I’d prefer this option – Killed standing up, then walking away – rather than a sequel to the horrific scene reel we’ve witnessed over the past four years. His hip is out of place and his nose is bloody and broken being carried away as a college quarterback. The back of his head hit the grass, stumble with wobbly legs this season as a starter for the Miami Dolphins. Then, just four days later, her fingers twisted and Grotesquely curvedhis brain and body responding to another vicious blow.
He should leave the game while he can. It seems like a lot of us agree on this issue – wanting the best for Tua and believing that we know what’s best for him.
So, from our keyboards, we broadcast our diagnoses for his latest head injury, as well as our plans for his future. the wordsyou are“and”retirementgained traction on Twitter. Analysts in television studios He offered the Dolphins and Tagovailoa, their franchise quarterback selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, the final next steps. This week, former NFL player Emmanuel Acho, lecturing while staring into an FS1 camera, even tried to speak directly to Tagovailoa.
“Tua, you’re the only one living in your own head.” says Acho. Tua, we can’t care about your health any more than you do. Your friends can’t. Your family cannot. The NFL won’t, and your team can’t. So at this time, I am appealing to Tua to put your health, your safety, your well-being first.
The Tagovailoa health debate is another reminder of the thorny dealings between the athlete in the arena and the fan on the couch. We invest our time, our money and our passion in our favorite games, and people play them, and in return, we think that we deserve a little ownership. Our opinions come first.
On Sunday, everyone is an expert, questioning a trainer when he goes on fourth down, then tarring and feathering him when he doesn’t. Every other day of the week, we still make our voices heard, even on issues off the pitch and in the lives of others.
We have set ourselves the task of lecturing athletes on their behavior: how it tweet or how he ventshow she party or how she protests. But even when the loud admonitions come from a purer place – like wanting to protect a young man who, with his wife, has recently welcomed a child in this world — that doesn’t make moralizing any less complicated.
There is a belief that our opinions should matter when it comes to Tua’s personal agency over her body and career, that we somehow know what is best for him. But why? Just because we freaked out when a Buffalo Bills defenseman threw Tagovailoa like a doll that lost its padding, and we’d rather not feel uncomfortable enjoying our entertainment? Or because we scrolled through a few tweets on a Neuroscientist Timeline Or read a few lines of an article on head trauma and feel informed enough to share our medical expertise?
The tricky part is that we’re right. Tagovailoa’s future is more important than the Dolphins’ playoff hopes. And even without a medical degree, the general public knows enough about the mysteries and dangers of concussions, and how multiple head injuries can lead to long term problems. But if Tagovailoa, who won’t play on sunday Against the New England Patriots, decides to rest this week, then clears concussion protocol and comes back under center again this season, we can falter, but still have to respect his decision.
Football remains a violent sport often practiced by volunteers. Tagovailoa is just one of millions who have raised their hands and rushed into the clutches of the sport. And he kept coming back.
In his documentary, “Tua,” he casually recalled the November 2019 injury he suffered while Alabama’s star quarterback. Although ‘Bama was leading by 28 points, Tagovailoa was still on the field in the third quarter against Mississippi State when he was forced out of the pocket and crushed by two tackles.
“I couldn’t tell what was going on. I think my body was so shocked that I don’t remember what was happening at that time,” Tagovailoa said.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. We’ve seen him flourish this year, with an awesome coach in his ear and athletic receivers in his huddle. But we also saw the beatings. So much brutality that Tagovailoa has become the pained, dazed face of NFL concussions. Every time he’s out there and takes another hit, we wonder why he’s still playing.
I never want to see Tua Tagovailoa play football again. It would be great if he chose to live a happy and healthy life, free from any further head trauma. But I try to remember that his autonomy over his career matters more than my opinion. While I can hope Tua leaves on his own, he should be empowered to go his own way.
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