Ursa Majoris Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 There have been an awful lot of injuries this year, it seems to me the number increases every year. I was wondering why that would be. Without any data to go on, the following present themselves as possible 1. The players are getting bigger and faster - true, but not all the injuries are caused by contact. In fact, it may be about half. Look at all the injuries this season where no contact has taken place - R Moss is an example. 2. Artificial turf - well yeah, but it's been around for years and the newer stuff is supposed to be safer. 3. Game is more violent - no it isn't, the NFL have gone out of their way to protect receivers and QBs, and the whistle goes a lot sooner than it used to. Anyway, better tell Bronko Nagurski and Dick Butkus the game is more violent now. I think the reason is partly to do with 1. above, but not so much the collision of very large men propeling themselves into each other at full speed. I think it's that the athletes are now over-conditioned in the effort to make them faster. The majority of injuries occur to the knees, ankles and legs in general. Their tendons, ligaments and muscles are wound up so tight that it's akin to an over-tightened guitar string, which will work fine until too much strain is placed upon it, when it will simply snap. Anybody else got any thoughts on this? I know there's likely to be a ton of exceptions, but I'm not saying all injuries are because of this, I'm just trying to explain a trend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I think it is as simple as bigger and stronger. These guys are training at a much higher level than ever before and they are much stronger. They push themselves much harder and sooner or later the stress on a ligament or whatever is going to take a tool. As for the non contact, well, I'll bet a lot of injuries happen during contact and then just manifest at a more covenant, or inconvenient time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 These guys are training at a much higher level than ever before 569616[/snapback] That's exactly my point. I think they're wound up too tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monsters Of The Midway Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Bring back steroids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraftykraft Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I don't think the injuries are really any worse this year than they have been over the last several years. Marvin Harrison missed a couple games last year--this year, so far nothing. Clinton Portis was injured quite a bit this year--so far nothing. Daunte Culpepper missed a couple games a year, until last season and this. Fred Taylor used to be synonymous with injury. Marshall Faulk missed a lot of time in the last couple seasons--not this year. Have their been any injuries this year that have been as bad as, say, Steve Young's career-ending concussion was to his fantasy owners in 1999 or 2000? Or even Rich Gannon's season-ending injury last year was to his owners? No, there was a rash if injuries at the beginning of the year, then it cooled down. Priest Holmes is missing several games (he's this year's Marshall Faulk--whoop-dee-doo). Randy Moss pulled a hammy, but that happens all the time. It used to happen to Isaac Bruce every year. Randy will be back this year. He may or may not be 100%, but he will be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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