If I may quote from the Coors can I am currently drinking,
Ronnie Lott… …Faced with missing a playoff game due to a broken finger, Lott chose to have the finger amputated. It was true grit and unfaltering determination like this that led Lott to a record ten All-Star games and four World Championships…
I’m sorry. This act doesn’t strike me as an act of “true grit” or “unfaltering determination.” This strikes me as an act of mother fucking stupidity! Gee, my finger’s broken… hmmmm… lessee here… sit out three weeks or have it amputated? Hmmm… ok doc, go ahead and amputate it!
Fucking professional sports’ downward spiral into the septic tank is continuing to pick up speed. This confirms it. Christ, win at any cost.
How in the world would amputating a finger make one able to play a sport sooner than just letting it heal on its own?
Fingers heal pretty quick, being small bones- I don’t know how long exactly, but it can’t be much longer than the time it takes for an amputation stump takes to heal completely.
Hmm . . . I heard a different story. I heard it was ligament damage that would have taken around a year to heal, and instead of opting for surgery to do as much he had the topmost joint of his left(?) little finger cut off.
When you think about the fact that this si a man whose livelihood depends on the quality of his hands . . .
iampunha,
You were correct that he had the last digit of one of his pinky fingers amputated.
You were very incorrect in stating his livelihood depended on the quality of his hands. Ronnie Lott isn’t remembered for his outstanding ability to catch interceptions, he is remembered for his ability to knock all snot and shit out of any poor wide reciever who was trying to catch a pass when coming across the middle of the field. The rest of his game was good, but nothing compares to the intimidation factor he brought to the game.
Any defensive pass player depends on, among other things, his hands. If he doesn’t have good hands, he won’t get very far as a defensive player who isn’t on the line or damn near it.
I’d be intimidated by a guy who cut off part of his own finger so he could get back on the field faster. I don’t know about y’all. That says to me that the guy loves playing. Or that he’s taken a few too many hits. But as he played defense, I’m inclined to believe the former more than the latter.
I disagree, iampunha. The old line about defensive backs goes, “If they can’t catch then you move them over to defense.” Defenders are trained to create turnovers but the first question asked about a cornerback is, “Can he cover?”. The ability to stick with NFL wide recievers is the key, and is more difficult ( and thus rarer ) than just being able to catch the football. So if your DBs can also catch, then great. If not, you are still going to play your best cover guys.
Ronnie Lott is fifth on the NFL’s all-time interception list (with 63), so he had pretty good hands, even without the fingertip. But his first love was hitting people; I read an article about him some years back where he said that really blasting someone was the most enjoyable part of his job. He said that when he really hit someone hard, his whole body would tingle and snot would fly out of his nose. He also said that he liked to read Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” before a game. I find that hard to believe, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to argue with him.
Ronnie Lott was one one the best players on the field, ever. And a class act off the field from all indications.
His decision may not have been the same as yours would have, but I dare say the man has the brains to think it through and make a choice that suits him.
BTW, the fact that Coors is cheaper than other beers, and therefore you decide to drink it, does not show any superior intellect on your part - I’d rather buy fewer bottles of a better brew than a six pack of that rat piss.
So here’s an F U for Ronnie, and another for poor taste in beer. Otherwise, have a good day.
