Temporary Injuries And Their Influence On A Career

[Ferbian]

The world of sports is filled with injuries, some longer than others. Mikkel Kessler today just announced his absence from active competition because of an eye injury that will keep him on the bench for 9 months. A Danish sports journalist said that Kessler's injury has put him in the position that it could very well hurt his potential to make it in the Danish sports history books.

And I'm sure he's not the only one that have faced these kind of injuries. An injury that have put someone on the bench while they were on a roll, at a time where they had potential to go further, and make a name for themselves in the record books.

Now what I'm really wondering is, how can a temporary, basically non career threatening injury become anything remotely close to career damaging in the way that your chances of going down in history is actually ruined?

Seems pretty drastic to me. I mean I'm sure Kessler with a triumphant return or something like that could very well go down in history. I'm also sure that applies to pretty much any sport.

Am I the only one that thinks that no temporary injury could be so damaging to one's career that their previous potential to go into the record books is completely ruined?

 

[LSN80]

I have to agree with you. If a player is as great as purported, how could a short term, non-devastating injury cause them to lose their place in history? I mean, Kessler, for example, should be able to return from his eye injury and pick up where he left off right?

I don't want to downplay the effects of an eye injury, but this doesn't sound career threatening. There are myriads of examples of players who have come back from dehabilitating, career threatening injuries, and have posted remarkable numbers.


I live in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are treated like God's. Ben Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle crash the offseason after he won the Super Bowl in 05/06, causing a concussion, facial injuries that required plastic surgery, and a loss of all commo sense and human decency, apparently. When he resumed playing in 06/07, he was awful. Terrible decision making, poor pocket presence, and almost an equal TD to INT ratio. The team didnt even make the playoffs, in large part due to him. Yet he rebounded in 07/08, leading the Steelers back to the playoffs, and winning the Super Bowl in 08/09. He's on pace to become the Steelers all time leader in completions, TD's, and yards thrown for.

So while his injury was dehabilitating to the Steelers and his numbers for an entire season, he was able to rebound and become the Ben of old. To me, this is sensationalizing journalism to even suggest something so minor could have such a profound impact. Interesting topic.