Are Sports Injuries Becoming More Prevalent? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

gov135 · 10-31-2003, 10:58 AM

Today I see Ray Allen is to have surgery, Elton Brand is out 4-6 weeks and Allen Iverson is banged up. These guys are TWO games into the season! And this is by no means limited to professional basketball.

Mick Vick and Dan Reeves are at odds on when he should return. Herm Edwards got ripped for not starting Chad Pennington if he was able to play. My hometown Cleveland Browns have three out of five starting offensive linemen sitting on the pine - not to mention several of their backups being hurt as well.

Are injuries more and more prevalant? Coach Larry Brown thinks so, and blames the emphasis on weightlifting for the rise in injuries. "Philadelphia’s Larry Brown and some other NBA coaches blame the mounting injuries on weightlifting. They say players have become so bulky that they’re more prone to muscle tears and strains."

If injuries are more prevalent, why?

Are 'sport specialists' and 'physical trainers' part of the problem? I mean, you never heard of Dr. J sitting out a game while his anterior posterior crucial bilateral ligament was looked at, did you? Of course not, he just played. I'm not talking about severe injuries, those occurred in the past as much as they do today. But what about some of this other stuff?

Is it because players are more pampered than ever before?
Is it because players are less tough or unwilling to "gut it out"? (Kobe Bryant recently suggested Shaq coulda played a lot more last year had he had some heart.)
Is a factor like the extra emphasis on weightlifting to blame?
Are 'sports specialists' and 'team physicians' to blame for being ultra-conservative with a two hundred million dollar athlete?
Has the science of health evolved so much that they can pinpoint minute injuries and sit players for fear that the injury may worsen?

____________________________________________________

Lets hear your thoughts. My head hurts now. Perhaps I should take some time off work, and see a half-dozen specialists.

Spartak · 10-31-2003, 06:48 PM

I think its about the money, players know if they come back after an injury too quick they can make it a lot more worse and shorten their careers (ie not earn as much money).

Having said that, key players should just play. Vick is bitching about his leg, when he had 16 weeks off (Doctors said 6-10). Now think to last season and how McNair and McNabb both played through injury in crucial games.

maximusveritas · 10-31-2003, 07:21 PM

yep, I noticed this as well. Seems like my fantasy teams in all the sports are being decimated by injuries like never before. I also think its about the money as usual. Though you can't really blame the athletes or the teams. They've seen what happens when some athletes have tried to play through the injuries and gotten hurt even worse. Teams are just "protecting their investment" and the players are protecting their worth.

The_Dude · 10-31-2003, 08:23 PM

add kerry kittles to that list.

BigGov · 10-31-2003, 08:25 PM

Are sports injuries becoming more prevalent? No. If anything injuries have DECREASED. The difference is that the injuries are being treated now.

Don't believe me? Watch NFL games from the 50's and 60's. Cornerbacks would let Wide Receivers catch the ball, just so they could nail them to knock the ball loose. That doesn't count the clotheslines, the facemasks, and all the penalties the refs didn't even call. You look at the hands of linemen and they don't look even close to natural. A trainer doesn't even look at them, they just tape them up and send the lineman back out.

gov135 · 10-31-2003, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy4
Are sports injuries becoming more prevalent? No. If anything injuries have DECREASED. The difference is that the injuries are being treated now.

Don't believe me? Watch NFL games from the 50's and 60's. Cornerbacks would let Wide Receivers catch the ball, just so they could nail them to knock the ball loose. That doesn't count the clotheslines, the facemasks, and all the penalties the refs didn't even call. You look at the hands of linemen and they don't look even close to natural. A trainer doesn't even look at them, they just tape them up and send the lineman back out.

So you think that the number of injuries are the same, it's just that we are more likley to treat them? This could be true - I'm not sure I fully understand what you are getting at.

gov135 · 10-31-2003, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by maximusveritas
Teams are just "protecting their investment" and the players are protecting their worth.

This is a legitimate point. As you make more of an investment as a team, you may be more conservative about playing dinged up players.

BigGov · 10-31-2003, 10:10 PM

Gov, my point: Equipment has become safer, rules in almost every sport have been added to protect players (especially football), and the addition of refs actually calling penalties mean that sports were not even close to as rough as they were in the past.

As a direct result there were more injuries. However, many players just didn't have their injuries looked at. If they were just trying to tough it out, or because the medical science was not there, fact is, many things just weren't treated.

Another thing I forgot to mention, is the actual size of athletes now-a-days. In case no one has noticed, they're friggin huge now.

10-31-2003, 10:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	Are Sports Injuries Becoming More Prevalent? Today I see Ray Allen is to have surgery, Elton Brand is out 4-6 weeks and Allen Iverson is banged up. These guys are TWO games into the season! And this is by no means limited to professional basketball. Mick Vick and Dan Reeves are at odds on when he should return. Herm Edwards got ripped for not starting Chad Pennington if he was able to play. My hometown Cleveland Browns have three out of five starting offensive linemen sitting on the pine - not to mention several of their backups being hurt as well. Are injuries more and more prevalant? Coach Larry Brown thinks so, and blames the emphasis on weightlifting for the rise in injuries. "Philadelphia’s Larry Brown and some other NBA coaches blame the mounting injuries on weightlifting. They say players have become so bulky that they’re more prone to muscle tears and strains." If injuries are more prevalent, why? Are 'sport specialists' and 'physical trainers' part of the problem? I mean, you never heard of Dr. J sitting out a game while his anterior posterior crucial bilateral ligament was looked at, did you? Of course not, he just played. I'm not talking about severe injuries, those occurred in the past as much as they do today. But what about some of this other stuff? Is it because players are more pampered than ever before? Is it because players are less tough or unwilling to "gut it out"? (Kobe Bryant recently suggested Shaq coulda played a lot more last year had he had some heart.) Is a factor like the extra emphasis on weightlifting to blame? Are 'sports specialists' and 'team physicians' to blame for being ultra-conservative with a two hundred million dollar athlete? Has the science of health evolved so much that they can pinpoint minute injuries and sit players for fear that the injury may worsen? ____________________________________________________ Lets hear your thoughts. My head hurts now. Perhaps I should take some time off work, and see a half-dozen specialists. Last edited by gov135; 10-31-2003 at 11:02 AM..

10-31-2003, 06:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Spartak Bang bang Location: New Zealand	I think its about the money, players know if they come back after an injury too quick they can make it a lot more worse and shorten their careers (ie not earn as much money). Having said that, key players should just play. Vick is bitching about his leg, when he had 16 weeks off (Doctors said 6-10). Now think to last season and how McNair and McNabb both played through injury in crucial games. __________________ I can read your mind... looking at you... I can read your mind...

10-31-2003, 08:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	add kerry kittles to that list. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

10-31-2003, 08:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
BigGov WoW or Class... Location: UWW	Are sports injuries becoming more prevalent? No. If anything injuries have DECREASED. The difference is that the injuries are being treated now. Don't believe me? Watch NFL games from the 50's and 60's. Cornerbacks would let Wide Receivers catch the ball, just so they could nail them to knock the ball loose. That doesn't count the clotheslines, the facemasks, and all the penalties the refs didn't even call. You look at the hands of linemen and they don't look even close to natural. A trainer doesn't even look at them, they just tape them up and send the lineman back out. __________________ One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

10-31-2003, 10:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
BigGov WoW or Class... Location: UWW	Gov, my point: Equipment has become safer, rules in almost every sport have been added to protect players (especially football), and the addition of refs actually calling penalties mean that sports were not even close to as rough as they were in the past. As a direct result there were more injuries. However, many players just didn't have their injuries looked at. If they were just trying to tough it out, or because the medical science was not there, fact is, many things just weren't treated. Another thing I forgot to mention, is the actual size of athletes now-a-days. In case no one has noticed, they're friggin huge now. __________________ One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

10-31-2003, 07:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	yep, I noticed this as well. Seems like my fantasy teams in all the sports are being decimated by injuries like never before. I also think its about the money as usual. Though you can't really blame the athletes or the teams. They've seen what happens when some athletes have tried to play through the injuries and gotten hurt even worse. Teams are just "protecting their investment" and the players are protecting their worth.