August 25, 2019

"He is only 29 years old, but football has wrecked his body and stolen his joy. Over the past four years, his injuries have been brutal and relentless..."

"... shoulder sprain, torn cartilage in the ribs, partially torn abdomen, lacerated kidney, concussion, torn labrum in his right shoulder and now the calf and ankle problem that hasn’t healed.... 'For the last four years or so, I’ve been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab — injury, pain rehab — and it’s been unceasing, unrelenting, both in-season and offseason,' Luck said Saturday night. 'And I felt stuck in it, and the only way I see out is to no longer play football. It’s taken my joy of this game away.' The delightful thing about Luck always had been his love for the sport. He graduated from Stanford with a degree in architectural design, and he could have been a great engineer (maybe he still will be). He didn’t play football out of necessity or simply because he was so good at it. He didn’t use the game as a way out of a tough life. He loved it, really loved it. He geeked out on football..."

From "For Andrew Luck, football had wrecked his body and stolen his joy" by Jerry Brewer (in WaPo).

148 comments:

Danno said...

Good for him in getting out before he is permanently crippled.

Expat(ish) said...

If only there were thousands of news stories about that problem.

Or a book:

Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062108034/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Q0QyDbC78SDE8

To be honest, I worry a lot more about our guys in the military carrying too much weight and getting home to terrible healthcare.

-XC

Bay Area Guy said...

Great player, great guy. Nagging injuries, though. I don't think his right shoulder ever healed.

I wish Luck good luck. I think he'll do fine, and he will be missed.

gspencer said...

Very, very, very, very, very few are like or as lucky as Brady.

Fernandinande said...

football has wrecked his body and stolen his joy

Oh, the poor poor, passive little dear. I guess he should have paid attention to the Seven Warning Signs of Football before it was too late.

and the only way I see out is to no longer play football.

Somebody that smart should be out curing cancer or fixing the internets.

David Begley said...

Good for him.

The college game is superior.

stevew said...

He played longer than the average career of most NFL players.

He'll be missed, was a fine player (when healthy). Wishing all the best for whatever he chooses to do next.

Michael The Magnificent said...

He didn’t play football out of necessity or simply because he was so good at it. He didn’t use the game as a way out of a tough life. He loved it, really loved it. He geeked out on football..."

Plus, the chicks dig it.

gilbar said...

It's TOO BAD that he hadn't done something SAFE with his body; like enlisting in the Army
You NEVER hear about 29 year old multimillionaire army vets retiring early because of:
this cycle of injury, pain, rehab — injury, pain rehab — and it’s been unceasing

I mean You Never HEAR about it

Skeptical Voter said...

Well he's smart enough to know when it is time to go. And with his signing bonus and pay he doesn't need to worry about money for the rest of his life.

Narr said...

"Pain is Nature's way of whispering STOP, YOU MORON!!"

As a libertarian I have no problem with a competent adult using up his, her, or its physical capital and labor value in exchange for big $$$. But this is a fire is hot story IMO.

Narr
Stanford no less

ndspinelli said...

He's a good guy. I'm happy he made this call. He almost certainly hasn't spent his millions like Adrian Peterson, who HAS to keep playing.

dreams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robt C said...

The owner of the Colts is letting Luck keep about $24 million that he contractually owed them by leaving before the end of his contract. Class act. The owner also said that Luck is walking (while he still can, I should add) away from over $400 million in future earnings. Wow.

John henry said...

He graduated from Stanford with a degree in architectural design, and he could have been a great engineer

That sentence makes about as much sense as saying he could have been a great tuba player.

(maybe he still could be.)

John Henry

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

What a load of bullshit. What did he think he was doing? Was “his joy” stolen by some nefarious third party, that is, neither his own agency and decisions nor the league that offered him millions? Watch him milk this like the bitter, avaricious, mother of a March of Dimes poster child.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Well, I do feel sorry for the young man who wrecked his body doing something very physical and dangerous. He made some bad decisions for the JOY of playing football.

I also feel sorry for the guys who have ruined their bodies by doing a life time of manual labor or dangerous jobs in order to feed themselves and their families: hod carrier, carpenters, plumbers, ditch digging, concrete workers, farming, MILITARY. Women who have also done the same: waitress, house cleaning, hotel maids.

Injuries that were most likely never treated because they couldn't afford the medical insurance and couldn't afford to NOT work.

All these people's bodies ruined and not for any really joyful reason like playing a game. Who is weeping for them at the WaPoo??

Life is hard. Why is this even a story?

RK said...

He finally discovered the truth that masculinity isn't so joyful afterall.

Dan in Philly said...

Chronic pain sucks the joy out of everything.

Psota said...

I can tell you the exact moment I stopped watching football. It was a Steelers-Ravens game towards the end of the season. It was shocking how hard the players were hitting each other. and not just hitting, really revving up to deliver very hard blows. Willis McGahee was taken out of the game on a stretcher. I don't think he played for the Ravens ever again after that.

maybe improved sound and high-def makes these games more realistic than we ever realized, but it does seem like this is a very violent sport that has become more dangerous over time.

Amir Hamja said...

I hope you post more about it your blog is awesome Nice post

Leland said...

He didn’t play football out of necessity or simply because he was so good at it.

Yeah… his father was a pro football player, who will now become the commissioner of the XFL.

He didn’t use the game as a way out of a tough life.

uh huh

madAsHell said...

I thought the real story was the Colts fans booing him when he left the field.

bagoh20 said...

"For the last four years or so, I’ve been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab — injury, pain rehab — and it’s been unceasing, unrelenting, "

Sounds like my love life.

Michael K said...

It was shocking how hard the players were hitting each other.

I think this is the source of the CTE problems. The players in the NFL are huge. They have 300 pounders running 5 second 100s. Joe Montana had a long career and seems to be in good shape. That was 20 years ago.

Another example of you get what you pay for. There should be a weight limit for football but there won't be.

Maillard Reactionary said...

American style football involves, among other things, an arms race between on the one hand improved protective equipment (helmets, etc) and on the other hand ever-larger and faster, stronger players. All too often the human body loses. We are past the point of diminishing returns for equipment improvements (physics is physics, what are they going to do, wrap the players in 18 inches of bubble wrap?).

My suggestion would be to eliminate all protective equipment except maybe the old fashioned leather helmets and mouth protectors, but otherwise keep the rules the same. The increased risk of damage to the hitter as well as the hittee would probably reduce the level of violence and serious injury almost immediately.

Look at rugby. Just about anything goes in that game but eyeball-gouging and crotch-kicking, and those guys rarely suffer anything worse than a lost tooth, a black eye, or a cut on the face.

And rugby is tons of fun to watch, even though they don't allow the forward pass.

Jeff Brokaw said...

He was pretty easy to root for even if you were not a Colts fan, and he definitely had one of the rougher injury records of any player in the last 10-20 years.

Also — the NFL would be better off with more guys like him and fewer Kaepernicks. The league takes a small hit here and for the Colts the timing of it *really* sucks.

ALP said...

He would have a lot in common with your average bull rider. Bull riding, extreme marathons, Iditarod... our species does love to push the envelope of what our meat covered bones will withstand. Not to mention mountain climbing.

Wince said...

He Lucked-out?

rehajm said...

I look at Brady and wonder how much he’s benefitted from the greatest coaching a team that knows how to invest in personnel, invests in linemen, trains them to stop defenses. Did Luck have that benefit? It’s the other side of the ball I know, but there are reasons the Patriots, a team with the goat at QB, run the ball all day against the Colts. Do the Colts care about an offensive line?

Narayanan said...

Blogger Robt C said...

The owner of the Colts is letting Luck keep about $24 million that he contractually owed them by leaving before the end of his contract. Class act.

And

Blogger Leland said...

Yeah… his father was a pro football player, who will now become the commissioner of the XFL.
_________
Discuss. Emoluments.

rehajm said...

Kapernuck ran around like a crazy man, vulnerable to hits in the open field. He’s jobless because racism, you know.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Damn fire ants.

Sorry, you may how return to your regularly scheduled Althouse.

Michael K said...

My suggestion would be to eliminate all protective equipment except maybe the old fashioned leather helmets

This suggestion has been made semi-seriously a number of times.

I know of several ex-NFL players who are doctors, having gone through medical school during (Bill McCall) or after NFL careers. The second player is a well known SC alum whose name escapes me now. Those were from the pre-CTE era. Both were linemen.

Jim at said...

One could see this coming by the way he played in college. Tough guy. Physical quarterback. Not long for the NFL unless he changed.

Michael K said...

a team that knows how to invest in personnel, invests in linemen, trains them to stop defenses. Did Luck have that benefit?

Carson Palmer was going to retire after all the beating he took at Cincinnati. The owner refused to trade him. Palmer said "I've got $25 million in the bank, I quit." He traded him and he played a few more seasons.

Jim at said...

Watch him milk this like the bitter, avaricious, mother of a March of Dimes poster child.

Nope. Not his style.

traditionalguy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
traditionalguy said...

And QB is the protected man. You cannot hardly touch him unless he runs and does not slide.

Greg Hlatky said...

The WaPo doesn't care about Andrew Luck, they care about destroying football.

Todd Roberson said...

As an Indy native and Colts fan I wish he had come to this conclusion before the draft.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

He chose poorly.

Maybe he can still do some architecting, if his brain hasn't been too badly damaged.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

@ Phidippus Regarding Rugby

You like rugby??....you should watch Irish Hurling. And this is an amateur sport. These guys are not professionals.

"In accordance with the structure of the GAA, Hurling is an amateur sport played at county and club level. The main competition in Hurling is the Inter-County Championships. Teams from each of the 32 counties of Ireland, as well as teams from London and New York, battle it out for a place in the All Ireland Finals, held at Croke Park each September. This final is one of the biggest sporting events in the country, as 80,000 people pack out Ireland's largest stadium, to cheer on their home county and hopefully watch their team lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

The men of Ireland were hurling when the gods of Greece were young."
PJ Devlin (c.1924)


You think Americans take their Football seriously? Try being in Ireland during the Hurling match play offs!! The country goes nuts! The pubs are craaaaazy with everyone watching, yelling for their favorites and of course, fighting about the game too.

It is exhilarating and I don't even LIKE sports very much.

Tank said...

My impression from afar is that Luck was a very good QB who played on not so hot teams with not so hot offensive lines (or worse) and he took a beating. He could have ducked and covered more, but he loved to play and try to win for his team so he stood in too long and took too many hits.

I wish him well.

john said...

Luck never seemed to get out of the pocket, play action was not his cup of tea. He made himself into a sitting/standing duck for those linemen and linebackers.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Football is boring now. I've all but abandoned the sport myself.

Yancey Ward said...

I think, in the end analysis, this is probably the smart move on Luck's part- playing while injured is a sure way to get injured even more, possibly to the point of being a vegetable at some point. He no doubt has plenty of money even if he is giving up, possibly, a hundred million or more in future earnings (no sure thing, either, given his history of injury).

However, this doesn't really warrant a national story- many players every year make this same decision with no fanfare at all.

Robt C said...

@Narayanan

Not sure what you're getting at. Luck Senior is going to be commissioner of the XFL, a start-up league that is not affiliated with the NFL. Can't see why the Colts would give away $24 mil because of that. Nothing being greased here.

Jim at said...

However, this doesn't really warrant a national story- many players every year make this same decision with no fanfare at all.

Yeah, but not all those players were the #1 overall draft pick who replaced Peyton Manning.

rcocean said...

He got injured making $Millions playing Pro football for 6-7 years. Well too bad, but some people get injured at work or in war and get nothing more than some disability money. He's 29 and can do something else for the rest of his life.

Personally, the NFL started to bore me years ago, and I'm more into College Football.

rightguy said...

Three things they could do right now that would make the game safer:

1) Soften the helmets- as long as the defender has an advantage by leading with his head (covered by a hard shell) he's going to do it, taking 15 yards while the other team's star is either dazed or in the hospital.
2) Drastically reduce stoppage of play (fewer penalties, shorter play clock, etc.). One problem you have is that the huge guys are resting up during stoppage and are better able to go full speed. Make it advantageous to have more lean, well-conditioned linemen. (I know- the advertisers would never go for this.)
3) Encourage shoulder tackling. Make it always legal to shoulder tackle between knees and shoulders, including QB sacks.

rcocean said...

"Look at rugby. Just about anything goes in that game but eyeball-gouging and crotch-kicking, and those guys rarely suffer anything worse than a lost tooth, a black eye, or a cut on the face."

IRC, you can only tackle the man with the ball in Rugby, and the point is the get the ball carrier to release the ball, not slam him into the turf. QB's are injured because they have to stand there and try to complete the pass while 300 Behemoths are coming from all angles trying to to wipe them out. WR's get injured because they get "Creamed" when they catch the ball in traffic. Nothing like that happens in Rugby.

Narayanan said...

Why don't they use Myers Briggs for team player drafts?

minnesota farm guy said...

..... and made him a millionaire. I think they left that off the headline.

William said...

As I recall, Achilles faced the same hard choices. What a shame immortality isn't one of life's options. Well, he had his moment of glory and has a good chance of living out a long life. He choose the best items on the buffet table, but it all ends in salmonella.

Narayanan said...

Emoluments is good.
Honest and capitalism.

XFL is anticipated to become farm feed players for NFL.

I hope it destroys hypocrisy of Amateur in NCAA.

readering said...

He married the gymnastics team captain he went to Stanford with. Hope they raise a large family of smart, athletic kids.

Leland said...

Not sure what you're getting at.

Me neither. My point is only that Andrew played football because his dad played football. All the other stuff the original author wrote was space filler.

James K said...

Not to seem harsh, but lots of athletes have their careers cut short by injuries. It comes with the territory. It's news, just as it was when Gale Sayers, Mark Fidrych, Prince Fielder, and dozens of others have had to retire young. But it's not some kind of earth-changing event.

Skeptical Voter said...

It's a know when to hold them, know when to fold them sort of thing. San Diego Chargers Quarterback Dan Fouts was known for standing in the pocket and taking some ferocious hits--usually just after he had released the ball. He did so without flinching--and mostly without injury.

Air Coryell meant that the QB threw to a predetermined spot at an exact moment--and the receiver better doggone well be there. Fouts wasn't afraid of taking a licking--but the receivers were afraid to come back to the huddle and face Fouts if they missed that moment.

Players ability to withstand or avoid injuries varies greatly. Quarterbacks are sort of a protected class and some of them have long careers--Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers each played a long time and Rivers and Brady are still going.

mockturtle said...

This is one of the reasons I quit watching: Too many injuries. The players' bodies today are too big, too hard and too fast to collide without adverse consequences. I was relieved when my fav Seahawk, Kam Chancellor, elected to retire rather than risk permanent disability from the neck injury he received a few years ago. That and the political grandstanding that infested the sport made me, a football fan since I was 11, an ex-football fan.

NKP said...

How about NO substitution of players once a drive begins. No one-trick specialists or fresh bodies. 300+ lb players would become dinosaurs, instantly. If a player has to come out for some reason - can't re-enter game for X minutes. Players association would go nuts.

mockturtle said...

DBQ: I don't know about your area but the plumbers I know are not hurting financially.

Fen said...

Was he one of the primadonnas who kneeled to disrespect us and our national anthem?

Or was he one of the prima donnas who stood by and did nothing, enabling his teammates to disrespect us and our national anthem?

I think the NFL should be postponed pending a congressional investigation into the medical risk. Put Mueller in charge of it.

Fuck the NFL.

Fen said...

"However, this doesn't really warrant a national story- "

Madison Ave owns the NFL. And the Washington Post.

Everything is about advertising revenue these days.

Ane remember to buy the thing thru the Althouse Amazon Portal.

dwick said...

"Joe Montana had a long career and seems to be in good shape."

er...
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14722799/joe-montana-former-san-francisco-49ers-qb-details-physical-woes-post-nfl-life

More than 20 years since retiring from the NFL, Joe Montana says the wear and tear of the sport continues to take a toll on his now-59-year-old body.

In an interview with USA Today Sports, the four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback detailed the ailments he continues to deal with after leaving football following the 1994 season.

-- Arthritis. Montana told USA Today Sports of the inflammation in his hands: "In the middle of the night they hurt like crazy." He also has arthritis in one elbow and both his knees.

-- A balky knee. Montana can't straighten his knee despite, according to USA Today Sports, having a half-dozen surgeries on it. He said he can't run much anymore and has been told he'll "need a knee replacement when I can't walk."

-- A bad neck. Montana said he has already had three neck fusions and a fourth very well could be on the way. "The path of a nerve they think is being affected," he told USA Today Sports.

-- A troublesome eye: Nerve damage has left Montana with what he labeled a "lazy eye to some degree because every time you're tired, it kind of goes wherever it feels like a little bit." He added to USA Today Sports: "Not dramatic but just enough where you can't read or you have to refocus."

Narr said...

My son played rugby in high school (not long or well, but I was glad to see him try something--in fact I had challenged him after hearing him talk about how much fun his friends were having) and one of the mother-calming talking points was that supervised rugby players recorded fewer serious injuries than football and basketball players.

I didn't need convincing, myself. I played un-supervised football, not badly actually as it was the only sport I would play willingly and it showed; I broke my nose in the 9th grade with the help of Bobby's knucklehead and someone's little brother on my free arm . . .

Narr
"rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen; soccer is a gentleman's game played by hooligans" . . . what does that make football?

Tomcc said...

Compare with, for example, Coby Fleener (one of Luck's favorite receivers at Stanford).

readering said...

Surprised AA didn't point out that the best QB from the '12 draft turned out to be Wisconsin's Russell Wilson.

readering said...

But she's probably fixated on goat from Michigan.

Michael K said...

soccer is a gentleman's game played by hooligans"

I have seen far worse injuries from soccer than from football. Football starts to get dangerous in college as linemen get over 300 pounds and linebackers over 250. My grandson who is 14 and about 6-4 (140 pounds soaking wet) is playing quarterback on his high school freshman team.

I have seen a couple of compartment syndromes in soccer injuries and I wince as I see my granddaughters kicking others, or being kicked in the tibia. It's possible to lose a leg to a calf compartment syndrome if not promptly recognized.

Michael K said...

Lots of people with Montana's injuries. I took a fall in college gymnastics (not competition) and ended up with a 10 level spine fusion at age 55.

jeremyabrams said...

Good for him, but his announcement could have been less self-pitying, especially as it's offered from a multimillionaire to the working class people who made him rich. "I've been unlucky in my injuries and can no longer give the 100% that the fans deserve..."

molly said...

I have most of Joe's ailments but not from football. Maybe being 68 contributes.

rightguy said...

A few years ago Andrew Luck took the Colts to the AFC title game with a handful of good players, none of which were offensive linemen. He extended a lot of plays waiting for receivers to get open and took way too many hits. Needless to say, it has caught up with him.

Mark said...

Do the Colts care about an offensive line?

I don't know about the Colts, but the Redskins certainly do not. They've had 20 years of QBs being crunched and smashed into the ground because they spend all their draft picks and money on high-profile players and think they can get an offensive line at a garage sale.

The Redskins have drafted some good players at QB, great prospects, and ruined them all by not giving them any protection. And last year, their starter and back-up both got probably career-ending broken legs. All because the owner and management don't care about the OL.

Aside from protection, the thing is this -- you build championships with the big fat guys up front.

Earnest Prole said...

I am utterly in love with football, boxing, and mixed marshal arts. I also know they are barbaric blood sports that like dogfighting and cockfighting will ultimately be banned. Contradictions are what make us human.

rightguy said...

Andrew's dad, Oliver, is an interesting guy who was successful in multiple endeavors following his his 5 year NFL career. Check out Wikipedia for all that. The main reason he didn't start for the Houston Oilers is that he backed up Warren Moon. OL did fill in for Moon in 1985 and won two games in a row. When asked post game how all the excitement and hoopla over the wins affected him, he replied " fame is ephemeral...". That's the only time I've heard a footballer use the word ephemeral. I don't think Andrew Luck will have any trouble at all transitioning to civilian life.

Kevin said...

I know of several ex-NFL players who are doctors, having gone through medical school during (Bill McCall) or after NFL careers. The second player is a well known SC alum whose name escapes me now. Those were from the pre-CTE era. Both were linemen.

John Frank played Tight End for the San Francisco 49ers for five seasons out of Ohio State. At the end of five years he had two Super Bowl rings, having just caught the winning touchdown pass from Joe Montana to win Super Bowl 23.

Instead of signing a second contract, he quit the game to follow his dream of becoming a surgeon. You don't see too many go into the NFL with a plan like that.

Frank, who is Jewish, co-founded the Israeli bobsled team when he was 40, just missing the cut for the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Kevin said...

Surprised AA didn't point out that the best QB from the '12 draft turned out to be Wisconsin's Russell Wilson.

Talk about someone who could use an Offensive Line...

Ken B said...

Ban the sport.
At least it will make kaepernik go away.

rcocean said...

People get injured in sports that are considered "safe". Dr. K has mentioned soccer. HS Girls get Concussions and knee injuries. I only let my daughter play on the promise she wouldn't do any "headers" - another one is skiing. Knee injuries galore - especially with middle aged women.

Volleyball and swimming seem super-safe.

rcocean said...

We don't have to ban Football. Just ban the NFL.

rcocean said...

People forget that the NFL grew out of College Football. People loved College Football in the 20s/30s/40s etc. The NFL didn't become great until TV coverage went coast to caost in the late 50s.

Amadeus 48 said...

The great Jim Brown got out at the top of his game.

He has his flaws, but he is an independent thinker.

Ken B said...

After the kneeling shit I want the NFL to go bankrupt. And I am not even American.
The NFL should be shut down until we have a multi year investigation of the injuries. Six years at least.

Doug said...

Surprised AA didn't point out that the best QB from the '12 draft turned out to be Wisconsin's Russell Wilson
North Carolina State, with a cane appearance at Wisconsin

Doug said...

*cameo*

Ken B said...

Doug
That’s a wonderfully ironic autocorrect.

Maillard Reactionary said...

Michael K @12:12 PM: It's good to know that I'm not the only one who had that idea. It seems pretty obvious, but I get a lot of puzzled looks from people when I mention it.

mockturtle said...

The great Jim Brown got out at the top of his game.

He has his flaws, but he is an independent thinker.


I had such a crush on him in my early teens and had photos of him on my bedroom wall.

Maillard Reactionary said...

DBQ re Hurling: I've never been to Ireland (despite being of exclusively Irish descent) but now I think I have a reason to go. Or another reason, because I'm very fond of the music and the Irish way with language.

I wonder if it's on some cable channel. I keep looking for rugby and sumo, but the pickings are slim indeed.

I looked forward to going to Japan on business in August (even though it is insanely hot and humid then) because the sumo finals would be on TV. Getting back to the hotel usually in mid-afternoon, I'd hang up my dripping-wet suit, turn on the AC, and watch the playoffs with a beer, sitting there in my skivvies.

mockturtle said...

Without the NFL, college players could play for the fun of the sport while realizing that football would never be their career.

Unknown said...

Architects are not engineers

Bay Area Guy said...

I love college football.

I love High School football (have a kid who plays)

NFL? Yeah, I love it, but it's a struggle. Hate the kneeling, hate the politics, hate the spoiled prima donnas, respect the sport, though.

It is a damn violent sport.

Paul Ciotti said...

Theodore Roosevelt threatened to ban football by executive order in 1905 due to the brutality of the game. The schools promised to do better and he let them off the hook.

stephen cooper said...

Engineers aren't really engineers , either, unless they are really good at it.

Fen said...

They've had 20 years of QBs being crunched and smashed into the ground because they spend all their draft picks and money on high-profile players and think they can get an offensive line at a garage sale.

They also recruit scrambling QBs like RG3. Very unwise - having a QB who can double as a running back adds potency to your offense, but at a high price. Just a matter of time before his knees get taken out. And when he gets off injured reserve you're left wit a QB who can't even scramble out of the pocket.

But I don't care anyone. Like others upthread, the NFL is dead to me.

rehajm said...

One of the old major networks used to show some hurling. It was on one of those sports shows that would show before live sports at 4pm on Saturday. Kilkenny vs Cork in the finals. Kind of a sick sport with the clubs and all...

David Duffy said...

I blew my left knee out playing football. I was tackled in a practice before the last game of the season. After being tackled, someone in the rush of things stomped on my knee as I was laying sideways. The family doctor who saw me on a scheduled appointment after the emergency room visit made a house call (the only one I've ever received), because, as he said, he was thinking about me. This was the winter of 1977.

As a youth, before sex and marriage and military service, there was no greater rush than running a football and watching the linemen block, and getting hit by guys who have 50 lbs on you. One time I got drilled so bad I think he made a five foot crater in the field with my body. My head was ringing and my body hurt. But, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting the best of me. I jumped up and walked to the sidelines. My teammates said I was staggering to the sideline. O' to be young again.

Sprezzatura said...

Today is a day for fussing far and wide fer blogging.

This is the big take re the MSM today, for Althouse.

Soooooo interesting! And a time to remember the NFL blacks that hate real America, according to many cons.

To not see what is in front of one's nose is cake.

Is it just me, or is this blog dying? Maybe just on vacation, for August.

I dunno.

AllenS said...

There are just too many thugs in football. It's a rough sport no doubt, but the thugs are the ones causing career ending injuries.

Michael K said...

Is it just me, or is this blog dying?

Just you,. Go away.

Jupiter said...

I can remember when the MSM wanted to end professional football because "black bodies". But then Kaepernick pulled his stunt, and suddenly professional football is PC.

Sprezzatura said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyy3mYsnP3M

Ralph L said...

Someone already brought up my ideas of speeding up the game and reducing subs to reduce player weights. There's also shortening the roster to do it indirectly, though that could also lead to a war of attrition.

Perhaps I didn't notice before, but it seems like they try to injury opposing players more than they used to.

Ralph L said...

If Kaeperquack actually cared about poor people, he'd complain about 90% of the games not being on free TV.

mockturtle said...

Architects are not engineers

An architect is a combination of artist and engineer.

Ralph L said...

Coincidentally, 60 Minutes just had a segment about Tim Green, a former defensive player, getting ALS.

David Duffy said...

We all pay our dues in the choices we make.

Sprezzatura said...

Doc Mike,

I'll do ya a fave.

Remember this song, and run when you hear it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BzY19BpFlc

Rory said...

"hurling."

Ireland is split between two different countries, and hurling, Irish football, soccer, and rugby. If they ever got together and focused on one sport, they'd be world champions every year.

Known Unknown said...

There's a lot of bitter fucks in this thread.

The Colts did him no favors with a useless offensive line. Similar story in Houston right now. The Texans are aiming to have DeShaun Watson retire in about 2-3 years.

Bob Smith said...

24 million? I think he’ll survive. On the other hand HS football players are paralyzed or die every year. But those are “local stories”

Bob Smith said...

https://usatodayhss.com/2018/why-high-school-players-lead-the-way-in-football-fatalities

Fen said...

Known: "There's a lot of bitter fucks in this thread."

No. Just you mortified that there are consequences for actions.

Josephbleau said...

Ireland is split between two different countries, and hurling, Irish football, soccer, and rugby. If they ever got together and focused on one sport, they'd be world champions every year.

Similar to the reason that God created alcohol.

Wvu said...

I previously played on a men’s soccer team in Morgantown, W.V. One Mother’s Day our team was set to scrimmage the U-18 club team and we were a man down. While warming up a big guy walked onto the field in mid-calf boots and a big beach hat, cleats in hand. I remember telling my buddy that we may be better off playing a man down as he approached. The big guy was Andrew Luck. His brother played on the u-18 team and his dad was A.D. for WVU. More down to earth than you would ever expect. He even asked a teammate who was applying sun screen if he would spray some on his bald spot. Didnt’t hurt that he was the best player on the field through sheer athleticism even though he hadn’t played soccer but a handful of times before. Well deserved retirement and a good decision.

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maillard Reactionary said...

stephen cooper @5:55 PM:

Very true. Real engineers are rare, and I believe they are born that way, although they need to go to school to get some tools for the toolbox.

But take a difficult problem, and a real engineer (or a team of same), with their various toolboxes, and you will see solutions happen that the average man could never achieve or imagine.

I still love engineering, even though I am retired.

You're not of the tribe by any chance, are you?

Fen said...

"Just a matter of time before his knees get taken out. And when he gets off injured reserve you're left wit a QB who can't even scramble out of the pocket"

And if Kaperfuck really cared about blacks, he could start by cleaning up his own room. Does he not understand the Redskin Football Organization was trading away RG3's future to get a few seasons of 100 yard rushing games out of him? Do Black Lives Matter in the NFL? Ah but Kapernick is too busy promoting himself elsewhere with his fake virtue signalling

Known Unknown said...

"No. Just you mortified that there are consequences for actions."

Ha. Not mortified. That's funny. I didn't realize you self-identified as a bitter fuck.

Michael K said...

You're not of the tribe by any chance, are you?

I was long ago. I still have my collection of engineer jokes.

Maillard Reactionary said...

Michael K: I know. You are fortunate in being a member of (at least) two tribes.

Fen said...

Unknown Bitter Fuck: Ha. Not mortified.

Sure you are. But keep insisting, like Booker, that you really really really aren't.

It bothers you greatly that you may have to pay for running your mouth.

So you try to marginalize anyone who complains about politicizing football as "bitter fucks".

Relax, there's already a bucket of hot tar and a feather topping waiting for you.

Known Unknown said...

"Sure you are. But keep insisting, like Booker, that you really really really aren't.

It bothers you greatly that you may have to pay for running your mouth.

So you try to marginalize anyone who complains about politicizing football as "bitter fucks".

Relax, there's already a bucket of hot tar and a feather topping waiting for you."

You're new. Comparing me to Cory Booker is really hilarious. Go back and look at my comments over the, jeez, 10+ years I've been commenting here? (I wasn't always Known Unknown -- that's a joke on all the "Unknown" commenters that show up here around election time.)

On this thread, I am only referring to Andrew Luck's retirement and nothing else.

Big Mike said...

I agree with Mark regarding the current Redskins O-line. The genius of Joe Gibbs consisted of (1) having the greatest offensive line of its day, arguably one of the best of all time, and (2) replacing a running back with a second tight end (called the H-back) in most formations. Plus Riggins. At least one Super Bowl MVP quarterback owned up to being basically a journeyman quarterback blessed with and extra half second to find an open receiver.

Michael K said...

You are fortunate in being a member of (at least) two tribes.

When I was still examining military recruits, some were engineers. We would trade engineer jokes,

Paul said...

"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging".. I hope he stops digging.

Francisco D said...

The big guy was Andrew Luck.

Great story. Thanks.

Jeff said...

I like Dr K's idea of weight limits. But I would modify it a bit. Make it a limit on the total weight of the team. That would lead to all kinds of interesting strategies. And it would help to limit the appeal of steroids in football.

Anonymous said...

Poor little fella....

Fen said...

Unknown: You're new. Go back and look at my comments over the, jeez, 10+ years I've been commenting here? (I wasn't always Known Unknown -- that's a joke on all the "Unknown" commenters that show up here around election time.)

Bullshit. I've been here since 2006. If you had been here 10 years you would know me.

On this thread, I am only referring to Andrew Luck's retirement and nothing else.

Bullshit again. You said "lots of bitter fucks on this thread".

At least have the integrity to stand by what you said, asshole.

Oh my bad, I forgot - you are threatened by the idea that your words and actions might have consequences. That's why you lashed out to begin with.

Fen said...

Unknown: "On this thread, I am only referring to Andrew Luck's retirement and nothing else."

Bullshit again. You said "lots of bitter fucks on this thread".

In fact, instead of being such a fucking coward, how about being more specific? You said "lots of bitter fucks on this thread" re Andrew Luck's retirement... but a quick scan doesn't show lots of bitter remarks about Luck. People are pissed off at the NFL. So what are you talking about?

Are you just making all that up because you're too chickenshit to apologize for taking a chickenshit cheap shot at people? Explain yourself.

Fen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fen said...

Unknown: Comparing me to Cory Booker is really hilarious

No.

Booker doth protest too much that he really isn't gay

Likewise, You keep insisting you aren't bothered... by the concept of consequences for actions.

For example: (ACTION) if the NFL tells it's fan base to go fuck themselves and their national anthem, (CONSEQUENCE) those fans are going to be less sympathetic to NFL players in distress. In fact, since the NFL is out of their reach, they may punish the NFL in other ways, like venting disrespect for it's players on a blog.

There's also a veil that's been lifted to due Kappernick's follies. Fan's feel betrayed and are thus are less likely to put players on a pedestal. And they are more likely to be unsympathetic, noting that blue collar fans endure similar pain and suffering in THEIR jobs without any monetary compensation, much less a puff piece from the Washington Post about their "dreams being dashed".

But you want to piss all over them by calling them "bitter fucks"...

Now, are you going to stand behind your words and point out who specifically your cowardly cheap shot was aimed at? Or do I have to spoonfeed everyone's quote to a vindictive little fuck? ...Or, would you like to retract your chickenshit remark and apologize?

Because I'm holding off on this morning's coffee so I can show you what a "bitter fuck" really is. :)

CWJ said...

About the $24mil of remaining salary that Luck gets to keep. I'd be less than happy if I was a Colts fan/ticket holder more interested in the team going forward than rewarding its past. And how does that generosity affect the Colts' salary cap?

Peter said...

There can be a positive correlation between modern protective gear and the severity of injuries. The hard plastic that replaced soft leather in helmets and padding can be both a shield and a sword. Hits to the head were rare in hockey, but became more of a problem when the players started wearing helmets. Rugby is a brutal game played with almost no protective clothing, but I'm sure they have common general understandings of what kinds of hits and tackles are out of bounds.

Known Unknown said...

"But you want to piss all over them by calling them "bitter fucks"..."

I am only referring to the people slamming Luck for retiring, you know the topic of this thread.

You've only been here since January. You've got to pace yourself or you're going to burn out. Save your vitriol for the commenters you really disagree with, because it's not me.

dbp said...

I immediately thought of this https://youtu.be/HFIQIpC5_wY?t=84 when I read the line, "He is only 29 years old..."

RobinGoodfellow said...

My suggestion would be to eliminate all protective equipment except maybe the old fashioned leather helmets and mouth protectors, but otherwise keep the rules the same.

I have been saying this for years. Rugby probably has more frequent acute injuries, but much less frequent chronic injuries. Just as boxing gloves led to more brain trauma in boxers, I think football helmets have had the same effect.

RobinGoodfellow said...

Nothing like that happens in Rugby.

I played rugby in college. Yeah, nobody gets hurt in rugby.



Rugby has many acute injuries. I saw broken bones (legs, eye orbits), sprains, lacerations. But ai think chronic injuries were less.

RobinGoodfellow said...

Blogger mockturtle said...
DBQ: I don't know about your area but the plumbers I know are not hurting financially.


His is probably true ... but can they afford to retire at 29?

Curious George said...

Can we wait to ban the NFL until after the Bears win this years Super Bowl?

Joe said...

Andrew Luck sounds rather pragmatic. The editorializing about this is nauseating.

sy1492 said...

Let me see... he switched to veganism 5 years ago and his injuries begun 4 years ago? Adding 1 + 1 together... veganism and football do not mix.

Largo said...

Known Unknown:

//I didn't realize you self-identified as a bitter fuck//

But he didn't.

CloudsDeal said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.