How much of that difference in life expectancy has to do with things like drugs, reckless driving, and weight struggles AFTER football? It's the lifestyle, not the game.
To some people money is more important then anything else and that is really sad.
One has nothing to do with the other. You cite those statistics as if to suggest that playing professional football shortens life expectancy. The reality is that those NFL statistics are composed of a sampling of very large men, many of whom are morbidly obese (O-lineman, D-lineman). Many have sleep apnea (Reggie White). As they age, their body fat increases, which aggravates hypertension and which causes insulin resistance (leading to diabetes). Many of these deaths are due to complications from diabetes and hypertension i.e cardiac disease, stroke etc.Can't blame him. NFL is a business.
Dude only has a few years left to make money off of football. In addition now with all the concusion talks and shorter life spans players are basically putting a price tag on his health.
Who on this board would take say $20 mill knowing they will only live to be say....65?
---------- Post added at 11:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 AM ----------
Correction average NFL player life expectancy is 55 years.
Average male life expectacy in the United States today is 75 years.
Who here would take $20 million dollars to lose 20 years of life.
Some of you guys act as if Ryan was a consensus can't miss prospect (like Andrew Luck or even RG III). The Phins had the 1st pick in that draft and I don't recall any teams throwing offers at BP to get into position to draft Ryan (like the Redskins did with RG III). That draft was a lot like this one. KC can't trade out of the number 1 spot because there is no consensus number 1 pick . Joeckel (like Jake Long) is considered by many to be the top player in the draft. How was Ryan (coming out of BC after having thrown a lot of int's) a better prospect than Smith or Barkley?Because the decision in 2008 was Ryan or Long, Not Long or Tom and not Long or Rogers. I will not get over it because it was one of the biggest decisions that set back our franchise.
I am happy we have Tanny now, but the truth is the truth. Matt Ryan was the right pick and Long wasnt. End of conversation.
Chubbs
One has nothing to do with the other. You cite those statistics as if to suggest that playing professional football shortens life expectancy. The reality is that those NFL statistics are composed of a sampling of very large men, many of whom are morbidly obese (O-lineman, D-lineman). Many have sleep apnea (Reggie White). As they age, their body fat increases, which aggravates hypertension and which causes insulin resistance (leading to diabetes). Many of these deaths are due to complications from diabetes and hypertension i.e cardiac disease, stroke etc.
Take a good look at Vince Wilfork or even a young player like Chance Warmack. They are muscular, but also very fat.
Your argument proves my point. NFL players are pre despositioned to all of these complications because of the line of work.
Sorry to say but you are not playing in the NFL at certain positions unless you are a certain height and a certain weight. Most of which is UN-NATURAL to the human body. These men spend countless hours in the weight room pounding down every "natural" subtance known to man to get bigger, faster, and stronger. Some players are even fined if they do not meet certain weight requirements both over and under. That takes a massive toll on not only your cardiovascular system but your joins and muscles. And we wonder why so many former pro athletes live off of buckets of pain killers and become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Don't get me wrong, this is the life they choose and yes there is plenty of pro athletes and NFL players that live a normal confortable life after retirement to a ripe old age. But STATISTICALLY they don't.
We could go further into the research and see the number of retired NFL players now have complications with joints, and concussions, and dementia etc.
NFL is a business plain and simple. So when a player doesn't take a hometown discount, its understandable.
Personally, I wouldn't take $20 mill and sacrafice 20 years of my life, and I'm only 26.
Putting it into prespective.
NFL contracts are no longer viewed as "OK, here is $6 mill a year to catch a football and run really fast".
Now it's "OK, here is $6 mill a year to catch a football and run really fast. And possibly lose years off your life, and develop brain problems which could lead to suicide and dementia by the time your 40, and joint issues forcing you to take 20+ pain killers a day just to walk around the block...etc etc"
Well hey, now that you put it that way I want $10 mill instead of $6 mill.