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The Quarterback's Challenge (What Brett Favre's drug use tells us about Rush and the MSM)
Sporting News ^ | May 27, 1996 | Michael Bauman

Posted on 12/31/2009 1:28:03 PM PST by fightinJAG

[snip]

These comments left the impression that Favre had become addicted to painkillers. This was true, yet it probably did not represent the entire truth. The truth, his father Irvin says, was that Brett had developed an addiction to the drug Vicodin, a narcotic analgesic. But the truth also included the notion, the elder Favre acknowledges, that a problem with alcohol abuse could exist.

[snip]

What, after all, is the first phrase that comes to mind when somebody mentions Brett Favre? "He's a gamer."

Right. How many times have you seen it? Favre is questionable, doubtful, totally iffy, completely banged up. His hip is hurt. His side is hurt. His ankle is hurt. No problem. He plays anyway. He plays amazingly well. He starts 61 consecutive regular-season games, the longest current streak among NFL quarterbacks. In the course of doing so, he earns one of football's highest accolades: "He plays with pain."

Now you understood more fully how that streak occurred. Favre has had more than his share of lumps,

(Excerpt) Read more at findarticles.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: addiction; favre; football; msm; nfl; painkillers; painmanagement; rush
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To: Ticonderoga34
He doesn't do traditional exercise, but he plays a lot of golf, which, if he walks the course, is excellent exercise.
21 posted on 12/31/2009 3:35:07 PM PST by Richard Kimball (We're all criminals. They just haven't figured out what some of us have done yet.)
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To: altura

Just speculatin’. Either way, I wish Rush well.


22 posted on 12/31/2009 3:44:30 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.)
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To: nhwingut

He’s done a lot of extreme dieting in his life. Not good.


23 posted on 12/31/2009 4:46:02 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: afraidfortherepublic
His family history probably is more telling than his FORMER oxycontin use.

My point exactly. Yet the MSM trots out his past addiction even though, at least as yet, there's absolutely no evidence it's pertinent to his present health problems.

While no one every says a word about people like Favre. No article -- count 'em, zero --- would throw in there the unmoored reference to his former painpill addiction. Even though, geeze, one could wonder if he resorted to special means to finally beat the December Fade.

24 posted on 12/31/2009 4:48:29 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: Richard Kimball

Point on Favre is not about size, it’s about *durability.* And, to a certain extent, mental acuity and enthusiasm.

Favre’s drug use actually did affect his performance positively over the years, yet no one ever even mentions it.

I’m not saying they should, but it’s pretty dumb to keep bringing it up re Rush.


25 posted on 12/31/2009 4:50:32 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: fightinJAG
There are some horror stories about pre-1980 treatment of athletes. Favre has never impressed me as being a steroids guy, but I agree as far as pain killers are concerned. Tom Landry once said that players could go into their late thirties to mid-forties if they only played every two weeks. Over time, it takes more than a week to recover from the previous week's beating.

For a long time, the teams would pressure athletes to play injured. Now, it's more likely that the athlete will hide the pain killers and steroids from the team because they don't want to be off the field and lose their jobs. The biggest risk of pain killers is that they mask injuries that can become much more serious. Dick Butkus, IIRC, played an entire season with bone on bone contact in his knee (femur to tibia-fibula.)

Favre has never had a catastrophic injury, but having photographed college games close up, I know that at that level players take several hits a game that would kill the average person. Playing pro football is like being in a car wreck every week.

26 posted on 12/31/2009 5:19:04 PM PST by Richard Kimball (We're all criminals. They just haven't figured out what some of us have done yet.)
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To: Richard Kimball; Diana in Wisconsin
I've never heard anyone even think about Favre and steroids in the same sentence. But as the story on the thread says, Favre's painkiller addiction probably gave him a lot of the "toughness" and durability he usually gets credited with.

I thought the link in the OP included the tidbit from his wife about actually finding the pills hidden in Favre's stuff. But that fact come from this link and said:

However, during the 1995 season he had become addicted to the painkiller Vicodin, a narcotic. Tynes told Ken Fuson in Esquire that in late 1995 she was cleaning out the closet and "found a bunch of little packs kind of rolled up in there. A week later, they'd be gone. I'd think, Jeez, that's a lot of pain pills." She asked Favre about it, and "he got real defensive." The drug let Favre keep playing through numerous injuries, but it changed his personality, making him anxious, angry, and unable to sleep.

Tynes started throwing out the drugs when she found them, but Favre always had more, and she eventually threatened to leave him if he didn't stop. "Every-body thinks Brett's so tough," she revealed to Fuson, "but they haven't met me yet."

In February of 1996, Favre suffered a seizure, brought on by the drugs. His seven-year-old daughter Brittany, seeing this, asked, "Is my daddy going to die?"

Three months later Favre admitted he had a problem and entered an inpatient rehabilitation clinic for 45 days. As part of his treatment plan, NFL doctors told him he couldn't drink alcohol for two years after he was released. On July 14, 16 days after he left the rehab clinic, he married Tynes in Green Bay.

Read more: Brett Favre - "is My Daddy Going To Die?" http://sports.jrank.org/pages/1436/Favre-Brett--My-Daddy-Going-Die.html#ixzz0bK6P98Mg

27 posted on 12/31/2009 6:23:55 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: secret garden

I dunno, secret, to me Favre is starting to look sort of like a longtime meth addict, about 5 years out. The sunken cheeks, disappearing teeth, wierd wrinkles.

He doesn’t “just” look 40, if you ask me.

But not trying to rain on your parade: if you love Brett Favre, by all means, go to it!


28 posted on 12/31/2009 6:27:21 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: fightinJAG
Oh, why not - let's bring out the Faces of Meth Before and After Mug Shots video.
29 posted on 12/31/2009 6:31:02 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: fightinJAG

That’s the same timeframe when Deanna threw his @ss into rehab and she laid down the law; no more hanging out with that rapist Mark Chmura! *SPIT*

Favre is VERY lucky to have married a strong woman. I don’t think he’d be where he is today without her.

But, that’s just my observation from the sidelines... ;)


30 posted on 12/31/2009 6:31:16 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.)
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To: fightinJAG
Your concern about the media bringing up Rush's past drug addiction is a concern worth discussing. Obviously the media has an agenda (duh). I fail to see how bringing up Favre’s past addiction does anything other then make you look like you are doing the same thing the media is doing.

All my best to Rush and all my best to Favre. Two great, yet very human, Americans.

31 posted on 12/31/2009 6:40:25 PM PST by LuvFreeRepublic (Support our military or leave. I will help you pack BO!)
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To: fightinJAG
My point exactly. Yet the MSM trots out his past addiction even though, at least as yet, there's absolutely no evidence it's pertinent to his present health problems.

Yeah, if Limbaugh was a liberal, they'd be running him in public service announcements left and right. The most popular and successful radio personality in history is totally deaf. That's incredible, but they would rather die than give him credit for anything.

I remember an exhibit at Fair Park in Dallas where they were giving tribute to Americans who had made contributions in their later years. They listed Bess Truman, who did some philanthropic work in her sixties, but left out Ronald Reagan, the oldest person ever elected President.

I also remember when the editor of the NY Times said that John Kerry was the first legitimate war hero to run for president since Kennedy. He conveniently forgot that GHWB was the youngest pilot in the Pacific theater, and was once shot down and spent three days floating in the Pacific before being rescued. He also forgot Bob Dole, who lost the use of his right arm during WWII. Of course, he also forgot George McGovern, who had a distinguished military career, but everyone tries to forget McGovern.

32 posted on 12/31/2009 6:40:48 PM PST by Richard Kimball (We're all criminals. They just haven't figured out what some of us have done yet.)
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To: fightinJAG

I thought Rush was just as good while on large amounts of hydrocodone and oxycodone as he is now to be honest....

The Stones best works were on drugs.

It happens.

I was pretty peeved at Rush when the dope thing first hit but looking back now I was wrong.

It’s not good mind you but it wasn’t the breach I first thought it was.

Godspeed the man, there simply is no replacement. My wife shore cried up a storm last nite over this.

Btw, I know what it is like to live in pain...and I too like painkillers but one has to use good judgement.


33 posted on 12/31/2009 6:46:09 PM PST by wardaddy (you young (or otherwise) freepers drive careful tonight...call someone is you get too loaded)
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To: Richard Kimball
I also remember when the editor of the NY Times said that John Kerry was the first legitimate war hero to run for president since Kennedy.

Knowing what we know now, it's really, really hard to think of John Kerry as a "war hero". More like a "traitor".

Of course, it's the NY Times...

34 posted on 12/31/2009 6:49:03 PM PST by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance on Parade)
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To: secret garden

35 posted on 12/31/2009 6:52:49 PM PST by downwdims (It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority)
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To: fightinJAG

We’ll have to agree to disagree there. He’s a babe and has been a good role model for sports, marriage, and family. He and Deanna are a good team.


36 posted on 12/31/2009 6:57:28 PM PST by secret garden (Dubiety reigns here)
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To: secret garden
I agree with you secret garden. Of all the horrible people in this world who have done wrong and Brett is pick to degrade. One of my favorites (paraphrased) is when Brett was asked about being remember for being a great QB, he said he hoped he would be remembered for being a great dad and husband. Class act, great QB and nothing is going to change that.
37 posted on 12/31/2009 7:05:39 PM PST by LuvFreeRepublic (Support our military or leave. I will help you pack BO!)
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To: secret garden

Yikes, yes, we’ll really have to disagree there! As far as I’m concerned, he’s a horrible role model, a spoiled brat, a prima dona, and . . . well, I could go on. But we’ve already agreed nicely to disagree, so I’ll just leave it at that! :)


38 posted on 12/31/2009 9:20:03 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: wardaddy

I don’t know, I have to say I did notice something was different/wrong when Rush was (as we later learn) deep in the vise of addiction.

I especially noticed his voice. Somedays I would think, golly, I can’t stand whatever has happened to Rush’s voice.

All that said, it’s not the same as a football player who abuses pain pills to stay on the job.

I do hope Rush gets well soon.


39 posted on 12/31/2009 9:22:17 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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To: Richard Kimball

I enjoyed these memories you posted!


40 posted on 12/31/2009 9:23:33 PM PST by fightinJAG (Mr. President: Why did you appoint a bunch of Communists to your Administration?)
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