Tragically, 23 year-old San Francisco 49’ers offensive tackle Thomas Herrion died in the locker room at Denver’s Mile High Stadium this past Saturday night after playing in a pre-season football game. Predictably, “Professional Punditry” sprung into action on sports talk radio and television telling us – mostly via screaming – what the problems are and what the solutions are.
“Drug use,” “obesity,” “the guys are just too darned big,” “the NFL should have a weight limit,” “there’s no reason a lineman has to be 340 pounds,” “the game will be the just as good with 260 pound lineman,” are all comments, problems and solutions that I’ve heard belched over the airwaves since this poor kid died Saturday night. I’m surprised someone didn’t blame Herrion’s death on the fact that the NFL actually plays pre-season games.
The fact that the findings from the preliminary autopsy didn’t reveal any overt causes of death hasn’t stopped the punditry from droning on in their “holier than thou” tone, certain that they know what needs to be fixed.
ESPN has broadcasted an edition of their “Outside the Lines” show that deals with the issue of 300-plus pound lineman and the demand that the game, and the preparation for the game, places on these giant men.
NFL analyst and former pro lineman Mark Schlereth – a voice or reason among the “hystericals” - made one of the most interesting comments during the show’s panel discussion, when he said that contractually mandated weight clauses that have been instituted by the teams have actually made matters worse.
Schlereth went on to say that because guys have to lose weight they frequently employ unhealthy weigh loss strategies at the 11th hour in order to avoid being fined. In order to lose 10 or 15 pounds most guys starve themselves, dehydrate themselves or use a combination of these two dangerous “techniques,” and then have to go out and compete.
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