FanHouse HarryCarson

There's no bigger issue facing the NFL right now than the health problems of retired players. Many of those ex-players are taking their concerns to the league and the players' union, but for some of them, their health has deteriorated to the point where they can no longer speak for themselves.

One such player is John Mackey, the Hall of Fame tight end for the Baltimore Colts who suffered a number of injuries during his career, including multiple concussions, and is now suffering from dementia. Fortunately for Mackey, his wife, Sylvia, is willing and able to speak for him.

Except that no one wants to listen. The New York Times reports that when the wives of ex-players attempted to attend a meeting on Thursday between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and a group of retirees, they were told that they weren't welcome. Stunningly, it was the ex-players themselves who said they didn't want any women around.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress might have done a really stupid thing by shooting himself in the leg with a handgun, but the team should stick with him through thick and thin.

At least that's the opinion held by former Giants great Harry Carson.

As a featured guest at Tuesday night's Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year ceremony (attended by FanHouse) Carson walked the red carpet and chatted with reporters before heading into the post-ceremony party. Naturally, he was peppered with questions about Plax, and Carson spoke pretty candidly about the situation.

"(Plaxico) did something dumb, stupid, he regrets it, and I know exactly how he feels, but unfortunately he's in that situation right now," said Carson. "I hope the Giants organization sticks with him. Not so much to get him back on the football field, but, you know, Wellington Mara always said, 'Once you're a Giant, you're always a Giant, and you're part of the Giants family,' and I think that this is a time when Plaxico needs his family to support him. I hope the Giants organization sticks with him through this, regardless of what happens."

The YES Network is airing a show called "Captain's Corner" tonight in which a panel of great New York captains all pat each other on the back and talk about what it takes to be a captain. The panel features guys like Harry Carson of the New York Giants, Mike Eruzione of the 1980 U.S. hockey team, and of course, Donnie Baseball and Derek Jeter of the Yankees.

The show tends to get a bit awkward though, because at one point, Don Mattingly gets a little too enamored with Derek Jeter.

When you play 162 games and watch a guy like this (motions to Jeter), you know that he's a leader because he plays hurt, doesn't complain, doesn't talk about it, keeps going out there, you know. Guy gets hit... whatever happens to him, it's just that you see that toughness day in and day out.

You know if you see a Derek Jeter and see his face right, you think, "Oh a pretty boy right?" Right? But you know, but there's a toughness inside of this guy that you see when you're in that locker room everyday, and that's what guys respect. They respect a guy, and that's where you gain it (in the locker room), cuz' you know, there's a saying for me in the locker room, "Guys are naked." And not just "naked" but, you see their personality, you see them inside and out, you know what a guy's all about when you see them in the locker room.