The uncertain fly in the ointment in any athlete’s career is
the possibility of, impact of, and recovery from injury. Whether a setback is
temporary, prolonged, or career ending, they all have a profound effect on the
sport and the athletes most connected to them in the sport. Three recent
injuries have rocked the world of sports. The severity of the injuries are
the inverse of the status of the players injured, but have impacted their
respective sports profoundly.
WHOA TIGER!
Tiger Woods is the most accomplished and famous golfer of
his time. While he is past his prime, he won more tournaments in 2013 than any
other golfer and re-surged back to the world’s #1 ranking. Tiger has been nagged
by injuries in recent years. He recently had back surgery that forced him off
of the PGA Tour.
Woods returned for the Quicken Loans National tournament,
missing the cut.Woods then competed in his first major tournament in the
British Open, though he struggled and flamed out after a promising start in the
first round. Woods recently withdrew from the final round of the Bridgestone
invitational this past weekend due to pain in his back. Woods was three under
par through the first three rounds.
There is much speculation about this recent setback for Woods.
Will he participate in the upcoming PGA Championship? Will he be on the Ryder
Cup team next month? The big questions are: 1) Can he be the #1 guy in golf
again (on the course) and 2) When will it happen? This latest setback at best
raises uncertainty about the future of Woods (and the popularity of golf as a
whole) and at worst is another step in the decline of the greatest golfer of
the 21st century.
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| Tiger's final shot at the Bridgestone. Not unlike a few unfortunate consumers of the tire.... 1 |
PAUL GEORGE
Indiana Pacers forward Paul George’s injury was so gruesome
that I could not create a catchy subtitle for this section in good conscience.
George suffered a compound fracture of his leg in international competition
with Team USA, preparing for this year’s World Cup. He will miss the 2014-2015
NBA season.
George is a young guy and unlike ligaments, tendons,
vertebrae, and joints, broken bones (particularly in young, healthy men)
usually heal fully. George should be back at a high level one day. However, the
window for the Pacers to win a title may have just shut with George’s injury.
The competitive landscape in the NBA’s Eastern Conference is shallow and with
LeBron James’ return to Cleveland and the breakup of the Heatles, the two time
conference runner ups appeared to have their best opportunity to advance to the
NBA Finals in spite of losing guard Lance Stephenson to free agency.
Now, George will not play next season. All Star forward
David West, the veteran leader of the team, will be in his mid-thirties by the
time George returns. The uncertainty hanging over the Pacers makes them a less
attractive free agency destination to attract supporting players. It may be
time to rebuild in Indianapolis.
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| James Harden, huge beard, right, comforting Damon Lillard, left. 2 |
ANOTHER CAREER CUT SHORT
New York Giants running back David Wilson was an embattled
player in just his second year in the NFL. He began last season with an acute
case of fumble-itis that jeopardized his status as the starting running back.
He suffered a neck injury in Week 5 of the 2013 that ultimately ended his
career.
David Wilson had spinal fusion surgery following the injury.
He was cleared to return to football contact activities in late July. He
suffered a burner in practice last week (a compression of the bones in the
neck/spine). Today, Wilson and the Giants put out a statement indicating that
he would be placed on injured reserve, meaning he cannot play this season, and
that doctors are advising him not to play football again.
David Wilson is only 23 years old and it appears that his
NFL career is over. Wilson came into the NFL in 2012 after demonstrating a
wealth of potential at Virginia Tech. While he never had a breakout in the NFL,
and in spite of the aforementioned struggles last season, Wilson demonstrated
the talent to be a serviceable, productive, long-term NFL player.
In spite of the increased focus on player safety, football
is a dangerous, high impact sport. It is a dangerous game. The future of no
player is certain and careers can end in a flash. Wilson’s sudden departure
from the game is another banal reminder of that dark reality.
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| Giants Training Camp 2014.... In just hours, Wilson's career will be over. 3 |
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