Robert Griffin III, Derrick Rose and why Marketing Recovery is a Dangerous Setup

Reading Howard Bryant’s piece on Robert Griffin III and the negative effects of marketing his recovery, I thought about Derrick Rose and why RG3’s play is a strong reminder he did the right thing. And also the nature of our times where everything is marketable no matter if it’s sound or not.

Seeing RG3 struggle is exactly why I’m glad Derrick Rose took his time. People can crack jokes about who came back to play before he did but for once, I’m glad an athlete showed discipline and didn’t rush back due to pressure. RG3 has been described as not himself and held back due to that brace. As if his body wants to do something but his mind can’t yet.

We often forget that the toughest part of injury recovery is mental. It’s trusting your body to do what it used to before. It’s not letting the reactions to your performance (good or bad) affect your already recovering psyche. The Scriptures say that the body is willing but the flesh is weak and too often, we see that when the mind interferes with a well-built frame.

Marketing someone’s return to action is just that. A return to playing but it doesn’t guarantee a return to stardom. It’s all about coming back to work to do your job, not asking if mentally you’re ready to do it. Like most else, injury recovery is now available to the highest bidder to fit a narrative.

It’s a catchy slogan but what does it prove when RG3 and Washington is at 1-3? What does it prove when D-Rose caught unnecessary hell for daring to listen to his body and not team doctors? Is the goal to come back or come back when you’re mentally, as well as physically, ready.

Adrian Peterson didn’t have a flashy marketing campaign when he tore up his knee. Just like Rose and RG3, he went to work and busted his butt.  His quick success has spoiled microwave fans who expect others to return quickly without realizing AD was the exception, not the rule.

Derrick Rose gave in to the campaign but he was in control of it. He wouldn’t let his teammates, coaches, doctors, media or fans force him to do anything he wasn’t ready for.

RG3 gave in to the campaign but I never thought he was in control. He wanted to come back ASAP and it seems like he and the coaching staff were at too many odds leading up to season 1. Even though I feel Shanahan hung him out to dry in the playoffs, Bryant's point about someone's image being their worst enemy is turning out true here for now. 

Griffin has used the first four games to get back in the groove and while I can't blame him for wanting to be out there when it counts, it's clear the results are mixed. Yes he's currently 6th in passing yards but he's thrown for four interceptions and he hasn't looked confident running the ball. But yet, because of the marketing and bravado and football culture, he came back maybe sooner than he would admit to (and he even hinted as much in February)

Instead of marketing recovery, we should be encouraging patience. Unfortunately, I fear we’re going to see this play out again in a month when another superstar may recover too fast from injury. Kobe Bryant may be seeing a terrible Lakers team and feel the need to throw on the Superman cape but I’d rather him wait and do it when he’s fully ready and tested it.

Modern medicine has made recovery quicker but it doesn’t mean the mind is right. RG3 talked all the good game in the world but the proof is in the pudding. Derrick Rose was honest as well and by waiting three more months instead of rushing back for the 2013 playoffs, he bought himself more time to get mentally ready to play. If anything D-Rose set himself up to succeed later while RG3 was set up to face the wrath if he failed right away because of the machine behind him.

As a Cowboys fan, I hope RG3 gets right soon. Peterson’s 2nd half performance should be a reminder that the best lies ahead. But I hope we remember that recovery - no matter what some company tells us - is a process that can’t be sped up and it continues long after athletes are cleared to play.

Why Teams Need to Do More to Protect Their Players

In light of this fake controversy over if Derrick Rose should play or not for Chicago (which I spoke on earlier this week), it brings to mind a bigger concern. What responsibility do teams and coaches have to protect their players from themselves??

Case in point, it's been reported that Rose's teammate Luol Deng has lost 15 pounds since undergoing a spinal tap last week. Deng really wants to play in this series against Miami and he'd be welcomed with open arms. Except that Deng is really in no shape to play because of obvious fatigue.

We saw this in the NFL playoffs with Robert Griffin III. RG3 was hurt and hobbling around a bad leg against the Seahawks and it was made worse when he suffered an even worse injury later in the game. He had no business to be playing and his coaches had no business calling running plays and roll outs for him when he's not at 100%.

It's admirable when guys play hurt. It happens all the time. Jack Youngblood will be remembered forever playing the Super Bowl on one leg. Michael Jordan's flu game. Willis Reed's moment (which I personally find overrated compared to Walt Frazier going off that game).

But when guys play hurt and hurt their team in the process? That's when a coach needs to step in and save their player from their pride. An organization needs to say "We have you around here for a long time, don't mortgage the future for the present if you can't be effective."

Let them Wait!! (A Few Words on Derrick Rose)

This week's video tackles a topic I've had on my mind for a while. Folks trying to rush Derrick Rose off the bench and into the Bulls' starting lineup and questioning his manhood, toughness and commitment. Not even 2 years after he won the MVP.

It exposes a few things. 1) Fans are naturally selfish, 2) Football recoveries and modern medicine have made them numb to the mental recovery from an injury, 3) Rose's opinion of his body - which should matter more than a doctor - is meaningless to many who are jumping on the train of following this story.

To the Chicago Bulls' credit, they aren't putting any pressure on him. Neither should we.  To the fans who disagree, I give you the words of King Jaffe from "Coming to America."

Let's focus on how the Bulls who are playing will do against the rested Miami Heat. My prediction: Heat in a hard-fought 5-game series.

Joakim Noah also has some words for everybody regarding his teammate.

A Moment of Truth: Kobe is Mortal

This is not a eulogy for Kobe Bryant or his career.

This is, however, a moment of truth where we finally realize that one of the greatest athletes of our generation is mortal. Mortal after rupturing his Achilles tendon in one of the worst Los Angeles sports moments in a decade.

I saw the injury and figured it was serious but nothing he couldn't come back from. I've seen Kobe play with injured fingers, bad knees and any assortment of small injuries you can think of. When he misses a game, it surprises you. I figured he'd be back on Sunday.

I was wrong. So wrong that when I left the movie theater 3 hours after seeing the Lakers win and heard the news, I called my girlfriend feeling numb. One of my church members did pass away Friday so to compare reacting to an injury to death seems foolishness. But the numbness I felt on that drive home was about as bad as a non-death or personal moment can be.

Seeing Kobe fall was like seeing Derek Jeter fall in the ALDS last year. A bad injury this late in an iconic career is still beatable but harder. It's Father Time's greatest ally - old injuries means longer recovery and a reminder that he's undefeated.