Football notes

Alabama’s total domination of LSU in the BCS title game only confirms my personal belief that there should be a rule that prevents two teams from the same conference from playing for the national championship. I support this notion for two reasons: One, these teams already played against each other, and familiarity with the opponent allows for greater specificity in game planning against the strengths and weaknesses of the other team. Whether Alabama was the better team all along, or LSU didn’t prepare for the game with any diligence, doesn’t change my opinion. If Alabama or LSU was obliged to prepare for a team with a scheme that it had not seen all season, the game might have been more entertaining.

The second reason for opposing two teams from the same conference in the championship game is because the assumption that the SEC has the best collection of teams is a matter of opinion, not necessarily of fact. Against non-conference opponents this season from the Big Ten, ACC, Big East, Pac 12, Big 12 and two other notable teams, BYU and Boise State, the SEC was 10-7. A winning record, but not the label of complete domination over other conferences that the sports media has tended to bestow upon the SEC. LSU beat Oregon and West Virgina, but Georgia lost to Boise State and Michigan State. The only non-conference opponent that Alabama played of note all year was Penn State. This may not necessarily be evidence that there is a bias in how the conferences are stacked up, but it would have been more informative if the SEC had the guts to play more than one Pac 12 or Big 12 team and their run and gun offenses.

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I don’t mind local sports commentators making merry at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger expense as an injury diva, since it is not without cause. The broadcast of the game against Denver did so many close-ups of his injured foot that even Tim Tebow would get envious of all that attention. But the attention was unwarranted; if he wanted to play with that foot, then it was his problem, and the team’s. As one may recall, Jay Cutler took himself out of the NFC championship game last year, apparently because he thought he was “hurting” the team. If Roethlisberger was hurting the team, then it is the coach’s fault he stayed in the game. Or if he wasn’t hurting the team, then maybe his injury wasn’t as serious as all that.

Some people, while acknowledging that he was a tough guy, claim that Brett Favre was an injury diva, but people really don’t know the kind of injuries and their severity that he played with over the course of 297 straight career starts; most people do not know this, but Favre suffers from the same degenerative hip disease that ended Bo Jackson’s career. I did some research, and I found this fascinating article by Patrick Hruby of ESPN Page 2 after Favre’s consecutive start streak ended. The following is an edited version of the post, with additional odds and ends:

In his first season with Green Bay in 1992, Favre suffered a first-degree shoulder separation in a game against Chicago. Symptoms: “Soreness of movement when lifting your arm above your head.” Usual recovery time: 2 to 4 weeks. After work difficulties: Sleeping and getting dressed.

In 1993, Favre suffered a deep-thigh bruise against Tampa Bay. Functional issues: “Potentially very painful -- think the worst charley horse of all time. Standing, walking, using stairs and even sitting can be brutal, in part because sufferers can't always straighten their knees.” Usual recovery time: 1 to 6 weeks.

In 1994, Favre sustained a severely bruised left hip, or hip pointer. “‘It's very painful due to all the nerves that cross the hip ridge,’ says Dr. Cindy Trowbridge, clinical education director for the Athletic Training Education Program at the University of Texas at Arlington. ‘It hurts to breathe, laugh and even sit up.’” Usual recovery time: 1 to 6 weeks.

In week 9 of the 1995 season, Favre incurred a severely sprained left ankle in a game against Minnesota. Such a sprain “indicates complete tearing of the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, which swells badly and can no longer bear weight.” Usual recovery time: 2 to 3 months. The following week, Favre threw 5 touchdown passes against Chicago. In the season finale against Pittsburgh, Favre coughed up blood after a particularly brutal hit; Green Bay would, however, advance to the NFC title game, losing to Dallas.

In a preseason game in 1999, Favre sustained a sprained right thumb, which he played with the rest of the season. For normal people, the usual recovery period is 4 to 6 weeks.

In 2000, and again in his final season, Favre suffered from tendinitis in his right elbow. Its effect: “Reduced grip and wrist strength. Typically mild to moderate pain; the more you use the elbow joint -- practically speaking, the more you use your afflicted arm -- the more painful it becomes.” Usual recovery time: 4 to 12 weeks. The 2000 injury occurred in training camp, so Favre presumably played with this injury the entire season. Added to this, Favre played with a left foot sprain for much of the season.

In 2002, a week after the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion New England 28-10 in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, Favre sustained a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his left knee against Washington. Usual recovery time is 6 to 12 weeks, but Favre maintained wearing a knee brace the rest of the year.

2003: Favre broke his right thumb against St. Louis in week 7. For normal people, the average recovery time is 6 weeks to 4 months. Typical treatment: “Arm placed in a cast for four to six weeks, followed by a splint for a few additional weeks. Next comes rehab to improve range of motion and strength.” Again, we are talking about normal human beings.

The never-ending cycle: In 2004, in Favre’s only memorable passing duel with Peyton Manning, the two combined for 753 yards passing and 9 TD passes. In that game Favre sustained a left hamstring bruise the size of a softball. "Normally, it starts as black and blue from bleeding within the muscle. Then it will turn yellow and green. What freaks most people out is that gravity starts pulling the blood down towards the feet, and bruising starts to occur in areas lower than where the injury occurred. That means there is some good muscle tearing happening." Usual recovery time is 6 weeks or more. Then against Dallas in week 7, Favre sprained his throwing hand; the usual procedure is to spend two weeks wearing a brace. Favre, of course, didn’t miss a beat.

In 2006, Favre injured his ulnar nerve in his right elbow. A severe injury of this nature can cause permanent paralysis of the hand. That Favre began suffering from bone spurs in his left ankle—a chronic condition that would plague him for the rest of his career.

A 2007 contest against Dallas featured two 10-1 teams; it also found Favre knocked out with a forearm injury, which affected his play the remainder of the year. This game is most notable for being the only “meaningful” playing time that Aaron Rodgers saw before 2008.

In 2008 as quarterback of the New York Jets, Favre tore his right biceps, which turned out to be the cause of his lackluster play the final five weeks of the season. Favre could still throw the ball, but the pain was enormous. He would eventually have a procedure done on his arm before he joined the Vikings in 2009.

In 2009, Favre pulled a groin preparing for his “return” to Lambeau Field, where he threw 4 TD passes in a 38-26 victory over the Packers. Later in the NFC Championship game, Favre suffered a brutal over-and-under hit that should have flagged, causing a stress fracture to his left ankle and fractured heel. Favre had off-season surgery on the ankle, but it was reinjured in 2010 against Green Bay in week 7. Favre continued to play with the injury.

The injury that finally ended Favre’s consecutive start streak in 2010 was a sprained sternoclavicular joint in his right shoulder. The effects of such and injury: “Very, very painful. Swelling and tenderness in the front of the chest. The SC joint attaches the collarbone to the breastbone -- in essence, the arm to the body -- which means most upper-body motions are affected. Worst case scenario: An unstable collarbone can compress major blood vessels, including the jugular vein and aorta.”

People don’t know half of what they think they know. Although Favre was paid $16 million to come back for another try in 2010, his “reluctance” could easily be misunderstood as something else.