Let me get this out of the way first...that was a sarcastic statement. Speaking to Dan Patrick the other day, Troy Polamalu said that he has both hidden and lied about injuries in the past. Head injuries, knee injuries, all kinds of things. A lot of people were surprised with these comments, but I don't know why that would be the case. Why this is a shock to anyone is beyond me.
Due to the recent crackdown on head injuries and their prevention in football (and other sports as well), it seems like any athlete that comes out and makes a public statement about having previously covered up their own injuries is a unique case. Now that we know football is a dangerous sport that might possibly cause injuries, we know for sure that all the players will be extra careful and safe when they are on the field, right? The only answer to that is of course not. We know they will all still continue to lie about injuries, and go out on the field as long as they can stand on their feet.
When someone chooses their profession in life, they know what the positives and negatives are of pursuing the career that they have chosen to pursue. A fireman knows that in the line of duty, he or she may be able to save a lot of people from terrible disasters, but that it won't be like that 100% of the time. A school teacher would love to be able to see each and every student they teach get an A+ on every exam, but they know that just won't happen. It's the same way with an athlete. Whether it be a football player, a boxer, a baseball player, or an athlete playing any other kind of sport, we all know that it is not possible for everyone to make millions of dollars and retire in full health. When you choose a profession and set your mind to it, you have to take into account both the good and the bad.
Football is one of the most violent sports in the world. It's a game that literally sanctions crime. When a wide receiver makes a catch and Troy Polamalu comes flying through the air and takes him out, it is considered a great play. If Polamalu did that to someone as they walked out of the grocery store, he would be arrested. Football players know that the game they play isn't always safe, but they choose to play it anyway.
Not long ago, Brian Urlacher made comments similar to the ones that Polamalu made. He said that he too has attempted to hide injuries in the past from his coaches and trainers, all for the sake of getting back out on the field. Since this subject has become such a poignant topic of discussion, I have realized that the mindset of a football player is just something that not everyone can understand or relate to. A football player might be able to go out on the field and sacrifice his body week in and week out, but he might get sea sick on a boat. Likewise, there may be a boat captain that has no fear of piloting a ship out into a potentially deadly storm, but would go nowhere near a football field. How does that saying go? Different strokes for different folks? It's something like that.
Worse than the fact that these current players are admitting to covering up injuries, is the fact that the NFL is facing lawsuits from over 2,000 different former players that are claiming they were kept in the dark about head injuries in the past. More often than not, all you ever hear from former players about the new rules that put more emphasis on player safety is that the rules are making the game worse. They are making the game "softer" and players today would not be able to hang with the players of old. Then why are many of these same players complaining that they were kept in the dark about the possibility of them injuring themselves? It's hypocritical.
Years ago, guys like Sam Huff and Gino Marchetti played the game with nearly no pads on. The "helmets" that they used were pretty much the equivalent of putting a baseball mit on your head and then going out and playing football. Even after that, guys like Dick Butkus and Mel Blount didn't try to make a tackle. They tried to decapitate the players on the opposing teams. If you try to tell me that they believed they would never get injured as they flew all over the field, then I would tell you that you are lying. Broken bones? Nothing. A head injury? You just got your bell rung, now get up and get back in the game. Worry about the consequences later.
Playing football in general requires a certain mindset. Playing the game at the highest level in the world requires a mindset that is even leaps and bounds above that. As I said before, people in any profession know what they could possibly get into when they choose the path that they take. A doctor could take endless satisfaction from performing surgery and seeing a patient make a full recovery. However, I don't want the doctor complaining and attempting to sue the hospital if something he or she does is unsuccessful and causes a major injury or a death.
Doctor, football player, teacher, fireman, all occupations have their ups and downs. Since we will never be able to put ourselves into the shoes and the minds of everyone around us, we just have to deal with the fact that we will not always be able to relate to how others feel about what they do. We need to stop questioning why athletes play the sports they do just because we feel as though doing so is too dangerous. Being a football player requires a mindset that not many people have, and when guys like Brian Urlacher and Troy Polamalu (two of the greatest to ever play the game) tell us about some sacrifices they have made on the road to becoming great, we need to accept the fact that they are putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment. If it weren't for us watching the games and buying their jerseys, they would be out of a job. So, if you really want to stop players from putting themselves on the line, then stop watching the game. Until then though, commend these guys for doing what they do, because there are only a select few that can do it.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Well, last night went great, with a nice victory. Today was going great too, until a 6-0 lead in the 6th inning turned into a 7-6 loss. A 2-2 series split against a first place team is still good, but we are at the point in the season that good is not going to cut it. San Francisco lost, and we could have gained ground, but it didn't happen. Next up is a 10-game homestand when the Astros, Rockies, and Mets come to town. As corny as this may sound, I don't even want to set a goal for what our record needs to be over the next 10 games. Let's just make it 1-0 tomorrow.
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