Kunenkulumo yakudala emayelana nabadlali be-NFL: Uma usayina inkontileka yebhola lezinyawo, usayina ilungelo lakho lokuba neminyaka ephakathi.
Abadlali abaningi be-NFL babonakala bekhukhuleka ngobusuku obubodwa besuka ekubeni yizinsizwa eziqinile ezineminyaka engu-20 no-30 baye babonakale bemangele futhi sebekhulile uma sebefike eminyakeni engu-40.
Lokhu akuphathelene nokubukeka okukha phezulu, amaqupha e-arthritic noma ukuhamba okushintshile okuza nobudala. Kumayelana nemiphumela yesikhathi eside yokulimala kobuchopho kanye nokungqubuzana. Njengoba uWilliam C. Rhoden abhala kuyi- New York Times, “Ibutho labadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi seliphenduke indawo exakile ye-National Football League futhi ikakhulukazi ku-N.F.L. I-Players Association, egcina unyawo olulodwa phakathi nolunye unyawo empilweni yabadlali asebathatha umhlalaphansi.”
Imiphumela yezempilo yezemidlalo enomthelela omkhulu akuyona nje inkinga yabadala. Izibalo ezikhulayo zabadlali banamuhla zibalwa nemiphumela yesikhathi esifushane neyesikhathi eside yokungqubuzana nokuhlukumezeka kwe-cranial. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi kunocwaningo olwengeziwe kanye nokuqwashisa mayelana nokulimala kwekhanda. Kodwa umdlalo uyashintsha: Abadlali namuhla bakhudlwana, banamandla futhi bayashesha kunaseminyakeni eyishumi edlule. Ngo-1989, abadlali abangaphansi kweshumi babenesisindo esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu angu-300. Manje sekungaphezu kuka-450. Ukuphepha kweWashington Redskins uSean Taylor unesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-235 futhi ugijima amayadi angamashumi amane ngaphansi kwemizuzwana engu-4.5. Umsebenzi wakhe njengokuphepha ukwenza okungaphezu kokuvikela iqolo lakhe elivikelayo: Kuwukuthola abantu abanebhola kanye nenhlanganisela yakhe esabekayo yejubane namandla, basuse izinzwa zabo emzimbeni wabo. Ngakho-ke indaba yokuhlukumezeka okungase kube khona akusikhona nje kubadlali abashiya kudala.
Lokhu kwafika ekhaya lapho ukuphepha kwe-Philadelphia Eagles osethathe umhlalaphansi u-Andre Waters ezibulala ngo-2006 eneminyaka engu-44. Umbiko we-coroner wembula ukuthi i-Waters yayinezicubu zobuchopho zomuntu oneminyaka engu-85 ubudala ekuqaleni kwe-Alzheimer's Disease. Indaba eyesabekayo kaWaters ingenye yeziningi. Futhi inhlekelele yabalimele abahambayo iboniswe ngokugcwele kuleli sonto emahholo eCongress, lapho kwakuxoxwa khona mayelana nesimo sezilwane ze-NFL.
U-Rep. Linda Snchez (D-CA), usihlalo we-House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, ubeke ithoni kusenesikhathi, eqaphela ukuthi i-NFL “iyimboni yezigidigidi zamadola kodwa nokho abadlali abakhele iligi bavame kakhulu. bashiywe ukuze bazinakekele.”
Okubalulekile ekulalelweni kwalowo owayengumqeqeshi weChicago Bears uMike Ditka, owathi, “Ngicabanga nje ukuthi ukubuyela emuva ngiyolanda laba bantu futhi ngibanakekele akuyona inkinga enkulu kangako. Ilungile uma iqhathaniswa nephutha, isikhathi.'
Kodwa akulula kangako. Iqembu lodokotela bezilwane be-NFL libambe lesi simo emasontweni asanda kwedlula ukuze liqale kabusha inkulumo-mpikiswano ngokuthi imukweleta ini laba badlali kulokho iNFL Players Association—inyunyana—engakwenzi kulabo asebethathe umhlalaphansi abalimele. Beholwa ngu-Hall of Famers u-Ditka no-Joe DeLamielleure, ukuphusha kwabo bekuwukuthi kukhishwe uMongameli we-NFLPA uGene Upshaw. Inhlangano okumele ngabe ilwela amalungelo abadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi isiqala ukubukeka njengesinyathelo sokudicilela phansi isithunzi senyunyana, abanikazi baso behlehla nyovane bevumela ukuthi kuqhubeke ukubulawa kwabantu.
Ake siqale ngoDitka. Kunzima ukumthatha ngokungathi sína njengommeli wamalungelo abasebenzi, uma ukhumbula ukuthi weqa umugqa wokuqola esitelekeni sango-1987. Kuwo wonke umsebenzi ka-Iron Mike othi "indoda yabantu", unemininingwane yezabasebenzi kaSam Walton.
"Kuyisinyathelo esidala sokuhlukanisa nokunqoba, futhi, uma sikhuluma nje, u-Ditka nabangane bakhe bangamadoda ezinkampani angakaze asekele inyunyana futhi babenotwayi ngesikhathi sishaya," owayeyinhloko ye-NFL West Coast-kanye nowayengumdlali- uDave Meggyesy wangitshela. .
Owayekade evikela amaBears uDave Duerson, owadlala ngaphansi kukaDitka amasizini ayisikhombisa, wahluleka nokuvala uhleko lapho ezwa ukuthi uDitka usewakhathalele kakhulu amalungelo abadlali.
"UMike wayengeyena owabagxekayo abadlali noma ukulimala kwabo ngesikhathi esaqeqesha," kusho uDuerson engxoxweni abe nayo neChicago Tribune. “Ubengabahloniphi abafana abalimala futhi manje usezama ukulwela abafana abambalwa. Iqiniso lodaba ukuthi usekude futhi usephuzile emdlalweni.”
Kungakho kunzima ukuthulisa uDitka uma, edlalela amakhamera, eveza udaba lwabadlali abalinyazwe yilo mdlalo. Komunye umshicileli ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka waxoxa indaba engabekezeleleki kaMike Webster, isikhungo seHall of Fame sabakwaPittsburgh Steelers owahlushwa ukugula ngengqondo okubangelwa kakhulu ukulimala ekhanda. UWebster washona engenakhaya ngo-2002.
"Ngeke ngikutshele namuhla ukube uMike Webster ngabe uyaphila namuhla," kusho uDitka. “Angazi. Kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi wayengeke abe ngumuntu wasemgwaqeni. Ngiyazi ukuthi umndeni wakhe bekungeke kudingeke ukuthi umangalele ukuze uthole imihlomulo yakhe. Akulungile. Akunjalo nje.”
Kodwa uDuerson, naphezu kokugxeka kwakhe njalo uDitka, ukholelwa ukuthi kuningi okufanele kwenziwe kubadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi, futhi kuzofanele bahlele ukuze bakuthole.
“Ngitshela abadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi ukuthi, ‘Ngenani emhlanganweni wabo ninamandla angama-200, nizothola noma yini eniyifunayo,’” kusho uDuerson. “Yileyo ndlela kuphela laba badlali bamanje abazokwazi ngayo ukuthi, ‘Lobo ubuzalwane bethu futhi sizoba lapho maduze.’
Irekhodi lenyunyana kubadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi ngaphansi kwe-Upshaw lingcono kakhulu kunokuba umuntu angacabanga ngokusekelwe embozweni. Njengoba uMongameli we-NFLPA uTroy Vincent wangibonisa, isivumelwano sokugcina sokuxoxisana sabona izimpesheni zabadlali abathatha umhlalaphansi ngaphambi kuka-1982 zenyuka ngamaphesenti angama-25. Ngemva kuka-1982, bakhuphuka ngamaphesenti ayishumi.
I-DeLamielleure ithi akukho okushintshile “eminyakeni engamashumi amabili,” kodwa kubantu abakhutshazwe umdlalo ubone izinzuzo zonyaka zikhuphuka zisuka ku-$48,000 zaya ku-$224,000. Ngokulimala okungelona ibhola, amanani asuke ku-$9000 ngonyaka ngo-1982 aya ku-$134,000 ngo-2000.
U-Upshaw "wenze umsebenzi oncomekayo," umdlali we-NFL uMike Minter wathi ku-ESPN "Unabafana abaningi asebekhulile abahlukumezekile futhi kubonakala sengathi asibanakekeli. Kodwa lapho esaqala khona, ngenkathi indoda ithatha umsebenzi, lapho sikhona namuhla, akukholakali. Ukuze noma ngubani othi lo mfana akenzi umsebenzi omuhle, akazi. ”
Ngamanye amazwi, imizamo yenyunyana inamandla kune-Ditka ne-DeLamielleure angathanda ukuthi sikholwe. Iphakamisa umbuzo obuzwe uMeggyesy, mayelana nokuthi ubani ozuzayo ngokuhlasela inyunyana. Ukuma okumelene nenyunyana bekuvezwe ngokugcwele kwaDeLamielleure kuleli sonto eledlule. U-Upshaw utshele abezindaba ukuthi ufuna “ukugoba intamo yakhe,” into ewubulima nengenapolitiki.
Kodwa impendulo kaDeLamielleure idlulisa okukhulu kakhulu. “Ekuqaleni, bengicasuke…kodwa bese kuvela iqiniso,” kusho. “Umkami wayekhathazekile. Sakhulela eDetroit. Uyazi ukuthi ziyini izinyunyana. Uzwa ngakho. Uthi, ‘Heyi, lo mfana uyinhloko yenyunyana, inyunyana enamandla, uma enza usongo olunjalo, kungcono ukuthathe ngokungathi sína.’ “
Yebo, uTank Johnson kanye noSage Rosenfels bazovela ngaphandle kwendlu kaDeLamielleure ukuze bathole inyunyana enhle yaseDetroit yakudala. “Usongo” luka-Upshaw lwamenza wabukeka eyisiwula. Impendulo kaDeLamielleure–kanye nokusebenzisana no-Iron Mike, kumenza abukeke njengomuntu ongamane ehlise inyunyana kunokulwela amalungelo abadlali asebethathe umhlalaphansi.
Esikhundleni sokuthi abadlali bamanje nabangaphambili balwe ngenxa yemali engenayo elinganiselwe, mhlawumbe abanikazi kufanele bangene. NgoFebhuwari, ngaphambi kokuthi anake ngokuphelele u-Upshaw, u-Ditka waxoxa indaba ngokuzama ukuqongelela imali ye-Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, inhlangano esiza abantulayo. abadlali. Njengoba i-AP ibike, "wathumela izincwadi kubanikazi be-NFL abangu-32 ecela umnikelo ofanayo esikhathini esithile esidlule, wathi uthole isheke elilodwa lika-$ 5,000 nelinye i-$ 10,000. Uthe uwathumele emuva lawo masheke.” Kepha lokhu bekungeyona inhloso yempi entsha kaDitka. Kunzima ukubona ukuthi inyunyana ehlukene izosiza kanjani ukufeza izinhloso zanoma yibaphi abadlali, abadlule noma abamanje.
[U-Dave Zirin ungumbhali wencwadi entsha ethi “Siyakwamukela ku-Terrordome:” enesethulo sika-Chuck D (Haymarket). Ungathola ikholomu yakhe i-Edge of Sports, masonto onke ngokuya ku- http://zirin.com/edgeofsports/?p=subscribe&id=1. Xhumana naye ku [i-imeyili ivikelwe]]
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