I have commented on many injuries in the NFL. Again, I have worked for some of the major sports teams. I have not ever worked with Peyton Manning nor have I ever seen any true medical evidence of his injury. This is speculation on a player of his caliber with this kind of injury. This is speculation, like over a beer kind of stuff.
I am concerned about Peyton. If someone knows different please let me know but I have seen no videos of him throwing in the last year. You see, if he has nerve damage ( and he does) then there is a significant chance it never returns to the point where he can play in the NFL again. He may never regain the strength in his tricep that would be necessary to him to throw a football 40 -60 yards down the field. Never.
That said, the Colts should have a pretty good idea right now what his arm strength is. There is a very, very important date coming up for Peyton and the Colts. It is March 8th. It is my understanding that is the Colts have him on the roster on March 8th, they owe him an absurd 28 million dollars. You have to think ( cuz I sure do) that the Colts will not give 28 million dollars to a 36 year old QB with only 40% tricep strength. Before I would write that check, I would have a physical and a simple drill to check out the ol arm.
Also, it really surprised me that the Colts cut their GM and President recently. Maybe this was related to the terrible year they had but I could not help think they wanted to keep Peyton and the Irsays were ready to cut their losses on Manning. More speculation.
What this is all adding up to is what will happen in the next couple of weeks.
1) A decision must be made on Manning. I would be floored if he gets the whole 28 million. Floored. Look for a reduced deal or ready........ that Peyton is cut from the Colts or traded. (I would have to think cut because who in their right mind would want to pay him 28 million right now?)Can you imagine, Peyton Manning is cut!
2) Take a close look at what the Colts do, they know if he will play next year. IF they do give him 28 million take a shot at one of the greatest QB's ever next year in fantasy around the 4 th round. If they give him a part, how much do they give him. Less than 10 million, be afraid, be very afraid. If he is cut, run, run run.
3) The Colts will draft Luck number one, count on it. The only way they do not do this is if they get and obscene trade involving a stud young QB and the 5-10 other top picks. But he is the obvious number one and it will happen.
4)Watch for Manning video throwing the rock, maybe it is already out there but I have seen nothing. If someone has a clip let me know. The lack of evidence of his rehab and arm strength though indicates to me, he has played his last down in the NFL.
Crash
This will make some very mad but I only see 4 teams that can win it.
1) Saints
2) Packers
3) Niners
4) Ravens
I do not think the Patriots can. Sorry. That D is too shaky and they have now lost their best pass rusher. Coach is good but no one is that good. Add on Brady's first round losses the last two years and I will be all over the Ravens in the AFC title game, taking the 4 points or so.
I am going to play the Saints, as good as the Pack and you get better odds. Also, I already have a Brees jersey.....
GLA
All right, this thing stinks to me.
If Brady had a stress fracture was it even mentioned during the year? This would be an injury that would be required by the league to be mentioned in the injury report each week.
Stress fractures are fractures that develop over time and heal normally with just rest. That they chose to put a pin in the thing surgically makes me think the fracture was not a "normal stress fracture"
There are two possibilities to me:
1)He had the fracture all year and Bellichek was cheating again and not mentioning it on the Injury Report each week.
2)He had it from the last game of the year and it was a more severe fracture.........that they knew would need surgery after the year.
Look, you just do not pin a new stress fracture with 6 months of rest coming up. It is lunacy, something is not right here.
When I was watching that Pats Jets game ( a game I had the over in and no Pats bet) I kept thinking Brady was going down like a sack of potatos. Whenever Ellis got near him he just crumpled for the guy. Now I know Brady is not a scrambler (see Tarkenton) but he looked like the second coming of Neil "the whack" O'Donnell. He just looked like chit the entire game (save the first two drives). It was not vintage Brady, he was not even as good as Cassell.
So here is my conspiracy theory, Brady was hurt going into the game. He did not have the mobility or accuracy that he would normally have and the loss is as much a statement of the Pats short comings as the Jets strength. Bellichek and the Pats knew it but covered it up. That is my theory, take it for what it is worth but man does it not make the Steelers look juicy tomorrow?
I saw the Steelers about in week 5 and thought, this is the team that wins the bowl, I thought the same thing when they beat the Cards a couple of years ago at around the same time in the season.
I am the worst capper on covers right now........but medically I have been pretty solid through the years, check my blog.
Steelers Roll......
My New Years resolution is to only gamble at games I know I statistically have a chance to win at, games that can be 'BEATEN"
These are:
1)poker
2)BJ
3)sports betting
4)horse racing.
I have beaten one and two enough to feel comfortable in my abilities to do that. I have played 4 far more than I would care to admit and have never beaten it in the long run. Although I think I am better than an avg capper, I do not believe anyone can beat the outrageous rakes taken at the tracks today. I will still bet the ponies this year but WPS only and in a limited degree only.
That brings us to sports betting. I am a terrible sports bettor. I have lost consistently over the last 10 years. 2010 was the first year I showed a profit but at the end of the year I hit a terrible patch that has continued into 2011 and has taken most of my profits now. I want to try and build a bankroll and play 2011 on houses money and contine for the rest of my life. That is my goal.
If people can honestly help me to my goal I would appreciate it.
Simply put people, I need consistent winners or the ability to pick consistent winners and that as we all know is not easy.
First of all, I think this is huge news and I mean HUGE!. This guy demands a double team and dictates what an offense can and cannot do. This injury figures big to me in the total and the overall outcome of the day. If you have to keep chipping this guy with a RB or TE (and you do) that slows down a big part of your O. So to me, it is important if he plays or not.
Now what is his injury? I saw it happen during the Jets game when he rolled his ankle or inverted his ankle late in the game. This is a classic injury to the ankle and one most of us "jocks" on covers have had at one time. This is another of those hurt like hell injuries. The inversion of the ankle tears the ATF ligament (anterior talofibular ) and the medial calcanear ligament. In rare circumstances it tears the PTF ligament. These ligament are responsible for the lateral stability of the ankle. If you have had one, you know that any "tweak" laterally or to the outside with this sprain will make you cry like your brother just stole your favorite toy. Straight running is not that much of a problem.
Freeney play the R DE positiion most of the time (although I have seen him moved all over the field). If he has no stability laterally on the ankle he will not be able to turn the corner so to speak. This is the classic Freeny move where he blows by the big L tackle and explodes to the quarterback while running on the ankle and foot with a right lateral force. If these ligaments are not healed properly, he will lose his most effective weapon! Freeney with no speed rush ,Ali with no jab, Vick not being able to scramble, etc etc .
What can the Colts do to combat this? If I was the Colts ( and I admit I have never played or coached football but have watched far far far too much) I would invert my ends. Swith Freeney and Mathis. This would allow the speedy Freeney to rush on his good ankle....this may very well happen. Also, I am sure those trainers are doing all they can to make this thing better but at the end of the day, ligaments are very slow healing. That said I do NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF HIS INJURY OR HIS ABILITY TO HEAL AND HE COULD VERY WELL BE 100% COME GAME TIME. I do kind of feel watching the injury occur and the interviews of the Colts today that he is TODAY definitely still hurting.
I am going to watch this site and the television and see how he looks as he cuts on the ankle and moves laterally on the ankle. I would not put much faith in his forward speed or movement. I would encourage anyone who watches a practice to add to this thread on how he looks LATERALLY and his comfort level.
One last thought.......these injuries can take months to heal fully, if he plays and has any trauma laterally he could very well reinjure this thing despite the mounds of tape he will have on it.
GLA
Crash
Taking the Aints and the Under but may can the Under if the big end does not play.