Comments on: Darkness

By: bags

bags — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:06:56 +0000

I’m done with football. Have been for a number of years.

I really hope it goes the way of boxing. It isn’t a civilized sport.

By: RIYank

RIYank — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:56:18 +0000

Of course, people who have no pro sports history do sometimes commit suicide, so Seau’s tragedy might have nothing to do with football.
But none of us believes that, really. I bet it was the head injuries — steroids don’t mess up your brain long-term. Could be addiction, too.
Ugh.

I dunno, he seemed like a mensch when he played for New England. Ugh. Awful.

By: RagingTartabull

RagingTartabull — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:13:14 +0000

allow me to reprint Peter King’s last few tweet’s below, and tell me we don’t have to change the way we play/watch/cover football. Remember, this is the NFL we’re talking about. This isn’t Paul O’Neill chasing after flyballs on a bum knee.

“Witnessed Seau, w/pulled hammy at Buffalo in 2000, have game-high 12 tackles. SD fell to 0-7 that day. In trainers room, Seau looked down and said: ‘The corporate game, the media game, I know that’s a game we have to play. But you what this game’s all about? Respect. The respect you can earn only between those white lines.’ There is no way–and SD’s trainer told me this–Seau should have suited up that day in Buffalo. And he was the best player on the field.”

By: NoamSane

NoamSane — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:08:29 +0000

[1] I’ve been reading up a little on football’s effect on the brain, and I tried to quit watching last season. I could only stay away for about half the season. I have been able to resist preaching to my friends whose kids play tackle football about the error of their ways, but it is difficult to resist that too. I’d be shocked if Seau’s brain shows no sign of CTE. It’s pretty well established at this point that any amount of tackle football puts one at great risk for serious brain injury/long-term health effects.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:07:43 +0000

Aww crud. Sorry I forgot to close the bold tag. Hopefully the bit at the start of this comment catches it.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:07:00 +0000

[3] Not worth severe mental health issues or death, either.

Its to the point where I am not sure we can give any justification for playing pro football. Skill is entertaining. Amazing plays are entertaining. Guys literally killing themselves is not entertaining, for me.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:05:40 +0000

[3] Not to be cynical, but I don’t believe for a moment the Yankees’ story that they forced Posada from behind the plate to protect him. They didn’t like his defense and were looking for a pretext…at least that’s my read.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:04:31 +0000

Maybe this was head trauma related, or maybe he was a steroid nut job. In any case, it’s all weird and sad.

By: rbj

rbj — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:58:23 +0000

Very sad. And why Godell is coming down hard on the Saints. With all of Posada’s concussions, I’m glad the Yankees essentially forced him into retirement. Not worth not being able to enjoy your family in retirement in order to play a couple more years.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:53:01 +0000

Devastating.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:50:35 +0000

North County Times out in Cali are saying it was a shot to the chest, which is, of course, how Dave Duerson committed suicide, so as to preserve his brain for study.

If this is yet another head trauma related death, I don’t see how I can ever watch or get excited by another pro football game in good conscience. This is horrible.