12/21/24
September 02, 2005
"I've talked with a lot of people: and heard a lot of opinions...Cardiologists, neurologists. And not one of them said, 'Tedy, you can't play again.'" Apparently with a clean bill of health, Tedy Bruschi announced his plans to return to playing for the New England Patriots next year.
Yay Cold Beer!!!!
posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 09:51 AM - 23 comments
If I was Teddy, I'd be thinking pretty seriously about Sergei Grinkov, Hank Gathers, Reggie Lewis, Len Bias, and Flo Hyman before I came back. He's already reached the pinnacle of his sport and has the rings to show for it.
posted by rcade at 10:09 AM on September 02, 2005
I think that Tedy (one "d") has clearly done a lot of thinking about the risks. My reasoning? If he were blind to them, he'd be playing now, not talking about playing next year. He seems to be a truly devoted family man -- anyone who watched last year's Super Bowl will probably remember the shots of him after the game, holding up his kid on the field and turning around so that the kid could see the whole celebration. The guy loves football, he loves the Patriots, but I think his number one priority was clear from that shot. From the article, it seems like they went looking for a problem, didn't find a smoking gun, found something that could have caused it...and fixed it. Have they eliminated all possibilities of a recurrence? Heck, no. But I think that comparing Bruschi to athletes like Lewis, who arguably shopped for opinions until he found the one he wanted, or Flo Hyman, who dropped dead with no warning as a result of a condition that neither she nor anyone else knew she had, is way off. I just don't see Bruschi as being under the kind of pressure (external, imagined, self-imposed, whatever) that may have driven Lewis to make a bad decision. He has a lot of fans who would revere him if he never played another down, and an organization that seems entirely supportive of his doing what's best for his health. I have to believe that his wife, his family, Belichick and his teammates would watch him like a hawk and triple-check everything.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:23 AM on September 02, 2005
Is this case the first stroke suffered will playing football? And is stroke a euphemism for concussion?
posted by garfield at 10:34 AM on September 02, 2005
Well, if I were in his family I think I'd rather he retired than risk the reoccurence of anything happening, but as Pacino so wisely stated in Heat: "You can get killed walking your doggy"; so if Tedy thinks he's good to go and he can be insured against future ailments with a 'good-to-go' from the medical establishment, then well, I guess he's good to go.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:48 AM on September 02, 2005
He should be happy that he is healthy and move on. I know what kind of guy he is as well as type of teammate. He plays for a team that does seem to define what a team should be but with all that said, he needs to think of his family and friends outside of football and just say goodbye. If the team management was smart, they'd just tell him to go home and enjoy the rest of his life while he still has it. Not to mention the teams insurance rates are going to skyrocket seeing the type of risk he will bring with him.
posted by melcarek69 at 12:06 PM on September 02, 2005
I met Tedy when he was a freshman @ Arizona. There is no changing his mind. I hope he can avoid further injury, but nothing will stop him from having the long productive career he knows he can have.
posted by markovitch at 12:35 PM on September 02, 2005
Well if he can succeed next season after this, then I am happy for him. I just feel for Tedy's wife, I think she might have some sleepless nights ahead of her.
posted by tina at 02:32 PM on September 02, 2005
There's a lot of time between now and next season to change his mind (come to his senses). It's too bad, though. He's a fun player to watch. I still think replacing him and his emotional leadership on that defense, by example, on the field, will be THE toughest thing the team deals with trying to add another Super Bowl championship.
posted by dyams at 06:06 PM on September 02, 2005
I still think replacing him and his emotional leadership on that defense, by example, on the field, will be THE toughest thing the team deals with trying to add another Super Bowl championship. That, plus the loss of Crennel and Weiss, is going to make for rough sledding indeed. At this point, I'd say nobody has any idea how the Pats will do -- Belichick's mostly had his jock-washers on the field in the preseason, so it's really hard to tell how they'll shake down. I wouldn't be greatly surprised to see them go, say, 1-for4 to start the season. After that...?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:39 PM on September 02, 2005
I think that Tedy has made the best decision for his team, and more impportantly, himself. No "opinion shopping" for him. I feel that if he wants to play, and there's no obvious reason he shouldn't...give 'em hell, Tedy!
posted by supersly26 at 02:44 AM on September 03, 2005
I wouldn't be greatly surprised to see them go, say, 1-for4 to start the season Puff, puff, pass!!! Are you crazy? This is the New England Patriots you are talking about here. They are not going to go 1-4 to start the season.
posted by jojomfd1 at 08:50 AM on September 03, 2005
Puff, puff, pass!!! Are you crazy? This is the New England Patriots you are talking about here. They are not going to go 1-4 to start the season. The Pats won't likely go 1-4 at any point of the season but they played enough close games that they could have easily had been 10-6 last years instead of 14-2. Now they are without their defensive leader this season , so we'll see .
posted by evil empire at 09:54 AM on September 03, 2005
Puff, puff, pass!!! Are you crazy? I'm a Pats fan, so the answer is probably yes. Belichick is a believer in the annual shakedown cruise. The Pats' performance in the preseason demonstrated that. Now that it "counts", well...Belichick is such a strategic thinker that I can see him taking his losses now in order to get the team to where he needs to be to go undefeated the rest of the season.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:09 PM on September 03, 2005
If you are a pats fan the you will remember last preseaseon when they went 1-4, then did just fine the rest of the year I think. Don't go second guessing Belichick. I can see him taking his losses now in order to get the team to where he needs to be to go undefeated the rest of the season. Just where did this team go, that they need to come back from???
posted by jojomfd1 at 02:55 AM on September 04, 2005
Don't go second guessing Belichick. I'm not second-guessing Belichick; that's the point, jojo! Read for content. Sheesh. Just where did this team go, that they need to come back from??? "The team" didn't go anywhere; they're still at the razorblade. Weiss went. Crennel went. Ty Law went, and -- shazam, remember the subject of the thread? - Tedy Bruschi went. Lot of new people moved in, old people moved around, the preseason was a shakedown, and don't get too comfortable on your laurels, jojo, because the first few games are just as likely to be more of the same.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:16 AM on September 04, 2005
Look they have had change there before, granted not this much. I am not about about to second guess possibly the best coach in the NFL. Especially before any regular seaosn gameS (yes grammar and punctuation police that was intentional) have been played. That is all I am saying. Keep dreaming if you still think the pats will go 1-4 to start the season.
posted by jojomfd1 at 12:00 PM on September 04, 2005
I am not about about to second guess possibly the best coach in the NFL...Keep dreaming if you still think the pats will go 1-4 to start the season. Oh, I give up. You're looking for a strawman to pummel, and as such, you're incapable of understanding what anyone is actually saying to you. All you want is an argument.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:51 PM on September 04, 2005
Belichick's mostly had his jock-washers on the field in the preseason I don't know what this means. As for the Pats early going, they definitely have a tough schedule and the terrific Mike Reiss blog says Pats players are willing to acknowledge this. Privately. So 1-4 isn't out of the question, just unlikely.
posted by yerfatma at 04:38 PM on September 04, 2005
I don't know what this means. He's had the newest, most unknown-quantity players, and also the ones that are "new to this organization" like Doug Flutie, out there, obviously so he can see how things are going to work out. He has moved players around a lot in the regular season as required by injury, but in the preseason, it seems to me that he's used the opportunity to experiment wildly without negative consequences. This, I think, is a good thing.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:01 PM on September 04, 2005
I give up. You're looking for a strawman to pummel, and as such, you're incapable of understanding what anyone is actually saying to you. All you want is an argument. Not the case at all, I was just trying to find the logic or evidence you were basing your bold 1-4 prediction on thats all. Belichick's mostly had his jock-washers on the field in the preseason, so it's really hard to tell how they'll shake down. I wouldn't be greatly surprised to see them go, say, 1-for4 to start the season. That statement, IMO, certainly sounded as if you were saying that he should have had his starters in there, not the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th stringers. Which would have been second guessing him.
posted by jojomfd1 at 09:31 PM on September 04, 2005
Well, learn something new every day. Google's only ever seen the term "jock-washers"* 6 times (with this as it's #1 reference already), including one spam site. Having watched portions of all 4 pre-season games, the only thing out of the ordinary with player usage in this pre-season was skipping Brady entirely in game 1 and Deion Branch not playing. I think there was plenty to look at re: this year's team, mainly on ther defensive side. Certainly game 3 v. Green Bay provided a look at the 2005 Patriots. * I read it like "ball washers" and got all confused.
posted by yerfatma at 11:27 AM on September 05, 2005
This, I think, is a good thing This is exactly what the preseason is for!!! As for the Open, meaningless stat in the women's first round with Kuznetsova getting bounced -- a first-ever, but who was really surprised? Not me. Perhaps you should stick to predicting tennis matches.
posted by jojomfd1 at 08:46 PM on September 05, 2005
Why even risk it? Unless Teddy has received bad investment advice he should just hang'em up. I know I know , It's his life, his body ,...but what more could one possible do?!! I know the Pats are all about "We're a Team", but in all honesty I think they brain wash their players!! Just Kidding of course Good Luck, Teddy