I Don't Want Anyone To Wind Up Like Me (Good Read)

The Boston Glob ^ | 02/02/07 | Jackie MacMullan, Globe Staff

[misterrob]

Sad story but one that is all too common for guys once they leave the game. Andre Waters comitted suicide after lingering affects from concussions. This is another example of what happens to people who play in the NFL. Ted Johnson was a good MLB in his day and had some epic battles with Jerome Bettis back in the latter part of the 90s. I remember him at his best.

Make no mistake about it, Belichick is a guy who wins but he can be as cold and callous as the next guy.

[misterrob]

NFL ping.

[WKB]

he is a struggling ex-athlete who has become unreliable and unreachable, making promises and commitments he does not keep,



Maybe he should consider politics.

[Doogle]

...guess super bowl week will bring out stories like this, but lets not over look aggressive behavioral problems. Notice no mention of "roids". Until the NFL gets very serious about overall effects it has on their professionals, this is just one of many stories you'll read about over the next few years.

[misterrob]

Roids have been tested for a few years now so I don't think that was Ted's problem. I do think that he took one too many shots to the dome and he's just not right. He was a fairly articulate guy back in his day.

[Lurker]

I have two words for Ted.

Mohamed Ali.

Repeated blows to the head are not conducive to a long and healthy life.

L

[raybbr]

Here's a story about another LB, Wilbur Marshall who played with the Bears, and his injuries. Link only (USA Today).

[misterrob]

Wilbut was a bad man.

[Eagles6]

save

[mollynme]

This is so sad. I used to watch for him whenever the Broncos played the Pats because I remembered him from his days as a Colorado Buff. I thought he had just retired.

[Rummyfan]

Sad story, and certainly not the only one.

[scott says]

NFL PING

FReepmail scott says to be added to, or to be taken off the NFL Ping list...

This is a fairly high volume ping list

[Perdogg]

How about another name, Andre Waters.

[Loud Mime]

Athletes have problems when the crowd isn't cheering for them anymore. The longer they were in it, the more it hurts.

[codercpc]

I heard a report about a week ago (don't remember the source), that stated the autopsy on Andre Waters also revealed that his brain was already showing signs of Alzheimer's disease. Poor guy would have been incapacitated within a decade and he was quite young.

Brain injuries are not something to take lightly. What used to be considered just "getting his bell rung" is now rightfully taken more seriously.

Having said all that, I get a little sick of the sob stories when someone is seriously injured, or dies do to "sticking it out" while playing sports. I remember numerous times hearing almost heroic stories of professional players "playing through the pain", Michael Jordans unbelievable flu playoff game comes to mind. The media hypes these stories to unbelievable levels, yet when someone does actually gets hurt, or dies (Vikings player circa 2001, Corey something) we get months of blame because he didn't heed the warning signs when he started to get signs of heat stroke.

[misterrob]

Corey's weight fluctuated and he was supposedly taking ephedra although I don't know if that was substantiated.

The NFL is a cold world. Guys will play hurt to keep their jobs regardless of the long term consequnces to their bodies. The teams use the players to win with no real concern for their safety and health. That Johnson kept playing is partially his responsibility but also the team's.

[codercpc]

I think it is the whole media culture, they prop them up to pull them down. Fans play a huge role, we put up these guys as heroes. I wasn't talking about the cause of Coreys demise, as much as the whole, lawsuit, blame, etc. etc. I am just on my soapbox about this whole subject. I love sports (football especially) so I am as much to blame, but these guys need to take responsibility for themselves, without a fear of a backlash.

[USMCWife6869]

I know people that suffer from the same kind of illness that Ted Johnson is experiencing, and some worse, and they haven't had even one hit to the head.

Maybe it has nothing to do with football, maybe it is just inherent in him. Until people realize that sometimes a person's mind just doesn't work properly, no one will ever take these kind of ailments really seriously. It doesn't have to be a hit to the head or a former drug issue. Sometimes it just "is". Always blaming it on something else won't ever help people who need real help.

[misterrob]

He has damage from head injuries. He played a high impact position where he would make over 100 tackles a year plus numerous other collisions.

[ichabod1]

Ya know... Ali didn't take those shots all through his career. Nobody could touch him. It was his last two fights where he got his brains beat out. He hung on too long.