Phil Mickelson helps out Conrad Dobler's family: No, it is not a hoax or urban legend
A while ago, I gave my thoughts on Phil Mickelson lending a hand to former NFL star Conrad Dobler and his family, who were suffering from financial woes due to medical expenses for Dobler’s wife Joy, as well as a lifetime of medical expenses for Dobler, himself, whose body was brutalized from a stellar NFL career.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve noticed that certain Google searches keep popping up, mainly based around this rumor: That Mickelson’s charity to Dobler was a hoax or an urban legend.
So hopefully, those that a) are curious to find out about the Mickelson-Dobler connection, and b) those that are for some odd reason trying to get people to believe it’s a hoax, end up here, at this blog.
Because it is not a hoax. It is not make believe. It is not an urban legend. Lefty lent a hand to a former NFL great and Conrad Dobler really said this:
“Judging by our disability payments, we’re America’s safest industry. 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.”
And you can dissect that any way you like. Here’s how I see it: Much like how the U.S. government cuts corners on helping U.S. veterans who are broken serving their country, the NFL cuts corners on helping NFL veterans who are broken giving their all to the game.
The original story on the Dobler-Mickelson connection was written by Bob Verdi, who is as good and respected a sports columnist as you’ll find. In 2004, Verdi was awarded the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.
Verdi wrote the story “Mickelson gives to Dobler family” for Golf World.
Phil Mickelson’s official Web site has the story prominently displayed.
So whatever your opinions are on Mickelson, Dobler, the NFL, or even charity, just know one thing - the story is not a hoax. It is not an urban legend. Because of Phil Mickelson, Dobler’s daughter Holli is continuing her education. And that’s the truth.
–WKW
Comments, Pingbacks:
Since you can't resist knocking the US government at your every turn, tell me , what branch of military service did you serve?
Mine was USMC 1969-73.
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03/12/07 @ 17:15 I never served, so I never had the opportunity to either fight like John Murtha or even dodge combat like our President.
In all honesty, however, thank you for serving. Marines mean business.
I would imagine you're a bit miffed about your brothers in arms sleeping in their own urine in the privatized heaven of Walter Reed. Veterans are not just disposable parts. When you pay the price so many servicemen are paying, you deserve to be taken care of by your nation.
Regardless, again, thank you for serving. It's you and other vets who allow fellow American citizens like myself to speak freely and live freely. It would be awful to live in a military dictatorship where only those who served could voice an opinion.
--WKW
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03/12/07 @ 18:02 Our combat veterans receive better treatment than those of any other military in history, despite the propaganda that the far-left is spreading. It isn't perfect. Nothing ever is.
It obviously galls you that President Bush served honorably and was discharged as such. And whether or not you like him, he is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, just as was President Clinton, a man who had a deep dislike and resentment for the military, a dislike which he expressed on many occasions.
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03/13/07 @ 07:47 Since you haven't served in the military, that accounts for some misconceptions that you have about the armed services. Please allow me to enlighten you.
Of all the persons who have ever served, only about 10% have ever been put under enemy fire or assaulted the enemy in armed combat, if that is your definition of "fighting."
The remaining 90% are support personnel, such as supply, ordnance, engineers.vehicle maintenance, etc. Although these troops can come under enemy fire, they are not combat troops as such. ALL troops in the combat arms, which are Infantry, Artillery and Armor are volunteers for these assignments. No women are in these units. These definitions apply only to ground troops in the Army or Marines.
There is no such thing as "dodging" combat without being subject to a general courts martial.
President Bush was a pilot in a Texas Air Guard unit. Had his unit been nationalized and sent into an area where air strikes and combat sorties had been ordered, and Bush had refused to fly his mission, he would have been subject to the aforementioned courts martial, convicted, relieved of his commission and probably imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth.
Nothing of the sort ever happened, no matter how the convoluted left-wing kooks trumpet it.
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03/13/07 @ 13:41 Leave a comment:
William K. Wolfrum
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.
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