COMMENTARY: IT’S NOT OKAY
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on the All New Hits 98 CKHD & LTD Radio)
It’s been a tough week for hockey.
Two former NHL’ers died, and both by their own hand.
Here in Florida, Belurusian player Konstantin Koltsov passed away this week at age 42. Miami-Dade County officials gave the cause of death as suicide, but they didn’t report the reason. Nor are they obligated to.
Meanwhile Chris Simon passed away at age 52 and somehow it was learned the cause of death was suicide as well.
It’s been close to 20 years since either played in the NHL so we can only guess what those 20 years were like for them.
Simon’s family issued a statement this week blaming CTE for the death but the second I heard that, my radar went up.
CTE can’t be diagnosed until post-mortem. There’s no way the Simon family could know this for sure.
You also can’t blame them for trying to find a culprit.
A quick Google search of CTE symptoms tells us:
“People with CTE may have trouble remembering things and concentrating. They may have changes in their behavior and personality, including violent outbursts, increased frustration, mood swings, and lack of interest in people and things they previously cared about.”
Those are also symptoms of a variety of Mental Health issues, like Bipolar Disorder or even Depression. Both of which are treatable and/or manageable.
Dare I say suffering from these things is no reason to take your own life, and cause a wake of unrelenting grief for your family, friends and even fans.
I didn’t know Chris Simon but I know plenty of people who did – many of whom played with or coached him – and they thought the sun rose and set on him.
A real good guy. The type that could’ve been a positive role model for many. With a clear head, I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be remembered for the way it ended.
It’s okay to not be okay. But it’s not okay to stay that way.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
Well I sit watch a fellow by the name of Matt Rempe with the racoon eyes and I can predict where it’s usually going to go. People/places/things – we have 52 year old Jacques Laroque in some b.s minor league fighting and on it goes. It’s more than the job and hits in the head. 50 is an age that is a turning point. It’s either move fwd or it what it us. The other hockey player had a double life. End of the day it’s all on the individual. It’s very easy to end up in a living hell.… Read more »
Wow Rod.. insensitive even by your low standards.
Just saying he didn’t have to die! Not sure what you see as the problem with that.
What exactly was insensitive. That’s the problem with you woke people. Always looking for victimhood. Always an excuse. This is the same guy that 20+ years ago stomped on another guy’s leg and took a suspension. Never mind he could have ended another person’s career to the point of physically maiming the guy. So here’s a thought – consider 10 years before that incident…..so these people at age 50 don’t wake up and decide to break bad.They are what they are, they’re encouraged and rewarded, their identies get wrapped up in their job and – later down the road when… Read more »
Probably fair to say the family means Simon was struggling with CTE like symptoms but anyone paying attention already saw that for themselves. Stomping a guy with a skate seems like an obvious ‘lack of impulse control and impaired decision making’ to me. I can’t imagine the last 20 years have been much fun for him. Obviously CTE can’t be diagnosed before death, but is anyone seriously going to be surprised if he had CTE? I’m at the point where I’m surprised if anyone playing hockey or football at a high level doesn’t have CTE, period. People simply aren’t meant… Read more »
They didn’t SAY he had the symptoms.
You’re middle aged buddies were not making good decisions from day 1. Start there – “middle aged hockey buddy…” – that’s peter pan syndrom and has nothing to do with hockey. The inability to grow up. The inability to take on responsiblilty, and the inabilty to break from the little herd. This is the same as the guys who still hang out 30 years after high school. This horse crap “CTE” is a convienant excuse. – Boxers make their living doing it. Go watch Tommy Hearns/Marvin Hagler on Youtube – those two stood in the middle of the ring and… Read more »
A lot to unpack. But I would start with CTE is an actual medical condition, diagnosed only after death, that can show symptoms before death. The examples are there, Boogaard, Probert, etc where the family knows something is up. It’s not an excuse for bad behaviour or poor decisions. In fact, I’d agree that most of them knew what they were getting into, and were willing to play then and pay later. Hell, a good chunk of them would have been fighting at the bar if not for hockey. At least I got paid for a while might be their… Read more »
Respect your opinion. Unfortunately you just don’t have clue one. With regards to CTE, it’s no different than what we see today with a mafioso Teacher’s Union believing each child requires a personal Education Assistant. Is it possible kids today are just dumb? As for Mike Tyson, that was the sham of all sham’s what happened to that man. Now past that it was 30 years ago….have you seen the conduct of his life today? Have you seen how he’s helping people and the man he’s turned into? No….you have not. Men, make decisions. Some are good,some are bad. I… Read more »
Boogard kept the Sackler family in business with opiods, and Probert was responsible for 4% of all nose candy exports leaving Peru and Columbia. They expired due to lifestye. CTE had nothing to do with it.