Yes, i suppose that with extremities like the ones you describe then it might make some sense, however bizarre. But if you've been reading the same rumours I have, then 'logical' is hardly how I'd characterise the reaction. More an utterly tragic reflection of the likely press and wider reaction, and what that might do to a man.
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Most ignorant post on here.
Considering the discussion on depression being a 'mental illness', something you cannot choose or easily get rid of, I find that a quite ridiculous thing to say.
I see
I'll second that. You can't generalize when it comes to something as complex as suicide.
I wonder why this news has caused so much shock around the country today?
One of Sky News's sports correspondents said earlier today that this is the most shocking news of a death of a sporting figure he has experienced in his career. Even the Prime Minister has felt the need to have his say. As wonderful a player and model pro Speed was, he wasn't a celebrity figure or even someone who regularly featured in the minds of football fans.
I guess it's because, unlike some of the bigger names in football, he's the last person you'd expect something like this to happen to. It seriously makes you think.
One of Sky News's sports correspondents said earlier today that this is the most shocking news of a death of a sporting figure he has experienced in his career. Even the Prime Minister has felt the need to have his say. As wonderful a player and model pro Speed was, he wasn't a celebrity figure or even someone who regularly featured in the minds of football fans.
I guess it's because, unlike some of the bigger names in football, he's the last person you'd expect something like this to happen to. It seriously makes you think.
All that, and the fact he appeared on national TV under 24 hours earlier appearing so content and speaking about what the future holds. If he knew he'd be dead in less than 24 hours he did a unbelievable job in hiding that, unless some spectacular event happened after his stint on FF that we're yet to know about.
Out of everyone, Dan Walker must be the most confused today. He spent 4 hours with him yesterday, talking about everything, and he showed no sign of discontent. Speed even discussed his children.
I've never pretended to understand depression or suicide properly, but after today's events, I'm even more puzzled. How can one young, successful, popular man appear so satisfied one day and suicidal the next?
Well I think everybody thinks he was a sound guy both from the way he conducted himself on and off the pitch. I worked with his wife's brother some years back and he said he had no star bollocks at all, he was just one of the lads at family gatherings, always willing to put himself out to get tickets etc etc.
This is how I feel. It's desperately sad, but also astonishingly confusing.
So many of the comments emphasise how happy he always seemed, how focused on the future and his family. It just makes no sense.
Having failed with a suicide attempt and on several other occasions been seriously considering it as an option, all I will say is that from my own experiences, is that I've always been clear about what I've been thinking, I've gone through all the outcomes, who'd be hurt, why and how they'd cope. The times I've considered it, it's been hurting one or two people that has utimately pulled me back. The time I failed, I was so far gone, that I felt hurting my friends for a period was worth more than my life. I wasn't successful, have never been, but I was young and popular (or I seem to think I was), and had gone about life as normal up to the attempt. No one till then knew I was "THAT down".
For what ever reason though, today a well respected, much liked sportsman has killed himself, leaving family, friends and colleagues deeply shocked. It's inapropriate for us to be speculating on the reasons why, there are many reasons as to why he might have done this. Till the subsequent inquest results are published if indeed they are (we really don't need to see them, they should be for the family alone), it would be insensitive to speculate the reasons.
Just doesnt add up. A true role model who will be greatly missed
Agreed, that's why I'm inclined to think something happened in his home life for it to be a sudden impulsive decision.
BBC - Podcasts - 606 Football Phone-in
Savage on 606. Savage is pretty emotional. Savage absolutely loved him.
Savage on 606. Savage is pretty emotional. Savage absolutely loved him.
not sure i agree with this,he was a public figure who chose to take his own life, its only human nature to wonder why and also to then come to conclusions as to why.
'Life' is just 'too big' for any of us to properly comprehend and connect all the dots. No matter all the 'progress' humanity has made since its inception (don't want to get into a debate about when that was!), there is still so so so so so much we don't know about ourselves as a species and the world we live in.
Same thing happened with a senior colleague at work 2 years ago. Oxford educated, hotly tipped to make the board of a 'blue chip' FTSE 50 global company, as smart as they come, as kind as they come, good looking, gorgeous family, utterly charismatic and a joy to be around, learn from and look upto. And then one day, we heard the same story .... his wife found him hanging from the ceiling in their family bedroom. He left a note explaining his mental depression and yet she never had a clue.
I've had my share of extremely difficult life experiences to cope with/comprehend over the years .... but I never considered this an option. I'm not claiming any 'moral or mental superiority' .... far from it .... I just cant imagine, at all, what kind of mental condition one gets into when one decides to takes ones own life .... it must be a mental illness as the human species has the emotional capacity to deal with the most extreme of horrors and demons (much of our own making).
As many have pointed out, mental illness is still so badly understood and badly misunderstood by so many. I can't imagine the torture and pain one goes through when they decide 'enough is enough' and take their own life (which allegedly seems to be the case here).
May his soul rest in peace and I pray his family find the patience, courage and strength to make sense of it all and over time, successfully adjust to their new reality.
Same thing happened with a senior colleague at work 2 years ago. Oxford educated, hotly tipped to make the board of a 'blue chip' FTSE 50 global company, as smart as they come, as kind as they come, good looking, gorgeous family, utterly charismatic and a joy to be around, learn from and look upto. And then one day, we heard the same story .... his wife found him hanging from the ceiling in their family bedroom. He left a note explaining his mental depression and yet she never had a clue.
I've had my share of extremely difficult life experiences to cope with/comprehend over the years .... but I never considered this an option. I'm not claiming any 'moral or mental superiority' .... far from it .... I just cant imagine, at all, what kind of mental condition one gets into when one decides to takes ones own life .... it must be a mental illness as the human species has the emotional capacity to deal with the most extreme of horrors and demons (much of our own making).
As many have pointed out, mental illness is still so badly understood and badly misunderstood by so many. I can't imagine the torture and pain one goes through when they decide 'enough is enough' and take their own life (which allegedly seems to be the case here).
May his soul rest in peace and I pray his family find the patience, courage and strength to make sense of it all and over time, successfully adjust to their new reality.
But this is where the contradiction comes in. If he wasn't suffering from pretty extreme mental illness, you'd think that, he would see the pain he would cause his family and rule this out.
Since becoming a father myself, I've realised that I'm much more worried about any form of sudden death coming to me than I used to be. Before my approach was a bit "que sera sera"... if my time comes, it will be painful for my parents, siblings, wife, friends etc, but ultimately shit happens. How, however, I could bear the thought of my girl having to grow up without her dad around.
Now, I get the point about how you can't call suicide selfish, because people suffering from extreme depression are ill and can't be expected to see things rationally. But I don't get how somebody who isn't in that position, and is capable of rational thought, could possibly take this action, leaving behind children.
Read my post above .... its a subject that is highly taboo, condemned by many cultures/societies/religions and so massively not understood and worse, misunderstood.
If any good can come out of this, then perhaps Speeds tragic passing can prompt greater awareness amongst us all, as well as galvanise the medical industry further to properly understand this human phenomena better and then find a way to educate the public at large about it and its symptoms, so that we can all be on the look out for ones that we love. that may be prone to the illness too.
I would hope somebody close to the Speed family councils them around this notion in the very tough months ahead for them. It will give them some semblance of peace to know his death inspired many to understand the illness better because he was a public figure.
Ironically, with Movember in full swing, there is actually a lot of publicity about this around at the moment. We have several Movember posters up at work and one thing they focus on is looking out for your mates, noticing if they're becoming antisocial etc. But I just don't see what can be done in a case like this where everybody is adamant he was full of life as late as yesterday.
Tragic news, Rest in Peace
Desperately sad
Awful
RIP
Awful
RIP
Desperately sad day. Still hasn't really sunk in - and wonder whether there will be other reasons revealed. But if details do come to light, I agree with some of the posts above - if there is an inquest, it should be for the family only.
I work in football, and I met him at Wembley before the England v Wales game just a few months ago; he had time for everybody that day, and stopped for us all to give interviews (very few stop to speak to everyone, if anyone, in these situations).
Also, before the game, he arrived into the tunnel area in a really chirpy mood - saw one of the FA long-term staff that he must have known and just shouted out "alright big nose" and they had a bit of a laugh.
You know when you can just tell someone is a decent chap, well that's what I remember thinking then.
I work in football, and I met him at Wembley before the England v Wales game just a few months ago; he had time for everybody that day, and stopped for us all to give interviews (very few stop to speak to everyone, if anyone, in these situations).
Also, before the game, he arrived into the tunnel area in a really chirpy mood - saw one of the FA long-term staff that he must have known and just shouted out "alright big nose" and they had a bit of a laugh.
You know when you can just tell someone is a decent chap, well that's what I remember thinking then.
I've met him 2 or 3 times, a perfect gentleman and fantastic player.
A real shame...I'm shocked. One of the best headers of the ball I've ever seen play.
Listening to this right now. Sav was devastated.
Never knew those outside the UK could listen in.
Not from that link. I got it from BBC Wales.
Is this thing about publishing a story about him just rumours?
I hope they are, because if that's the truth then that will make this even more sadder.
RIP Gary Speed.
He was one of the players who defined the Premier League era.
He was one of the players who defined the Premier League era.
Terrible just terrible
rip
You just don't really know what goes on in peoples heads do you
rip
You just don't really know what goes on in peoples heads do you
"Complex as suicide" - Its black & white - You kill yourself - it is not acceptable behaviour. As a human you have responsibilites - Deal with them like an adult.
Suicide is a Selfish act. Its a cop out. Numerious agencies and support centres are available to deal with issues. Use them
Don't try to make it acceptable to commit suicide & kill yourself.
I loved Gary Speed - but its not acceptable what he did and to leave a wife and 2 boys in the manner he did & its also not acceptable to to make suicide a choice or way of life.
How on Earth can anyone argue that Speed was selfish, or that all people contemplating suicide are self-absorbed is beyond me. As one can see from Dan Walker's article and Robby Savage's tribute on the BBC, Speed inquired and showed interest about their activities and families, this a mere 12 hours before committing an act which you describe as the panacea of selfishness, which can only be committed by self-absorbed individuals focusing on their own troubles only.
Surely there's a paradox here..
Cut it out Baz - that's incredibly poor.
Thoughts with family & friends. At least Speed's demons are torturing him no longer.
Thoughts with family & friends. At least Speed's demons are torturing him no longer.
Rumor was being posted on various sites yesterday.
Speed actually lives near me.
He even played 5 a side with some of my mates and went the local gym.
It is just really bizarre how he was on FF the day before and seemed fine. I still can't believe it.
He even played 5 a side with some of my mates and went the local gym.
It is just really bizarre how he was on FF the day before and seemed fine. I still can't believe it.
Really hope you don't go round spouting this stuff Baz.
It's hard enough to get people who suffer from depression and suicide ideation to seek help with the fear of being branded a selfish coward.
The one major assumption youre making is that these people realise they need help. Depression is a mental illness which distorts reality and capacity for logical thought.
God help him, his mind must have been in complete turmoil if it's true.
I hope he's at peace.
I hope he's at peace.
I just can't see suicide as selfish at all. It's certainly tragic though
You've posted some daft things on here Baz but this is the daftest.
And quite offensive. Shame.
I think Baz must be thinking of the family and the effect it has on them