http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...t_want_anyone_to_end_up_like_me146/?page=full
In Friday's Globe. Give it a look, it is really something.
Bob G
In Friday's Globe. Give it a look, it is really something.
Bob G
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.‘‘Robert has always cared for him,’’ said a team official. ‘‘But Ted Johnson is a very sick young man. We’ve been aware of the emotional issues he’s had for years. You can’t blame all of his behavior on concussions.’’
Reading that article, it's Belichick who's getting thrown under the bus.For God's sake, given what Johnson's been through, throwing him under the bus like this is just uncalled for. I hope whoever said this gets reamed a new one.
http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...t_want_anyone_to_end_up_like_me146/?page=full
In Friday's Globe. Give it a look, it is really something.
Bob G
I don't see that at all. The article provided Ted's side of the story, and had comments from Belichick in response to tell his. It seems like a fair article to me.Only two months later Johnson blames his former coach for his mental, physical and emotional break-down.
Ted Johnson has admitted to taking a variety of mood altering drugs, and suffering from amphetamine addiction, that may account for wild swings in judgment and behavior. I believe this Globe article is irresponsible, in that McMullen is all too eager to embrace the wild accusations of a man admittedly not in full command of his faculties. Moreover, the conclusions drawn about Andre Waters suicide are highly dubious.
Ted Johnson has admitted to taking a variety of mood altering drugs, and suffering from amphetamine addiction, that may account for wild swings in judgment and behavior. I believe this Globe article is irresponsible, in that McMullen is all too eager to embrace the wild accusations of a man admittedly not in full command of his faculties. Moreover, the conclusions drawn about Andre Waters suicide are highly dubious.
I don't see that at all. The article provided Ted's side of the story, and had comments from Belichick in response to tell his. It seems like a fair article to me.
The one thing he is blaming Belichick for is giving him the blue jersey after the doctors did not clear him to play. That doesn't mean that Belichick wanted him to suffer brain damage, but that he made a mistake. Both Johnson and Bill say that.I give Johnson credit, he DID take responsibility for his not telling about 5 of his concussions. But he still blamed the concussions on Belichick.
TJ hasn't admitted to taking the drugs during his playing days. According to him, his personal life all started to spiral out of control after his retirement. Studies have shown that ex-NFL players on average are much more depressed than normal every day folk. It would make sense for a person who's suffering from depression and chronic physical and mental pains to begin abusing drugs.
I have no reason to think he's lying. Do you?
The one thing he is blaming Belichick for is giving him the blue jersey after the doctors did not clear him to play. That doesn't mean that Belichick wanted him to suffer brain damage, but that he made a mistake. Both Johnson and Bill say that.
And he shouldn't have put it on. But that's the thing that Johnson points out, he put it on for "pride," "they weren't going to beat me." It's why he says at the end of the article: ‘‘It’s not just the New England Patriots that need to change how they do things, it’s the entire culture of the NFL.’’
It's that feeling that he had to put on the jersey, that his game time and his reputation would suffer if he didn't play through pain.
I also didn't get the impression that Johnson thinks Belichick is evil. He is just being honest about what happened, and the team records back him up, and so do a few of the players.
TJ hasn't admitted to taking the drugs during his playing days. According to him, his personal life all started to spiral out of control after his retirement. Studies have shown that ex-NFL players on average are much more depressed than normal every day folk. It would make sense for a person who's suffering from depression and chronic physical and mental pains to begin abusing drugs.
I have no reason to think he's lying. Do you?
I think because it seems like Ted himself points to the concussions as the cause of a lot of his problems, the article does too. But yeah, you make valid points, although I feel that the incidents described in the story are still troubling, even if let's say they had no impact on his emotional or mental health. Feeling pressured to play through injury, play on the field being affected because of it, etc. And it also highlights the sad state of Johnson's life right now. It's a shame.But the article glossed over or ignored facts. Like the fact that Ted Johnson was saying just 2 months ago that he was cleared and ready to play if Belichick called.
It also glossed over some issues like the fact that amphetamine addiction can cause many of the same problems that Johnson is attributing to the concussions he had.
His willingness to publicly tarnish the reputation of another man, casting Belichick as the villain who destroyed his life, is reprehensible IMO. If Johnson's desire was truly to promote concussion awareness, the recrimination would be absent. Others, such as Merril Hoge, have done so without smearing Chuck Noll.