Why So Many Injuries in the NFL?
Have you noticed the amount of injuries at the beginning of this 2011-2012 NFL season? If you play fantasy football like I do, then you may have realized half your players are injured already. This has many owners scrambling to find replacement. So what is causing all these injuries?
Answer: Lack of conditioning during the NFL lockout.
Each NFL team has state-of-the-art training facilities, allowing players to stay in excellent condition year round. But, this off-season was different. While the owners and the NFLPA hashed it out at the bargaining table, players sat idle, waiting to hear if the season would even happen. Regardless of personal workouts or coordinated team practices, without world class facilities, the players couldn't maintain being world class athletes.
Players such as Peyton Manning, who was unable to have access to team doctors and trainers, is now sidelined possibly for the rest of the reason (He just underwent another minor neck operation). In addition, in the first two weeks of the season, other big name players have sustained injuries: Michael Vick, Adrian Foster, Mario Manningham, Jamaal Charles, Brandon Lloyd, Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Marques Colston, to just name a few. The list goes on and on.
The substantial amount of injuries is not only hurting teams, but fans as well. People who thought their teams were going to be in the hunt for a Super Bowl this season, now see their teams neck deep in injuries and unable to put a contender-worthy team on the field. It's truly disappointing seeing all these great players missing games so early in the season.
In the future, to protect the players and the game itself, the NFL needs to allow players to have access to training facilities and staff in the event of a lockout. This will prevent a repeat of this season's injury riddled nightmare from ever happening again. Unfortunately, it looks like it may be a disastrous season for many players and fans.
Better luck next year.
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