Posted on 05/14/2015 8:13:20 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Patrick Venzke only recently turned 40, but even though his face looks youthful, his body is ravaged. He suffers terrible backaches, his left shoulder is wrecked and he also has knee trouble. “It’s the price I paid to pursue my dream,” he says as he drags himself up the steps of a café in Essen, Germany.
Venzke became the first German national to make a National Football League roster when he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in April 2001—although he was never fielded in any of the team’s games. […] After a year in Jacksonville, Venzke moved to NFL Europe, where he played for Rhein Fire in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt Galaxy. He also had a spell in the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles squads. Today, he describes American Football as Darwinism run riot. He lost count of the number of times he threw up during training. He retired in 2011.
Football is a game that rewards aggressive behavior. Ever since medical experts established an increased frequency of brain damage amongst NFL players, Venzke has been seriously worried. He’s married and lives in Idaho, where he works as a realtor. In Germany over Easter to visit his father, Patrick Venzke got in touch with Spiegel to suggest an interview. He arrives with a notebook, in which he’s jotted down some thoughts about what he wants to get off his chest. “When I was still playing, I wouldn’t have been in a position to give this sort of interview,” he says. “It would have cost me my career.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
Oh no, sissy liberals are bashing Football because it’s too violent. Duh, that’s why it’s fun. One time I was tackled so good I couldn’t even walk for a good 10 minutes. Man up fools.
Pat, why is it, do you suppose, that in ancient times, 30 was considered an old man? Phisical combat sort of takes its toll rather quickly. And thats what football ‘is’.
Sissy soccer is like a ladyfinger firecracker.
I think the athletic abilities for everyone on the field is taken for granted. By in large, pro sports, especially the NFL is merit based. Everyone who makes a roster is impressive.
I played football with a bunch of college players once a long time ago.
I tackled a running back ONCE. Good solid tackle. Met him head on and took him down. I didn’t know where I was for a week lol. And I was a boxer at the time and very strong.
Felt like being hit by a diesel engine and he probably wasn’t anywhere near good enough for the pros.
None of these people were forced to play football.
None of them were forced to continue to play football after seeing what football was doing to others, or themselves.
None of them were forced to cash the big paychecks.
Nobody made them sign the contracts.
It’s a g-d hard physical sport. I mean, men actually get TACKLED by OTHER MEN in football.
They did not know that long term damage occurs after decades of hard physical use of their bodies?
Who knew? Who knew that being really hard on your body can have negative consequences, especially as you get older?
I mean it’s not like we could see this from any other way of living. Like the rock stars who party hard and die early. It’s not like we couldn’t see this from boxers. It’s not like we could see this from stuntmen or anything.
Good grief. They’re gonna have to rename this the NVL - National Vagina Leagues. Because they’re talking like little pussies complaining after the fact like they didn’t know anything.
Who hid anything from this guy? How is this man not smart enough to recognize risk and probable risk, playing in the NFL? Good gravy.
They aren’t naive child waifs. to come out and say all this after the fact, I just cannot take everyone glamming onto the victim train. Millionaires that play with a ball to the delights of thousands of fans, are now waify victims.
I am glad I am not a fan of football, because if I was I would really be starting to be let down greatly by them. Fortunate for me.
The body is not meant for the kind of beating that football does, repeatedly. Old football players are a broken-down lot.
If men want to take the risk, they should be free to pursue it. But be advised.
As a women, this is why women shouldn’t play with the men in football. A football player has to use brute strength to win. Don’t think they’ll use that strength if a woman is playing against them.
Does that make me a nerd?
Especially billiards. I like to drink from a beer bottle as I play. One time, I hit the cue ball perfectly and it knocked all of the balls right into the side pocket- cleanly.
Oh, but they will, when winning and money are involved. But you actually do have a point.
A friend of mine owned a bar in a rather tough neighborhood. He would only hire women bartenders. I asked him why. He said that in his experience drunks were much less likely to get violent with women employees.
its the roids....and the HGH....it makes men extremely aggressive, strong, powerful....
“Football is a game that rewards agressive behavior.”
I’m shocked! I’ve been deceived. I thought all along football was designed to punish aggressive behavior.
I can’t believe the stupidity of journalists.
That's scary - I felt that way when I watched college workouts out of high school.
HGH is probably a huge part of being able to compete and recover through a season of football played at current NFL levels. The effects of repetitive brain trauma in a football career into the NFL and PEDS are probably the only two things the NFL doesn’t like to see grab headlines.
Freegards
The absurdity of it boggles my mind.
Well just damn. Kids can’t do anything anymore cause they might get hurt, men aren’t supposed to do he-man stuff like play rough and tumble games. Seems okay for women to become Rangers if they can take it but the military is going gay.
And all the while muzzies are on the march and gangs are burning down neighborhoods when someone besides their own has to take someone down. Law enforcement is on the extinction list and we’re all on our own but we’re not supposed to defend ourselves. The libs have the upper hand and the country is going to hell. Will there be anything left of the USA before Zero leaves office - if he even leaves? The only word I can think of for this is cluster****.
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