Injuries strike causing
fantasy to become reality.
By Gabriella Rusk
Strangely, whenever watching a football game, sometimes it’s
best if we’re sitting down. The reason? To be prepared for the knee-buckling
shock we’ll endure if our fantasy player gets hurt.
As the NFL trainers run out onto the field to assess an
injured player, we cross our fingers that he will get up and brush himself off
feeling ready to continue the game. But when our prayers aren’t answered, we
stare at our own TV screens horrified as our players are driven into the locker
room on that dreaded golf cart.
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| (AP Photo) |
What was once a slow and steady list of injuries, Week 5 was
filled with the fall of some of the finest fantasy players.
In the Thursday Night Football, Rams vs. Cardinals match-up,
St. Louis wide receiver Danny Amendola suffered a dislocated clavicle when
diving for a catch. NFL insider Jay Glazer tweeted about the injury saying
Amendola was very lucky.
“Amendola's injury was NOT life threatening but that injury very
often is. His wasn't because it didn't slice any arteries.”
In addition to
Thursday’s game, Arizona running back Ryan Williams (who
was starting for the injured Beanie Wells) took a hit, hurt his shoulder, and
is now out for the season.
Alas, the injuries continue. Earlier this week, the New York
Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes was officially put on the injured reserve from
his week four foot injury. Also, nursing a foot injury, Green Bay Packer running
back Cedric Benson is out for eight weeks.
Perhaps with the least serious injury, but still causing fantasy
owners a setback, was Robert Griffin III’s mild concussion. Although the
Redskins’ quarterback reports to be ready to play this week, he needs to pass
all the NFL required concussion tests before he is cleared to play.
Like RG3, our own heads seem to be spinning with all these
injury reports and how they will affect our fantasy line-ups. Reluctantly, we
are faced to admit that injuries are simply part of the game and unavoidable in
both fantasy and reality. In these two worlds, fantasy teams take a hard hit
from those hard hits.
And sometimes when you’re hit, it’s best to just sit down.
