Comments on: Sicko needs a history lesson

By: Lyn

Lyn — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:33:31 +0000

No Rjsjr, shame on you. Shame on you for thinking that it’s better for a kid to pursue a job he clearly doesn’t want, just for the chance to make more money. If he really had an ‘unflappable passion’ for football, he would’ve taken any chance he was given, even as a free agent.
Shame on you for thinking that the opportunity to buy a sh*t load of material possessions trumps the opportunity to actually make a difference in someones life the way teachers do every day. You don’t have to be rich to do what your heart desires. People do it every day.
And most of all, shame on you for thinking that you have the right judge an individual for doing with his life what he feels best. It’s his life, not yours.

By: alkelkis

alkelkis — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:11:02 +0000

Maybe he’s balancing 1) the lure of an NFL career with 2) the possibility it could leave him with his brains scrambled in 10-15 years. Maybe, in the absence of a being drafted his brains gained greater importance.

By: Nitro

Nitro — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:19:31 +0000

What an idiot, I’d go to a nfl training camp even if I knew i’d be cut the same day, and give it my all and then some, just to say I did. Thats not exactly something very many people get to even sniff the opportunity to do.

By: Realistic

Realistic — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:15:39 +0000

It is amazing to me that many of you believe that this kid will regret his decision. I am not saying that he won’t but there are thousands of athletes that graduate from college and make informed, intelligent choices other than to play at the next level. There are many athletes that have a brain and options. They don’t need to play sports to be successful (or to get out of their neighborhood to have a better life). Most of them will not regret their decision.

By: edgy1957

edgy1957 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:34:07 +0000

A lot of teams talked crap about Rolle but I think that if he wasn’t drafted, he would have probably shown up and tried out and if that didn’t work out, he’d have moved on. This guy should at least TRY. Hell, Kurt Warner was the little engine that could.
Oh and some of you are too young to remember when the draft was 10 rounds or more. That’s when Mr. Irrelevant was REALLY irrelevant. Go back and look at those old drafts and see who got drafted in the 8th or later and how many of them had good careers (and Super Bowl rings). The NFL is what you make of it and if you don’t have th stones to put the effort into it, it won’t matter if you were drafted first or not at all.

By: robert ethan

robert ethan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:48:28 +0000

Scott Sicko is no Timmy Toone. We know that much.

By: rjsjr

rjsjr — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:09:58 +0000

I pity this guy because he clearly lacks the perspective of the typical college students that will be graduating this spring. He ignored the issues of our times and used an entirely fickle exercise in the draft to determine whether or not he wanted to make anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of dollars.
As for people submitting that he has to do what makes him happy, shame on you. People that say you have to do what makes you happy rarely have had to scratch a living doing something just to support their families.
Read the initial article and you’ll see he claims he has an unflappable passion for football. I hope he’s full of crap because if that’s the case, he’s is going to need a mantle full of degrees to remedy the stupidity of using the draft as a measure of future success.

By: magsdad1

magsdad1 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:31:14 +0000

SIcko, if your feelings are hurt, remember this name:
Rod Smith.
Undrafted, he went on to accomplish the following:
Career statistics
Year Team G GS Rec Yards AVG LG TD
1995 DEN 16 1 6 152 25.3 43 1
1996 DEN 10 1 16 237 14.8 49 2
1997 DEN 16 16 70 1180 16.9 78 12
1998 DEN 16 16 86 1222 14.2 58 6
1999 DEN 15 15 79 1020 12.9 71 4
2000 DEN 16 16 100 1602 16.0 49 8
2001 DEN 15 14 113 1343 11.9 65 11
2002 DEN 16 16 89 1027 11.5 46 5
2003 DEN 15 15 74 845 11.4 38 3
2004 DEN 16 16 79 1144 14.5 85 7
2005 DEN 16 16 85 1105 13.0 72 6
2006 DEN 16 16 52 512 9.8 20 3
Tot. DEN 183 158 849 11389 13.4 85 68

By: GoBrowns19

GoBrowns19 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:07:37 +0000

Maybe after a year of sitting behing a computer typing bullshit all day for a company that doesn’t even know he exists will change his mind…when it’s too late.

By: tombrookshire

tombrookshire — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:54:31 +0000

Mike, why are you are applying your values to this kid and living your dream vicariously through him? I would love to see your ass struggling up and down the football field at Steelers training camp in 100 degree temperatures, with a position coach standing one inch from your ear, screaming at you because you turned in when you should have turned out. You start to cry while running punishment laps on a separate field, while thinking, “I better start enjoying this soon because I am living my dream.” Be careful what you wish for.

By: BlueStars

BlueStars — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:53:24 +0000

@ItalianArmyGuy – you seem to be giving Sicko a LOT of extra credit for being smart & choosing to pursue academics instead of orthopedic surgeries. He WOULD have played if only he’d gotten drafted.

By: mjk68

mjk68 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:43:27 +0000

Its not how you get there, but how you finish.

By: Free Ryan Leaf

Free Ryan Leaf — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:21:41 +0000

As usual, Mike, you seem math impaired. John Randle or no, the average length of NFL career would be much longer for a drafted player than an undrafted player. Randle is the exception, not the rule. In fact, being drafted is probably the single biggest indicator of a lengthy career to come (and it would be an even stronger correlation the higher you get picked).
He may give up some money short term, but the $5,000 or $10,0000 he might have received from a team could easily be eclipsed by a decent job in one year. The kids sounds like he has his head on straight, rather than dreaming like Michigan CBs that they are destined to become rich in the NFL.

By: Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:06:44 +0000

It would be interesting to see the percentage of post draft signings that actually make the cut and collect on their contracts during the season. The rest of the people (I’m guessing 99% of them) collect small per-Diem checks while they act as tackle dummies for the guys who will make the roster. Many of the guys who post on PFT would gladly act as tackle dummies for an NFL team’s training camp while drawing slightly more pay than they would if they flipping burgers across the street from the practice facility. When roster cut time comes the great majority of these guys are tossed and they never receive one penny of the “rookie minimum” on the contract they signed and most of them continue to work out and wait for a phone call that most likely will never come. Many of them live off the kindness of relatives while they train for their lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. Sicko has looked at the reality of his chances in the NFL and has determined that he doesn’t want to live the bohemian lifestyle that many of these guys will live after they are cut from their current team. He has determined that he will be happier by getting on with life in the real world that nearly all of those guys that signed post draft contracts will have to face in a year or two as well. He’s made a career decision and it’s pointless for anyone to be criticizing him and acting like he never had any heart because he’s made a decision that differs from the one that any one of us would have made.

By: BigBear123

BigBear123 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:49:21 +0000

Still a kid and after a few days to think about it he just might call some teams back. Maybe he already thought about it enough to make a final decision.
He was so intent on being drafted he should have picked a better school with more visibility.

By: Paracelsus

Paracelsus — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:48:06 +0000

What is the percentage of free agent cuts compared to 7th round draft choice cuts? Yes, I know there are more of them, but all you is point out one Hall of Famer and the old generic quote from agents. I don’t disagree with that quote, but it is his life and if he doesn’t want to get concussions in exchange for money and entertaining us, that is his call. He may regret it and if he completely winged this without thinking it over, then that is not a good sign. But we hardly know at this point.

By: Provance1

Provance1 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:47:28 +0000

Nothing lost if he joins an NFL team as an undrafted rookie. I think most of us on this board would kill for the chance to have the physical attributes to get the attention of more than 1 NFL team, and a real chance to make a roster.
Scott…if you are reading this, please consider at least making it to a rookie mini camp and then after, deciding what you want to do. The experience will be one you will never forget, and you won’t look back 20 years from now and think, “What if…”
Heck, if you don’t like it, leave and continue your education…At least you will have no regrets.

By: contract

contract — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:47:24 +0000

"Sicko took part in testing but did not conduct position drills for the lone NFL team in attendance..." Notes from Sicko's Pro Day Stuff like this happens. I know someone that did the same thing years ago after going undrafted. He was a WR who had the misfortune of sharing his Pro Day workout with Randy Moss. You can imagine what that did to his confidence.

By: tombrookshire

tombrookshire — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:36:30 +0000

I don’t understand why the guy should come under such fire for turning down an NFL offer. He is going his own way, something that is less and less respected and valued in America today. Everything is about partnering, being part of a group, being social and compliant. When a guy says, “no thanks,” he is vilified. He simply sees no long term career for himself in the NFL. He doesn’t want to be one of hundreds of young men who are training camp fodder for a couple of months and then get released. Not everyone is cut out for the NFL, but who could conceive of someone turning down a chance to play pro ball? This guy is a refreshing change of pace. An individual. Perhaps he realized it before showing up in someone’s camp, working his ass off in 100 degree temps, possibly get injured, and then cut. All that for maybe $20,000 or $30,000 and a story to tell your grandkids? What’s worse than being Mr. Irrelevant? It’s Mr. Who Cares.

By: SC21

SC21 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:25:39 +0000

Are we still piling on this kid?
Yes, John Randle wasn’t drafted and he had a great NFL career. For every John Randle, there are 1000 undrafted free agents who never make it past their first training camp.
Everyone saying this kid is walking away from a lot of money is an ignorant fool. UDFA get paid next to nothing until and unless they actually make the team and the season starts. Even then, its week to week and you’re likely to get cut at any time, and it WILL happen. The second they need your rosters spot for someone even slightly more valuable then you (who might not even play your position), they’ll tell you to hit the bricks.
Then there’s the fact that the kid could have made a ton of extra money via jersey sales and possibly marketing deals. His name is Sicko, for crying out loud.
Really? You really think that people were going to shell out money for the jersey of some bench warmer they never heard of?

By: Sting Ray

Sting Ray — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:25:00 +0000

What’s the problem with a person making a decision that his time is better spent pursuing his education if he thinks it’s reasonable that it’s a long shot to make a roster undrafted?
I’ve gone to many training camps thinking, why do so many guy’s basically waste their time being tackling dummies or practice fodder on a 70 plus roster. I know it’s the hope of being in the league and possibly just to say you were in an NFL training camp, the experience, I get it.
John Randle and many others can be cited as undrafted successes, but doesn’t it stand to reason John and others like him knew they had what it takes. What if you know your a good player, but basically not a stand out for the professional level and likely to be lost in the shuffle, is it some great honor to spend months of your life in the NFL and not get paid at the end? Your more inclined to answer yes if you don’t have other strong alternatives to pursue.
When it’s time to move on it’s time to move on. Paul Brown when he cut players was known to say that the young man is going on to pursue his life’s work. It appears Scott decided to pursue his life’s work a few months sooner.

By: brasho

brasho — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:17:38 +0000

According to several sources, many undrafted free agents make a much larger signing bonus than even 5th and 6th round players. This is because some of the better available players get involved in a bidding war with other teams. I recall hearing that some undrafted free agents could get up to $20,000 to sign while others made as little as $1,500.

By: tj.52

tj.52 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:02:04 +0000

Florio says: “And Sicko is wrong.”
——————————————————-
How is he wrong? Because Randle made it to the HOF and Huey Richardson was cut in year 2? Is this how you proved your cases in court as well? Very weak, Florio.
I know it’s Sunday morning and you probably wrote this on your Sprint super-phone while sitting at Mass and listening intently to everything that Father ______ was saying, but try to take it up a notch for your faithful readers.
Gotta go – time for Communion

By: ncoolong

ncoolong — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:00:50 +0000

Yeah, Scott, just play one year. The real world sucks, trust us.

By: joseph2112

joseph2112 — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:56:03 +0000

This kids not playing and…….
Brett Favre is retiring, everybody!
I doubt either case very much.

By: SaintsBucsPanthersSUKK

SaintsBucsPanthersSUKK — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:52:02 +0000

If you actually get offers from the Cowboys, Jets, and Jaguars you need to take advantage of the opportunity. Sure the chances are slim of making it to the regular season but with injuries or ineffectiveness of other tight ends on a team’s roster you never know. Even a practice squad stint is worth it, don’t take the diva attitude yet. Pay some dues first whiny bytch. GOD doesn’t open a window if you close the door yourself.

By: SlimPickens

SlimPickens — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:50:45 +0000

what a crybaby!! Whaaaa I didnt get picked so I’m going home. Go play Sunday softball with your friends every weekend wussy!!

By: Duck Fallas

Duck Fallas — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:49:56 +0000

“It could be that the kid simply wasn’t sure whether he wanted to play football, and that he decided that his decision would hinge on whether he was drafted. If that’s the case, he likely wouldn’t have lasted long in the NFL, even if he’d been taken in round one.”
JaMarcus Russell hasn’t shown much desire to play, but he’s still around.

By: FumbleNuts

FumbleNuts — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:49:47 +0000

Are you a pothead, Sicko?

By: ItalianArmyGuy

ItalianArmyGuy — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:46:58 +0000

Or, maybe he reads PFT, and he realizes the NFL universe is full of guys who smell like “the odor from an uncontained turd in a clothes hamper” – to use your words, Florio.
I’ll go back to the words of that famous scholar/linebacker Aldous Huxley here: ““An intellectual is a person who has discovered something more interesting than sex.”
Maybe, just maybe, Sicko has risen slightly above the neanderthal level of the NFL jock-ocracy and its sub-neanderthal owners, fans, and bloggers (and lawyer/bloggers), and has actually discovered something he finds more interesting than sex; or even more interesting than hitting sweaty men wearing tight spandex pants (not a lot of difference there for some of you).
Maybe the dude really wants to get his PhD in history, and become a history professor someday. His choices – should he become a history professor as a walking, semi-erect person with full use of memory skills? Or, should he become a history professor after two years of NFL-induced orthopedic injuries and memory-erasing concussion-causing hits have left him half-invalid and semi-senile, with a future of multiple, knee/back/hip/elbow/etc surgeries to look forward to.
Hmmm…… tough question.
Have y’all seen Earl Campbell recently, by the way? Here’s a reminder of the rewards of a “great” NFL career:
“Campbell has great difficulty walking and sometimes requires the use of a wheelchair. In 2004, ESPN showed a segment about retired and current NFL players who deal with chronic injuries due to playing in the NFL over a number of years. The segment showed Earl Campbell at a farm using a wheelchair. Campbell has developed severe arthritis in his knees and has debilitating back pain. He attributes his back pain to a congenital back condition aggravated by his football career. A profile in the Austin American-Statesman in December 2007 describes Campbell’s daily struggle with his back pain, and states that he had surgery to remove three large bone spurs.”
“Arthritis”. “Wheelchair”. “Debilitating back pain”. “Large bone spurs”. Some of my favorite words – why does Earl get all the luck??
Go be a history teacher, Mr. Sicko. Leave us neanderthals and sub-neanderthals to bicker amongst ourselves – we wouldn’t understand that there might be something in this world more interesting than sex – or more interesting than sweaty men in tight spandex pants slamming into each other.