A brief definition of Dr. Murray’s n Abasement: To submit passively
to external force. To accept injury, blame, criticism, punishment. To
surrender. To become resigned to fate. To admit inferiority, error, wrongdoing
or defeat. To confess and atone. To blame, belittle or mutilate the self. To
seek and enjoy pain, punishment, illness, and misfortune.
It is very clear at this point
that n Achievement in sports, complements n Abasement, especially in the brutal
game of football. There is no one that discounts the brutality in this
so-called sport. Thursday on ESPN, Hall of Fame, quarterback Steve Young said
something to the effect that football is not natural as you have people running
full speed at each other colliding with each other. We’re also going to see
huge compensatory concussion settlements in the NFL.
Returning to Mike Keller’s
story illustrates, insecurity, along with the sadomasochism [Another term related
to n Abasement] experienced during his playing days at the University of
Michigan and for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Keller played high school
football in Grand Rapids. He rated that competition at the fourth tier
regarding football in the state of Michigan behind the Detroit, Bay
City-Midland, and Lansing area high schools. He knew he was a big fish in a
little pond and that he was going to become a little fish in a big pond, in Ann
Arbor. He wondered why he was offered a football scholarship, and hoped to make
the traveling squad before he graduated. He rationalized that at least he would
receive a terrific education even in the event that he didn’t play.
Physically, he was injured while playing at
Michigan. He didn’t dare miss practices or not being able to play in a game,
out of fear of the demotion to second string or below. He even warned opposing
players. In practice, to take it easy or otherwise, there would be a battle of
consequences. He thought that playing on Saturdays was a relief from the
physical brutality and punishment during the hard-fought Wolverine practices.
In 1969, after the Ohio State game, Mike said he was aware of his game day
exhaustion, especially on the last play of that momentous game. On the field
for the last play, his legs buckled. He was fearful that he was going to be
trampled on by the joyous students as they rushed on the field in celebration.
Mike remembered that instead of being trampled, they lifted him and carried him
halfway up the tunnel out of harm’s way to welcomed safety.
Playing for the Cowboys, Mike’s
insecurity and brittleness surfaced again when he admitted to himself “these
guys are good; how can I make first string; is this really what I want to do;
how long am I going to be here; I do not like being a backup; it’s not much
fun.” In his second season, Mike suffered a shoulder injury that required
surgery [The same shoulder he had injured at Michigan]. He was eventually
placed on injured reserve and he knew that psychologically that was a kiss of
death. He frequently got twinges and pains like a needle or knife entering his body.
He said the pain was constant, and frequently returned especially, when
playing. He knew that after any major surgery, that no one really comes back
from these career ending injuries. Basically, he had a gradual tearing of the
tendon in his shoulder. In his most recent x-ray, it was revealed that his
tendon was gone. He had a supraspinatus muscle tendon issue. Today, this
mountain of a man, is unable to hold a 20 pound dumbbell outstretched with his
right arm.
Mike talked about mental
toughness as a player. A football bruiser had to differentiate, between pain
and injury. It was important for the player to know his body. It’s also
important to rely on information given by the team trainers. He said it’s
possible to play with pain, especially when your body was taped along with
cortisone and other painkiller injections prior to the game. Professional
football players undergo many extraordinary treatments, partly because of the
belief that they are needed to be on the field at all times. It’s considered
important to be on the field regardless of how you’re feeling. And of course is
difficult to think clearly when adrenaline is cursing through your veins.
Mike’s playing days ended with the Cowboys as a result of his football injury.
We talked about mental toughness and the fact that players are expected to play
with pain. Most of the players have a high pain tolerance because daily pain is
a major component or part of the game. He said it’s hard to think of
professional football as just a game-it is a job. One can have pain and still
have torn ligaments. However, a player can still play and should play. He added
that despite the pain killers, this game is always about current performance,
not what the player did yesterday.
A football brawler accepts
injury, blame, criticism, and punishment. It’s not a secret that injuries are
part of the game. Nor, is it a secret that NFL means not for long as three and
half years is the average playing time. Players are criticized by the media and
the press. The punishment is being fired, or cut from the team and that happens
frequently. Of course there are exceptions.
The n Achievement and n
Abasement of Jim Brandstatter to follow.
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