Injuries: The new "normal"?

[DavyBaby]

It seems like the past several years Cowboy fans (of which I am one) take solace in the fact that if it weren't for key injuries, the team would have had great success in the preceding year.

Why this may be true, I wonder if this sentiment is missing an overall new "normal."

Periodically, I like to watch older Cowboy games from my video archive, what really jumps out to me, is how **incredibly faster** and **more violent** the game is today as opposed to 20-25 years ago.

So I strongly suspect that serious injuries are just much more common today for **all** NFL teams.

The consistently winning teams in recent years seem to be following a paradigm of **not** tying too much of their salary cap in a few key players and instead spread it more evenly around their entire roster to build better depth to withstand the **inevitable** onslaught of injuries. I am thinking New England here.

This (it seems to me) is the real root of Dallas's mediocrity in recent years. No depth, and when key injuries occur the team is in real trouble.

So rather than hope for better "luck" on the injury front, I think the Dallas front office needs to rethink its salary cap approach to building a team around a key starters and hope for the best (regarding injuries). We need a new paradigm in front office "team construction." Better drafting is a factor as well.

I know I need some documentation here to support this (may be someone can help out?)

1. Percentage of salary cap $$ devoted to a team's top ten salaried players (over the past few years).

2. Percentage of salary cap $$ devoted to a team bottom thirty salaried players (over the past few years).

3. Number of games lost (by starting players) to injuries for all NFL teams for comparison purposes (over the past few years).

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Staggerlee]

It seems like the past several years Cowboy fans (of which I am one) take solace in the fact that if it weren't for key injuries, the team would have had great success in the preceding year.

Why this may be true, I wonder if this sentiment is missing an overall new "normal."

Periodically, I like to watch older Cowboy games from my video archive, what really jumps out to me, is how **incredibly faster** and **more violent** the game is today as opposed to 20-25 years ago.

So I strongly suspect that serious injuries are just much more common today for **all** NFL teams.

The consistently winning teams in recent years seem to be following a paradigm of **not** tying too much of their salary cap in a few key players and instead spread it more evenly around their entire roster to build better depth to withstand the **inevitable** onslaught of injuries. I am thinking New England here.

This (it seems to me) is the real root of Dallas's mediocrity in recent years. No depth, and when key injuries occur the team is in real trouble.

So rather than hope for better "luck" on the injury front, I think the Dallas front office needs to rethink its salary cap approach to building a team around a key starters and hope for the best (regarding injuries). We need a new paradigm in front office "team construction." Better drafting is a factor as well.

I know I need some documentation here to support this (may be someone can help out?)

1. Percentage of salary cap $$ devoted to a team's top ten salaried players (over the past few years).

2. Percentage of salary cap $$ devoted to a team bottom thirty salaried players (over the past few years).

3. Number of games lost (by starting players) to injuries for all NFL teams for comparison purposes (over the past few years).

Any thoughts on this?

Proposing a thesis/hypothesis and then asking others to do the research for you? you aren't a tenured professor with grad students to do the hard work for you. do it yourself :laugh2:

 

[Sarge]

Proposing a thesis/hypothesis and then asking others to do the research for you? you aren't a tenured professor with grad students to do the hard work for you. do it yourself :laugh2:

The game may be faster, but it is not more violent. The rules have changed to actually (somewhat) prevent/deter violence in the game. Heck, you can't even BREATH on QB's today.

 

[Risen Star]

The game may be faster, but it is not more violent. The rules have changed to actually (somewhat) prevent/deter violence in the game. Heck, you can't even BREATH on QB's today.

More violent in terms of players being faster and stronger than ever before so the hits are more severe.

 

[visionary]

This won't go over very well because the prevailing mantra of board homers is "we lost because of bad luck"

The reality is that what you say is partially accurate
The NFL players are bigger stronger and faster
The human body is not built to take this sort of sustained punishment

The way to be truly competitive year in and year out is the have a good GM and. Great HC

Unfortunately we are behind the 8 ball

 

[Risen Star]

This won't go over very well because the prevailing mantra of board homers is "we lost because of bad luck"

The reality is that what you say is partially accurate
The NFL players are bigger stronger and faster
The human body is not built to take this sort of sustained punishment

The way to be truly competitive year in and year out is the have a good GM and. Great HC

Unfortunately we are behind the 8 ball

I'd rather have a great GM and a good HC. The GM is the most important figure on any sports team.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think there's something to this. Not because the hits are worse now (go watch Troy get destroyed his first couple of years) but because there's more concern for player safety and long term health now.

We know without a doubt this happens with concussions now. But I think it's more common for players today to go ahead and get a surgery that ensures their long-term health rather than just to tape it up and go.

 

[Smashin222]

Some data

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...uries-can-cowboys-use-health-as-an-excuse.ece

 

[DavyBaby]

Proposing a thesis/hypothesis and then asking others to do the research for you? you aren't a tenured professor with grad students to do the hard work for you. do it yourself :laugh2:

That is pretty insightful, in all honesty I **am** a tenured college professor -- but I doubt my university would approve this kind of research, and journals in my field would not publish it.

Admittedly, I should have tried to research this myself, I just was not sure where to start or where the data might be available.

 

[Staggerlee]

That is pretty insightful, in all honesty I **am** a tenured college professor -- but I doubt my university would approve this kind of research, and journals in my field would not publish it.

Admittedly, I should have tried to research this myself, I just was not sure where to start or where the data might be available.

Well then I have to assume you haven't had to do much research for your field. I am almost finished with my undergrad in history at OSU and I've never came across a professor, whether the ones directing my thesis or others in completely different fields, that couldn't find research materials.

I could ask my old econ prof. about this and I guarantee they could find the data by day's end. Not trying to disrespect you, but I can't believe a professor at ANY college would be lost when trying to research a subject. Even if said subject wasn't in their purview.

 

[xwalker]

Periodically, I like to watch older Cowboy games from my video archive, what really jumps out to me, is how **incredibly faster** and **more violent** the game is today as opposed to 20-25 years ago.

More violent than Erik Williams, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Randy White, Mike Singletary etc.?

Faster than Deion, Bo Jackson, Darrell Green etc.. ?

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Well then I have to assume you haven't had to do much research for your field. I am almost finished with my undergrad in history at OSU and I've never came across a professor, whether the ones directing my thesis or others in completely different fields, that couldn't find research materials.

I could ask my old econ prof. about this and I guarantee they could find the data by day's end. Not trying to disrespect you, but I can't believe a professor at ANY college would be lost when trying to research a subject. Even if said subject wasn't in their purview.

I feel the pain for him after that...it must have hurt.

I don't understand... **this** ? So confused...

Perhaps a bad choice of profession ?

 

[jobberone]

More violent than Erik Williams, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, Randy White, Mike Singletary etc.?

Faster than Deion, Bo Jackson, Darrell Green etc.. ?

No but the overall game on the field is faster. It's definitely not as violent as the 50-60s probably even later on. Big hits still occur but injuries are often forcing a joint to go in ways it is not designed. Not sure if muscle injuries are more common or not.

But diagnosing injuries is much better now. Greater recognition and scrutiny will increase the number of injuries. I also think it is less likely for a player to either hide his injury or for the staff not to notice it.

More attention is given as well in an attempt to keep players at peak efficiency and returning them to the field ASAP.

 

[StonetheCrow77]

Absolutely no proof or data to support my thoughts, but I have a feeling HGH has a lot to do with increase in injuries.

 

[hornitosmonster]

More violent in terms of players being faster and stronger than ever before so the hits are more severe.

It is a myth. The game is not so exponentially faster that it make a difference. The game has many safety rules now and players are forced to sit out for things hey would not have sat out for in the past. It is also a myth that the game is so fast now that the Patriots would have beaten the 90's Cowboys, 80's 49ers, or 85 Bear with no problem.

 

[egn22]

So our bodies are faster, stronger, but less durable??

 

[nalam]

I'd rather have a great GM and a good HC. The GM is the most important figure on any sports team.

So Risen, you are saying we don't have chance in the next few years atleast as our GM situation is not going to change, :laugh2:

Jokes apart that's the one of the big factors between SB winning franchises and us.

 

[ctalker]

Agreed with some above... Because of rule changes the game is less violent and possibly given the perception of the players being faster (not sure on this). Rules to protect players and increased fines for 'illegal' hits, as well as, rules to push high scoring games, and wide open passing (maybe some of the perception of players being faster).

All comes down to money, keeping high profile players on the field and the excitement of more explosive offensive games generates more money for the NFL. As far as injuries, players are now making much more money and sit out games more often due to injuries that players of the past would have suited up for. I can't blame a player for this, some of the older tougher guys probably should have sit down more often and if I was making millions a year I would want to protect that million dollar toe sprain.

 

[erod]

Some of today's injuries reflect the increasing use of PEDs..

Players are wound so tight and carrying so much muscle that it leads to more muscle pulls and tears. It also seems joints are more susceptible to injury as a result.

 

[hornitosmonster]

Larry Allen bench pressing 700lbs in his prime would still be 700lbs today or 100 hundred years ago. There is not a single LT in today's "bigger/faster" NFL that I would take over Allen.