Twitter: Dez says Marion Barber is not doing well

[RustyBourneHorse]

I pray that Marion the Barbarian gets the help he needs.

 

[erod]

He's right though. Fans don't care about players when their athleticism goes or their speed goes.....you see it first hand...the disrespect seen on her when Sean Lee retired.....Tyrone Crawford retired....the same disrespect Dez gets....

Barber bashed his head in for our enjoyment. Every Sunday we tuned in and rooted for him to bash his head in.....all fans care about is winning games...I'm not saying that's how it should or shouldn't be but that's what it is. Dez is just speaking facts.

Same goes for every human on earth. The players don't really care if you or I live or die.

We're going to have a ton of UFC fighters drinking their dinner out of a straw when they get to 60. It's a newer sport, and it's far more brutal than the NFL. Does anybody care? No.

 

[erod]

His father...Marion Barber Jr. played in the NFL.

Its wild though...he was "odd" because he didn't talk much, emotional on the field, didn't party and stayed home and played the piano....I think you're coming up with this perception of him based on a Hard Knocks episode.

If he was a party animal and druggie off the field, I never heard it. He was always described as very quiet off the field. He wasn't a regular on the police blotter like Dez and others.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

This is so outlandish...why are you assuming he has a problem with drugs? I don't think Dez was asking for pity. But for me personally its sad that a guy like Barber.....who did EVERYTHING right........all the unwritten sports rules....

1. "GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"
2. "LEAVE IT ALL OUT ON THE FIELD!"
3. Be a great teammate
4. Don't talk back to your coach.
5. Train hard
6. Practice harder.
7. Play hurt
8. Stayed out of trouble off the field.

All the toxic stuff these coaches instill in our young athletes all the way dating back to pee wee football......he did it all right.....just to be in his 30's battling mental illness that more than likely came from bashing his head in every Sunday..

Yes, he gave it his all. No issue there. He was paid a ton of money for a job with known risks.

Drugs, CTE, and genetics are all high probabilities. I didn’t ‘assume’ he was a druggie. Just said if he was, no sympathy. My guess is that Barber more than dabbled in drugs just like many people of his generation. Elliott too in my opinion. Rock stars, actors, and sports people tend to use drugs to keep the fame high going.

As far as CTE goes, not much anyone can do. The risks are known. The players want the money. If fans are so turned off or worried by CTE, then they have a moral imperative to stop watching and supporting football. Fans want to see players hitting each other.

If it is genetic related, then football may have exacerbated, or quite possibly helped him get as far as he did until the symptoms appeared.

 

[Hagman]

Yeah, right on. Dez has tens of millions of dollars to get his buddy the best care in the world. Barber made more money playing a game than 99.999999999% of people. Maybe Dez and other teammates are helping him financially. Good for them if they are.

Money can usually help but with mental illness, money doesn’t do much. Not much one can do. No magic wand.

If Barber is in this condition due to drugs, well, no sympathy at all.

Millions of people probably suffering worse than him. Just because he was a football player, doesn’t entitle him to extra pity.

The fact that he played football doesn’t entitle him to more pity, but it certainly doesn’t mean that he deserves less. And however a person reaches a hard place in life, they deserve our concern and help. Just speaking as a human being.

 

[AsthmaField]

I loved watching Barber play. I hope he gets some help and manages his problems.

It doesn’t really matter if he got these issues from playing or not, but there is a good chance he was going to have them anyway. There are people with mental illness all in society that never played football.

I just hate it for Marion no matter what. I hate that he’s having to go through it. And Dez is right… most fans won’t care a bit now that he’s no longer a Cowboy. That’s just human nature, unfortunately.

 

[DFWJC]

Barber has been struggling with mental health for quite some time

cant say if its cte or a condition he had that no one knew about

but i pray he gets the help he needs

all of this.

Though I will add that the way he played did lend itself more to eventual CTE than most.

Either way, it's awful. Like most here, I really enjoyed watching Barber play.

 

[InTheZone]

I'd imagine it's much higher than that, some either are oblivious to it or what we consider normal may be classified with something. Not degrading the seriousness of those with more serious issues.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Same goes for every human on earth. The players don't really care if you or I live or die.

We're going to have a ton of UFC fighters drinking their dinner out of a straw when they get to 60. It's a newer sport, and it's far more brutal than the NFL. Does anybody care? No.

It being more brutal is subjective. A UFC fighter at least fights a few rounds in about 3 or 4 fights a year. NFL player is playing far more than that a year. And facing much bigger and faster men and elite athletes.

Yet, athletes and NFL players are the ones with organizations trying to help out the less fortunate....they are the ones giving back to their communities...whether they actually care or not I don't know.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

The fact that he played football doesn’t entitle him to more pity, but it certainly doesn’t mean that he deserves less. And however a person reaches a hard place in life, they deserve our concern and help. Just speaking as a human being.

I disagree with ‘deserve our concern.’ They may get concern and help but they don’t deserve it. Deserved has got nothing to do with it.

If two people are in a similar situation. One his own fault, the other through no fault of his own, and I can only help one. Well, guess who’s getting the help.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Yes, he gave it his all. No issue there. He was paid a ton of money for a job with known risks.

Drugs, CTE, and genetics are all high probabilities. I didn’t ‘assume’ he was a druggie. Just said if he was, no sympathy. My guess is that Barber more than dabbled in drugs just like many people of his generation. Elliott too in my opinion. Rock stars, actors, and sports people tend to use drugs to keep the fame high going.

As far as CTE goes, not much anyone can do. The risks are known. The players want the money. If fans are so turned off or worried by CTE, then they have a moral imperative to stop watching and supporting football. Fans want to see players hitting each other.

If it is genetic related, then football may have exacerbated, or quite possibly helped him get as far as he did until the symptoms appeared.

I don't know where you're at but people don't just "dabble in drugs". He wan't a partier or any of that so I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion....and plus the problems he's having isn't the problems of a drug abuser.....

He got paid to bash his head in. Fair enough. And maybe that's how you cope....makes it easier for you to not have pity for these guys but I can sympathize with guys who are bashing their heads in for our pleasure on Sunday whether they get paid or not.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

If he was a party animal and druggie off the field, I never heard it. He was always described as very quiet off the field. He wasn't a regular on the police blotter like Dez and others.

And that's odd?

 

[TheSkaven]

Everything I hear says its pretty bad. Basically facing being institutionalized. Doubtful its CTE, indications are that this has been a life long problem that is just getting worse.

When you write “lifelong problem”, just remember that most of these guys start playing at the peewee level.

 

[JohnsKey19]

Stats don't do Barber justice. For about 2 years around the 2006-2007 seasons, you felt like something good would happen whenever Barber was in the game or touch the ball. One of my favorite players to watch ever. It's been sad to read about his troubles post NFL career.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Always loved watching MBIII carry the ball. Hope he gets the help he needs!

 

[erod]

And that's odd?

Odd only in that he had the reputation as a quiet loner, while being very outgoing and emotional on the field.

 

[erod]

It being more brutal is subjective. A UFC fighter at least fights a few rounds in about 3 or 4 fights a year. NFL player is playing far more than that a year. And facing much bigger and faster men and elite athletes.

Yet, athletes and NFL players are the ones with organizations trying to help out the less fortunate....they are the ones giving back to their communities...whether they actually care or not I don't know.

That simply isn't true.

The community I live in has so many outreach and charitable causes, you can't count them. Just about everybody I know is involved in at least one of them. Whether it's through church or their workplace, or as a neighborhood community organization. It never gets pointed out because it's not expedient for some to do so, but people with means do important things, while government programs just waste money and help virtually no one.

The organizations I support have to show us where and how the money is spent. Some of them don't want to provide that, which is clear sign money is getting pocketed. Government funds don't typically have to be accounted for, which is a major problem. Outreach is best handled by private contributions because it's the most impactful for those in need.

 

[buybuydandavis]

I don't like how Dez says "we are just a stat and moments to most people." Yes, Dez, that's somewhat true. But what are we to you?

Most people are not even a moment to most people. Bitterness about not being entitled enough is not a good look. I'm sure it's not a good feel either. Despite Dez's denial and entitlement, I find it sad that Dez seems to have bitterness over his career. It's not like this is the first time.

 

[DuncanIso]

Same goes for every human on earth. The players don't really care if you or I live or die.

We're going to have a ton of UFC fighters drinking their dinner out of a straw when they get to 60. It's a newer sport, and it's far more brutal than the NFL. Does anybody care? No.

agree.

Hockey is brutal too.

 

[TexasBacon]

Yeah, right on. Dez has tens of millions of dollars to get his buddy the best care in the world. Barber made more money playing a game than 99.999999999% of people. Maybe Dez and other teammates are helping him financially. Good for them if they are.

Money can usually help but with mental illness, money doesn’t do much. Not much one can do. No magic wand.

If Barber is in this condition due to drugs, well, no sympathy at all.

Millions of people probably suffering worse than him. Just because he was a football player, doesn’t entitle him to extra pity.

People with serious mental health issues often self-medicate with substance abuse. If that were the case (and to my knowledge there's no indication there is) it shouldn't deter you from supporting them or giving your sympathy. Randy Gregory is a perfect example (though I don't consider marijuana an illicit substance; it's better for people than 95% of the crap doctors prescribe these days).