Rush Rush

So, I was hoping something positive would spur me to get back to posting here. How naive I am at times is astounding.

Reading Berger's post which cites some anonymous groin expert, and former Leafs employee, really has me upset. Basically, if Wellwood had been treated properly last year and given a LONG summer to rest, this recent flair up should not have occurred. Obviously he rested during the summer, as his father has been very vocal on the subject. That leaves the treated properly last year part.

Wellwood's performance varied wildly last year, even to the point of me becoming frustrated with his apparent unwillingness to engage the opposition physically. He was playing as a mere shadow of the player that began the season with a bang. By his own admission, this injury bothered him for at least half of the games he played before December. Which brings us to this nugget courtesy of anonymous.

But, if he played with that muscle tear for any length of time last season, it was most definitely the wrong thing to do. I understand why pro hockey players try to push the envelope. They want to play. Their careers aren’t overly long. But, reason has to prevail in situations involving important muscles like those in the groin area

Reason. Ah yes, something we humans should use in the act of making a decision. And yet reason is often trumped by external factors that upon reflection are quite irrational. Like say, pressure on the GM to make the playoffs because of his uncertain job security. Or like Wellwood continuing to play in discomfort because of pressure from the team to produce. Wellwood alluded to this pressure recently, suggesting management wanted him to play an entire season.

This is not to say Kyle himself isn't putting pressure on himself to play an entire season, but from the sound of it, he was pressured to do so last year, and explains management's thought process of bringing Wellwood back to finish the season, despite early reports that Kyle was done for the season when the team opted for surgery.

Remember those reports? I do. And some how magically they were forgotten. Wellwood should have been shut down with the thinking of coming back in October of 2007, not March 2007.

Thirteen games played. Eleven points. And possibly a groin irreparably damaged. If this injury isn't managed properly this year, assuming he can regain enough strength in the area to be effective, and he is rushed back early in the hopes of merely making the playoffs and he re-injures the groin, it is the most damning bit of evidence to have JFJ fired and MLSE loudly blamed for putting JFJ in such a position.

Good teams don't treat their few and precious talents with such short-sightedness.

Update - Simmons actually has a decent article today regarding the medical mishaps of the JFJ administration. Too bad he too thinks Wellwood will be back to normal next month.

Update - I just wanted to extend a special thank you to Tom L of Sabre Rattling fame for mentioning this blog over at AOL Blogger Fanhouse.