OTL: Jovan Belcher's Brain Had CTE Traces

((HT: ESPN-OTL/Delsohn))

Steve Delsohn's story on the two years since the death of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, really, is no surprise.

In 2012, Belcher would kill his wife and child in the early morning hours of December 1st. The ensuing investigation after the exhuming of his body yielded the possibility of the Tau protein in his brain that is an indicator of CTE.

The hook from Delsohn:

If it can be shown that Belcher did have CTE, Belcher's daughter and mother, together, would be eligible for up to $4 million under the proposed concussion settlement between the NFL and former players. Furthermore, the lawyers representing Belcher's daughter have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Chiefs on her behalf. Belcher's mother, with different attorneys, filed an almost identical suit.

Here's discussion of the lawsuit at the time
((HT: KCPT))


Word was that Belcher's mother had the idea that her son's brain should be examined to determine if concussions could have been a cause or "the" cause in the behavior Jovan Belcher exhibited in, eventually, killing Kasandra Perkins and his 3-month-old daughter.

Scott Pioli was the Chiefs GM at the time and was standing in front of Belcher when he committed suicide. He addressed the subject at the Roman Numeral Classic after the year was over.
((HT: Dan Patrick Show))

Belcher Family Sues Chiefs In Wrongful Death Suit

Read the suit here...

The HQ figured this might happen...

Michael McCann, through his Twitter, maintains the two largest points as we go forward: his mom must prove 1) Chiefs negligent for his brain injury + 2) that injury "caused" his suicide. Both hard to show.

But the suit, in the name of Belcher's mother, maintains that the Chiefs “fostered an environment” where Belcher was "forced" to play through injuries and “become further exposed to neurological harm.” Then Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and others in the organization are accused of telling Belcher he'd be gone if he didn't play.

The family is looking for damages starting at $15,000 plus other relief.

Here's early returns from KCTV
KCTV5

Interesting note out of all this...

Former Chiefs Joe Horn and Tamarick Vanover joined a lawsuit by former Chiefs players against their team on Friday, taking advantage of a Missouri state law saying that employees can circumvent federal guidelines and take an employer to court locally. They maintain their injuries led to brain trauma, including CTE.

Chiefs hire GM John Dorsey

John Dorsey

KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Chiefs have hired former Green Bay linebacker John Dorsey to be their new general manager, replacing Scott Pioli.

According to local Kansas City news affiliates, there is a 2:00pm news conference scheduled for today.

Before taking the Kansas City job, Dorsey was the director of football operations for the Packers. This move reunites Dorsey with new Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who were on the Green Bay coaching staff together from 1992-1997.

The carousel continues...with Dorsey being the sixth GM in Chiefs' history.

Andy Reid to The Chiefs, Scott Pioli gone

And so the coaches (and G.M's) turn.

The Kansas City Chiefs and former Philadelphia Eagles HC Andy Reid have agreed to work together. (haha sounds like a marriage only it isn't)

Reid will take over the reigns of a team that held some promise just a couple of years ago before the bottom dropped out in 2012. Reid replaces Romeo Crennel.

His hire also means the end of the Scott Pioli, General Manager era. Pioli, supposedly part of the New England "Braintrust" with Bill Belichek leaves after 4 rather unsuccessful years and 3 unsuccessful head coaches.

Ironically, the Pioli announcement was made 1st, which immediately fueled the Reid rumor, which quickly became reality. Reid is believed to have asked for personnel control, something Pioli obviously wasn't interested in sharing.

Reid, you'll recall, coached the Philadelphia Eagles for 14-years before being let go last week after the supposedly talented Eagles floundered this past year as well.

Analysis: We don't know that this is going to work. It's going after the big name because he was there. Reid did not seem interested last season, though the loss of his son may have attributed to that. The Chiefs have some very good parts and some that need work. We may be wrong and he'll be "The Guy" that makes them successful again, but we think it's just the same NFL Logic that says if you've been a head coach with some success in the past, you'll get a job again.

Here's the early word from KSHB-TV

Belcher Report Reveals Previous Problems

((HT: KSHB-TV Kansas City))

There's more disturbing news in the Jovan Belcher case...

The short version is the police investigation has been released and it details the idea that Belcher texted a "secret" girlfriend saying he would kill Kasandra Perkins, the mother of his child, if she wouldn't leave him alone...

Also, the day of Belcher's suicide and the murder of Perkins are detailed in affidavits from Chiefs GM Scott Pioli- and it's not pretty...

Here's the report on the report...

Sad...

That's the only word that comes immediately to mind... in a really bad season that spiraled even further down- if that's even possible...