As all sports fans know, today is the 20th anniversary of New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis' hit on New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The hit would cause Drew Bledsoe's lung to collapse and shear a blood vessel in the lung. After the game, Drew Bledsoe's heart rate spiked dramatically and he would be rushed to Mass General Hospital in Boston. However, he would die in the hospital after doctors opened his chest to try and find the cause of the blood pooling in his lungs.
This would lead to week 3 of the NFL being delayed a week and would ultimately be the trigger for numerous safety changes and reform in the NFL and other sports leagues, including wrestling (1) (especially after the suicide of wrestler Chris Benoit after the death of his friend, Eddie Guerrero (2)). The Patriots would rally around backup QB Tom Brady and would, ultimately, win four Super Bowls in the 10 years after Bledsoe's death, with Brady dedicating the first win to Bledsoe's memory.
So, WI Drew Bledsoe doesn't die? Maybe the doctors find the problem and don't need to open his chest. He'd likely come back, but he would not be the same QB he was before the hit on him by Lewis. As for Lewis, his career ended with that hit. He retired after the season ended, in part because of death threats from numerous Patriots fans. In addition, I don't see the NFL adopting stricter penalties on hits (3), which has led many to compare the NFL to flag football or Australian rules football.
(1) I don't see Ric Flair, for instance, being fired from the WWE after his actions on the Plane Ride From Hell if there hadn't been increased scrutiny on football and wrestling safety and scandals due to Bledsoe's death.
(2) Benoit had attacked his wife Nancy in November of 2006 after a fight. However, after initially tying her up with duct tape, he freed her and told her to get Daniel and get the hell out of the house. She and Daniel fled to a neighbor's and called the cops, who found Benoit hanging from a weight in the weight room; he left a note where he asked Nancy to stay in touch with Daniel and Megan (his kids from his first marriage) and for his brain to be studied--which had signs of CTE and looked like an 85-year-old man with Alzheimer's. Nancy has become an advocate for those with CTE and their families.
(3) I also don't see the NFL agreeing (however reluctant they reportedly were to do so) with Milton Obote's report on concussions without Bledsoe's death and the aftermath in mind.
This would lead to week 3 of the NFL being delayed a week and would ultimately be the trigger for numerous safety changes and reform in the NFL and other sports leagues, including wrestling (1) (especially after the suicide of wrestler Chris Benoit after the death of his friend, Eddie Guerrero (2)). The Patriots would rally around backup QB Tom Brady and would, ultimately, win four Super Bowls in the 10 years after Bledsoe's death, with Brady dedicating the first win to Bledsoe's memory.
So, WI Drew Bledsoe doesn't die? Maybe the doctors find the problem and don't need to open his chest. He'd likely come back, but he would not be the same QB he was before the hit on him by Lewis. As for Lewis, his career ended with that hit. He retired after the season ended, in part because of death threats from numerous Patriots fans. In addition, I don't see the NFL adopting stricter penalties on hits (3), which has led many to compare the NFL to flag football or Australian rules football.
(1) I don't see Ric Flair, for instance, being fired from the WWE after his actions on the Plane Ride From Hell if there hadn't been increased scrutiny on football and wrestling safety and scandals due to Bledsoe's death.
(2) Benoit had attacked his wife Nancy in November of 2006 after a fight. However, after initially tying her up with duct tape, he freed her and told her to get Daniel and get the hell out of the house. She and Daniel fled to a neighbor's and called the cops, who found Benoit hanging from a weight in the weight room; he left a note where he asked Nancy to stay in touch with Daniel and Megan (his kids from his first marriage) and for his brain to be studied--which had signs of CTE and looked like an 85-year-old man with Alzheimer's. Nancy has become an advocate for those with CTE and their families.
(3) I also don't see the NFL agreeing (however reluctant they reportedly were to do so) with Milton Obote's report on concussions without Bledsoe's death and the aftermath in mind.