Aug 27 2008
Merriman’s Mistake
Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers plans to play this season despite 2 torn ligaments and the opinions of 4 seperate Doctors advising him not to play. It is very obvious that Merriman is determined to play this season and that the Chargers are one of the top teams in the NFL.
Someone has to intervene and tell Merriman that he is on one of the best teams with the best young talent in the league. The window of opportunity has just opened for the young Chargers and will not close soon or at least within the next 3 years.
How can Merriman expect to be affective not having the full use of 2 ligaments in his knee? Sure, Merriman is a force to be reckoned with when ever he is on the field, but as a pass rushing Outside Linebacker, how can he expect to get that push he needs from half of a knee?
In this case, Merriman is a Pro-Bowl Linebacker and has a bright career ahead of him, he should really think of his future. He has been told that playing on this injured knee could further damage his knee and become a potential career ending injury.
Merriman has expressed his desire to play this season and will deal with the pain. He informed his team-mates today of his intention to play and even though he is appearing to be a “tough guy” in front of his team, you have to figure that some of them will think this guy is crazy.
He is sacrificing his career for one year of football, at just one attempt to make it to the Super Bowl, which is not a given. The Chargers are among one of the best teams in the AFC, but are not considered to be better than the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts.
Merriman could still be affective this season and maybe the Chargers can make it to the Super Bowl, but in this case Merriman really needs to think of himself instead of his team. “Tough Guy” or not, this attempt is just crazy and should be a reminder to all that your health is more important.
J.M.Saucedo
Great article!
It’s simple arrogance that compells players like Merriman and Chad Johnson to play despite their injuries.
It’s a here-today-gone-tomorrow world in the NFL (look at Shaun Alexander) and they assume that if they miss any time in the spotlight, they’ll be forgotten. Instead, they are putting their futures up in the air and risking future career-threatening injuries. To me, it’s a sign of self-centered players who only care about their own stats and not how many w’s their teams have.