YoloinOhio Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Chilling read. Surprised Talley's story wasn't mentioned. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/hotread150225/depression-suicide-raise-issue-mental-health-former-nfl-players
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 the bigger (you think) you are the harder the fall. I wish I had millions to spend and invest unwisely. unless they have massive body injuries or brain damage of some sort I can't feel for them.
Chuck Wagon Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 the bigger (you think) you are the harder the fall. I wish I had millions to spend and invest unwisely. unless they have massive body injuries or brain damage of some sort I can't feel for them. The biggest misconception is these guys all made tens of millions of dollars. There's a lot of guys who got worthless college degrees to stay eligible and basically wrecked their bodies for over a decade to gross a couple of million, half of which was taken out through taxes and most had several friends and family members with their hands out all of the time. And those are the success stories. It's tough not to feel for the guys who played in the 70s-80s, when football was actually football and not glorified two hand touch, no one was making ridiculous money and the league has ignored them when it comes to medical needs.
YoloinOhio Posted February 26, 2015 Author Posted February 26, 2015 the bigger (you think) you are the harder the fall. I wish I had millions to spend and invest unwisely. unless they have massive body injuries or brain damage of some sort I can't feel for them. it's not the money, to me. It's the quality of life, or lack thereof, with mental issues.
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 There are a number of factors involved. I would have sympathy if there was some sort of "injury". All I am saying is (even when the average salary was under a million), they still made a lot more money than the average joeblow and should have invested wisely. Don't we all (kind of) laugh at lottery winners who go broke in a year or 2?
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 I'll give a thought to those poor ex NFL players the day there isn't a needy vet in this country.
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 I'll give a thought to those poor ex NFL players the day there isn't a needy vet in this country.
truth on hold Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Can we get a similar analysis going for depression in fans of a team that has the longest playoff drought? And some compensation from the NFL for our pain and suffering ?
KD in CA Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Aside from the money or brain damage issues, a lot of it is simply dealing with the fact that you are washed up in your chosen profession before your life is half over. There are a lot of financially secure guys in their 60s and 70s who deal with post-retirement depression because they feel useless. Imagine dealing with that when you're 30. And then imagine your job included huge fame and public adulation and in the blink of an eye you become irrelevant. And then you have to go out and look for some crappy job because your education was ignored in pursuit of football. One of the all-time best football movies was Everybody's All American, which dealt with this exact issue.
Beef Jerky Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Millions have depression... Not just football players. So who has a better chance at fighting it? Someone who made millions or those who make $40k? Answer: Unless the Gov't came out with a drug that cures depression and it cost Millions then the amount of money doesn't matter. Depression can only be overcome by the person who is strong enough mentally and soulfully.
K D Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 I'll give a thought to those poor ex NFL players the day there isn't a needy vet in this country. Totally agree. For every ex NFL millionaire there are hundreds of vets dealing with disabilities, PTSD, depression, unemployment, etc. Life is tough for everyone
atlbillsfan1975 Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) The biggest misconception is these guys all made tens of millions of dollars. There's a lot of guys who got worthless college degrees to stay eligible and basically wrecked their bodies for over a decade to gross a couple of million, half of which was taken out through taxes and most had several friends and family members with their hands out all of the time. And those are the success stories. It's tough not to feel for the guys who played in the 70s-80s, when football was actually football and not glorified two hand touch, no one was making ridiculous money and the league has ignored them when it comes to medical needs. Could not agree more. The guys from the 50's-mid 90's paved the way for the big deals and everything else players enjoy. They get a pittance compared to what guys from the 2000's get in benefits. The NFL should be ashamed for how they treat the pioneers of the league. Edited February 28, 2015 by atlbillsfan1975
Hapless Bills Fan Posted March 1, 2015 Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) the bigger (you think) you are the harder the fall. I wish I had millions to spend and invest unwisely. unless they have massive body injuries or brain damage of some sort I can't feel for them. Not all the players who suffer from depression invested unwisely or had millions to spend. If you look at the article, it discusses several guys who saved money or qualified themselves for life after football with Masters degrees and businesses, had loving families, and still suffered mental issues. And of course, having neurological damage or mental issues tends to lead to stupid decisions. It sounds as though you are one of those fairly common people who don't believe mental illness is a real illness - the patients should just "snap out of it" and spend or invest wisely right? That's wrong, but it's OK, it's a wrong belief held by a lot of people. Millions have depression... Not just football players. So who has a better chance at fighting it? Someone who made millions or those who make $40k? Answer: Unless the Gov't came out with a drug that cures depression and it cost Millions then the amount of money doesn't matter. Depression can only be overcome by the person who is strong enough mentally and soulfully. I would say depression can be overcome by receiving appropriate treatment. Unfortunately, most health insurance is very limited in the amount and the quality of what they will cover for mental illness - so yes, having enough money to pay for the best treatment and over-and-above what health insurance will pay does make a difference. So yeah, the football player who made a million or more during the average 3-4 yr career has a better chance of treatment than the vet under a bridge. You are right that the person has to be willing to acknowledge a problem and seek help, which requires mental strength Edited March 1, 2015 by Hopeful
Nanker Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 Can we get a similar analysis going for depression in fans of a team that has the longest playoff drought? And some compensation from the NFL for our pain and suffering ? Only in cases where they exhibit extreme psychosis. sign me up Well, you both might qualify. IK
Saxum Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 Can we get a similar analysis going for depression in fans of a team that has the longest playoff drought? And some compensation from the NFL for our pain and suffering ? And for articles and posts by people feeling need to remind people of something they already know? Pretty sure analysis would point to those people being happier criticizing than being happier cheering.
Solomon Grundy Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 I'll give a thought to those poor ex NFL players the day there isn't a needy vet in this country. Put that on Congress!! Better yet, put that on the arses who don't vote/vote these arses in office.
Recommended Posts