DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum this got to me

It is really sad and he's probably not the only player that felt that way.

His dedication and sense of honor is becoming more and more rare these days. The world could use a lot more people like Joe Thomas and a lot less people like Deshaun Watson.

Football was a lot more to Joe Thomas than just a paycheck. Thanks for posting this bone.

On one hand, I sympathize with Joe. On the other, it reminds me what a messed up outlook modern society has towards winning. Some things can't be won no matter what an individual does. Yet, "winning" is how too many things are measured. We put too much emphasis on an end result that is out of anyone's control instead of focusing on how people act while trying to get there. Some groups start with more resources and are more likely to be able to win. The illusion of parity, and the, perhaps, not quite wholesale lie that anyone can win if they are just willing to sacrifice everything, is a terrible burden people allow themselves to carry. Sometimes there simply is no winning because factors outside your control are stacked against you. Just the underlying assumptions we have about what winning is at times seem problematic.

Living the best you can is the only "winning" you have any control over. Unfortunately, I think how we define that best can be flawed, and what we consider winning certainly can have its own issues.

Joe's a winner in my book.

Sports in and of itself is predicated on winners and losers. That's the subject matter.

It's not a topic about life in general or some philosophical discussion. Focus.