Best wishes TE Kevin Everett (Bills)

[BallHawk]

I'm so glad I didn't see that hit.

The strange thing is that I've seen plenty of guys take the exact same hit, get up, and then keep on playing.

It's just a freak and unfortunate event. When you're playing football you are always inches, centimeters, or even millimeters away from really damaging your body.

[Rastak]

I'm so glad I didn't see that hit.

The strange thing is that I've seen plenty of guys take the exact same hit, get up, and then keep on playing.

It's just a freak and unfortunate event. When you're playing football you are always inches, centimeters, or even millimeters away from really damaging your body.

Which is why T Murphy was smart to quit when he did. It isn't worth the risk.

[the_idle_threat]

This is why I don't begrudge football players for making every last cent they can in the game. They have typically short careers and are at risk for permanent and life threatening injuries in any game.

A lot of times we as fans overlook this and only see players for being greedy, selfish, etc...

I know right now that HOF center Jim Otto is close to death. My dad is good friends with him and he recently needed his leg amputated due to infections from some of the various hardware he has in his body due to football injuries. He almost didn't make it through the procedure and there is still a question as to whether he pulls through.

I certainly wish Everett the best and everything, and I understand the human drama of some guy being hurt while providing our entertainment, but I don't buy the above point at all.

Sure, there is risk of injury in the game of football, but:

1) Playing in the NFL is voluntary. If a guy doesn't want to subject himself to this kind of possible abuse, he can choose another job.

2) The big catastrophic injuries such as this one are few and far between. We're talking about a handful over the course of 20 years.

3) It's not like people don't get hurt on the job doing other far more important jobs that are lower in profile. Police officers, firefighters and soldiers are three glaring examples of jobs where there is risk of serious injury---and a far greater risk of death---and we don't encourage them to "get all the money they can." In fact, as taxpayers, we expect them to collect a fair but manageable wage that compensates them (perhaps not sufficiently) for extra risk, but does not break the bank, so to speak.

Football players get paid millions of dollars to provide entertainment. If a player says he's insulted by an annual salary in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or feels he is underpaid when he's already banked a multi-million dollar signing bonus, I'm sorry, but I'm never going to feel his pain. He's been compensated very well (and perhaps way overcompensated, looking at the grand scheme of things) for the risk of his profession.

[Rastak]

You think a backup tight end has made millions?

[falco]

Imagine this happening to one of the superstars of the NFL. It'd be much similar to the death of Dale Earnhardt.

[falco]

Idle, I think football, like any other job, is a market driven sport and the players earn what they deserve.

However, I'll agree with you to this extent - there are many other dangerous professions, many much more dangerous, that receive much less pay. What the players earn has less to do with the danger they endure, and more to do with their unique skill set.

[the_idle_threat]

You think a backup tight end has made millions?

Rastak, you couldn't have missed the point more entirely even if you were trying.

No---a backup TE has probably not made millions (unless he signs with the Vikings. :P :P )

But I was referring to esoxx's post about players "making every last cent they can in the game". That phrase suggests the players who have bargaining power and hold out for extra millions---not a backup TE who is very replaceable and therefore has zero bargaining power to hold out for every cent he can get.

But just the same, even a backup TE's salary is far more than most people make in a year. Do you think backup tight ends in general are unfairly compensated for the risk of playing football?

[BallHawk]

Imagine this happening to one of the superstars of the NFL. It'd be much similar to the death of Dale Earnhardt.

Quite frankly, in a weeks time it will be dropped from the public eye completely. It's sad, but it's true.

[b bulldog]

Seriously, if you were in this position, would you want to live?? I would want to pass and live my eternal life.

[BallHawk]

Seriously, if you were in this position, would you want to live?? I would want to pass and live my eternal life.

If I had exhausted every mean possible and the doctors told me that I was stuck this way for the rest of my life, then I wouldn't want to live my life out of a wheelchair, having my life being controlled by other people.

If the doctors told me that I could possibly gain some control of my body, you bet I'd work my ass off to get back. But then again, who wouldn't?

[b bulldog]

Good post

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't know. If you got paralyzed, I suspect you'd have a different perspective. I haven't read an update, are there problems outside of the paralysis? There's plenty of things to enjoy in life... even from a wheelchair. Better than being dead.

[the_idle_threat]

I don't know. If you got paralyzed, I suspect you'd have a different perspective. I haven't read an update, are there problems outside of the paralysis? There's plenty of things to enjoy in life... even from a wheelchair. Better than being dead.

Agreed.

[b bulldog]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.

[Rastak]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.

Yea, I can't say for sure how I'd react but I'm pretty sure I'm with you on this one. The first still leaves you some life but the second....I'm not sure I'd find anything to enjoy.