Holy Crap! Anyone Remember David Reid? What a sad story

[Phil Ivey]

The man had a multi-million dollar HBO contract when he came away from the am games into the pros. he used that money up. Even earning a million is damn enough for anyone with sense on how to look after his money. Obviously young star athletes can be taken advantage of, it probably happened, but this guy had a great chance of improving his life, he let it slip.

I'm sure he does have mental health issues but surely the United States has a social care system for people such as him. Maybe his family and friends should get involved, maybe someone near where he lives.

I feel sorry for him, I do but I'm not gona go fight his battles. There are countless millions around the world who never even had the chance to earn millions, they never had the chance to make something of themselves, those are the type of people I'd like to do something about. Not former superstar athletes.

ANy this is irrelevant and this story doesn't concern me all that much. If anyone on this forum wants to go help him then by all means do it. Sitting behind a keyboard and talking about it doesn't help him or you.

No one is asking for you to fight his battles. First of all, he is far from a former superstar athlete. Secondly, you're severely overestimating what he earned in boxing. Thirdly no one is saying he's more deserving of sympathy than someone born less fortunate.

The truth is he sustained some serious injuries doing boxing, his condition mainly his brain will furthermore deteriorate when he gets older. You're acting like he had an amazing career, he was doomed from that start with his injured eye and his scummy promoter. Stop acting like your some tireless humanitarian and people are asking you to do something for him.

[torosboxing75]

Very sad to hear this.

[CubanGuyNYC]

The man had a multi-million dollar HBO contract when he came away from the am games into the pros. he used that money up. Even earning a million is damn enough for anyone with sense on how to look after his money. Obviously young star athletes can be taken advantage of, it probably happened, but this guy had a great chance of improving his life, he let it slip.

I'm sure he does have mental health issues but surely the United States has a social care system for people such as him. Maybe his family and friends should get involved, maybe someone near where he lives.

I feel sorry for him, I do but I'm not gona go fight his battles. There are countless millions around the world who never even had the chance to earn millions, they never had the chance to make something of themselves, those are the type of people I'd like to do something about. Not former superstar athletes.

ANy this is irrelevant and this story doesn't concern me all that much. If anyone on this forum wants to go help him then by all means do it. Sitting behind a keyboard and talking about it doesn't help him or you.

Obviously you don't live in the U.S. We don't have a system that takes care of the mentally ill. The only time they're "taken care of" is when they become a physical danger to themselves or others. At that point they're restrained, taken to a mental hospital by the police and cut loose after a few days of medication. In New York City, one of the most liberal places on earth, the mentally ill (usually homeless) can be seen walking the streets on a regular basis.

Reid and countless others prefer to be left alone in their mental illness -- it's often part of the condition. No one is suggesting that you go help David, just that you have a little sympathy. We can't right all the world's wrongs from behind a computer, but we can at least show some compassion for a man who's living in literal and figurative darkness.

[CubanGuyNYC]

No one is asking for you to fight his battles. First of all, he is far from a former superstar athlete. Secondly, you're severely overestimating what he earned in boxing. Thirdly no one is saying he's more deserving of sympathy than someone born less fortunate.

The truth is he sustained some serious injuries doing boxing, his condition mainly his brain will furthermore deteriorate when he gets older. You're acting like he had an amazing career, he was doomed from that start with his injured eye and his scummy promoter. Stop acting like your some tireless humanitarian and people are asking you to do something for him.

Excellent post, Phil. If Mike Tyson could alternately blow through and get cheated out of 300 million dollars, it's easy enough to see how Reid might let a couple of million bucks evaporate after taxes, expenses and mental illness. Even so, having once had your day in the sun doesn't automatically disqualify you from a little sympathy if your life takes a nasty turn.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Seems more like Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease.

I would imagine that's a likely physical cause for the mental illness David now suffers. All mental health issues are caused by some physical anomaly, whether it be a change in brain structure or brain chemistry.

[La_Vibora]

Damn that sucks what happened to Reid! I thought this guy was going to be the next Roy Jones at that time. Its crazy in a way that Mayweather became the best of that 96 class, I thought it was going to be Reid or Zab for sure.

[Humean]

I would imagine that's a likely physical cause for the mental illness David now suffers. All mental health issues are caused by some physical anomaly, whether it be a change in brain structure or brain chemistry.

Yes, the reason I mentioned it though is that the symptoms he possesses that exhibit mental disorders can typically have the potential to be dealt with by some combination of psychotherapy (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) and medication. In this case the cause is probably a degenerative brain disease, therefore there is far greater difficulties in treating him.

It is extremely sad that cases like David Reid are fairly common, these examples provide great plausibility to those who want boxing banned.

[American Dream]

his eye was ruined in a fight he had in 95, before he won the gold medal..he competed in the Pan-America, and thats when his eye was damaged. The way he was hit ruined the muscle elasticity in his eye lid, causing it droop!
Thats part of the reason his career was hurried and rushed.
I believe his promoter was Goosen..and he was the one who pushed for the Trinidad fight (cashing in), not his manager/trainer Al.

its sad to see him in this state of mind, praying for his healing.

[Don Mac]

He should be proud of his career, it was certainly a good overall boxing record ..he got a gold medal ffs and tested prime Trinidad(possibly with a loaded left glove)

[soul_survivor]

So I assume drugs and alcohol had a part to play in this?

Edit: Realised this is an old thread and I have alreday put my point forward on the issue. It's still sad though and a cautionary tale for many young stars.