Olsen Death Is Reminder NFL Needs To Take Care Of Its Own
- Saturday, March 13, 2010 3:42 PM
- Written By: Harry Parmenter
I Feel Like A Wog
People Give Me The Eyes
But I Was Born Here
Just Like You You You You
Don't Call Me
Don't Call Me
Your Golliwog
Yes, I'm off to Blighty for a week of RNR as in Rock N Roll, Oxford/Cambridge/London for the last three nights of UK Tour of the greatest band ever to plug in, The Stranglers.
The Stranglers are The New York Willis Reed/Bill Bradley/Dave DeBusschere/Dick Barnett/Clyde Frazier/Red Holzman Knicks of rock n roll.
Their first record, Rattus Norvegicus, circa 1977 made me put away AeroKiss as I awakened to a greater truth in music.
I was there at the fabled Rat Club in Boston when they landed on American shores, just like Paul O'Neill sweeping into right field for the Bombers.
England is a curious sports country. I was wondering today if they have even heard of baseball and basketball. The answer is NO.
It's all about soccer and cricket in the UK.
And we Americans have no clue about either of those endeavors, particularly cricket (Cricket? Crickets!).
Nonetheless I am looking forward to a journey to Blighty, despite the fact no one will be mourning the loss of Merlin Olsen.
What a D-line that was. The LA Rams of Roman Gabriel never won it all but they were a blast to watch, and Olsen was a big part of that, along with Deacon Jones.
They're all dying off now. Football players die early for a good reason. They played the most intensive, brutal sport since the Gladiator days of Rome, and the beatings take a toll.
I doubt any cricket players die early. And that's not a knock, no pun intended.
The fact is American football is a collision-course sport and those who participate reduce their living odds by a major deuce.
To hear Willie Wood is a wreck pains me and all other lifetime NFL fans. Yes, these cats made their choices, but the league needs to take care of their own no matter the cost. These guys put their lives on the line for the adrenaline rush and the fans who keep growing by leaps and bounds.
Bottom line:
Don't Call Me
Don't Call Me
Don't Call Me
Your Golliwog
I'll see you in the sewer ...
