Should football players be concerned by this?

I don't think so. Professional wrestling in the 80's-90's was a big drug culture. Probably still is. Just look at the chart in the article. Of the 13 wrestlers listed, 8 died of drug overdose or heart related issues (9 of 13 if you count Crush who is widely believed to have died from overdose).

These guys aren't dropping like flies because of the physical punishment they put their bodies through but because of what they've been putting into their bodies for years and years and years. While there are definitely NFL players who have issues with steroids and other drugs, I'd say the actual percentage of players who have these issues is far far less than it is (/was) with professional wrestlers.

 

Yeah Turley plays around here pretty frequently. BIG difference between marijuana and the harder drugs though. No one's ever died of a marijuana overdose. You may have a point though about retired players. But ultimately what someone does or puts into their body is up to them. Hopefully they can find other ways of coping with pain, depression, etc. And if the players were smart they should have plenty of money saved to cover most health issues they encounter. I have zero sympathy for a guy that made 6-7 figures a year but blew it all on cars, jewelry and partying.

There is obviously an issue with insurance of retired players though. These guys, more so than wrestlers IMO, really put their bodies through a ton of punishment throughout their careers. And they make a crap load of money for the owners and the league in the process. They should be covered for life (in most cases). If the current players would agree to take less money upfront via contracts perhaps something could be worked out for better benefits after retirement. We all know they'd never go for that though. THEY GOTSTA GET PAID$$$$!!!$$$

 

If you have Netflix I'd suggest watching a documentary called Bigger, Faster, Stronger. It's about steroid use in pro wrestling and pro weight lifting. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the guys on that list that died from heart related issues had enlarged hearts from taking steroids.

I'd also watch The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke. It's a really good movie and gives a pretty good glimpse in to an old pro wrestler's life that comes pretty close to the real thing.

 

Yeah I don't buy the gateway drug argument. I smoked a lot in my day. And I mean A LOT. Yet I never once tried cocaine. Never once took a prescription pill recreationally. Never did ecstasy, acid, etc. I'd actually argue alcohol is much more of a gateway into things like cocaine and pills than marijuana could ever be. But this is a discussion for another thread....

 

I've been wanting to see B,F,S for awhile now. I'll have to check it out this weekend. Beyond the Mat is also a really good doc about the lifestyles of professional wrestlers.