Shawne Merriman Decides To Play in 2008. Stupid is the new “Gutsy”.

Shawne Merriman has decided that playing football right now, this season is more important than his health, the rest of his career, financial considerations and overall well-being in life in general.

Merriman has two torn ligaments in his knee. A lateral collateral and posterior cruciate. 

There have been rumors about these torn ligaments being career ending. It was suggested by 4 different doctors, that Merriman go through with surgery to repair the ligaments.

“To be as simple as possible, I just want to play football,” Merriman said. “That’s what it comes down to. I know what’s on the table, I know what’s on the line. I put a lot of work in this and I want to play.”

But the thing is…he obviously really doesn’t know what’s on the line.

Merriman is in his mid-20’s. He’s young. He is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He has the world by the throat and he’s been doing that stupid lights out dance on it for the last 3 years.

That’s great and all, but these types of things are fleeting. 

Let’s just pretend that the health implications are a complete non-factor and just talk about the simple financial risk he is taking.

Merriman might have already made something like $100 million. Now, I don’t know how he’s living his life (because I’ve never met him), but if he is living large in any way shape or form, that money is not going to last him forever. He can ask Michael Vick about that if he wants proof.

And I say that not to compare Merriman to Michael Vick, but only because Vick should really serve as a cautionary tale to NFL players. That guy was rolling in money. He spent it like it was going out of style, probably figuring, innocently enough, that he would start saving once he was down to his last few seasons, never expecting that there would be an unforeseen circumstance that would force him out of the money (and game) that he was “investing” like crazy (in his “friends” who wanted to open stores, start business, be hangers’ on…etc.)

Vick is out of the NFL right now. In jail. And again, I don’t intend to draw any parallels between them or cast stones at Michael Vick who is doing the time for the crimes he committed. 

But, if Merriman gets one hard cut block to the knees, he could be in a different kind of prison. One where he stops making money, isn’t getting anything from the NFL’s retirement policy, has outstanding debts he can’t afford to pay off and has nothing but a bum knee and some videos to show of his short career.

And in the interest of full disclosure, I am not a Chargers fan. I don’t like Phillip Rivers at all. LaDainian Tomlinson has done nothing but run his mouth for the past few seasons and because the Patriots and Chargers are sort of in a long rivalry right now, I have to hate them.

But being that I love football and appreciate great talent, I would hate to see Merriman’s career cut short because he was being too much of a meathead to see the forrest from the trees.

Have you ever met anyone who had severe arthritis in their knees? Doesn’t sound like a fun life, right? 

How about someone who has had a knee replacement. Yeah, the technology for this is better than ever before, but life isn’t peachy when you have a plastic and steel knee.

Is Shawne Merriman prepared to walk around with a limp (at best) for the rest of his life, should something go wrong (and in the NFL, EVERYONE gets hurt and takes shots to their knees. It isn’t a question of “if”, it is a question of “when”)?

How does not being able to walk, having no money to cover medical expenses and living a life of regret sound to you? 

To me that sounds like a nightmare. 

Maybe I’m being over-dramatic, but those consequences are not all that far-fetched given the situation Merriman is in. 

If you are a Chargers fan, how could you stand behind this decision? 

Has anyone else noticed that LaDainian Tomlinson has gotten dumber and dumber over the course of his career? 

“How do you tell a warrior to sit down? That’s what he is, a warrior. He’s trained for this. It’s hard to tell a guy to sit down,” Tomlinson said.

Sure, that soundbyte would be fine, it would be “gutsy” and “warrior-like” if Merriman knew he was seriously injured (without knowing the full extent) but chose to play in the Superbowl, through the pain, for one game, to attempt to win a championship (ala Curt Schilling in the 2004 ALCS…and even he was never really the same afterwards). That is a “no guts, no glory” decision.

But to make this decision before the NFL season has even started? Ridiculous. If you think Merriman can play for 5 months without getting nailed in the knee at least once, you are crazy, dumb or Shawne Merriman. 

Going against the warnings of 4 doctors when you are young and have your whole career ahead of you isn’t gutsy or “warrior-like”. It’s stupid. Get the surgery, rest for and rehab for 15 months, maybe you could come back midway through the 2009 season.

I hope for Merriman’s sake someone steps in or he reconsiders. 

If not, the only thing that will be “Lights Out” for Merriman this year will be his hopes for the future.