Written by Doug Norrie | issued
This week, NFL legend and all-time great quarterback Brett Favre made a shocking announcement about welfare reform during a Congressional hearing. During the conference where he testified about the welfare system response (more on this later), Mr. Favre told the audience and the committee that after consulting with various agencies, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in January of this year. Ta. doctors.
Brett Favre revealed he had Parkinson’s disease shortly after experiencing mild symptoms about a year ago. He said his right arm (his throwing arm) felt “stuck” and he had trouble doing simple tasks like getting dressed.
One thing that was a little surprising about the reaction to Brett Favre’s announcement, at least initially, was the lack of sympathy from some commentators and fans. Far from it. In fact, many people had completely opposite reactions to the Brett Favre news.
The negative reaction to Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis stems from his alleged involvement in various welfare programs and how state funds were being used for personal gain. .
Brett Favre allegedly received a $1.1 million payment from the Mississippi Temporary Assistance Fund for Needy Families for a speech he never actually gave.
This comes from an alleged $1.1 million payment from the Mississippi Temporary Assistance Fund for Needy Families to Mr. Favre for speeches that he did not actually give. Mr. Favre appears to have repaid some of the debt, but he still owes more than $250,000.
There are also allegations that Brett Favre pressured state officials to divert $5 million in TANF funds to the University of Southern Mississippi’s volleyball courts and facilities. There he attended college and played football.
And finally, there were also allegations that Brett Favre helped direct $1.7 million in TANF funds (see trends here) to a concussion drug company in which he was an investor.
Brett Favre is named in a civil lawsuit by the Mississippi Department of Human Services seeking to recover some of these “lost” funds. Although Brett Favre has not been formally charged with any offenses related to these TANF payments, his appearance is not great and may be part of the reason for the backlash against even this Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. There is.
As far as Parkinson’s disease goes, Brett Favre said in a Congressional hearing that he and his doctors believe it could be caused by concussions he sustained while playing in college and the NFL.
Brett Favre played 20 years in the NFL, primarily with the Green Bay Packers, but also played with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings after being first drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. His career took place before concussions gained much attention, and Favre estimates he suffered multiple concussions during his playing days.
All in all, it’s always funny to see people triumph over terrible diagnoses, especially when it comes to someone as famous as this. However, Brett Favre’s recent actions have put his public persona in an increasingly negative light. It remains to be seen what will happen to the unresolved lawsuits and the disease itself.
