All-Pro Shawn Andrews Battles Depression (So Should He Still Be Fined?)

[Gorgolon Lives]

Eagles All-Pro OG Shawn Andrews has missed the past week of training camp as he is battling depression. He's being fined $15,000 for each missed day. My question is should he be fined for this? Isn't this basically an injury? (Just a mental injury.) Here's the story:

Report: Eagles’ Andrews is battling depression

1 hour, 20 minutes ago

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In this July 28, 2004 file pho…
AP - Aug 4, 7:42 pm EDT

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PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Philadelphia Eagles guard Shawn Andrews is battling depression and might arrive at training camp this week, the two-time Pro Bowl selection told a newspaper Monday.
In an exclusive interview with the Philadelphia Daily News from his Arkansas home, Andrews said his depression started a year ago and has worsened.
“I’m willing to admit that I’ve been going through a very bad time with depression,” Andrews said in his first public comments about his training camp absence. “I’ve finally decided to get professional help. It’s not something that blossomed up overnight. I’m on medication, trying to get better.”
The Eagles did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment about Andrews’ admission.
Andrews didn’t detail the origins of his depression in comments posted on the newspaper’s Web site.
“I really was kind of at my end,” the right guard said. “I’ve really had a lot on my mind, really (been) contemplating a lot of things.”

Andrews missed the final week of the Eagles’ voluntary workouts in June for personal reasons and has been a no-show in the first weeks of training camp.
“In the state that I’m in, (had he reported), I would be at training camp physically, but mentally, I could have gotten myself hurt or gotten one of my teammates hurt,” he was quoted as telling the newspaper.
Andrews said he is scheduled to see a doctor Thursday and could return to the team shortly after.
The fifth-year veteran also confirmed to the Daily News that he is being fined $15,000 per day by the team because his absence is not excused. He said his mental health is more important than football.
“Football is important, it’s a means to an end, but my mental health, I feel like, is a lot more important,” Andrews said. “That’s a helluva lot of money … Money’s good, money’s a necessity, but it’s not everything. I can’t put a price tag on my mental state.”
Andrews said he hopes to speak to his teammates when he does rejoin the Eagles.
“I just want to look ‘em in the eye and let ‘em all know—this wasn’t BS, this was for the mental health of me, I could have gone out there and gotten any one of you hurt” by not being focused,” he said.

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

I've never clinically been diagnosed, and I don't take meds. But I HAVE had some rough times where I just didn't even want to get out of bed in the morning. So...my answer is that they should give back the money he has been fined, and they should not fine him anymore until he returns.

 

[Cherry Picker]

Agreed.

 

[NYGiants25]

i would favor the side of a mental injury, but im not the rule maker

 

[JumpOnBoard]

Yes he should be fined IMO....the team has to protect itself as well..

He needs to tell his brother to sh*t or get of the pot as well..

 

[Joe Public]

If I were the Eagles I would work with him behind the scenes to first make sure he's getting help and second knock this fine back to something they could both agree on.

I'm sure he'll take a little bit of a hit because he obviously knows he should have talked to them, he's owned up to that. But the Birds could go a long way toward helping him by showing him a little love on the fine front.

Depression is no joke, I can absolutely see why he didn't show up.

 

[spanishshark]

I agree with Joe. If anything, instead of a fine, get him some real good help and let him pay for it with the "fine" money. If in fact he really is mentally sick then that fine is bullshit.

 

[Smokedawg]

I can tell you that there is a lot of skepticism behind the scenes as to whether or not this is real with this kid

hes always been characterized as a little strange...Runyan for example cant stand him and has ripped him during his holdout and done nothing to recant that statement

Reid has been very evasive about the topic, never coming out and saying anything like 'well we just hope he gets the help he needs and comes back when he gets it sorted out.'

Marty Morningwig was doing a press conference today and wouldnt talk about andrews directly but did say about Max Jean-Gellis (the guy getting Andrews reps...2nd year gaurd outta Georgia) that "you win with guys like Max" which in 'Eagle-speak' is a direct shot at Andrews.

Wouldnt be shocked at all if the Eagles got rid of him

 

[Joe Public]

"you win with guys like Max" which in 'Eagle-speak' is a direct shot at Andrews.

That is a direct shot at Andrews. And very much the Eagle way.

Wouldnt be shocked at all if the Eagles got rid of him

This is also the Eagle way, but it bothers me for a couple of reasons. First, the Eagles, as much as I love them, as an organization may have as inflated a sense of self-importance as any team in the league. And though this team has been good, it's not like they've been as good as the Cheaters from New England and can justify such arrogance.

It also bothers me because Shawn is an all-pro, the guy is an absolute stud at the position and one of the few things Reid has done right in the draft. Not to mention the fact that you can never really have enough talent on the O-line and the birds aren't exactly deep as it is.

So it wouldn't surprise me to see them get rid of him, but it would be a disappointment. That all said, one reason that does justify the Eagles' arrogance in player personnel matters is their track record of when to give up on a guy. Nine times out of ten they're absolutely right about that.

 

[hile75]

Yes he should be fined IMO....the team has to protect itself as well..

He needs to tell his brother to sh*t or get of the pot as well..

Agreed, this would be an end all excuse for any player who just didnt wanna go through the preseason workouts if this wasnt happening on the Eagles side.

 

[Smokedawg]

This is not going to end well

Bottomline is a lot of the players and coaches, despite the 'showing of support' you may be reading about feel Andrews is full of shit

And he's not really helping his case much

The guy apparently has self diagnosed himself with depression and shows up in Philly the day after the heavy contact portion of camp ends...and then proceeds to go on a whirlwind media tour where he gave interviews to both talk radio stations, at least 3 tv stations and anyone else who wanted to talk to him where it pretty much sounded as if he was campaigning to get people to believe he suffered from depression

very strange and at this point id be surprised if he plays even one snap for the Eagles this year

 

[Schrute]

I can tell you that's not how a depressed person acts

 

[Smokedawg]

decent take on it here:

http://deadspin.com/5033576/the-questionable-madness-of-shawn-andrews