RIP My Former Friend & NFL Player Tom McHale

[Riddler]

I found some very sad and shocking news when I went to read the sports section of the Sunday edition of the Washington Post today. Here is a link to the article. It is a very long read but everyone just might take something away from it as noboby is completely insulated from this sort of thing be it family , friends or co-workers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/08/AR2008110802034.html

I worked with both Tom and his sister Margy around 1980 for a few years in an upscale restaurant near where the McHales grew up when we were all finishing high school or just starting college. I lost touch with them when I left the area in 1985. I could tell lot's of stories about what things were like back then but the artice touches on them well enough. Here's a picture I found when I wanted to see what Tom looked like after not seeing him for so long. He looks the same just older.
http://search.aol.com/aol/redir?src=image&s_req=8e841747cd1f2e54&s_cq=Tom+McHale&s_cid=177331770567097432503907147218731700738&s_cim=1226264638221&s_cu=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tbo.com%2Fphotos%2Ftrib%2F2008%2Fmay%2F052808mchale385.jpg&s_cd=ImgDet&s_cm=image_details.M.xml
+RIP Buddy:(

[the_red_wings_fan]

thats very unfortunate. RIP

[Thorondor 33]

RIP

[nrouiller]

rip

[BigFred]

Read the article today, what restaurant did you guys work at?

[Fatty McElbows]

This **** is an epidemic and I think it's disgraceful that the NFL doesn't do more to protect its players after they retire. So many of these guys die far too young. RIP . . .

[Riddler]

Big Fred,

The restaurant was Sir Walter Raleigh Inn. It was located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Montogomery Village to be exact. There was a chain of them about 10-12 at that time in the DC & Baltimore region. I think most of them have closed including this one that Tom his sister from the article and I worked at.

Fatty McElbows,
Absoultey! One of the many issues that is raised by reading the article. People complain about Barry Sanders retiring early and such. Football is a violent game. Lots of people leave the game a physical wreck that gets worse with age.