So you're the GM for the San Diego Chargers

[Neroon]

What do you tell Shawn Merriman? To recap, he has two torn ligaments in hos left knee. So far no surgeon has given him the confirmation that he can play. They've all said "you're risking yourself here".

"If your decision is to play, that' up to you, so have at it."

or

"You're not only endangering the team's future but more importantly your own career."

 

[Sheep]

I haven't been following this too closely, but last I heard 3 or 4 doctors all told him that the injury was serious enough to require surgery and rehab which would end his season.

If the guy's too boneheaded to do the right thing for his health and career, the Chargers need to step in.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I'd tell him he either gets the surgery or he sits on the bench all season. If he gets the surgery he will be able to come back next year and he'll help the team. However if the plays this year and hurts himself so bad that his career is over he then hurts his team in the long run. Better to hurt the team this year rather than hurt it for years to come.

 

[Adm. Bonz]

Make him get the surgery. Otherwise cut him when he hurts himself.


Dumbass.

 

[Aragorn]

Merriman is an idiot. He was basically going to go from one doctor to the next until one of them told him exactly what he wanted to hear. Maybe all those steroids he took fried some braincells. Hell, maybe he'll think he can shoot steroids into his tears and they'll be magically healed. If (when) he suffers a career-ending injury, I won't feel sorry about him. He's just proof that common sense isn't very common at all.

But on the other end, the Chargers are basically enabling him by passing the buck onto him and not taking any stand. Maybe the pressure is so high for them to win the Super Bowl this year they're willing to have Merriman destroy the rest of his career. Sort of like how the Brewers are letting C.C. Sabathia pitch all those innings because they have no intention of re-signing him so his health beyond this year isn't their concern.

 

[Neroon]

I'm pretty sure that Merriman is signed only through next season, so I can't help but tink that factors into his albeit questionable decision here.

 

[smeos]

I'd make him get the surgery. I'd also limit LdT's carries per season so that his body won't go to complete crap in the second round of the playoffs.

 

[Scout101]

I'd just put him on IR. Good incentive to get the surgery, as he woiuld be unable to play for the rest of the season. Letting him go out there, and tanking his career, is stupid. Also, he's less than 100%, obviously, so you're hurting the team by not putting someone else out there. And one bad turn on the knee, and he's out for good, instead of coming back strong next year.

 

[Aragorn]

You know, if Merriman is actually having a good game, the opponent might target his injury.

 

[Neroon]

You know, if Merriman is actually having a good game, the opponent might target his injury.

And they should target it. Not by taking a cheap shot, trying to injure him further and get him out of the game. But if he's going to play and he has to use that injured knee, then it's up to him to gut it out. I'm not changing my style because I feel sorry for him. If his injury means he can't move laterally in that lightning way he has, then you better believe I'm going to take advantage of that.

 

[Garak]

If I had intentions to re-sign him then I'd bench him.

If not, I'd say go for it and use him all you can until he gets hurt.

 

[Timby]

But on the other end, the Chargers are basically enabling him by passing the buck onto him and not taking any stand. Maybe the pressure is so high for them to win the Super Bowl this year they're willing to have Merriman destroy the rest of his career. Sort of like how the Brewers are letting C.C. Sabathia pitch all those innings because they have no intention of re-signing him so his health beyond this year isn't their concern.

I'm of two minds on the subject. On one hand, it's nice to think that companies have an obligation to treat their employees with tough love: A co-worker of mine was recently suspended, with pay, pending his completion of drug abuse rehabilitation program.

On the other hand, a sports team is a business, with its primary goal being the generation of income (income largely generated, in most cases, by wins and strong player performance), and it's in the business' best interest to play Shawne Merriman at 75 percent as opposed to a scrub from the practice team who manages about 25 percent of Merriman's ability.

In any event, given that the Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 year, I don't put anything past that organization.

 

[Neroon]

Who is Merriman's backup? Whoever it is while I doubt he's anywhere near Merriman's talent, I have to wonder if that guy at 100% is at least as good as Merriman at 75% or whatever he is one one good knee.

 

[pookha]

the chargers already told him to get the surgery.
in fact they told him last winter to get the surgery and he refused to.

Chargers did nothing wrong in Merriman case
Thursday, August 28, 2008

Perhaps the most baffling part of the Shawne Merriman story is somehow the Chargers are being portrayed as the bad guys. How did that happen?

Team doctors told Merriman and his agent, Tom Condon, that Merriman needed reconstructive knee surgery after the season. As every doctor who has seen him has verified, Merriman needs the surgery but he can play the season with the brace.

Where were the Chargers wrong in this?

They have been willing to support him either way. Had Merriman had the surgery in February, he would be close to being healthy enough to play.

Everyone in the league knows Merriman wants to play football so they weren't surprised he opted not to have the surgery. Now, if he can have a Pro Bowl season and not damage the knee any worse, he will add to his legend.

Merriman's had the choice all along. There are no villains in a player's decision. Nothing was forced on him.

Merriman elected to postpone surgery in February. He elected to do the same Thursday. The Chargers aren't to blame for that. They kept him totally in the loop on his medical condition.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...e=clayton_john

merriman wanted to go out do a lot of public appearance *stuff and for personal reasons put off the surgery when if it had been done last winter he would have been able to play part of this season.

one theory also is merriman has heard that players even though able to play after major knee surgery are not the same for another year.
and he has his contract coming to an end something like next year so he wants to have a big season due to that.
and for some odd reason thinks he has a better chance of doing this with a bum knee instead of one still not totally back to were it was after surgery.

and i dont think the chargers can keep him from playing.
i need to read through the cba and i dont have time now.
but they can only hold a player out against his will for certain things like a concussion.
about all they can do is inform him of the risks.

especially if it also isnt life threatening ect..

* i found this in an article from the san diego paper one wonders why merriman and smith would have been talking about it unless they chargers are wondering why he refused surgery in the winter..

Smith and Merriman also discussed Merriman's activities outside of football, including appearances, business ventures, endorsements and widespread charity involvement.

 

[wew]

They can keep him playing, all they have to do is bench him. I don't think anyones contract requires that actually have to be permitted to play in the games. As long as the pay him, according to the contract, they are set.

 

[gblews]

the chargers already told him to get the surgery.
in fact they told him last winter to get the surgery and he refused to.

Chargers did nothing wrong in Merriman case
Thursday, August 28, 2008

Team doctors told Merriman and his agent, Tom Condon, that Merriman needed reconstructive knee surgery after the season. As every doctor who has seen him has verified, Merriman needs the surgery but he can play the season with the brace.

Okay, this answers a lot of my questions. This is similar to the Kobe situation last season when he tore ligaments in his fingers. The doctors told him he needed surgery, but none told him he should not or could not play the rest of the season, meaning there was little chance of him doing further damage unless something unusual happened to the fingers. The Lakers told Kobe to get the surgery immediately, just like the Chargers did.

Probably the same with Merriman. If the doctors were telling the Chargers that by the mere act of playing, the chances were high that he would suffer a season or career ending injury, the Chargers would simply tell him he is not playing.

Sounds like what the doctors are saying is that, unless he gets hit a certain way or unless something unusual happens, he won't do ny more damage than what is already done. What it boils down to is, surgery now, or surgery later, is up to the player.

BTW, Charger fans, Kobe went on to have a ppretty good rest of the season, not mention post season.

 

[Aragorn]

You know he'll try to sue the Chargers and the NFL if (when) he has a career-ending injury this season.

 

[gblews]

You know he'll try to sue the Chargers and the NFL if (when) he has a career-ending injury this season.

He can't sue the Chargers or the NFL for any type of injury. All NFL injuries are covered by the Worker's Compensation laws in whichever state the team resides.

 

[pookha]

actually players have sued because they found fault for how they were treated due to an on field injury.
they might not sue the team but they have attempted to sue the doctors.

former dolphin sues

and this an espn piece that explored what happened to two players when it seemed like their teams actually put preasure on the players to get them play when they really should not have been..

outside the lines :do no harm

 

[gblews]

actually players have sued because they found fault for how they were treated due to an on field injury.

Yes, any player is free to sue for medical malpractise, but in that case they would be suing the doctor or the medical facility, not the team.

Now if a team actually had doctors on their payroll, in other words, team employees, that would be a different story. But I doubt any of the teams are stupid enough to have doctors on their payroll making medical decisions on their players. But even if they did, a player could only sue for additional damages caused by the medical malpractise, not for the initial injury, and subsequent treatment.