Who's Hurt Now?

I’m ready for it.  No, really I am.  You might not think I am by looking at me, but I’m really truly ready.

Why? Because I’ve been dealing it with for years.

Every time I click on my favorite NFL news site this time of year, I’m prepared to read about some player key to my team’s success who's gotten injured.  Now that I fully know what to expect, I’m ready.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt (me, that is). I still dread it. And I wonder who it’s going to be.

Giants fans already know. And that's just the start of it:

The same guy as last year, reinjuring the same knee/ankle/back/neck? The star running back who’s been dealing with nagging injuries his entire career, curbing his rise? The hotshot rookie that the team is dependent on to fix its woeful passing game/rushing attack/pass rush?

See, hopes are high. Expectations are soaring. Dreams and visions of the Lombardi Trophy dance through my head. I want September to get here fast. But I know there are bumps in the road ahead. There will be some unfulfilled promise and/or untapped potential. Players will underperform, and pre-season games will look horrific. But the one thing I’ve come to learn as a long-time football fan: injuries to key players are deadly. 

If you can’t come out of camp with your health not only intact but flourishing, then January is more likely to be spent in a ski chalet than on football frozen tundra.  And yet … I, as well as the rest of my team’s fans seem to be enduring the fate of key injuries the last several years. So that’s what I’ve come to expect. 

Thus, instead of praying to the Football Gods to not make it happen, I’ve come to accept a middle ground. A compromise, if you will. 

“See that guy over there?” I say to them. “That 300 pound fullback from Neverheardofyou State? Yeah, him!  Take him!” 

‘Cause I know it’s coming. It only takes one click … one momen t… any day. 

Go to Favorites. Top of the list. MyTeam.com.  Click. Who’s hurt now?