Chewin the Fat : Is the NFL the new WWE?

Chewin the Fat 

By Bay Ragni

Is the NFL the new WWE?

Is the NFL the new WWE? That is the question I asked myself after the recent suicide of former NFL All-Pro Junior Seau.

Junior a 20 year veteran of the league was a complete NFL Stud, who dominated his position, and always made his defense one to be reckoned with just by his presence on the field. He stopped the run, put fear into quarterbacks every Sunday; he just was a true stand out superstar not only on but off the field as well.

Last week not only was the NFL but his family were devastated by his unexpected suicide with a gunshot to his chest. I immediately thought of former WWE star of the 90’s Kerry Von Erich who took his own life, with a gunshot to the chest.

There has been 12 former NFL players in the last 25 years who have taken their own lives, which the same story is told for them all, depression which was probably brought on by brain damage to all the concussions due to their football careers.

There has been probably close to 17 Pro Wrestlers in probably the last 20 years who have committed suicide, which I’m sure part of the reason was depression brought on by Concussions.

There are other factors here which I think really need to be looked at for not just the world of wrestling, or NFL, but all of Sports Entertainment. Whether it is the NHL or NBA, UFC it doesn’t matter because they are all related.

How you ask? Well I will tell you?

Fame, Stars, Attention, Money

All these guys or girls become stars. The center of attention, the spotlight shining bright on them. They climb the ladder of success rise high above the clouds and become a bright shining star for the world to see, praise, love and want to be.

They also become spoiled, because they are given so much attention from the media, the fans, their friends they don’t realize that this is not forever.

Remember that old saying, what goes up must come down.

When the stars come down, and that light don’t shine as bright anymore is when the depression starts in. Not only does depression start on, usually drug use does as well.

These athletes put their bodies through battlefields of war sometimes daily, not only for themself, but the world to enjoy as well.

Even though a lot of these athletes’s go to college, most of them leave early to pursue sports, and then when their career is over and have to go back to real life is when reality sets in.

The big paychecks, the TV cameras, the attention, it’s all gone. What’s left is, pain, sadness, depression and memories of the good ole days, they wish they had back.

Some it is very hard to let go, and hard to move on with their lives. Families become ruined, lives become ruined, careers become tarnished, and as we saw last week, sometimes players take matters into their own hands.

Suicide is not the only problem, steroids is a huge one as well.

Go back and ask Google this question, how many NFL players have died of a heart attack last 20 years, & Pro Wrestlers died of a heart attack as well.

There is big problems going on in the world of sports, that these guys who sacrifice their bodies and lives to become the best, really need help down the road.

I think, but am not sure that the NFL offers help to former players, which I really think more of a program needs put in place.

I do know the WWE does not, yes they have recently started helping some former stars who have some drug issues try to get help, but again there needs to be a program put in place to help these guys deal with life, before it becomes an early tragic death, that we are all so tired of reading about.

Thanks for reading,

Bay Ragni

Chewin the Fat

TotallyDriven.TV