No John Lott + No Organized Stretching = 2014 Injuries

[eastcoastSUN]

I've been around for a while and rarely start threads, but this year's success (and current implosion) got me thinking... are we really cursed to have such bad luck with injuries, or is there a better explanation to all of this? Before everyone chimes in and says "every team deals with injuries", why did our team, this 2014 SB-potential team, get decimated with an inordinate amount of injuries?

It is a well-documented fact that BA does not get the team to do organized stretching prior to practice. While there is no empirical evidence that stretching prevents injuries, it does give better range and flexibility, something that all NFL players, where you are a 400lb OL or a 180lb RB need, when going through the motions. This is of course pure conjecture on my part with the stretching.. but what about the loss of our strength coach..?

John Lott had a great rapport with many of our players. He was known to participate in the annual lift competition in OTAs. Amazingly, alot of our veterans stayed relatively healthy during his time here. Take out the "freak" injuries we have suffered since BA took the reigns. I classify "freak" injuries as in action injuries that, because of the way a ball bounced or the if you were in the "wrong place wrong time" scenario, you got injured:
- Cooper (dude rolls over his leg, freak injury)
- Honey Badger (tears his ACL fielding a return and not going down, freak injury)

Now, in the normal course of strength training, your body becomes conditioned to excess wear and tear, especially if you have some sort of program instituted already (as did by Lott). Once your body is removed from that "habit" it resets and needs to get accustomed to a new routine, which could explain the piling up of injuries this year. I'm not saying that our current strength coaches are not doing their job, but is it a coincidence that since BA took over (and Lott was fired), that we are dropping like flies?

- Zasty (groin)
- Ellington (lingering foot issue)
- Docket (ACL) - never injured in his entire career!
- Palmer (ACL) - yes, he was previously injured, but he went down with no contact and call me crazy, but would a diff strength regime prevented this?
- Niklas (everything)
- Taylor (calf a few a weeks ago)
- Stinson (toe a few weeks ago)
- Shaugnessy (knee/old)
- Rashad Johnson - (knee a few weeks ago)

I did not list any concussions or injuries in the normal course of play (Veldeheer and Fanaika ankles, Honey Badger thumb, etc.), but would any of the above injuries have been prevented had we had some sort of a combo stretch + Lott strength in place?

An alternative explanation is that Lott just voodoo'd the hell out of us if he left on bad terms... but even that is as plausible as Stanton looking off his first receiver

Love to discuss... slow week and getting more dreadful with all of these injuries piling up

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

I believe it contributes but I also thing the NEW CBA has also. Limiting practices and contact has actually made injuries worse.

 

[ajcardfan]

Guys blowing their knee out with no contact is very common. As big and strong as these guys are planting, cutting, running, etc still put a tremendous strain on their ligaments. Some of us can remember Timm Rosenbach shredding his knee in training camp on a roll out with no contact.

 

[Catfish]

I opened a thread some time back asking whether or not the lack of a formal stretching program wasn't contributing to our injury problem. Most of the responses indicated that stretching had nothing to do with our injury problems, but I am not convinced that this is so.

I agree with your assessment, that aside from the freak injuries, and the ones that were re-injuries due to contact, we may in fact be realizing the results of inadequate, or poor stretching techniques. I say that because most players seem to be from the school of thought that bigger, stronger, faster, is the way to go. I don't believe that stretching is very high on their agenda.

Since there is no one watching to see that players are stretching properly on their own, no one can convince me that they can be counted on to do so. Therefore I believe that the argument that lack of stretching might be causing at least part of the problem, can be a valid conclusion. I am not saying that they have to set time aside for formal stretching programs, but the voluntary stretching should be at least supervised, and then we would know if the lack of it was actually problematic. A fix for that would be easy enough to accomplish.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

I would actually hypothesize the opposite, the lack of soft tissue injuries this year (strains and pulls), is due to a new strength and conditioning coach.

 

[Darkside]

I don't think it has to do with John Lott.

But I'll say again it has to do with the players own collective bargaining agreement. They asked for this, like a bunch of *******. They didn't ask for things that mattered, like retirement or health care, they worry about the stupidest **** imaginable.

I've said it a million times, when you can't stretch or practice in pads, it leads to injuries. Guys need to build up for hits and get conditioned for hits. There's no better place to do that than with with your own team.

All these walkthroughs and crap are for rooks and sissies. BA eliminates stretching only because he's allowed less time with the players, per their own collective bargaining agreement.

It's the dichotomy that they don't want undue stress, but bring that upon themselves by not working as hard. It's a joke.

You want to eliminate injuries? Work them like dogs in the off-season old school style.

 

[Bert]

"I don't believe in it... You ever see uhhhh a Lion limber up before it takes down a Gazelle?"

 

[CoachKlein]

Funny I was thinning the same exact thing earlier at work today.... We get a new athletic director and more injuries than ever!!! However I shut myself up and stopped thinking about it when I remember the new rules and reg's. The new cba and all the fine print that comes with it... Hence practice time. I really did like John Lott though, he was regarded as one of the best and was a little shocked he was replaced. What can we do they obviously know more than us fans right?? Ugh let's just make the damn playoffs

 

[ARZCardinals]

Look at the data - stretching has NOT proven to reduce injuries on any study done. As a coach myself I looked hard into it and many have questioned why we don't stretch and I'll tell them 'Not one study has proven stretching before practice or a game results in less injuries.' Most people think stretching is necessary because that's what they did when they played.
There's a good youtube video on it right here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeEIoGMldyc&edufilter=GAioUMc1APFhQbMa3Y2vxg&safe=active

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I "stretch" but it is more like yoga, to get me warmed up and sweaty before I go out and play sports.

Whether it prevents injury or not, if makes me feel "ready" to play.

As for those who believe you have to train your body to take hits, and collisions, I 100% agree with that.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Look at the data - stretching has NOT proven to reduce injuries on any study done. As a coach myself I looked hard into it and many have questioned why we don't stretch and I'll tell them 'Not one study has proven stretching before practice or a game results in less injuries.' Most people think stretching is necessary because that's what they did when they played.
There's a good youtube video on it right here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeEIoGMldyc&edufilter=GAioUMc1APFhQbMa3Y2vxg&safe=active

You can also find many videos on how stretching is beneficial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZUYO1HQ-J4

 

[seesred]

I was thinking the very same thing two days ago. Of course we still had injuries with Lott here. But I was taught early in life that before you played you stretch. Which makes sense. But when it comes to the major issues like haying a huge guy fall on a weak body part it's going to crumble.

This team is hurting but we are not alone. I don't remember the team but, I heard last week they had over 15 players on the gone for the rest of the year list. It's hard to look at what we had this year up to two weeks ago. We were heading to maybe a super bowl at home. Keep dreaming Card's fans. It makes you want to cry.

GBR
40

 

[Darkside]

"I don't believe in it... You ever see uhhhh a Lion limber up before it takes down a Gazelle?"

Don't lions spend all day lazing around and stretching man? They stretch all the time. And as far as I know, they have no walk through practice runs where they talk to each other and pump each other up about how badass they are.

Like yo bro lion, you look so badass walking through the savanna but your tail is too high, correct it. Or hey rook lion you're pacing is all wrong, it's a good thing this is just our practice hunt, we weren't planning on eating tonight anyway. Stop scaring the wildabeasts with your roaring Dockett lion! Larsen lion! Stop false starting our hunt! No holding Massie lion, we're hunting the babies, let the man go! Don't let it go Floyd lion you had it all perfect and you let him go. Crap man, back to the bushes, start over. Nobody eats tonight, you bastards.

 

[bigredjane]

That was awesome!

 

[Phrazbit]

Wasn't the "no stretching" thing firmly debunked last year? Stretching is not a part of the specific organizational time allotted for practice... because the players are expected to get their stretching in before practice starts.

 

[eastcoastSUN]

You guys are right, the new CBA has had a significant impact on the injuries this year. I'm sure the players union have addressed this, right? In the best words of Allen Iverson.... "Practice? We talkin bout practice?!... Not a game... no not the game, practice?

Btw, I still (somewhat) stand by my case for the no stretching rule. No evidence suggests it, but the only few times I didn't stretch prior to a gym workout, I end up straining a calf, or worse, my back...