Roddy White gets in another Twitter squabble
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White gets into another Twitter dust-up. He doesn't care if he can't walk when he's 50. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White got into what is becoming a weekly Twitter fight.
There was the scrap with fans during the labor situation, the fans from New Orleans after he ripped their city, his freestyle tweets on commissioner Roger Goodell and let’s not forget about him expressing remorse for his anti-gay tweets.
This time, White appears to be fighting with himself over the worthiness of former players’ right to bash the game.
“It’s crazy how football players are killing our game you signed up to play a violent game and made a lot of money now u talk bad about #how”
White later added: “Yes older players didn’t make what we made but I remember when gas was 89 cents so the cost of living was different. I don’t have nothing against old players they made football what it is today and I love those guys and I don’t have a problem with them suing the nfl I don’t have to worry about it the nfl has enough money to pay them.”
I’m not sure what White really means. I think he respects the players who built the game, but then counters with a notion that the lawsuits are killing the game. I certainly concur with this, gas prices are too damn high!!!
What’s your interpretation?
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
167 comments Add your comment
PMC
May 10th, 2012
10:19 am
Don’t press Send.
PMC
May 10th, 2012
10:19 am
write it out, write it out, write it out……DONT PRESS SEND!
kevin
May 10th, 2012
10:27 am
Seen This B4
“Well, how old is White? Gas went up over a dollar back in 1989 when Iraq marched into Kuwait and never returned below it again.”
Maybe someone already corrected you, but you’ve got a bad memory. I started driving in 1990 and gas was under $1. It went up to around $1.50 during the first Iraq war, but quickly came back down. Gas was under $1 ALL THROUGH THE 1990’s, THE ENTIRE DECADE. 87 octane was usually in the $.80 range. And even AFTER 911, gas went back below $1. I paid $.79 per gallon in JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002 in Greenwood, SC. I’ll never forget that. And for the record, about three years ago, I paid $1.37. I took a picture of the sign so that I’d have proof.
Mr Marvelous
May 10th, 2012
10:31 am
@Seen ThisB4
May 10th, 2012
8:00 am
He’s a bonfide idiot, but this time, he’s right.
Speaking of bonifide idiots………….seen is in the house!!
Dr. Warren
May 10th, 2012
10:34 am
Bad education is a terrible thing. It corrupts people’s reasoning with logical fallacies. Or maybe in Roddie’s case it is just the hits on his head.
HardHat
May 10th, 2012
10:40 am
Roddy has a point that I don’t totally agree with but I am sure most former NFL players did not think that it would hit them this early in life. But come on your moms always taught you not to hit yourself in the head with a hammer. Common sense tells you hitting people with your head is not smart regardless of what you are wearing. Now the great Johhny U had trouble writing his name the last few years of his life did they help him out? Not enough the NFL should be on the hook forall those type of injuries as well as supporting the ex-playes with head injuries. The risk vs reward arguement comes into play here. You know its not good for you but the money is too great not to turn down. Wish this thing never goes to trail and both sides do the right thing. NFL is a cash cow there is more than enough to go around. Keep it out ofthe courts take care of each other not the lawyers! PS I intially agree with Roddy but if he ever got hurt by Jack Tatum I am sure he would think a little differently or at least keep his tweets to himself. My worry is not the NFL players but those hurt in college and high school where do they turn? The flood gates of lawsuits will begin
Boo Radley
May 10th, 2012
10:49 am
I saw gas in Arkansas as a young lad for .16/gal.
DePort
May 10th, 2012
10:51 am
Roddy really didnt say anything wrong this time… And he has his right to his opinion!
Section 212
May 10th, 2012
10:52 am
ATL fans, we complain about our “stars” who have little personality (Chipper, Hayward, Joe, etc.), and we complain about our stars who have expressive personalities (Roddy, Justice, Deion). You cannot have it both ways!!
Falcon Jim
May 10th, 2012
10:52 am
I believe Roddy has a valid point. I believe the older players dealing with the results of head-hits have a valid point. This needs to be resolved in a mutual understanding through cooperative studies and agreements. PLEASE, just keep it out of the courts. What is the role of the players union with regard to retired players? As much as I hate to admit it, maybe this could be worked out similar to labor resolutions.
NewOrleansJazz
May 10th, 2012
10:53 am
Playing Football in the 80’s
We were never taught to hit with the head first. I have played football and coached it. Head hits and and injuries are incidental. The same is true with hockey. Hockey has a large number of head hits and injuries as well. But former Hockey players are not litigating. The NFL’s problem is that they refuse to adequately take care of their retired players. So those players are suing trying to make up for their lack of medical attention and insurance. Stick with the facts; nothing but the facts.
Fred-D
May 10th, 2012
10:59 am
I think Roddy and the Falcons organization would be better off if White just cancelled his twitter account. Just remember, if you say nothing people will never know how smart you are; when you do open your mouth, people know exactly how smart you are.
Must Sing Rule
May 10th, 2012
11:00 am
Just don’t want to see Roddy be llike TO. Especially on the field.
Tdawg
May 10th, 2012
11:01 am
He is 100% correct in that the ole timers are trying their dead level best to kill the game. Ask your self this. Are the old player’s doing this for the betterment of the game? Are they trying to make it safer for future player’s? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are 100% wrong. To a man, every single player or former player is suing the NFL in order to line their pockets with money and nothing else, to say other wise would be a lie on their part. I know that we are talking about dumb jocks here people, but please. The line of BS that they would have you believe is that they were to just to darn stupid, ignorant, dumb take your choice of words, to realize that having violent collisions for the better part of their life. would in no way do them any harm.
It’s been known for years that boxer’s has permanent brain damage for taking to many blows to the head. What? They were too, again take your choice of adjectives, to figure out that having 2 and 3 hundred pound people trying to take you out, would have not lasting effects on your body. He!! why stop at suing for brain trauma. Why not sue for all of the broken bones, stretched tendons, torn ligaments that you suffered in your NFL career for christ sakes? Pretty sure that the coaches or owners didn’t pull these player’s aside and tell them, look here John Henry. Before your playing days are over, you will need hip and knee replacement surgery, break a few bone’s, have a few laceration’s and a lot of muscle pulls, sprains and a few broken bones. They could just add all of those mishaps into their lawsuit. I mean they most likely weren’t told by team officials that these things were going to most definitely going to happen.
This lawsuit amounts to what happened to the tobacco companies some year’s ago. I started smoking full time at 19 years of age. I was not told of the danger’s of smoking, but I was smart enough to figure out that smoke coursing through your throat and lungs couldn’t be good for you. You trying to tell me that a man ain’t smart enough to figure out that having 300lb men slamming into you is not in your best interest. No folks. This is all about the benjamins and nothing else. These, again your own adjectives. are going to wreck the game they were suppose to love so much, because of the simple fact, they could not spend their millions wisely or get a meaningful college degree that would benefit them after their NFL careers were over. Simply way of putting it, they want the NFL to pay for there lack of hindsight.
I got a good idea for those that are suing the NFL though. Why not sue yourselves for being stupid? Get ready for NFL flag football. The NFL is already making a joke out of the game as it is. They don’t need former ingrates giving them a hand.
I got another good idea. Why don’t we fans sue the NFL also? I mean we have to sit there and watch all of these violent hits. Why not sue for Post Traumatic War Syndrome? Pretty sure the Cheerleader’s has a good case.
Dmo
May 10th, 2012
11:01 am
I bought gas for .79 cents back in 1997 at the QT off of Northridge!
Redd
May 10th, 2012
11:04 am
Actually after 9/11 gas did drop down to .89cents in South Georgia.
W E B
May 10th, 2012
11:15 am
Roddy White fans wishlist……
1) stop talking 2) catch passes 3) help falcons win in the playoffs
That is all he can do for this city now!
drew
May 10th, 2012
11:20 am
Yeah, there may some truth to Roddy’s complaint, but what good can come from his comments.
For that matter, what good can come from any of Roddy’s Twits? Or anyone’s twits? I agree with Fred-D…Roddy needs to just drop theTwitter account. I cannot understand for the life of me why someone would want to toss their every thought into cyberspace. I’d love to see Falcons management ban players from posting NFL related remarks on Twitter altogether.
Sid
May 10th, 2012
11:26 am
W E B May 10th, 2012 11:15 am
Roddy White fans wishlist……
1) stop talking 2) catch passes 3) help falcons win in the playoffs
That is all he can do for this city now!
**************************************************
Exactly…………..what other Falcons are running their mouth?
Contractor
May 10th, 2012
11:28 am
I am actually in total agreement with Roddy White for once. Football is a physical game, and it is not te NFL’s fault that injuries happen. They are strictly there to provide an opportunity and to manage the game from the logistics and management side. It is their job to make players aware, and I fel as if they are doing plenty with their rookie introduction classes and the mandated meetings about safety. The issue I have is that all of these players want to make millions of dollars, but now they want to make it the easiest way possible, and the NFL and the money it brings in is not to be made easily. These guys make millions due to their entertainment value and that rare possession of a unique skill that tailors to the market. Football did not make them millionaires because people want to watch soft tackling and no kickoffs, they watch it because of collisions, long pass plays, and their ability to out perform most. These lawsuites are pathetic and you better man up to step on the field. You know the game has room for injuries and that’s the chance you take when signing that million dollar contract. If you don’t like that route, then go get an education and come to work 5-7 days a week like us normal folks. I’m sure the education part scares away 90% of the NFL players anyways.
Gamer
May 10th, 2012
11:28 am
RODDY IS JUST FEEDING HIS COMPETIVE JUICE….GOT TO DO SOMETHING TIL REGULAR SEASON START…..
ONE WAY RODDY CAN KEEP HIS COMPETIVE JUICE FLOWING IS BY PLAYING CATCH WITH RYAN TO ENSURE RYAN’S DEEP BALL TRAVELS WITH SPEED AND VELOCITY
Jfreak13713
May 10th, 2012
11:44 am
Thank the Lord we drafted Julio Jones! White please just stay off twitter and practice catching the football!
IBall
May 10th, 2012
11:44 am
Roddy, do the right thing….SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! Dude, You are making it bad for yourself. Turn to your mentor now for some advise. SHUT IT DOWN!!
roddy
May 10th, 2012
11:52 am
My interpretation is that Roddy, not surprisingly, is not too bright.
come on man
May 10th, 2012
11:57 am
White is right about this 100%. The only tweets that piss me off is how he is pulling for Boston against the Hawks. They should show by each name on these law suites how many games in the NFL they actually played in. That would be very telling…..
Falcon Jim
May 10th, 2012
11:57 am
Momma always said, “stay away from social networking.”
oledawg
May 10th, 2012
11:59 am
If Roddy and the rest of the thugs who wish for the NFL to be more rugged———then make playing with helmets an option. As far I can tell there are no helmets in rugby, and it’s a tough,tough sport, minus a larger percentage of concussions. So any “bad ass”, who wishes to headhunt in the NFL. he should do so———–without a helmet.
How fast would Roddy shut up if told to leave his helmet on the bench?
Aaron Murray
May 10th, 2012
12:03 pm
I’m suing my peewee football coach. If I had not of hit that tackling dummy with the top of my head, I’d be 6′2″ instead of 5′11 n 3/4″.
Mark (another one)
May 10th, 2012
12:03 pm
Professional athletes are well compensated as entertainers. Almost all NFL players went to college and have no execuse for not being well educated. So, we have a bunch of well paid, well educated, entertainers that want more money from the trough. It sounds like they should have put some money aside for their future when they had the chance.
My previous employers are not going to send me money in my old age just because I need it. Everyone looks at the NFL and says its a bunch of millionaires and billionaires fighting, but in this case, the law suits are silly. When they hit their heads did they feel pain?
Judy
May 10th, 2012
12:17 pm
Who knows he makes no sense. He just want to be heard. White needs to be quiet and work on the mental aspect of his game CATCH THE BALL AND RUN “RUN FOREST RUN”
Glove
May 10th, 2012
12:20 pm
Players are modern day gladiators…and paid very handsomely for it. Football gave many an opprotunity to earn more money and live a better life then most of the people who watch it…and there are not many people who would just quit now. I can see why Warner would not want his kids to play, his family is set for life…but he wasn’t thinking that when he was bagging groceries and playing in arena leagues. The players know the risks but the money and the glory makes it worth it for most.
johnm
May 10th, 2012
12:23 pm
love roddy glad we have him. twitter is stupid no matter whos on it. tweet all ya want ab whatever you want roddy, just stop dropping so many balls
JSS
May 10th, 2012
12:24 pm
Sad thing is that Roddy doesn’t understand that the league (as a policy) used deception to get players to disregard their future physical and neurological health… And once they were overwhelmed by medical and scientific evidence; then attempted to discredit the evidence until the Senate of the United States shamed them! Roddy doesn’t get too bad, he’ll get it eventually… Maybe he should spend month with Willie Wood and then Twit…
JTcobb
May 10th, 2012
12:26 pm
Turning this tweet into a story is a real reach. Must be a slow news day.
EnglishSpeaker
May 10th, 2012
12:30 pm
“I don’t have nothing against old players”
If I’m not mistaken, that means he has something against old players. Roddy is an ignorant fool.
Sterling
May 10th, 2012
12:37 pm
I’m still waiting for some of them to sue their union! Wasn’t the union suppose to be looking out for them?
Sid
May 10th, 2012
12:38 pm
JSS May 10th, 2012 12:24 pm
“the league (as a policy) used deception to get players to disregard their future physical and neurological health…”
***********************************************************
Where can I find out more about this deception?
Falcon Jim
May 10th, 2012
12:39 pm
JSS – Please cite the deception.
(I’m not being negative on your post. I really want to know how the NFL deceived players.)
Bigg Don
May 10th, 2012
12:58 pm
Hey Roddie: Whether you are right or wrong you should be out learning how to freakin catch the ball. I believe YOU had the most drops in the entire NFL last year among starting receivers. Not real sharp. Personally I think you are an idiot who can’t get out of his own way and I wish to hell the Falcons would trade you.
Three Jack
May 10th, 2012
1:04 pm
hopefully all the tweeting is strengthening his hands to help him hang on to a freakin thrown football.
SawThat1nce
May 10th, 2012
1:13 pm
The owners have, and will(as a result of their prior svcs.), make billions of $$$$, off of these old veteran players.
The only reason that they can and/or will not provide adequate health care for these retired players is GREED.
White has a perfect right to his opinion, but he should take into consideration, the fact, that if it was not for the former players that built up the NFL, he would not have a job as a NFL player, and he would, for dang-sure, not be making the kind of money that he is getting now.
Falco peregrino
May 10th, 2012
1:15 pm
Some of these “older” players have spent their fortune, and are trying to sue to get more money because some stupid doctor, prematurely, suggested concussions have impacted a players tragic suicide. Without merit at this point.
D. Orlando Ledbetter
May 10th, 2012
1:28 pm
JTcobb – Our digital folks love Roddy’s freestyle tweeting. He’s a public figure, you know.
JSS
May 10th, 2012
1:28 pm
After the 2000 study on concussions (following the fallout over the dramatic financial ramifications surrounding declining health of former Packer great Willie Wood), a 2007 follow-up study by UNC was brought to the attention of Rep. John Conyers and Sen. John McCain. At that time, the members of Congress asked the NFL to address the matter or be subject possible Federal subpoena power to access player’s medical records (under League control)…
“Several members of Congress portrayed Mr. Goodell and the league as impeding proper player care and obfuscating the long-term effects of concussions. The league and a former co-chairman of its committee on brain injuries, Dr. Ira Casson, have consistently played down studies and anecdotal evidence linking retired N.F.L. players to brain damage commonly associated with boxers and dementia rates several times that of the national population.”
source: (NYTimes, 2009)
The House Judiciary Committee was finally able to hold hearings in early 2009.
The deception was two part. In terms of long-term physical disabilities due to injuries and the two-fold trauma caused by player size. The league sanctioned increased mass in direct contradiction to evidence from doctors like Dr. James Andrews that the mass would have long-term physical ramifications on former players quality of life and mobility. (Rutgers, 2010)
“When I came to my first NFL camp, it was like I was a tall, cold can of beer. They popped the top, and all that energy and desire and ability poured out. I gave of myself with the same passion that I had in high school and college. When I was empty, when I had no more to give, they just crumpled me up and threw me on the garbage heap. Then they grabbed another new can and popped him open, and he flowed out until he was empty.”
–CURT MARSH, NFL lineman 1981-86
Now some of you will just write his comments to sour grapes. However, Marsh is speaking to the culture of the NFL training room as well.
“”The Raiders just shot me up with drugs and pills and pushed me out on the field. And when I was done, they pushed me out the door.” – DAVE PEAR, Former Bucs and Oakland Raiders defensive lineman”
When you go into a hospital or doctors office, you are told and shown a protocol of the side effects and hazards of what you’re being given. For 60 years, the NFL played Russian roulette with the physical well-being of its working stock like the worst mad scientist.
SawThat1nce
May 10th, 2012
1:28 pm
NOJazz……..Heck man, if it hadn’t been for Katrina, they would now be the San Antonio dirty-siants, or turd-knockers, s–t(dodo) kickers, or something to that effect.
Which would still be a better name, than the saints.
D
May 10th, 2012
1:29 pm
If it were my team, I’d stipulate in the contract that you can’t have a twitter account. Rarely produces anything positive. The world was better without IMO
jonkwithfalcons
May 10th, 2012
1:30 pm
When you get pay to play what did it say on the contracts 100 yrs ago when the game first just started, did it mention NFL has to take care of retirees for whatever reasons when they got sick or sickness just started piling up on older players? It’s gonna be hard for Nfl to pay for all this they got money to pay everybody about this, Roddy White might be right about killing the game hey thing happens nobody knows what is gonna happen!!
Falcon Fan
May 10th, 2012
1:34 pm
Im a fan of Roody White but he should play the game and stay off twitter. All Im saying is look at T.O., still has gas in the tank but nobody wants to drive the car.
SawThat1nce
May 10th, 2012
1:35 pm
I just do not believe that money will kill the NFL.
JSS
May 10th, 2012
1:36 pm
Some of you don’t understand how medical and retirement plans work… A “trust” is just that… The NFL is putting in pennies on the dollar. They earned billions nearing a trillion but failed to do basic risk management planning…