Picture this scenario: two secretaries get hired by a well-known law firm, and work there for several years. One (let's call him Phil) is somewhat of an underachiever, and is notorious for his surly attitude. The other (let's call him LT) represents the firm with class and dignity, and is the most efficient worker they've ever had. One day, they both come down with injuries while typing. Phil has a torn ligament in his wrist, while LT is in the early stages of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. They both need time off, but the firm's biggest client goes on trial in one week. Phil decides to fight through his tremendous pain, because the person who would take over his work (William E. Volek) isn't trusted by anybody in the firm. LT takes the necessary time off, comforted by the fact that his replacement is infinitely better than Phil's, and can help the company get through its busy time. After the trial, everyone hails Phil's courage, even though the damage in his wrist is so severe that he might not be able to work when they next need him. LT is condemned for his choice, even though he decreased his risk of suffering a long-term injury by getting adequate rest. Despite the fact that LT is an all-time great secretary, and had only called in sick once before in his career, he will forever be remembered for failing to come through in that one week, and his years of hard work become tainted in the process.
Seems kind of rough, no? How many of us would do what LT did, and make sure to avoid long-term injury in order to continue earning a good living for their family? This situation came to fruition this past Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, when San Diego's future Hall-of-Fame running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, carried the ball only twice against New England due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee. Their inconsistent quarterback, Philip Rivers, played the whole game with a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and actually had preliminary surgery six days before in a last ditch effort to play. It's possible that he won't be back in time for their next training camp, as recovery time for this injury can last up to eight months. As expected, Rivers has been universally hailed for his courage, while Tomlinson has been lambasted by fans and media members alike. The obvious question that emerges is this: why do we expect so much from pro athletes? In no other area of life would we debate this dilemma. If you have an injury, and it's going to affect your production, you take time off to heal. Case closed. However, if you play pro sports, and especially pro football, it isn't enough to just be good at your job. You also have to have a level of toughness that's acceptable to not only your teammates, but to the millions of people on their couches who watch and criticize what you do.
We as fans always expect a superhuman effort from our athletes. We demand it, since they charge us so much for tickets, and especially since the athletes get paid such ludicrous amounts of money. So this past Sunday, everyone wanted to see the Chargers play the Patriots with their full complement of starters. We wanted LaDainian to tough it out, since his presence would have made the game better. The problem is that there are plenty of instances when athletes did risk it all, and never were the same again. We always seem to forget that Bill Walton felt such pressure to play through injury that he went against his personal beliefs in the '78 playoffs and took pain killers in order to deal with his foot problems. We also seem to forget that over the next five years, he missed 3 full seasons, and played in only 14 and 33 games in the other two. We also forget that NFL players are more prone to depression, arthritis, and an assortment of other mental and physical problems when their careers are over, because they take risks similar to the one Rivers took. So while I respect Rivers' toughness, I can't use his decision as a reason to fault Tomlinson. Because there is no right or wrong way to deal with this dilemma. If Rivers felt like the risk was worth it, and LaDainian didn't, then who are we to tell them otherwise? Only one thing is certain - next year, if LaDainian continues to break records, while Rivers struggles to make it back from his injury, people will finally acknowledge the complexity of this issue, which isn't as clear-cut as it's currently being presented.
Christopher E. Smith, http://xenfulmusings.blogspot.com/
