11/21/24
June 15, 2007
Lineman, dead at 36, Exposes Brain Injuries: "Strzelczyk is the 4th former N.F.L. player to have been found post-mortem to have a condition similar to that found only in boxers with dementia or people in their 80's."
posted by tommytrump to football at 09:59 AM - 7 comments
The fact that the NFL and the NFLPA have ducked and dodged this issue for as long as they have is patently disgusting. This lays squarely at the feet of Gene Upshaw and Paul Tagliabue, who for years dovetailed each other nicely on the issue of post-career mental disorders linked to concussions sustained through football. I wish I could go back to the days when I liked the NFL as an organization. Unfortunately, I've learned far too much about how they do business over the years, to the point that it creeps in on my enjoyment of the product on the field.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:25 PM on June 15, 2007
Upshaw has been a complete tool for Tagliabue for years now and look what has happened again to a former retired NFL player. We all know who is to blame. Upshaw was talking crap on Mike Ditka last week about the things he was saying about his former league and how he didn't care about his players when he was a coach. I think it would be great to put the two of them in a locked room for a while. My money is on Big Mike.
posted by ucla512 at 04:32 PM on June 15, 2007
wow!!...The Old Man....you played college ball back in the 30's?? That puts you in your mid to late 80's.....I'm impressed.
posted by NoAirplay at 10:21 AM on June 16, 2007
I've said it before here and I'll say it again "Upshaw has been a puppet for the NFL" put in as Playeres rep that has never done anything for the players. In the history of conflict of players vs. NFL Upshaw always finds a hole to crawl into. On a plesant note glad to here from "The old man" and obiously doing well, makes my heart feel good, would love to heare some stories.
posted by rockyxgone at 01:01 PM on June 16, 2007
Older, you hit it on the nail 88 next September and still going strong or so my kids, grandkids and greatgrandkids tell me, most of the time to shut up about them not being able to do my childhood. Fact of the matter is, I don't really think many of the younger generation could have done my childhood. Hell, for that matter my sons childhood either.. Puppet for the NFL. pretty good on that one I will say I didn't think even that is strong enough language to list Upshaw major problem with disappearing anytime anything came up involving players and owners. It seems that he justs sits around and collects his salary and his NFL retirement pension benefits and watches the owners get fatter(wallets that is) and more powerful day by day. I would think that someone in that position would be a very strong and powerful individual and on a daily basis get in the owners faces for the benefit of the players, either retired or active, and his excuse the language bullshit answer about not being in the employment of the former NFL players, how does he think he got there in the first place. As a former player himself and a lineman to boot, he should be the very first leader of the pack and former pack to get enough to cover everyone that deserves it. Yeah, then someone will say, what about the ones that took the payout and lost it all. That's not what everyone is talking about. I know for a fact because I played then and my sons and grandsons later on that football equipment in my time was completely inferior and didn't protect much of anything. But the size of the players wasn't anywhere near what it is today. Bigger, faster, stronger bla bla bla heard it all before. The ones that need it today deserve it no matter what the situation or causes. If one of the few from the 40's and 50's are in need of help then what the hell is stopping them from helping them. The owners are and have been greedy, cheap and in some cases didn't give a damn about the health of their players except while they were playing for them making them millions of dollars in revenue, TV/Radiol rights and advertizing and marketing. My grandkids all in the twenties think I am too hard on the owners and even the union but my feelings for all the former players goes way to deep. Same thing can be said about the government and its veterans. It is just two peas in a pod concept.. Government aka NFL ownership Horse of another color so I will not go there today. The NFL as an organization has done tons of good in the past and the present but something has to give now. I have been bagged on here by some of the readers about my opinions and comments on money being the bottomline. If after reading and looking at all the news stories about what is happening in this incident and the tragic situation with former NFL players you really don't come to the opinion that money isn't the bottom line for not caring or helping then what the hell is................................
posted by The Old Man at 04:25 PM on June 16, 2007
The more I read about ex-NFL players, the more I understand the popular phrase, "I have to feed my family". These players are being neglected to the point of disgust. So to the current players I say, hold out, sit out, refuse trades, refuse to play until you get every dime you can. Then instead of just saying "I have to feed my family", you should also say my family will have to feed me when I don't have the motor function to feed myself.
posted by Bishop at 04:08 AM on June 17, 2007
Speaking from one of the aged group, I think that Strezelczyk's condition at his age speaks to the problems within the system in the NFL. I played football in college in the 30's and believe me it wasn't anything like what the players of today have to play. My heart goes out to the family and to all former players that are having any physical or mental problems. To die at 36 years old is one of the saddest things I can think of. He was just really starting his life. Maybe the powers of the NFL will finally stand up and be counted and do something to help stop the system that allows for this kind of injury to occur.. I am sure I am speaking for a lot of us. I am tired of hearing from the co-called NFL expert doctor that this isn't a injury caused by playing in the NFL.