OT: R.I.P. Tony Siragusa (1967-2022)

[Goldfield]

Dang loved that guy

 

[gmabel830]

This. PLEASE do not ignore your retirement. It needn’t be your primary focus. But we are already facing a retirement catastrophe in this country. Let’s not exacerbate it.

One of the best pieces of advice my dad ever gave me was to setup my retirement deduction right when I got my first real job out of college. Never felt like I was missing out on anything because it always has been taken out before I see the money.

And RIP Tony. Seeing him pass at such a young age makes me nervous as a fellow big guy. I’d like to actually enjoy those retirement funds!

 

[PJ1]

RIP Tony. Really enjoyed his commentary. Damn good player as well.

 

[dscher]

He ate well. Good Italian food is a blessing and a curse.

Enjoyed him during his time on Fox...

Godspeed big guy.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Well, I just got out of debt back in February, and currently don't have the ability to contribute to any retirement accounts, so it's gonna have to wait. But yeah, I know.

I understand the need to prioritize, and debt should definitely come first. Establish an emergency fund next. But don’t put off saving (even a little bit in an IRA - you needn’t have an employer provided plan to save for retirement) too long as you will greatly miss out on the power of long-term compounding earnings. You’ll kick yourself down the road. The earlier you save the more the powerful those dollars.

 

[ajcardfan]

This is actually a very typical age for an NFL player to die at. There was a study that compared age of death for NFL players to age of death for MLB players. The NFL average age of death was 59.6. MLB 66.7

I kind of doubt the average age of death has gone up since the paper was published. If anything it might be down a bit. That would be my hypothesis.

Former football pros die at a faster rate than baseball veterans—and the reasons are surprising

Study is the first to compare elite athletes who played in the same era

www.science.org

I personally think it's something to remember when we watch these guys perform. They are literally taking years off thier life for our entertainment. Knowing this, how can we blame them for wanting "too much money"? And take the ownership line that these players are selfish when they want new contracts or take the contract with the most money?

 

[Dback Jon]

This is actually a very typical age for an NFL player to die at. There was a study that compared age of death for NFL players to age of death for MLB players. The NFL average age of death was 59.6. MLB 66.7

I kind of doubt the average age of death has gone up since the paper was published. If anything it might be down a bit. That would be my hypothesis.

Former football pros die at a faster rate than baseball veterans—and the reasons are surprising

Study is the first to compare elite athletes who played in the same era

www.science.org

I personally think it's something to remember when we watch these guys perform. They are literally taking years off thier life for our entertainment. Knowing this, how can we blame them for wanting "too much money"? And take the ownership line that these players are selfish when they want new contracts or take the contract with the most money?

Great points - many are real gladiators - trading health and life for a few decades (hopefully) of glory and wealth

 

[Shane]

This is actually a very typical age for an NFL player to die at. There was a study that compared age of death for NFL players to age of death for MLB players. The NFL average age of death was 59.6. MLB 66.7

I kind of doubt the average age of death has gone up since the paper was published. If anything it might be down a bit. That would be my hypothesis.

Former football pros die at a faster rate than baseball veterans—and the reasons are surprising

Study is the first to compare elite athletes who played in the same era

www.science.org

I personally think it's something to remember when we watch these guys perform. They are literally taking years off thier life for our entertainment. Knowing this, how can we blame them for wanting "too much money"? And take the ownership line that these players are selfish when they want new contracts or take the contract with the most money?

Ehhh I mean yes and no same can be said for my profession. Our average age is similar. Yet my family will be taken care of if and when I go. I didn’t need the money these guys make for that to happen.

It doesn’t make me feel anymore sympathetic to their 40, 60, 80 or couple hundred million dollar money grabs. Just so they can set up multiple generations of family for life.

 

[Jetstream Green]

This is actually a very typical age for an NFL player to die at. There was a study that compared age of death for NFL players to age of death for MLB players. The NFL average age of death was 59.6. MLB 66.7

I kind of doubt the average age of death has gone up since the paper was published. If anything it might be down a bit. That would be my hypothesis.

Former football pros die at a faster rate than baseball veterans—and the reasons are surprising

Study is the first to compare elite athletes who played in the same era

www.science.org

I personally think it's something to remember when we watch these guys perform. They are literally taking years off thier life for our entertainment. Knowing this, how can we blame them for wanting "too much money"? And take the ownership line that these players are selfish when they want new contracts or take the contract with the most money?

It's the pain killer addictions, and other assorted drugs, after they have beaten their body up which adds to their low life expectancy

 

[ajcardfan]

Ehhh I mean yes and no same can be said for my profession. Our average age is similar. Yet my family will be taken care of if and when I go. I didn’t need the money these guys make for that to happen.

It doesn’t make me feel anymore sympathetic to their 40, 60, 80 or couple hundred million dollar money grabs. Just so they can set up multiple generations of family for life.

It's all chump change for the owners. Who tend to live a LONG time. It's not even money they have to come up with themselves.

 

[Jetstream Green]

It's all chump change for the owners. Who tend to live a LONG time. It's not even money they have to come up with themselves.

Without the owners, who of which at least someone did a remarkable job in their family to earn that huge bank account, they would not have that chump change. The players do not deserve more than that 'chump change' which the owners at one time earned. We live in a capitalistic society, but when someone succeeds at that we throw shade at them

 

[ajcardfan]

Without the owners, who of which at least someone did a remarkable job in their family to earn that huge bank account, they would not have that chump change. The players do not deserve more than that 'chump change' which the owners at one time earned. We live in a capitalistic society, but when someone succeeds at that we throw shade at them

They deserve whatever they can get. That is all I am saying. Even David Carr deserved that deal. I will never hold it against a player for going for the money.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

This is actually a very typical age for an NFL player to die at. There was a study that compared age of death for NFL players to age of death for MLB players. The NFL average age of death was 59.6. MLB 66.7

I kind of doubt the average age of death has gone up since the paper was published. If anything it might be down a bit. That would be my hypothesis.

Former football pros die at a faster rate than baseball veterans—and the reasons are surprising

Study is the first to compare elite athletes who played in the same era

www.science.org

I personally think it's something to remember when we watch these guys perform. They are literally taking years off thier life for our entertainment. Knowing this, how can we blame them for wanting "too much money"? And take the ownership line that these players are selfish when they want new contracts or take the contract with the most money?

Doesn't help that heart disease run in his family and his own father passed away at age 48.

The guy could have been an accountant or a PE coach and been dead at 55 for all we know.

 

[ajcardfan]

Doesn't help that heart disease run in his family and his own father passed away at age 48.

The guy could have been an accountant or a PE coach and been dead at 55 for all we know.

True. But what we do know is this is an age of death typical for an NFL player. And nothing can really be told from one death. It's when you get into the hundreds, you can start to say "there is a real trend here. What is behind it?" And, if you read that article you would have read the most significant difference between the two groups is the rate of heart disease.

I feel pretty comfortable saying Tony also had a lot more access to health care than his Dad did.

 

[Jetstream Green]

They deserve whatever they can get. That is all I am saying. Even David Carr deserved that deal. I will never hold it against a player for going for the money.

Of course, but one should not fault the hand that feeds them either since the owners made this possible by paying the players, building the stadiums, and making the sport a viable option for decades, for providing the platform for fame, for creating the whole infrastructure, for them players to make that outrageous money because it takes their insane money to support the players' unique opportunity to also do what they love