Too long? Preseason under scrutiny after Vick injury
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer
August 21, 2003
ATLANTA (AP) -- When Michael Vick crumpled to the ground with a broken leg in a meaningless preseason game, his backup wondered why they were even playing.
``This is a brutal game,'' Atlanta Falcons quarterback Doug Johnson said. ``To sacrifice your body for a game that doesn't matter, that's a lot to ask.''
Vick's injury last weekend once again put the spotlight on the NFL's lengthy preseason: four games for most teams, five for those picked to play in foreign exhibitions or the Hall of Fame game.
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Percentage-wise, it's the longest warmup season in any of the major pro sports.
Four games represents 25 percent of the NFL's 16-game regular season. By comparison, baseball teams play around 30 spring training games before starting their 162-game season. In the NBA and NHL, teams get eight or nine preseason games to prepare for the 82 games that count.
``You don't need four games,'' Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking said. ``The coaching staff already knows 90 percent of the guys who are going to be on the team before preseason.''
Brooking and others wouldn't mind extending the regular season if it meant shortening the preseason schedule.
``I'd rather have two preseason games and add two games that really count,'' he said. ``At least it would be the real deal.''
Around the league, most players seem in favor of shortening the preseason. Even some coaches say they could get by with fewer games.
Years ago, players reported to training camp with the idea of using that time to get in shape. Many of them had to get offseason jobs to make ends meet, so they didn't have time to work out.
These days, players are much better paid, which allows them to take part in year-round workout programs and mini-camps. They better be in shape by the time camp starts or they'll likely get cut.
``Yeah, those guys are ready to play after two weeks,'' New York Jets coach Herman Edwards said.
The NFL said most coaches favor the four-game preseason.
``A few years ago, in the early years of the current free agency-salary cap system, we asked coaches about the number of preseason games,'' said Michael Signora, a league spokesman. ``Their consensus was that having at least four preseason games was more important than ever. With free agency and the salary cap, rosters change more rapidly now. The games are more necessary for evaluating squads and developing talent.''
Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James doesn't buy it. The Edge has never hidden his disdain for playing games that don't count in the standings.
``I'd rather do two-a-days every day than play in a preseason game,'' said James, who didn't take part in any exhibition games last year and has a way of coming up with ways to avoid going on the field.
Last week, James was supposed to be in for 20 plays against Seattle. When he didn't play at all, the team said he wanted to rest a sore hamstring.
The next day, someone mentioned to James that the NFL used to play six preseason games when it had a 14-game schedule (the league went to a 16-game schedule after the 1977 season).
``Six games?'' James said. ``I'd pull my hamstring for real.''
The owners certainly like the current arrangement since they charge the same for tickets -- whether it's preseason or regular season. Preseason games also provide additional programming for networks that pay billions of dollars for the right to televise pro football.
Falcons receiver Peerless Price remembers his college days at Tennessee, when he prepared for the season with workouts, practices and a few scrimmages against teammates.
``We had a scrimmage, then we played a week or two after that,'' Price said. ``I don't see the point of all these preseason games. I know the owners earn money off it, but it's too long.''
Vick broke his right fibula when he tried to scramble out of the pocket, only to get caught from behind by a Baltimore lineman. He'll miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
Vick admitted that maybe he should have just thrown the ball away, but his competitive nature wouldn't let him. The Falcons offense was struggling. He wanted to provide a spark.
Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre said a player is more likely to get hurt trying to avoid an injury. He figures you're better off just playing your normal game, which is what the elusive Vick was trying to do.
``You have to play the game a certain way,'' Favre said. ``I can't go into this game and play three plays and do my best to avoid getting hit. You just can't do that. In my opinion, that's when you get hurt. You play the game a certain way, you know that there's collisions involved and freaky things happen.''
While the NFL hates to lose a player of Vick's stature, injuries are an unavoidable consequence of such a violent game.
``In an ideal world, injuries would never occur,'' Signora said. ``But we realize that injuries can occur in mini-camps, practices, weightlifting sessions, preseason games or regular-season game. Any time you participate in an athletic endeavor, there's always a risk of injury.'' |
