http://www.ajc.com/sports/they-use-you-up-1327740.htmlThe Bill Withers song comes to mind...Keep on using me till you use me up. I'm not sure what I think about all this but it will always play well to the general public to have the rugged individual pitted against the faceless corporation. They are suggesting that the NFL should supply health insurance for life to ex-players. Would they have to be "vested" or does a season on the practice squad count? Either way, a lifetime of health insurance given to a 25 year old man is a pretty significant perk. Maybe they need to talk to their agents when they are getting their contracts drawn up? I guess I'm a little skeptical of Dorsett as he also "went broke" shortly after his long and lucrative playing career ended. On the primal side, no one can ever question the manhood of these gridiron gladiators but sometimes manning up means using your head for something other than a battering ram and considering the future. As mentioned in another thread, I have ringing in my ears and I've never had a concussion and most anyone over the age of 50 or so will tell you that at times you have odd memory lapses. Brain sponge saturation, i.e., as we take in more info something else leaks out? How many carpenters do I know missing a finger's end or a sheetrocker with a bad back? Occupational hazards in physical lines of work are inevitable. Physical degradation is through time for most of us is inevitable and, as the old Wet Wille song said, "everything that you do will come back to you." The self description of "fallen heroes" is a bit much. These aren't soldiers. I have a suspicion that many of these people are the ones who did not have a job following football other than to be former NFL star so and so. I understand that we live in a hyper litigous society and this is just part of the process for the battle of hearts and minds of the public. The NFL are not real different than the Mob. You gotta understand who you're getting in bed with from jump.
