OT: NFL Confidential. Why did Molk author anonymously?

Submitted by Eastern Wolverine on

I finished reading NFL Confidential. It's an interesting book though not a great one. There's zero doubt David Molk is the author. Zero. Why did he choose to write anonymously when it's obvious he's the author? Did he honestly believe his identity wouldn't be 100% revealed in a short amount of time? Neg away, but I don't see what his attempt at anonymity accomplished. If he was trying to avoid negative repercussions I don't that goal was ever achievable.

Templeton Peck…

February 5th, 2016 at 12:49 AM ^

If it is a guy whose name rhymes with "Shmavid Shmolk," I hope he makes out like a bandit. On another note... It's funny to me that people seem pissed off that the writer is honest about how he truly feels about his job, and that he's still willing to do it to get paid, but there are still folks calling him a hypocrite. This defies logic. How does being honest about his job, and seeing it for what it is make him hypocritical? Does the NFL have people THAT brainwashed with their "love of the game" propaganda? It would seem so... 

CoverZero

February 4th, 2016 at 6:09 PM ^

Molk's mother died when he was in HS.

The guy on the NPR discusses how his mom died.

It sure does sound like Molk. 

Its funny, I just googled Molk last night to see what he is up to.  He was on IR with a torn bicep to end the season.

 

wigeon

February 4th, 2016 at 6:57 PM ^

he gone.  (For all the reasons, including anti-trust, contract structures, CTE avoidance, that I hate the NFL) This is an organization you don't fuck with.

The NFL can blow me. I hate it, have always hated it, will continue to hate it. The only reason I watch the Super Bowl is because of the once a year collection of MILF talent at the party we frequent, and great appetizers.  The rest is shit.  

bryemye

February 4th, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^

Because, you know, criticizing your workplace isn't a great way to stick around. Why is this even a question? And why are you outing a guy who wants to be anonymous and was a great player for this university? Someone writing about a very real problem that is relevant today. Assuming you're even right. 

Because you're a selfish prick trying to show how smart you are in figuring it out. That is the most likely answer.

Fuck you. 

In reply to by MGoUP

reshp1

February 4th, 2016 at 4:33 PM ^

All he's got to say is someone else must have used his life story to write the book. Yeah, people probably won't believe him, but it's still better than putting his name on the book. 

slimj091

February 4th, 2016 at 11:06 PM ^

Yeah, but that article made it sound like he immediately felt that way. Why would a guy bust his ass after graduating to rehab his injury and prepare for the NFL if he hates playing football? Why would he continue to bust his ass to be the back up center for the Eagles if he didn't give a shit?



Shit indeed changes, but not that fast. A guy doesn't go from a hard working war horse to "I don't really give a shit.. I'm just here for the check" in less than a year.

Mr. Yost

February 5th, 2016 at 3:20 AM ^

I'm sure he had hundreds of thousands of reasons.

I watched Russillo & Kanell last week and Kanell and Dilfer had this discussion. Danny asked Trent how many players in the NFL he felt were in the NFL for reasons other than their love for football.

Trent said "50-60%" and Danny said "WOW! I thought you'd go higher...I would say more than 75%"

The point was, on an NFL roster, there are far more guys who don't like their job or don't play "for the love of the game" than their are that do.

Both agreed that the truly GREAT players, 9 out of 10 of them all "truly love the game." But how many of those guys are really in the league 20-25?

Most everyone else is just collection a check and trying not to riddle himself with lifelong injuries in the process.

The NFL is waaaaaaay different than playing in college. It's a job.

Let's take a poll on MGoBlog and see how many people "truly love" their jobs? Who would do their job for free or half the money versus who is just there because it pays or affords them some other opporunity or perk?

Or look at your job...how many people do you work with do it because they love it? I work in college athletics where you almost HAVE to love your job to do it...I still could find plenty of people that would walk tomorrow if another job paid more or provided better benefits than what they're getting from the University.

Eastern Wolverine

February 4th, 2016 at 4:17 PM ^

There are only a handful of linemen in the NFL it can be possibly be. He talks about being under 285 pounds. His mother dying when he was young is a major theme throughout the book. He talks about an MCL injury during his college career at a major program. The book mentions him being one of the top linemen in the nation in college (i.e. Rimington Trophy winner). I can go on and on (several online reviews do) but if you read it there's no way you'll say it could be someone else.

jmblue

February 4th, 2016 at 4:22 PM ^

I can fully understand why an active player writing a book bashing the NFL wanted to remain anonymous.  What I don't understand is why he seemed to give himself away the way he did.

BoFan

February 4th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^

It's not Molk. Which of the many breadcrumbs that Johnny left are real. I bet 50%. And are you Lord Baltimore or just another lemming?

BoFan

February 4th, 2016 at 8:53 PM ^

If most people were going to write an anonymous book they would be paranoid of getting discovered and carefully delete any details that could lead back to him/her. Even smarter, would be to add details to lead everybody off the trial. With all the details in this book it's clearly option two. Finally, and only in the case of option two, if the author was really arrogant about his own trickery they would send an email to a media outlet and challenge them that they couldn't figure it out. Which they did.

jmblue

February 4th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^

That might be true for say, a professional author with several books under his belt.  But for a guy who has a full-time NFL job and wrote this book on the side, I think it's more likely he just based it on his own experiences.  

I mean really, what's the alternative?  That someone else in the league has a particularly nasty grudge against Molk, and wants him blacklisted?  (From what others are saying, it sounds like this book is going to burn a lot of bridges between the author and the NFL.)  That seems farfetched.

 

 

 

 

Danwillhor

February 4th, 2016 at 4:36 PM ^

I agree. I've grown to dislike the NFL as a fan of football because of what it represents. I really don't know how my younger self and millions of current adults can be such staunch fans of any NFL team. It's a league of sell-swords. All pro sports are but the NFL has a special way of making all but the rarest player seem completely replaceable and interchangeable. There is zero loyalty in the equation and I don't like it. CFB has its own filth but there is a reason most NFL players still defend their alma mater and HS with ferocity - loyalty. They were born to it or decided upon it. You go pro and, as Bo said, you'll never play for a team again. I can't ignore that when I watch.

Danwillhor

February 4th, 2016 at 6:23 PM ^

the company is the NFL so they'll never truly "change companies". More than that is the way the NFL company is set up to make each employee interchangeable. It's still the only major sport that doesn't guarantee contracts so players have to negotiate around that the best they can. As Johnny Anonymous said, injury is assured and a history of what is assured makes you less valuable to the company and gives you less negotiating power within it. They set most players up for failure by design, IMO. It's purely a case of getting the most cash out of their colossal bank account as possible before they toss you aside. Did they choose that life? Yes. Do I have to like it? No and I don't. The NFL is insanely shady on the whole, tbh. Their entire pink cancer awareness BS gives almost literally no money toward research and only within 100 miles of an NFL city. It's all profit for them. It's evil when you look at it.

Tuebor

February 4th, 2016 at 4:50 PM ^

"Because you can go into professional football, you can go anywhere you want to play after you leave here. You will never play for a Team again. You’ll play for a contract. You’ll play for this. You’ll play for that. You’ll play for everything except the team, and think what a great thing it is to be a part of something that is, The Team."

- Bo

FormAFarkingWall

February 4th, 2016 at 4:56 PM ^

I sure hope this isn't Molk - comes off as a huge hypocrite.  Snippet from the book description: 

Johnny Anonymous' life goal was to be nothing greater or less than the Best NFL Back-Up of All Time™. For two years, he was content earning hundreds of thousands of dollars to stand on the sidelines doing absolutely nothing. But early in his third year, a starting lineman is injured, and he suddenly finds himself on the field.

For most players, this moment is a dream come true. But not so for our author, one of the incredibly rare birds in football who reach the highest echelons, but who actually hate America’s favorite game.

I get the concern over your health and respect people that quit or retire early - but don't accept the paycheck with one hand and write how much you hate it with the other.