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I blogged about this when it first came out, and the Times article mentions Johnson's allegations against Belichick. There is no curse word that articulates the contempt I have for coaches like Belichick who would endanger a player's life in order to win a game. Forget the fact that Belichick is a jerk and conducts himself in an unprofessional manner. If indeed Belichick made Johnson play knowing he was not healthy as a result of multiple concussions, Belichick would then have violated the the new rules for the NFL conduct policy, resulting in a hefty fine, a huge suspension, and utter disgrace. The pathetic part about this is several Patriots fans dismissed Johnson's allegations as sour grapes. Such fans define the phrase "Kool Aid drinkers," and are in need of a 2x4 across the face.
The evidence regarding concussions and post-career depression is pretty damning. Even more disgusting is the NFL's pathetic attempts to save face, especially the team physicians that could really be the culprits here. One of the guys quoted in the Times article is a Dr. Henry Feuer if IU Medical Center. Feuer also is a medical consultant for the Colts. Rather than discuss the merits of the report (which there are many), this hack simply dismisses it as "virtually worthless."
Note to the Colts: Fire this Dr. Feuer schmuck.
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Sorry, but I wouldn't trust this guy to wash my car, let alone diagnose anyone.
The real bad guys here are the NFL who failed to objectively evaluate this very troubling problem with their players. Many believe Steelers HoFer Mike Webster suffered from mental illness which might have stemmed from the brain damage he suffered while playing in the 1970s. Webster died of a heart attack five years ago at the age of 50. And when I read stories like Ted Johnson's, it makes me feel nothing but utter contempt for punks like Belichick. Make no mistake, if I found out Dungy or any other coach sent a player out on the field knowing he wasn't fit to play because of previous concussions, I would stop rooting for the Colts.
I love my team, but I'm no blind, Kool Aid drinking homer. No sport is worth winning THAT badly, and if any coach (like Belichick) thinks that way, he does not belong coaching anything, including Pop Warner. Would you trust your kids to get coached by someone that would compromise their longterm health in order to win? Thought so. The health of the players is paramount over winning and losing. Don't share that? Then get out. Such a mentality is no different than raising pit bulls in your back yard and have them kill one another.
As a fan, I want answers for this, and I want the NFL to do a truly thorough re-evaluation of the policies regarding concussions and their correlation with clinical depression. I want the NFL to fine and suspend coaches and team doctors who put men at risk in order to win games. I want change. The NFL has some serious soul searching to do regarding this, and I think I speak for most fans when I say we want our players healthy and happy post-retirement, and anything that prevents that should be dealt with swiftly and thoroughly.