The Purpose

Sports celebrate performance. Wins, highlights, and peak moments are visible. The Long Game is focused on longevity. Not just in performance, but in the people behind it. Every purchase supports CTE research and education focused on long-term brain health in athletes through the BU CTE Brain Bank and Neuropathology Fund. The BU CTE Brain Bank is a research and tissue repository fund and program within the Boston University CTE Center, a medical research initiative at Boston University. It supports large-scale studies of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other neurodegenerative effects of repetitive head impacts. The Long Game exists not to sensationalize the issue, but to acknowledge it and support the work being done to better understand it. A portion of sales is donated to support research because long-term health deserves the same attention as performance.

Why CTE Research

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is linked to repetitive head impacts and can only be diagnosed after death, making research essential for progress. CTE research addresses a critical gap in athlete health, where long-term brain injury often goes undetected until years after exposure. Despite decades of sport participation across all levels, CTE still cannot be fully diagnosed in living patients, leaving many without answers. CTE has also been identified post-mortem in veterans, first responders, and individuals with no sports history.

The long-term effects can include cognitive decline, mood changes, memory loss, and behavioral changes that impact families just as much as individuals. Research suggests it is not limited to diagnosed concussions. Repetitive sub-concussive impacts, including routine contact during practices, drills, and training sessions, are also believed to contribute. It does not require a major game-day hit. It can develop over time through repeated exposure that may not seem significant in the moment. Without continued research, prevention strategies, early detection tools, and effective treatments remain limited.

This is not about telling people to stop playing the sport they love. It is not about creating fear. It is about supporting athlete’s long-term brain health at every level, from youth programs to professionals. It is about equipping families, coaches, and communities with better information and better safeguards. It is about protecting future generations of athletes while honoring those who came before them.

Athletes dedicate years to their sport. They train consistently, compete at high intensity, and accept the physical demands that come with it. The moments fans remember, the rivalry games, the championship runs, the defining plays, exist because someone was willing to take that risk to perform at that level. As fans, we experienced those moments in real time. They became part of our memories.