Once they retire, does the game owe professional athletes who played pro-ball, anything...?

Many times people suffer on the job injuries and suffer.



Should ball players, professional boxers, international hockey players, jockeys (horse), Olympic athletes, etc., who suffered any physical inuries from participating in their respective sport be afforded some pension or some specialized health care.



Campbell Now Looks Like Shell of Former Self

Former Heisman Winner Suffering Ailments, Rehab

By JIM VERTUNO,

AP

Posted: 2007-06-30 15:37:24

AUSTIN, Texas (June 30) - The sleek black Mercedes whipped into valet parking. Anyone expecting the driver to get out of the car with the same grace and style was in for a shock.



With the aide of the valet, Earl Campbell slowly emerged.



Left foot first, right foot next. Once they were both solidly on the ground, the Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer grabbed his walker with both hands and shuffled with bent back and crooked knees toward the door of the Barton Creek Resort.



Campbell was being honored this weekend by the Heisman Winners Association, a gathering to raise money for charity and toast the former Texas Longhorn 30 years after he won college sports' most prestigious individual trophy.



But the body that was built for football now looks broken.



He insists his ailments - most recently bone spurs in his back that required surgery, a monthlong stay in the hospital and rehab three days a week - are more likely the result of bad genetics than football. In eight seasons in the NFL, he missed only six games because of injuries.



"I broke a finger one time, and broke ribs maybe," he said.



But his Heisman mates aren't so sure. They remember the human battering ram in a helmet and shoulder pads and see a proud man physically struggling for years now.



At a time when Congress is conducting hearings on whether the NFL should have a stronger pension and disability system for former players, they see the 52-year-old Campbell as yet another example of the violence in football and the wreckage it can leave behind.Once they retire, does the game owe professional athletes who played pro-ball, anything...?
They make millions a year playing a game. No they don't deserve a damn thing. besides a pay cut!