Phil Mickelson's act of kindness for Conrad Dobler shines a light on the NFL

Thursday February 15, 2007 | 06:09:47 am 533 words, 5606 views

There’s a funny video floating through the tubes of Internets right about now showing Joe Rogan verbally demolishing fellow comedian Carlos Mencia for stealing material.

It seems Mencia (real name: Ned Holness) has a serious reputation for stealing material, something that Rogan feels strongly about, as does golf funnyman apprentice George Lopez, who allegedly roughed up Mencia one night in a parking lot for using his material in an HBO special.

It’s one of those great videos where you see the rug completely pulled out from under the guy. An ugly truth is trumpeted in front of Mencia, who has a solid fan base. It’s because of that fact that Mencia will skate through the attack, actually. It’s momentarily hurtful, but soon people will forget that Mencia steals material, and go back to enjoying his comedy about life as a Mexican (real nationality: German-Honduran).

Oddly enough, on the same day that Rogan was taking it to Mencia, Phil Mickelson was letting his actions demolish the NFL’s reputation.

It seems Mickelson learned that Conrad Dobler’s family had been hit with a severe blow, as Dobler’s wife, Joy, suffered an accident that left her a quadriplegic.

Finances were also a victim of the accident, and it was time to cut back for Dobler, a former offensive lineman that earned three trips to the NFL’s Pro Bowl. Add to that crippling injuries Dobler suffered while playing – he’s had 11 knee operations, seven of them in the last year, and said he now takes about 150 Vicadin prescription pain pills a month to ease the pain he feels every day - and daughter Holli’s college fund, among other things, was a thing of the past.

Until Mickelson came along and picked up the tab, paying $42,000 thus far for Holli’s education at Miami University of Ohio. For his part, Lefty has been quiet about helping out the former “dirtiest player in football.” Because while Mickelson’s intentions were only to help a former athlete hit by hard times, there was a secondary, silent message being sent - the NFL is lousy about taking care of its former players.

“Judging by our disability payments, we’re America’s safest industry,” Dobler told Bob Verdi of Golf Digest. “The greeters at Wal-Mart are taken better care of. Pretty ironic that a guy from another sport does more for us than the sport I played 10 years.”

The NFL, a product that earns literally billions of dollars annually, has long had a reputation for not wanting to spend much money on its former stars. Names like Johnny Unitas and Mike Webster show a league more interested in going by the book, and to cut costs while doing it.

And in a classy act of kindness, Mickelson trumpeted an ugly truth of the NFL.

The NFL will skate through the attack, obviously. Its fan base is too big, and the people that know about how the league treats its former players will soon forget as the ball is snapped into play.

But like Rogan outed Mencia as a joke stealer, Mickelson was the latest to out the NFL as a corporation that only cares about the bottom line, and not the players who have given us so much enjoyment.

–WKW

3 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: The Armchair Golfer [Visitor] · http://armchairgolfblog.blogspot.com

WKW - Interesting slant on this story. Yesterday's gladiators are quickly forgotten. It's a sad statement about the NFL and professional sports in general.

Permalink 02/15/07 @ 09:53

Comment from: Kristen [Visitor] · http://golfchick.blogspot.com

This is the most publicized act of silent philanthropy I've ever not heard.

Permalink 02/16/07 @ 13:55

Comment from: emaneno [Visitor]

It's one of those great videos where you see the rug completely pulled out from under the guy. An ugly truth is trumpeted in front of Mencia, who has a solid fan base. It's because of that fact that Mencia will skate through the attack, actually. It's momentarily hurtful, but soon people will forget that Mencia steals material, and go back to enjoying

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Permalink 02/17/07 @ 12:35

William K. Wolfrum

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WorldGolf.com's William K. Wolfrum blogs about everything in the world of golf and travel, including Michelle Wie, Lorena Ochoa, Tiger Woods and other PGA and LPGA headlines. Plus, he offers the humorous and obscure in news, politics and pop culture.