"I need surgery....but there's nothing wrong with me."

Now I just don't understand football players. They are loyal to their team to a fault. They want to show their toughness and their machoness (don't think i spelled that wrong). But now I've seen at least two guys who they were told or said that they need surgery and they are going to start the NFL season (Chad Johnson and Shawne Merriman). This is one of the most taxing of the American Sports, because in every play it's more than likely that you are going to get hit and obviously coaches and others will tell you to go after the spots in where the guy is hurt. It won't be said publicly but we all know in NFL locker rooms that is what's being said.

The loyalty issue comes into account. They feel like well I should play for the team because they need me and the whole organization needs me so in term I need to repay them. But what happens if you get even injured any worse, what do you think is going to happen? They are going to keep you around? They are going to continue to pay you? Both of those are laughable because that hardly ever happens except maybe with catastrophic accidents. But these organizations are going to ask you 'well what have you done lately for me? I see that you haven't had as many sacks as you did years before.' If you tell them I was hurt they are just going to say that it was your choice and the doctors told you to have surgery and they'll either cut you or pay you less. For a potential Hall of Famer in Merriman he needs to be careful because if he does get hurt worse then he can kiss that and his career goodbye. I understand that you want to play the game but your contract runs out after the 2009 season. You could have easily had your surgery took the 08 season off, get back healthy for 09 and have a killer season and GET PAID LARGE. Now you run the risk of getting hurt missing the 09 season and then having to wait it out in free agency where you aren't going to get paid as much as you have before.

I just wonder who is making the decisions. Is it family? is it friends? is it the agent, or is it just themselves wanting to play the game and not disappointing anybody. Pride can only take you so far, if you are too prideful and go across the line, you will be another guy that said what could have been? Be smart. NFL organizations aren't loyal to you. The contracts aren't guaranteed and you can get cut at anytime. Just be smart but then again most football players get their brains knock out so I can kinda understand why they aren't...