Mr. Mifsud's 25 Muslim players were practicing and playing on empty stomachs.
Throughout the article, Freedman uses Dearborn High School's football team and their experience playing during Ramadan (thing), to draw attention to the similar dedication that sports and religion takes.
The team refused to answer a detailed list of questions regarding their medical treatment of Boogaard during the season and his time in rehabilitation.
The NHL will do anything to make sure the players are performing their best on the ice, but outside of that, mental health and long term side effects are not a concern. This information supports the idea that the NHL cares about the $$$.
As much as anything, Derek Boogaard always feared being alone
The author brings this idea up multiple times throughout the article. Earlier he reported the stats of Boogaard's calls and texts, how there were messages to hundreds of people, just because he needed someone to talk to. This information is helpful in the article because it pushes the audience make connections to the side effects of CTE.
An examination of the brain could unlock answers to Boogaard’s life and death.
ironic that the main focus of the first 2 articles was Boogaard hands and now the main focus is the brain.
For a few, fading hope depends on a willingness and ability to give and absorb beatings.
I believe this is where play becomes work
is the threat of more violence, like having a missile in a silo.
Throughout the article, the author constantly compares Boogaard to a weapon. In this sentence, he is compared to a missile waiting to be launched. I think the author does this to stress the idea that Boogaards main job on the team was an enforcer, it's work, not play.
or skating lessons, then boxing lessons to teach him to be a better fighter on the ice.
In order for Boogaard to be a well rounded hockey player, he needed not only skating lessons, but boxing lessons as well. I think the author provided this information to let the audience know that he was trained and bred to be a fighter on the ice, a source of entertainment.
the concussions that nobody cared to count
This is a popular ongoing debate amongst contact sports including hockey and football. How many concussions is too many? When does the brain start showing effects? How does this increase your risk of dementia? Should there be laws or rules on this?
His brain, however, was removed before the cremation so that it could be examined by scientists.
I'm glad the author brought this up because when reading about Boogaard, I kept wondering about his health after so many fights. I immediately thought about his potential for CTE, a disease caused by repeated brain trauma. Symptoms for CTE include impulsive behavior, memory loss, and substance abuse, which was definitely present in his life.
“I’m going to kill you,” the player said.
This threatening comment from an unfamiliar player helps show the violent nature of the sport of hockey, even at the young age of 16. It also helps to support and understand the background and the root of his current fighting standards.
Came the first team meeting, and the club didn't get anywherenear its usual 60 guys. It got 120.
This sentence was very surprising but also very moving. Even though the events of 9/11 were so horrific and so many lives were lost, including their family members (blood related or not), in the end it made the bonds at the NYFD stronger.
One last time, Danny pulled Tommy out ofthe pile.
This sentence was very emotional because it relates to the previous paragraph when it talks about "Danny pulling Tommy out of the pile," but in football. The next time that same phrase is used, is in completely different context. It's describing Danny finding and pulling Tommy's dead body out of the remains of the World Trade Center. This is creating a bond between not only the brothers, but the relationship of the NYFD football team and the events of 9/11
How do you go on when so many guys are dead that you can't evenretire their jerseys because you wouldn't have enough left todress the team?
This quote really touched me because it shows the scale of devastation. It's hard to comprehend the mass of the lives lost during 9/11. But this description of not having enough numbers to dress the team if they retired all the fallen's numbers, is eye opening to an audience that hasn't had a first hand experience with such a huge tragedy.