OT: I apologize in advance

[beav]

but I don't usually see many people posting in the other sports category.

A question for our medical personnel/students here. Can you give us the skinny on Vick's injury please?

[KB21]

He broke the small bone in his leg. It apparently is a clean break, which makes it easier to set and stabilize. If surgery is needed, they will go in and put a plate and a couple screws in it. I think surgery is unlikely though. Had it been a tib fracture, surgery would be very likely.

Most fib fractures don't need surgical intervention.

[Playmaker0017]

Beav,

The injury is one that isn't too severe. The problem will be the loss in mindset. A lot of people don't ever fully recover - mentally - from an injury like that.

I knew a star tennis player that hurt their knee. They never were able to play at a high level again, due to the thought that the freak accident could happen again. They didn't stop the same, run the same, etc.

Most of the time the mental thing has nothing to do with conscious thought, but rather your own brain putting a limit on you (remember, it doesn't want to get hurt again).

I'd be suprised if Vick doesn't lose a step or two, not becuase of the injury -- but because of the idea that another injury might be fatal to his career.

Play.

[beav]

Thanks for the information. I hope that you're wrong about Vick's mindset. Although if it is true that it might reduce his risk-taking it might end up prolonging his career.

[Playmaker0017]

Beav,

I agree. But, on the other hand, I would hate to see him lose anything.

We will have to see.

I just hope he doesn't pull a Randall Cunningham and come back and reinjure the same area or something worse as he was protecting that area too much. (It would be harder to do then Randall, but still)

The injury was a fluke, and that might be the problem. He didn't DO anything wrong. He didn't get hit hard or avoid the hit or anything. He just rolled wrong. That can get in your head. Whispering over and over...

Look at J. Anderson ... he just couldn't get it out of his head. Albeit, it was ligament, which is worse.

I wish Vick the best and hope he can make a safe return. It helps the Falcons and better yet - it helps the NFL.

Play.

[JaHawk10]

I doubt Vick will lose anything as far as mindset. He's one of the most confident individual athletes that have come on the scene in years. I think if anything, this should make him stronger mentally. I wish him a speedy recovery and a great career. I don't want Atlanta fans to get down on this. I know we were all like "OH SHYT. JUST OUR LUCK". I don't think it'll be like that. The ATL sports teams have had their share of bad luck. It's time for some good fortune...

J

[Guest]

There are people on the IGN Madden 2004 message

board saying Vick is soft because he didn't continue

to play like McNabb did with a broke leg last year,

[Playmaker0017]

Hots,

Those people are idiots then. You don't play with an injury like that because of the prolonged damage it COULD do. Plus, each injury is different and McNabb took time off too.

JaHawk,

Being confident and sure of yourself has little to do with your minds defense mechanisms. If you burn your hand, you will instinctivly recoil from flame. He really hurt his leg and had a chance of losing his entire NFL career. He knows this. The tendency is still there to recoil from the flame. When I blew out my knee the first time... due to rehab and such... I increased my forty time to around a 4.57 average from about a 4.6 average. But, I felt that I was more tentative on the field, a little more wary of bowling over a defender (which is where my original injury came from). The second time the injury happened, it was a fluke. I just drove my knee into the ground wrong. Then I completely lost the ability to kick my body into overdrive. I couldn't find that burst of speed... I knew it was there... my legs were primed to do it... but my mind wouldn't let me. It refused, because I think my mind knew that the potential to snap my knee was there.

If he doesn't react differently from the injury, then he's a moron. It is what you are supposed to do. It just doesn't mean that it is a bad thing. Look at Cunningham with the Vikings... not the same type of player... but brought something else.

Vick will survive the injury, no doubt. But, I doubt we will see the same reckless abandon we saw last year.

Play.