Rob12
New member
Let's start this off by saying that I was wrong.
I work in a very stressful environment. Every single day, I put my life on the line. I don't get paid much, but I am able to feed my family. Each day, when I kiss my wife and three boys goodbye for the day, I am not 100 percent certain that I will see them again. That's a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but I have made the choice to stick with my current profession, and that's that.
When I started this career, I hired on with a former NFL player. We had to go through some training together, and what I noticed about this individual was that for as big and strong as he appeared to be, he was the one person in our class that just couldn't handle pain. A small tweak of his wrist resulted in a contorted face, and the pain that he was feeling was obvious. Later on, I watched this individual walk up some steps. He stopped halfway up, unable to proceed further.
He was 43 years old. His NFL pension wasn't set to kick in for another two years, and he was just trying to get by. He had played 11 years for the Washington Redskins, and won a couple of Super Bowls. But at a seemingly young age, his body was absolutely, 100 percent shot. It was sad to see. Here he stood at six feet five and 300 plus pounds, and he just wasn't physically there.
I equated Kam Chancellor's holdout to my own predicament. As I said, I put my life on the line every day. And I thought, mistakenly, that that somehow gave me a license to be pissed off at our strong safety. After all, we both had a tough job, but he was paid a whole hell of a lot more than I am. That continues to be true today. The thing is, compared to Kam Chancellor I am relatively safe, and can reasonably expect to not get ****** up day in and day out.
But then, after today, I had to ask myself why the actions of a 27 year old young man affected me so much. The answers that I got didn't sit well with me. First and foremost, I love the Seattle Seahawks... And a big part of me was pissed off at a man that was, right or wrong, somehow hurting the team that I love.
I've called Kam Chancellor out. I've called him out on here, and on social media. I've made judgments on this man, and I don't know why. I think back to the years that I worked with the former NFL player, and I remember how battered and bruised he was. Honestly, I don't know how he made it through. Then I remember reading an article that out of 91 dead NFL players, 87 of them had signs of CTE. Not only were their bodies battered and bruised, but their brains were as well. Then I remembered that this individual that I worked with had trouble remembering simple instructions, and it gives me pause. This isn't as clear cut as I wish it was.
Football players make millions - this is true. Kam Chancellor forfeited more money in one day than I will earn in four years. That's a fact. But perhaps it will somehow prolong his cognitive life. We think these guys are merely living out their dreams, and most of them are. But it can't be easy. It can't be easy to know that you work in a profession that might literally make you mentally ill. It might shorten your life so much that when you're 50, you will forget where you are going when you back out of your driveway. You might be driving down the road, and you may forget how in the hell you're going to get home, because you forgot where you live. This is the reality of former players like Tony Dorsett, after all. It's pretty messed up when you really stop and think about it. These guys are spending such a small window of their lives doing something that we demand they love, but the repercussions of their careers are something that most of us can't even imagine.
And really, what the hell is money, anyway? The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. I've been at the Clink with nearly 70,000 rabid 12's, and the money we pour into these Sunday afternoons is insane. But at the end of the day, there's 53 dudes that make it so. And then we get pissed at the ones who give pause to their chosen profession and want to make as much money as they can. It's a risk/reward thing, and the risk is paramount. Am I really going to get pissed at arguably our best and most important player on defense because a guy like Cary Williams makes more coin than him?
What's the going rate for a clear mind? What's the growing rate for seeing your grandchildren grow, and being able to actually know what is going on? I don't know the answer to that question, because I've never been there. I can reasonably expect that when I'm 50, I'm going to be alright.
So, the point of this whole post is to apologize to Kam Chancellor. I think my love for the Hawks has tarnished my basic tolerance for another human being to do what is best for him. Because at the end of the day, PC/JS are going to do what's best for the Seattle Seahawks. When Kam is 30 and loses a step or two, they're going to take a hard look at things like cap hits and whether or not Kam is an asset to this organization. Hell, I change my mind plenty of times during the week, and apparently Kam has changed his mind on his current contract. And who am I to judge that?
I'm sorry, Kam. The fact that you held out for 52 days and are the only current player in the league to have a hold out of this magnitude under the current CBA probably says something that we need to listen to. No longer will I believe your holdout was an attempt to hurt my team, the players you battle with, or the fans. Your holdout was about you, and most likely you weighing the risk versus reward in this game. The former NFL player I worked with whose body was completely done with at a mere 43 years old is a pretty fresh reminder that this game is an unforgiving, cold piece, and you have to get yours while you can, because this team, as well as the fans, will spit you out as soon as you cease to be a productive piece of what happens on the field. That's a sad reality.
I apologize for questioning your intelligence. You were just looking out for you. I believe you when you said that watching this team drop two games hurt you. And I believe you when you say that you're simply ready to play football and help this team be what it can be. But believe me when I say that I don't fault your holdout, nor do I fault your desire to put more guaranteed money in your pocket.
Welcome back 31, and I am truly sorry. I know you don't need nor want my apology, because I turned on you. But I messed up.
Welcome back, 31.
I work in a very stressful environment. Every single day, I put my life on the line. I don't get paid much, but I am able to feed my family. Each day, when I kiss my wife and three boys goodbye for the day, I am not 100 percent certain that I will see them again. That's a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but I have made the choice to stick with my current profession, and that's that.
When I started this career, I hired on with a former NFL player. We had to go through some training together, and what I noticed about this individual was that for as big and strong as he appeared to be, he was the one person in our class that just couldn't handle pain. A small tweak of his wrist resulted in a contorted face, and the pain that he was feeling was obvious. Later on, I watched this individual walk up some steps. He stopped halfway up, unable to proceed further.
He was 43 years old. His NFL pension wasn't set to kick in for another two years, and he was just trying to get by. He had played 11 years for the Washington Redskins, and won a couple of Super Bowls. But at a seemingly young age, his body was absolutely, 100 percent shot. It was sad to see. Here he stood at six feet five and 300 plus pounds, and he just wasn't physically there.
I equated Kam Chancellor's holdout to my own predicament. As I said, I put my life on the line every day. And I thought, mistakenly, that that somehow gave me a license to be pissed off at our strong safety. After all, we both had a tough job, but he was paid a whole hell of a lot more than I am. That continues to be true today. The thing is, compared to Kam Chancellor I am relatively safe, and can reasonably expect to not get ****** up day in and day out.
But then, after today, I had to ask myself why the actions of a 27 year old young man affected me so much. The answers that I got didn't sit well with me. First and foremost, I love the Seattle Seahawks... And a big part of me was pissed off at a man that was, right or wrong, somehow hurting the team that I love.
I've called Kam Chancellor out. I've called him out on here, and on social media. I've made judgments on this man, and I don't know why. I think back to the years that I worked with the former NFL player, and I remember how battered and bruised he was. Honestly, I don't know how he made it through. Then I remember reading an article that out of 91 dead NFL players, 87 of them had signs of CTE. Not only were their bodies battered and bruised, but their brains were as well. Then I remembered that this individual that I worked with had trouble remembering simple instructions, and it gives me pause. This isn't as clear cut as I wish it was.
Football players make millions - this is true. Kam Chancellor forfeited more money in one day than I will earn in four years. That's a fact. But perhaps it will somehow prolong his cognitive life. We think these guys are merely living out their dreams, and most of them are. But it can't be easy. It can't be easy to know that you work in a profession that might literally make you mentally ill. It might shorten your life so much that when you're 50, you will forget where you are going when you back out of your driveway. You might be driving down the road, and you may forget how in the hell you're going to get home, because you forgot where you live. This is the reality of former players like Tony Dorsett, after all. It's pretty messed up when you really stop and think about it. These guys are spending such a small window of their lives doing something that we demand they love, but the repercussions of their careers are something that most of us can't even imagine.
And really, what the hell is money, anyway? The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. I've been at the Clink with nearly 70,000 rabid 12's, and the money we pour into these Sunday afternoons is insane. But at the end of the day, there's 53 dudes that make it so. And then we get pissed at the ones who give pause to their chosen profession and want to make as much money as they can. It's a risk/reward thing, and the risk is paramount. Am I really going to get pissed at arguably our best and most important player on defense because a guy like Cary Williams makes more coin than him?
What's the going rate for a clear mind? What's the growing rate for seeing your grandchildren grow, and being able to actually know what is going on? I don't know the answer to that question, because I've never been there. I can reasonably expect that when I'm 50, I'm going to be alright.
So, the point of this whole post is to apologize to Kam Chancellor. I think my love for the Hawks has tarnished my basic tolerance for another human being to do what is best for him. Because at the end of the day, PC/JS are going to do what's best for the Seattle Seahawks. When Kam is 30 and loses a step or two, they're going to take a hard look at things like cap hits and whether or not Kam is an asset to this organization. Hell, I change my mind plenty of times during the week, and apparently Kam has changed his mind on his current contract. And who am I to judge that?
I'm sorry, Kam. The fact that you held out for 52 days and are the only current player in the league to have a hold out of this magnitude under the current CBA probably says something that we need to listen to. No longer will I believe your holdout was an attempt to hurt my team, the players you battle with, or the fans. Your holdout was about you, and most likely you weighing the risk versus reward in this game. The former NFL player I worked with whose body was completely done with at a mere 43 years old is a pretty fresh reminder that this game is an unforgiving, cold piece, and you have to get yours while you can, because this team, as well as the fans, will spit you out as soon as you cease to be a productive piece of what happens on the field. That's a sad reality.
I apologize for questioning your intelligence. You were just looking out for you. I believe you when you said that watching this team drop two games hurt you. And I believe you when you say that you're simply ready to play football and help this team be what it can be. But believe me when I say that I don't fault your holdout, nor do I fault your desire to put more guaranteed money in your pocket.
Welcome back 31, and I am truly sorry. I know you don't need nor want my apology, because I turned on you. But I messed up.
Welcome back, 31.
