How About a Little Compassion? - Tuesday, August 05, 2008
285 Views :: 0 Comments :: :: Michael Bradley

   The culture of the NFL is pretty simple. You have to know the difference between pain and injury. Only the strong survive. Hit or be hit. And so on. It is always about toughness and the ability to withstand the hurt and agony that come with playing a violent collision sport. Those who persevere despite the physical pounding are glorified. Those who can't are shunted aside in favor of new bodies. It's how it has to be.

   Monday afternoon, Shawn Andrews announced he was facing one of the toughest opponents any athlete -- or ordinary citizen -- can face: Depression. It's a nasty adversary, capable of bringing the most powerful man to his knees. Treating it is tricky, because no medication is guaranteed to work for everyone. Handling its many ramifications can be overwhelming. Andrews has begun taking medication. He has consented to see a mental health professional. He is taking strong first steps.

   Now, it's time for his employer to show the kind of class and compassion necessary to help him get on the road to a full recovery. Trouble is, the Eagles haven't been too willing to step up in that regard. They have treated Andrews like a malingerer. Like he has broken some sort of antediluvian code that mandates football players be strong and ignore problems like depression. Coach Andy Reid has called his absence "unexcused," and reports are the Andrews has been fined $15,000 a day during his hiatus.

   Let me be as clear as possible about this. It doesn't matter if Andrews didn't tell the Eagles a word about his depression until last week. It doesn't matter whether he promised to be in camp and then didn't show. When you are dealing with depression, you can't follow through on promises. You often can't focus on your work. Many days, it's a struggle just to get out of bed. Those who haven't dealt with it can't know how grim the battle is. But those who have been in its black grip understand all too well.

   The shame of all of this is that Reid asked for the same compassion when he was going through his trying period last year. When Britt and Garrett Reid were in the throes of their legal and emotional problems, Andy and his wife wanted Eagles fans to understand their situation and show concern and care. In most cases, they got it. Now, with Andrews in need, Reid is acting like an insensitive lout, unwilling to acknowledge depression as every bit a formidable foe to a football player as a torn ACL or broken arm.

   The Eagles have a chance to turn this around by supporting Andrews and letting the team and fans know how tough it has been for the starting guard. According to Andrews, Reid has shown some understanding as time has gone on. It's time to step up publicly and make a statement. He asked for it in the past, and now it's time for him to show what he has learned. If Reid and the Eagles can't do that, then all their platitudes about being a top-shelf organization can be dismissed. They will have shown themselves to be nothing more than a group of bottom-line greedheads forever trapped in an old-fashioned view of mental illness. It's the 21st century, people. Act like it.