ChuckBuck wrote:Besides that head trauma stuff that they didn't really monitor in the 70's, 80's and early 90's, alot of these players are able to live normal productive lives after football.Alot of prominent ex-NFL athletes are for the most part healthy and functional: Jim Brown, Howie Long, Mike Ditka, Marc Schlereth, Terry Bradshaw, LT, Michael Irvin, Joe Namath, Warren Sapp, Joe Montana, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnson, Michael Strahan, Tiki Barber, Joe Theisman, Tony Gonzalez, Joe Klecko, Phil Simms, Cris Carter, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Ray Lewis etc etc
Things like Junior Seau taking his own life due to football related trauma is sad no doubt, but that's more the exception, not the norm.
The precautions they take nowadays for head trauma during games is so stringent and actually one of the few good changes the NFL has established in recent sports history. Some NFL players like Wes Welker and Troy Polamulu I can see having some issues down the road, but it is a steep price to play this game.
That out of the way, the topic at hand is scumbags that compromise their team's trust and integrity in binding contract that stipulates you won't act like a complete buffoon off the field like Sheldon Richardson. Just perpetuating stereotypes left and right with speeding in a Bentley automobile, eluding the cops, while smoking weed and having GATs in your car while your kid watches.
Just despicable behavior no matter how you look at athletes lives off the field, and the fact that he let his team down a 2nd time as a repeat offender is what most gets me.
My teams are the Jets, Knicks, and Mets- more or less in that order.
Not much more needs to be said about my luck as a fan.
Big fan of Richardson when he came up, and I had no issues with his ****iness. Heard earlier this year that he had shown some inconsistencies last season. His punishment was based on being caught 3 or 4 times with pot in his blood. He clearly cannot control himself if he puts himself into a situation where he will lose money and maybe his career.
Totally hypocritical to make a big deal about pot when alcohol is a much bigger problem. If guys live up to their contract and play hard, I really don't care personally if they use weed, but you have to play within the rules created by the folks who allow you to live a lifestyle and make the kind of money you would almost certainly not make in another profession.
Add to his stupidity the possibility of killing others because of his actions, and you have an entirely different situation.
The time he had to report this latest incident to the proper authorities was almost up, and I heard him on the Kaye show yesterday talking humble pie about his suspension...knowing that this incident would soon be brought to light.
I'm one of the guys who got to see the Jets win their only Super Bowl, and actually saw them play in the Polo Grounds as the NY Titans, and it's amazing how something always seems to happen when you think things are about to turn for the better with this franchise. (Same is true for the other teams I root for, especially the Mets, who can't seem to catch a break injury-wise.)
This is worse than an injury that knocks out a star, though. Hard to control when you get injured...Richardson, though, had the money and resources available to deal with his problem, yet chose another path.
Sad for fans.
Sad for the Jets as an organization.
Even sadder for Richardson.
EnySpree: Can we agree to agree not to mention Phil Jackson and triangle for the rest of our lives?