Why Boxers Must Retire and Pride in the Philadelphia EAGLES!

Why Boxers Must Retire and Pride in the Philadelphia EAGLES! Okay, so the second part is obvious. It is indeed a wonderful time to be in Philadelphia. I have watched my entire family over the past decades REALLY WANT a winning team and now they and all of us have it. I love the positive energy and the excitement and the pride in this wonderful team of guys who have worked so well together to achieve what no one thought possible just six months ago. But there is another side that worries me.

Some years back, I met a boxer. I mean a REAL boxer with big flashy championship belts and everything. WORLD CLASS! A really nice guy and kind of fun to hang out with, not to mention quite different from the circles of people I normally know and have contact with.

I noticed right off the bat that he was a bit sluggish in his speech and had a distant cast to the look in his eyes. Now this guy was the one whose hand was raised and everyone cheered. But he had his share of punches and jabs to the head through his years of boxing. And I must say, it showed and definitely had an impact on the quality of life at the point I met him. This seems all the more poignant and reason to give pause as we all know that we are hearing more and more in the news and in various sources about the down side of these sports – the lost lives, the ruined lives, the lesser quality of life. How do we square the elation that is presently going on in my city with this reality that is so much a by-product of this sport that engenders this excitement. More and more parents DO NOT WANT their children to play or be involved in these sports that have such a high degree of potential harm.

I remember thinking about this at one point during the Super Bowl when a player from the New England Patriots seemed to be disoriented during the game and began going around in circles (I think his last name is Cooks). He was struck when he ran into the helmet of another player and then taken off the field. What is going on in his head and how will he be in ten or twenty years? I wonder.

Years ago, I met a former Philadelphia Eagle in an airport when I was traveling for work. We sat and chatted as random travelers often do. No, as my family clearly indicated their disappointment in me, I did not get his name and definitely did not ask for an autograph. But he talked a good deal about how the game has changed so much and become less sport and more something else – entertainment, business, money maker – and not for the good of the players, who now may themselves have different reasons that motivate them to play. He bemoaned the fact that more injuries are overshadowing the pleasure of the game and that these injuries can bring long lasting effects diminishing one’s quality of life. I asked him if other players from his era felt the same way and he indicated that yes, many he knew did. Definitely a sobering conversation and this may have something to do with why I do not really enjoy watching sports where there is a real potential for such devastating harm.

But, I did watch the Super Bowl and cheer like crazy with our friends as the game progressed, and shared the nervous feeling in the room when it was possible that there was going to be another outcome. We cheered and yelled at the end and it was pure elation. Pride in feeling part of this country, our city and so much else! Proud of the humility and the gratitude and the feeling of God’s presence as indicated by so many players and coaches when they spoke! And then I wondered about these guys and the impact this game that they love so much and to which they have such loyalty is being kind or cruel to them.

I know there is great discussion about this in many circles. I do not know where it will lead. I do hope however that we all remember that behind all of the pageantry and excitement, there are human beings and somehow we need to show concern for them and their future. How do we walk that balance beam? How many of us even think about it?