tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518999264103251377.post5841924899813014972..comments2023-07-02T04:32:09.689-04:00Comments on Oblong Spheroid: "I Wish I Never Played Football"Chris Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996455466572610983noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518999264103251377.post-74238037505733354222009-12-22T09:04:54.036-05:002009-12-22T09:04:54.036-05:00Thanks for contributing. Wish the discussion foru...Thanks for contributing. Wish the discussion forum here had better utility.<br /><br />Thing is, I'm not sure what kind of choices a lot of these guys have/had. The types of people who make it to the top of this sport have typically been indoctrinated from a young age to overcome injuries/pain. At the age of 26 these people are still pretty young and prone to binary thought - I know I was. Right/Wrong. Coach is right, teammates are right, football is right.<br /><br />I don't know that this should be changed, but I do think it is naive to think that these people (or really more than a handful of people anywhere) really have both the wisdom and the education at that age to make life-changing decisions like that. Sure, there is the occasional Robert Smith who is particularly cerebral, but we have to agree that he is truly exceptional.Patrick Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08457532328133529987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518999264103251377.post-6370532449441939102009-12-21T20:35:13.328-05:002009-12-21T20:35:13.328-05:00There's not a person on earth who thinks that ...There's not a person on earth who thinks that playing line in the NFL for two years with a herniated disc, after a lengthy career and with "unbearable pain" wouldn't lead to longer-term pain and perhaps disability.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518999264103251377.post-33597875589279988012009-12-21T20:23:28.782-05:002009-12-21T20:23:28.782-05:00I can buy that, but I also think back in 1980 no o...I can buy that, but I also think back in 1980 no one ever told these guys that 20 or 30 years from now they'd be living in constant pain. It's one thing to do that when you have no idea there won't be long term ramifications...it's another to be fully informed and decide to do it.Chris Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04996455466572610983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518999264103251377.post-4622272380484203822009-12-21T16:17:52.812-05:002009-12-21T16:17:52.812-05:00I truly sympathize, but at some point you gotta sa...I truly sympathize, but at some point you gotta say, 'You made your choices, now you got to live with them. You chose the paycheck over less neck pain.' <br /><br />These guys weren't struggling in the coal mines 16 hours a day to feed their family. Even in 1980 an NFL player was very well-paid compared to average.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com