Sig1Hunter Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 minute ago, Albany,n.y. said: Here's the upside: Every one of them will always have the memory of having tried something that was their dream. The smart ones will always cherish the moments when they can always say they tried to be a professional football player. Some will use that to get a foot in the door at lucrative careers. One of the most successful cuts in an NFL camp is actor Ed O'Neil who went on to star in Married With Children & Modern Family. You mean Al Bundy? Polk High? All -City? Scored 4 touchdowns in one game? 1
unbillievable Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Then there are guys who would rather smoke weed, and others who willingly void their contracts believing they deserve to start; and never play again. 2
Happy Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 13 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said: ...and you will work for 50 years. They may work for 3 You bring up an interesting point...that the average career for an NFL player is something like 3 or 4 years. Most of these guys aren't Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, etc. A lot of guys most fans have never really heard of. This is what is so infuriating about guys like AB, all the talent in the world and he acts like a total nitwit. 2
C.Biscuit97 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Good post but let’s be honest. Most fans don’t care about non star players. They make jokes about them getting cut and having to flip fries now. You spend your whole life chasing a dream and then it’s over at 22. It sucks and you just are done with the best sport ever. When I become a GM, it will be the hardest part of my job. 2
CaptnCoke11 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Sig1Hunter said: Huh? Just because they know that this is part of it doesn’t mean that when the dream is doused it is any less sad. They are humans, giving everything they have for their dreams. I imagine that it really sucks when they get told by the organization that they gave their all for that it just wasn’t enough. All those bonds that they built are immediately snapped. “It’s part of the job”? Geez dude. Have a little humanity. Would you feel bad if i lost my job tomorrow? Highly doubtful. Most will get another opportunity. Some won’t. The smart ones finished college that they got a free ride to which most Americans do not will find work outside of football. Sure it stinks but I won’t be sitting in my house shedding a tear. Edited August 30, 2019 by CaptnCoke11 2
Just Jack Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 5 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said: One of the most successful cuts in an NFL camp is actor Ed O'Neil who went on to star in Married With Children & Modern Family. And Dean Cain, cut by the Bills, I think before the first pre-season game. 9 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said: Oh they can, and I work with one now. They don’t all have MBAs though. 78% of all NFL players are either broke or in financial distress within 2 years of their careers ending. They are all starting over and they aren’t all starting over at the top. Hate to say it but Gronk might have been the smartest. Lives off his endorsement deals and banks his NFL salary for the future. 1
stevestojan Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Sorry, and I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but of all the groups of people in the world that need my sympathy, this group rates right near the bottom. They should mostly all have college degrees. Go get a job. 1 1 1
Happy Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Just now, C.Biscuit97 said: Good post but let’s be honest. Most fans don’t care about non star players. They make jokes about them getting cut and having to flip fries now. You spend your whole life chasing a dream and then it’s over at 22. It sucks and you just are done with the best sport ever. When I become a GM, it will be the hardest part of my job. Don't take this the wrong way, but I bet it won't be hard because you'll be concerned about your job. Not being critical or cold, it's just the nature of the business. It sucks. 1
Albany,n.y. Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 minute ago, Sig1Hunter said: You mean Al Bundy? Polk High? All -City? Scored 4 touchdowns in one game? He was quite the star on his high school team in real life. Here's his wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_O'Neill O'Neill was born into an Irish-American Catholic family in Youngstown, Ohio.[4][5] His mother, Ruth Ann (née Quinlan), was a homemaker and social worker, and his father, Edward Phillip O'Neill, was a steel mill worker and truck driver.[6] O'Neill attended Ursuline High School before transferring to Worthington High School and winning a state championship, earning the name Ed O'Winner and winning a football scholarship to Ohio University, where he majored in history, also joining the Mu chapter of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.[7] O'Neill left Ohio after his sophomore year; he spent more time playing sports and partying than studying[7] and also feuded with his coach. He transferred to Youngstown State University, where he was a defensive lineman. While an undergraduate, O'Neill pledged Delta Sigma Phi and was initiated into the Delta Sigma chapter there. Rumors abound that he was an avid partier.[6] O'Neill was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 but was cut in training camp.[5][6][8] Later, on Married... with Children, O'Neill played a former high-school football star who had failed to make it big and constantly reminisced about his "glory days" at Polk High ("I once scored four touchdowns in a single game"). As part of this theme, former Pittsburgh Steelers great and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw also made two guest appearances on the show. O'Neill was also a substitute social studies teacher at Ursuline High School before becoming an actor.[6] 1
DCbillsfan Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 It's a tough few days for sure but in life you have to have a backup plan regardless of who you are or aren't. 1
Chuck Wagon Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 3 minutes ago, stevestojan said: Sorry, and I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but of all the groups of people in the world that need my sympathy, this group rates right near the bottom. They should mostly all have college degrees. Go get a job. I'm of two opinions on this: These guys put their bodies through A LOT. And it's a harsh realty at a pretty young age to have your dream you've been pursuing for most all of your formative years abruptly end. The reality is there's likely not a huge difference in caliber of player from the 50th to the 60th guy so it would be pretty crushing to be right there. But yes, I see your POV too. Most all these guys received enough college credits to be close to a degree if not finished with one while also getting room and board taken care of, not to mention there's likely an alumni network in place that tends to take care of athletes when it comes time to get jobs in the real world. That being said, a lot of these guys wouldn't sniff a college classroom if it wasn't for football and schools (especially football factory schools) do a pretty iffy job of steering student athletes, especially ones lacking academic skills, towards actual degrees. It doesn't take that much digging to find stories of guys who took 3 years worth of college credits they were steered into by teams only to realize they are still multiple years away from an actual degree. And yes, people need to be responsible for their own decisions, but if no one in your family or social circle has been to college it can be hard to know what you don't know. 2
Rocket94 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Fortunately for some of these guys, they will find another team. Those that do not make the cut should give themselves a lot of credit for even reaching this level. Hopefully this whole experience can help them in future endeavors. 1
Captain Hindsight Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 Its hard to give up on any dream, much less one you've had to work so hard just to get to this point. Its why I loved seeing that comeback last night and how the whole team celebrated it. Preseason doesn't matter, but to those guys that made a few plays to win the game in what could be their final time ever wearing a helmet is an incredible memory for them. 2
row_33 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said: Very sad day for many where they have to move on from a sport they love. For some, it’s the only thing they know. always best to give your all and be told that you have hit the end of the line 1
Sig1Hunter Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 34 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said: Would you feel bad if i lost my job tomorrow? Highly doubtful. Most will get another opportunity. Some won’t. The smart ones finished college that they got a free ride to which most Americans do not will find work outside of football. Sure it stinks but I won’t be sitting in my house shedding a tear. If your situation was in my sphere of consciousness, then yes I would say how much it sucks. These are guys that wear the colors of my favorite team. In that way, they are a small part of my life. Solely because of that, I have a level of care regarding their well being. I’m not saying to shed tears, but I am saying the OP’s article acknowledging that side of it was good and right. 1
Augie Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, RobbRiddick said: At least they'll get a shot at the XFL now ....keeping the dream alive!
C.Biscuit97 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 35 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said: Don't take this the wrong way, but I bet it won't be hard because you'll be concerned about your job. Not being critical or cold, it's just the nature of the business. It sucks. You’re probably right but I would hate telling someone that their dream is older. For the people who get used to saying that, I think it’s a pretty cold way to live and it will come back around.
Royale with Cheese Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 minute ago, row_33 said: always best to give your all and be told that you have hit the end of the line Yep.
C.Biscuit97 Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 39 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said: Would you feel bad if i lost my job tomorrow? Highly doubtful. Most will get another opportunity. Some won’t. The smart ones finished college that they got a free ride to which most Americans do not will find work outside of football. Sure it stinks but I won’t be sitting in my house shedding a tear. If you were a decent person and there wasn’t a valid reason for you to be fired, of course I’d fell bad. Who won’t?
purple haze Posted August 30, 2019 Posted August 30, 2019 1 hour ago, CaptnCoke11 said: A lot of them will end up on practice squads here or elsewhere. This is also the profession they chose knowing this is part of it. I tend to be on the other end of the spectrum. It’s part of the job It does come with the territory. So does illness, so does tragedy; that's part of living through life. Doesn't mean we can't be empathetic. Empathy is free.
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