Floyd Will Return

[Coachmarkos]

It's Floyd's choice. Just like all the guys who play in the NFL.

If his Dr. thinks he's no more at risk than any other player, then he can go off that.

It's still a high risk. Higher than mine anyway. Certainly no lower than last time he got hurt.

I would have probably retired, but that's me. I'm not an Elite professional athlete, and cannot imagine the dedication and work they put in... so it's up to him.

I hope he doesn't get hurt again.

[Maverick]

But the thing is we really don't know the situation. If the doctors believe he has no greater risk of neck injury than any other player, that shouldn't be the basis for decision. Your other issues seem to be team issues, not M80 issues. In that case you seem to be requesting him to retire so we don't have to cut him.

BKR, I am just stating my preference---both as a fan of the team & as a fan of Floyd. Why are you challenging my rationale? I wasn't aware that my showing concern for both the player & the team that we all support was so off base.

Given Floyd seems to be a great guy & family man, yes---I personally would like to see him retire, as I think neck injuries (especially one which looked as bad as his did at the time) are scary (MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION). I also would like to see him just retire, because I think he is getting up in years, & while he has been a significant threat for us in the past, he has rarely ever been able to stay on the field for a full season due to injury of one kind or another. I realize we don't know the exact nature of his recent neck injury, but it's not like that has been his ONLY injury issue over his career. At this point, I don't believe he can be counted on to last a full season, & IMHO, we don't need to be scrambling mid-season to find another starting WR.

[MakoShark]

I agree. Another thing to consider is the person's desire. In 1992, I was in an accident where my head and neck injuries were so bad that I was in a coma for 8 days. Because I was in the Army at the time, the very day I woke up out of the coma, my commanding officer had me back out into our field training with my unit, neck brace and all, back at work and sleeping in a tent at night. Less than 10 months after that injury, I was playing sports, including football (and soccer).

WTF, SC? The Dr's actually cleared you for duty? In light of the current VA accusations I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

[sandiego17]

I didn't realize you were a medical doctor, Q. The swelling has gone down, the neck is stabilised... his risk of injury is no greater or less than anyone else's. I like Malcom. Heck, I really like Rivers, too. Maybe he should retire. I don't want Rivers getting hurt and not being able to be there for his ever-growing family. That's much more important. Let's let all the good guys retire and let Aaron Hernandez back into the league and let all the thugs maim each other.

Agree. Everyone playing football is at risk and the doctors say he's not at any more risk than anyone else. Personally, I'll defer to those with the most relevant information.

[Guest]

Ditto. For SC, was that decision made on what you told your CO on how you felt, or that an Army Doctor cleared you for full duty? If you were deployed in a combat zone, I can see a CO making that decision for you, but if you were just training, there was no need for it. Anyway good for you to come back from that injury, its a heck of a lot easier to do that when you are in your early twenties.

Oh that's just the military for you. I was actually in a German hospital, and the CO had been calling there every day to check on my status. As soon as they found out I was being moved out of ICU, they had the hospital cut me loose and had a driver at the hospital in less than 4 hours to pick me up. Part of the reason was that I had been training as evaluator for one of the stations in a huge medical course/evaluation that they were having out in the field. They had no one else trained up for my station, and there were forces from the U.S., Britain, Germany, Belgium and some other places (I don't remember all of the countries) that were involved in the thing.

[Panama]

.....retire, because he is getting up in age for a WR, because neck injuries are nothing to mess around with, & also because has been injury-prone anyway in the past, & we can't exactly count on him being with us a full season anymore (if we ever could)."

Believe it or not, even though I have said all of this, I am & always have been a Floyd fan. I just feel we need a more reliable field-stretching WR.

veryourhead:

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

BKR, I am just stating my preference---both as a fan of the team & as a fan of Floyd. Why are you challenging my rationale? I wasn't aware that my showing concern for both the player & the team that we all support was so off base.

Given Floyd seems to be a great guy & family man, yes---I personally would like to see him retire, as I think neck injuries (especially one which looked as bad as his did at the time) are scary (MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION). I also would like to see him just retire, because I think he is getting up in years, & while he has been a significant threat for us in the past, he has rarely ever been able to stay on the field for a full season due to injury of one kind or another. I realize we don't know the exact nature of his recent neck injury, but it's not like that has been his ONLY injury issue over his career. At this point, I don't believe he can be counted on to last a full season, & IMHO, we don't need to be scrambling mid-season to find another starting WR.

I am not questioning your right to have or state an opinion. But I'm just trying to clarify your statement a little bit.

I get that you have concern for M80 as a person and that you also want the best for the team. But when you say your preference is for him to retire, one of the many reasons you gave had to do with the player. All the rest of the reasons were team reasons. Again, I have no problem with that. However, the one reason you state for retirement is based on speculation about his injury. Neither you nor I are in position to challenge the doctor's assessment that his risk is no higher than someone who had not suffered this injury. That leaves us with team preferences and team issues. Despite all of those factors, Floyd's been a useful player for us. He can likely be so again. If you think he should retire on that basis, fine, but that's essentially "retire so we can move on." And if the team shares your assessment, cutting him is a possibility.

To be clear, I am not challenging your preference or rationale. But let's just be clear about what we're saying.

[rikardo]

So how can you or anyone else say that Floyd's injury is similar to other players?

[QSmokey]

The problem is we don't know the associated risk. We don't even know what he was diagnosed with. He had no surgery. We don't know how his rehab has gone. To be quite frank, we shouldn't know jack shit about his case. That's why there's privacy/confidentiality laws. It's none of our business.

I guess the best analogy is being in a car crash. Do you stop driving just because you got into an accident and got hurt?

If his physician is saying there are no additional risks, there are likely no additional risks.
He chose to be a football player and is accepting the risks associated with that.

No, that's a shitty analogy. And I'm sensitive to that particular analogy because I get it (or a version of it) from my kids all the time! Example: My younger daughter wants to go sky diving. Of course, I am "gently" (i.e. red-faced, at the top of my lungs ) trying to discourage her from doing it. When she asks me why (do you REALLY have to ask??!!), I tell her it isn't worth the risk. Well, you know what she comes back with? That same stupid analogy that you just presented!!?? LOL!

You have to weigh the risk against the impact it would have on your life. In regards to driving, I live in So. California; try getting around without using a car. Sure, you can hop-scotch on the spotty public transit system, but...really...for all intents and purposes, you HAVE TO drive. My daughter doesn't HAVE TO sky dive.

Same with Malcom. He's made some bucks - more than any of us will EVER make, in many cases - and he can probably get a nice injury settlement from the team. That, and his pension from the League, and he's all set. He doesn't HAVE to play in the face of the real and, IMO, INCREASED risk to himself.

But he's a big boy; he makes his own decisions. I'll just hope and pray that he doesn't regret it.

[Gwynning_Spirit]

Hay, if he can sky dive than he can play

[Beerman]

I agree. Another thing to consider is the person's desire. In 1992, I was in an accident where my head and neck injuries were so bad that I was in a coma for 8 days. Because I was in the Army at the time, the very day I woke up out of the coma, my commanding officer had me back out into our field training with my unit, neck brace and all, back at work and sleeping in a tent at night. Less than 10 months after that injury, I was playing sports, including football (and soccer).

That's hardcore. Negligent, but awesome

[bonehead]

Are you serious, SC? That is asinine!

Maybe SC's Commanding Officer couldn't tell he was in a coma.