Injury Realities

I don't think that fans truly acknowledge or understand the injuries of football players. I've heard that some players dread shaking hands with anybody during the season. Everything hurts. It may take months, certainly weeks, after the season to feel right again. Those are just the aches and pain from the routine of football. If a true injury is involved, the rehab, the recovery, the time rises. Perhaps a "tune-up surgery" is required to clean out and clear up some stuff. The first real rest that a player needs may not come until they retire. I once sprained my ankle in March. It was still swollen in December. My daily routine is much less physically demanding than that of an NFL player. Most would agree. The expectations of the fans do not always equal the realities of the player.

Minnesota Vikings receiver Sidney Rice hurt his hip during the 2009 NFC Championship game against the Saints. It was a nagging sort of injury. One of those injuries that could be treated with surgery or rest. Surgery can cut into a player's career in many ways. Any player would rather avoid the knife if they can. Rice opted for rest. By training camp, it was obvious that Rice had made the wrong choice. He had to have the surgery in August and would miss half of the season. Fans went ballistic. Reporters cried salary dispute. Reporters, especially the clowns in Minneapolis, really need to stop trying to stir up controversy and just report the news. Everyone had an opinion and few cared about Rice or the reality of his situation. The uproar was ridiculous. In a Vikings season full of troubles, Rice's injury may have been the greatest blow. Rice made a decision that was best for him, his team and his career. The fans and press don't care about that. They both view everything the day after. We have a generation of fans raised on fantasy football and Madden video games. Their concerns are rarely based upon the health and safety of the players. Few care about what the players go through to suit up for games. There is now a legion of fans that care little for Rice because he made a decision that he felt was the best at that time.

Every time the players step onto a field they gamble with their lives. A player's career can end in a second. Perhaps that is a sick part of football's appeal. From the routine aches to the serious injury, football players spend a decent chunk of their lives in some sort of discomfort. That is quite a price to pay for our entertainment. Maybe we could learn to appreciate it a bit more.