Unfortunately, many times it does not. A couple of weeks ago, I plopped my ass down to watch some tv on a Saturday morning. As I was flipping thru the channels, I stumbled across an episode of Outside the Lines on ESPN. Normally, I really enjoy this show as it usually delves into a sports issue much like a newsmagazine show would.
On this particular Saturday, our boy Bob Ley of Outside the Lines was interviewing former QB for the Chicago Bears, Jim McMahon. If you don’t recall, Jim McMahon was the QB of the Super Bowl Champion Bears in 1985. Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, he is probably the most talented QB they have had in 30 years. However, that is a whole another issue.
Wow, what a douche
Anyways, Jim McMahon was being interviewed because he played during an era in the NFL where concussions were not as carefully examined as they are now. He estimates that during his playing career, he received a number of concussions that went undiagnosed. Because of that negligence by the NFL (as he calls it), he is now suffering from memory loss, chronic headaches, and is losing the ability to walk. So what does he do about this? He, along with six other former players decide to sue the NFL because it is their fault. As he says “back then you just took an aspirin and went back out there.”
Oh ok Jim, I guess there were guns pointed to your head saying that if you didn’t go back out onto the field, the people holding those guns were going to shoot you. And those same guns were telling you that you should play football…..OR ELSE! The other thing that our boy Jim said was that he wasn’t sure when he had a concussion or not. The trainer would just do the finger and eye test and if you cleared that, you were good to go. From personal experience, I know when I received a concussion. So, I am not quite sure what Jim is even talking about. When I received a concussion, I had instant memory loss of the entire event that had occurred, I had the worst headache of my life, and my eyes could not focus.
Why in our society, when something goes wrong in our lives, do we just immediately look for someone to blame? Why do we never, or seldom take responsibility for our actions? I am reminded of the woman who made millions by suing McDonald’s because she spilled hot coffee on herself. That was McDonald’s fault obviously because there was not a warning that the coffee was hot on the cup. It wasn’t her fault for spilling it on herself, just like it isn’t Jim’s fault that he decided to play a violent, hard hitting football game for his career. Of course it is the NFL’s fault. I mean they are the ones who strapped on his helmet, and made him go back out there time and after time. If you decide to play football, fine, but that doesn’t make you oblivious to the risks that you are exposing yourself too.
If you choose to participate in something, whether it is a job, a sport, a crime etc. Fine, but instead of pointing fingers, let’s look inward and notice that by choosing to participate, you also choose the risks that may be involved. If I choose to get a cup of coffee, I run the risk of spilling it on myself. It is not the cup nor the coffee company’s fault.
Jones, the “McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit” is commonly referenced when discussing frivolous lawsuits and tort reform. In reality, McDonald’s probably deserved to be sued.
http://www.hotcoffeethemovie.com/default.asp?pg=mcdonalds_case
McDonald’s was serving their coffee at a temperature of 190 degrees, which is significantly hotter than other restaurants, or what you would make at home. There is a standard expected temperature for coffee, and this coffee was much higher than that temperature. McDonald’s was aware that this was a dangerous temperature, and that it was causing injury to its customers.
Personal Responsibility is important, within the limitations of reason and standard. As adults, we should be expected to be responsible for ourselves, our dependents, our property, and our surroundings. We can’t be expected to know or be responsible for everything.
McDonald’s also has Personal Responsibility. It has a responsibility to serve safe food to its customers, and the coffee was too hot to be safe. As a McDonald’s customer, it’s not your responsibility to ensure that there is no salmonella in their meat. That’s something that McDonald’s is responsible for.
People need to have Personal Responsibility, and so do corporations.
Regardless, I think it’s reasonable for a football player to recognize that football is a dangerous activity.
And where can I get that hat?
true..both individuals and corporations need to have responsibility for their actions. I do wonder though that if the mcdonald’s coffee was of normal coffee temperature, and she spilled it on herself, and burned herself, if she would not have sued anyways and won. Probably not, but you never know. I just think people tend to take the easy way out on things, and Jim just made an example of it.