The Dark side of football

by Tevin T. Broner on Jun 30, 2010 5:00 AM CDT

Everyone on this forum loves this game loves the Rams and the great game of football, Hell I believe that football bar none is the best sport. But that is not why I am here writing this blog I am writing this blog to show the dark side of the game that we all know and love. I'm sure many if not all of y'all know how dangerous this sport can be but I think sometimes we sweep it under the rug so we don't have to worry about it or sometimes we just forget how punishing this great game can be.

Now I'm not the smartest person in the world, I'm just another college student trying to make it in this world and trying to find out what the hell I want to do in life. I like many of you love football I recently decided to declar my major to become a football coach with the hopes and dreams of becoming a member of the Stl. Rams organization or a random college being a GM.

I most likely wouldn't even have made this blog if it wasn't for this story Chris Henry findings when I read this I was in shock I know many of you don't want to click on the link so I will summarize it for you. Chris Henry who died in a bizarre way was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) It is caused by repeated beatings to the head and can even occur with sudden stops. He was a wide receiver that is what worries me the most when was the last time a wide receiver would end up getting banged a lot in the head. If it happened this early to Chris Henry I wonder who else could this be affecting.

I didn't make this article to make anyone feel bad about football or wonder if they are a bad person for liking it, I tore 3 ligaments in my knee walk with a limp and my knee often hurts but I love football and I don't blame many of you guys for doing it also. I just think that sometimes we just forget that these guys put their bodies on the line every Sunday, We forget that in an instant they can end up paralyzed or seriously injured until it happens. So next time a player holds out for that extra million just think would you do it knowing that during or after your career you could have life long medical problems.

While the links between CTE and behavior are still being studied, many of the former athletes diagnosed with this form of brain damage died under unusual circumstances. Ex-Steeler Justin Strzelczyk, for example, was killed in 2004 after experiencing hallucinations, leading police on a high-speed chase for 40 miles before driving his car into a tanker truck. In 2007, Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son, then put Bibles next to their bodies and hanged himself. Tom McHale, a guard for three NFL teams remembered by teammates as smart and dependable, sank into depression and died of a multiple-drug overdose in 2008.

Yeah I know it's a horrible way to start the morning hell I wrote this article on my birthday how do you think I feel. But hey tomorrow you will get an uplifting article about Bobby Carpenter that's something to look forward to. Have a great day everyone and Go Rams.

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Comments

Great Post Tevin

You are right.. these guys lay it on the line (literally) every Sunday to give us some entertainment.

They get paid well, but that’s for a reason.

I often hear people bitch and moan about what athletes make per year, but I can bet none of those people ever put themselves in the shoes of those athletes.

If your body was about to become a living pinball and crash dummy for 4-5 years, risking your life, and knowing your golden years could most likely be in a wheelchair with much pain, how much money would you ask for?

Chances are 90% would tell you that they wouldn’t do it for any amount of money.

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi

by VTramsFan on Jun 30, 2010 6:43 AM CDT reply actions

Thanks VT

That is what I was going for because sometimes we just forget what they have to do.

by Tevin T. Broner on Jun 30, 2010 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't begrudge a player making alot of money

But the way you write that makes it seem like these guys lay it all on the line for some noble effort to keep us all entertained. I don’t for one second believe any player goes out there to entertain us first and foremost. They do it cause they enjoy playing the game and getting well paid for it. There are risks involved in almost all competetive sports and by and large those competitors are well paid for it. Where it bothers me is that there are many jobs people do where their lives and health are at risk everyday who don’t get the opportunity to demand big signing bonuses, guarenteed money or endorsement deals so while i don’t begrudge them the money don’t ask me to feel sorry for them too.
I am, by the way, all for improving player safety and would like to see injuries reduced as much as possible but the sport is never gonna be completely safe. No one is forced to play the game and while, as Tevin stated, some of these findings have only recently come out it has, for a long time, been known that serious brain injuries and the like are the risk you run. That these players choose to take those risks is down to them.

by Stonedtodeath on Jun 30, 2010 2:55 PM CDT up reply actions

that’s why the get payed so much, so i don’t want to hear them crying that they want more money cause it could happen to them too, while Infantry men and Special Ops are exposed to 10000000 times their danger and only get payed a fraction of what they do,

man up! because this is America, where GOD pays attention, HOO-YAH!!!

Hoo-Yah

by RamsQb5 on Jun 30, 2010 7:15 AM CDT reply actions

That's why its called a volunteer army

by rams210 on Jun 30, 2010 7:56 PM CDT up reply actions

This might be a little off topic

WARNING TANGENT APPROCHING— This is one of my sore spots with the NFL. I understand the dangers of playing football, there are medical risks associated with high momentum collisions which occur in the NFL 11 times per play. BUT football has had these risks since it’s creation. Football players looking to make a career out of this shouldn’t be hoping they fix the rules so no one gets hurt, they should be altering their play on the field to minimize risk on their own OR play recklessly and deal with the injuries when they come. Now I’m not advocating that football players should play recklessly, but the risks are well documented, and that is enough for any reasonable person to decide whether they want to hit someone hard or save their brain cells. I’m all for making humongous helmets, knee braces, etc. mandatory but to assess the risk and therefore penalize risky behavior is demeaning to every football player with any sense of pride. I say let the boys play, you give them the basic premise, the safest equipment available(mandatory or not), make sure they don’t cheat, and watch the risky behavior die out on it’s own. No SANE man wants to do harm to himself, make the medical documents known to the player’s association and let them play the game, no more of these BS helmet to helmet, hitting the QB penalties(while your at it you can take out pass interference), everyone knows the risks so don’t handcuff the players and sacrifice the integrity of the game.—TANGENT ENDED

On the article, I feel bad for the players who can’t handle the NFL, and hope there are less sob stories like Chris Henry. I’m always reminded of Darrent Williams when I see these things, he was one of the best corners in the league when he was shot, couldn’t have happened to a more promising player. Just goes to show these are people dealing with life like we all are.

Julio Jones for Rams 2011

by kinzav29 on Jun 30, 2010 9:32 AM CDT reply actions

Helmet to helmet is not a bad rule

QBs are often standing still while 280 lb men run near full speed at them. If a player knocks his head back like that, that can not only cause head injuries but also neck and spine injuries. And about pass interference, I’m not sure if you were kidding, but if you weren’t that would be extremely stupid. Cornerbacks would just tackle WRs as soon as the ball leaves the QBs hands.

Onubon > Gates

by Carneros on Jun 30, 2010 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions

This is an argument often made (I apologize for being off topic Tevin, this'll be the last one)

but if 280 lb men are tackling your QB maybe your QB should be bigger/faster/more durable to handle these stresses, or you should design plays to protect your QB, invest in a bigger helmet etc. etc. etc. He shouldn’t be protected by ref’s because he’s small. The NFL shouldn’t cater to smaller players to make playing football available to more people, only the best should make it into the NFL and durability should become more of a factor if the penalties are revoked. Not a lot of people agree with me on revoking pass interference, but I was referring more to the pre-ball in the air rules, and again it follows the same philosophy as above: if your WR’s keep getting tackled, get bigger/faster/smarter recievers. I don’t think it’d be that easy to tackle a WR by the way, they are pretty quick.

There are arguments for both sides, but I just can’t fathom the NFL moving more and more towards a league made for prissy glamorous track stars rather than gritty football players. Again Tevin, sorry bout this, feel free to cut it out. Great post by the way!!

Julio Jones for Rams 2011

by kinzav29 on Jun 30, 2010 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

It's not that he's too small

Its that he is a sitting duck and is getting drilled by guys running and also are bigger than them. Not all QBs can be bigger than lineman like Jamarcus Russell, nor should they be. Any D-lineman should be able to tackle making helmet to helmet contact. Its one thing if their heads just touch but he leads with his head and goes directly into the QBs head, that could be dangerous, no matter how big or strong the QB is.

Onubon > Gates

by Carneros on Jun 30, 2010 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Well think about it.

Football is what most of these players do best, Some might not even have thought about life after football. I mean you play it all your life and when you hear that you can join the league and make millions of dollars what else would you do. Plus most of these findings have started to come out recently.

by Tevin T. Broner on Jun 30, 2010 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions

english

trevin good post. some constructive criticsim. as one college student to another.‘If your to weak you become strong if your slow you become fast and if your weak hearted you get ate up by the next in line’

should read:

if YOU’RE TOO weak you become strong if YOU’RE slow you become fast and if YOU’RE weak you get EATEN up by the next in line.

seriously. it’s difficult to read. but great post anyways. just constructive. criticism.

by michaelkato on Jun 30, 2010 12:45 PM CDT reply actions

Ouch,

Hey it’s not my fault I just made this at 5:AM cut me some slack lol. I appreciate it though I’m not the best writer yet but I’m learning, and it’s Tevin not Trevin

by Tevin T. Broner on Jun 30, 2010 12:52 PM CDT reply actions