The 1985 Bears made me forget all the hassles of being a fifth grader. On the school field, at recess, we pretended we were Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, Walter Payton — we ripped sweaters, kicked heads and gouged eyes just like our heroes. I remember that for three straight games the Bears defense scored more points than they allowed. It was glorious. It was unbelievable. Football was a natural release from math class and thereby America’s game.
1985 is gone along with Flock of Seagulls. Now Jim McMahon is suffering the early stages of dementia and is suing the NFL.
In an elegiac piece about football violence in The New Republic, Rich Cohen quotes Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw predicted the eventual end of football. He said if he had a son today (Bradshaw has all girls) he would not let him play the game. “The fear of them getting these head injuries … it’s just too great for me.” It’s a stunning quote since Bradshaw, as a top NFL analyst, has a continuing financial interest in the health of the NFL enterprise. It makes you wonder, as the concussion research and lawsuits pile up, how much longer will it go on?
