According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in March 2009, admissions for treatments of painkiller abuse are on the rise in the United States. The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for the year 2007 found that among all admissions for substance abuse treatments, painkiller abuse treatment admissions rose from 1% in 1997 to 5% in 2007. This is an alarming cause for worry as constant use of painkillers can lead to equally undesirable addictions and health risks such as those of non-prescription drugs. The field of sports is an area where painkiller abuse has become rampant due to the frequent injuries and related pain sports persons are exposed to on an almost daily basis. The added pressure of having to play with pain because of high competition in the field, leads these athletes to rely on painkillers to play without pain, and to extend their playing careers.
The National Football League (NFL), America’s most highly paid and competitive professional football league has its own share of prescription drug abus problems. A recent newspaper report mentioned that as many as 10% of 1500 NFL players surveyed had serious painkiller problems. Although, the NFL has a strict anti painkiller abuse policy that forbids any use of un-prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain killing medicines, many players find ways to circumnavigate and cheat the system. In fact, the prevalence of painkiller abuse is so widespread in the NFL today, the authorities are devising methods to detect and punish the guilty.
Since most teams carry with them a team of doctors and physiotherapists, the players sometimes have access to painkillers, which they can easily get by faking an injury or by exaggerating it. Most coaches, managers, doctors and support staffs of the teams deny that the players can gain access by unlawful means; revelations made by some players prove quite the opposite. Take the case of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive linesman Sam Rayburn, who played for the eagles in 2003-3006, and who was arrested in March 2009 for forging prescriptions for controlled drugs. He disclosed during the course of an inquiry that he could get access to painkillers through his team doctors from time to time. He admitted that he was self medicating himself with painkillers during the period he played for the eagles, and admitted that his medication slowly led him into an addiction that he couldn’t shake off.
Sam Rayburn’s is not a case in isolation; Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre was treated for Vicodin—a prescription painkiller—in 1996, and he came back from his treatment and led the Packers to victory in the Super Bowl. There are many more players that are coming into the open with their painkiller dependency problems. However, there are players who still get prescription painkillers by trading match tickets with pharmaceutical companies’ executives—a charge denied by the players as well as the pharmaceutical companies. The NFL retirement plan that provides disability & drug rehab benefits for players diagnosed with addiction problems doesn’t help the case of anti-abuse strategies.
No doubt, the demands of high-pressure professional sports can lead to injuries that sometimes can be even fatal, but what really worries the authorities now is the fact that players themselves try to shorten their life span trying to extend their playing span.
Men are men and boys are boys, but when it comes to football, boys become men, and men become boys. Actually, there’s no age difference when it comes to football. Passions become mellower as people become mature, but the fire deep inside remains the same. It’s just that as we age, we become more refined in the way we show our passions. We become nostalgic about things we were passionate about when we were younger. This is the general rule, and it applies to all facets of life, except—football! Most of us are as rabidly passionate about football as we were in our growing years. However, while the younger ones can just go out, play the game, and feed their passions, we are stuck with boring things like raising a family and making a living.
Nevertheless, we can still feed our hunger for the game and stay in touch by keeping the memories alive. One way of doing that is by collecting football memorabilia. Rewind a few years– don’t you remember how you traded caps with the logo of your favorite teams with your friends, or how you fought with your best friend over a picture card of your favorite football star? Well, you can do that again now. However, this time you won’t have to fight over the stuff because you can create your own football memorabilia and keep them for yourself.
Whether you’re a grown up or a kid who eats, walks and sleeps football, you have so many online companies that can print whatever you want on any clothing accessory you want. Would you like the names of your all-time favorite players on your t-shirts? On the other hand, do you want the logo of your favorite NFL team on your cap? All you grown-ups; go and get a Jim Brown picture printed on your pillow, or make a list of your ten all-time favorite football players, and have them printed on your sweat shirt. Kids can go to the games wearing Indianapolis Colts hats or New England Patriots t-shirts. Kids will absolutely love to get a picture of LaDainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson printed on their sweatshirts, and wear them to play.
Create your own football memorabilia as you have a choice now that never existed many years ago. You don’t have to fight no more or pay through your nose to get your favorite team or player up close to you. There are so many t-shirt printing companies online now, which can print any of your favorite football stuff on t-shirts, sweat shirts, hats, or even your pillow covers. There is no need for you to part with your football memories, ever again!
Paul Kruger, the Ravens rookie linebacker out of Utah State, has been proving himself on the field this offseason and has quickly established himself as a force on the Ravens D. But he’s earned himself a nickname amongst his locker room buddies which may stick with the outside linebacker who’s making people in Baltimore forget about Bart Scott very quickly … and it’s not “Freddie” Kruger.
Seems that Terrell Suggs (T-Sizzle) has given Kruger the call of Goldilocks (courtesy of the Baltimore Sun) :
Defensive end-linebacker Terrell Suggs is known for making fun of others. He refers to rookie Paul Kruger as “Goldilocks” because of his long blond hair.
If this name sticks to Kruger the way he sticks to running backs and tight ends, expect a wave of long blonde wigs to hit the Ravens fanbase in M&T Bank Stadium.
Forbes has released its list of the highest valued NFL teams, with NFC East rivals Dallas and Washington topping the list, but the Cowboys are ahead of the Redskins by far. The Dallas Cowboys are worth an estimated $1.6 Billion, while Washington chimes in at #2 with a $1.5 Billion valuation ($100 Million difference).
Other notable teams include the Baltimore Ravens at #11 and the Houston Texans at #6. The Oakland Raiders bottomed out this year, with a valuation of only $797 million.
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