about jumping off a third floor balcony into a swimming pool. He knew he was hurting himself, but wouldn't stop. When team doctors told him he couldn't play, he'd get mad at them.

Well, maybe something good will come out of this - something that will help other players avoid Freel's fate.

Labels: science of sports