PFT: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

[pats1]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

MORE EVIDENCE OF PATS’ IMPROPRIETIES?
Posted by Mike Florio on June 10, 2008, 5:55 p.m.

Well, it’s time to re-set the “Days Without A PFT Story Regarding The Patriots And Cheating” meter to “OO.”

But this latest topic is an oldie and not-so-goodie. It deals with the team’s “massaging” of the injury report, a phenomenon about which we’ve all been aware for years. A couple of years ago, quarterback Tom Brady played several games with a McNabb-style sports hernia, which was somehow kept under wraps until after the season.

In the days leading up to Super Bowl XLII, Brady again appeared on the injury report with his chronic shoulder injury, but no mention was made of the injury to his ankle that obviously limited him during the game.

Now (and as mentioned in a One-Liner earlier today by MDS), Pats cornerback Ellis Hobbs is speaking candidly about the team’s approach in this regard.

Hobbs has told the story of a very real injury to his groin, which became progressively worse over the course of the season.

“From camp, through the preseason, all the way to the regular season, it started aching a little more each day to where it got to the point where we definitely needed surgery,” Hobbs said.

But yet Hobbs showed up on the injury report only once after December 1.

So what gives?

“We keep things under wraps for a reason,” Hobbs said. “We never want things to leak out. Teams can use it against us, and strategize for players that are going to potentially be there or potentially not be there.”

Um, Ellis? Coach Belichick has scheduled you for another surgery. He thinks you need to have your vocal cords removed.

In our view, the league has been reluctant to nail teams that violate the injury-reporting rules, even when they are caught with a smoking gun in one hand and a cookie jar over the other. In the case of Brady’s sports hernia, we concluded that, as long as the truth doesn’t come out until after the season ends, there will be no repercussions.

And, clearly, other teams play games with the injury reports. Our concerns has been, and still is, that allowing teams to give incomplete information creates an incentive for gamblers and those who are otherwise “mobbed up” to provide envelopes full of cash and other inducements to the guy who washes the jock straps at $7.55 an hour in exchange for access to information about who’s really hurt, and who really isn’t.

Perhaps the reality is that the league has yet to come up with a way to effectively ensure that teams comply with the rules regarding the reporting of injuries, and that the league is content with a system that merely creates a general perception that everyone who is inclined to place (or take) a bet has access to reliable information.

 

[tobias funke]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Hobbs didn't say anything wrong, IMO.

Vrabel also said similar things during the season last year, pointing out that it is stupid to give the other team more ammunition to gameplan against you.

Florio will latch onto anything he can label an impropriety, turn it into a horse, and beat it to death for the sake of more page views, though.

 

[ScottieC]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

The only shocking development in that story is Ellis' inability to keep his mouth shut. Pretty sure I remember Florio writing a similar story a while back.

He's gonna get a dose of Belichick/Pioli that he'll never forget.

Have I said lately how much I miss football?

 

[miDeuce]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

I get the feeling that 50% of any NFL team could be on the injury report at any given time if teams reported every single bump and bruise. Hobbs didn't miss any games, so what's the big deal? Wes Welker seems like he's recovering from something now, how come he wasn't ever on the injury report?

 

[tobias funke]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Hobbs didn't miss any games

Exactly.

Florio completely ignores this fact.

If the team is planning on playing a guy in a game, why does he need to be on the injury report?

Just so the other team knows what part of his body to hit really hard?

 

[wdkantro2]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

I don't see anything wrong with what Hobbs said...Florio is just probably used to Patriots saying nothing of note all the time, but this is something that has been publicly covered in the past.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Belichick say something about it himself a couple years ago? Around the Falcons game where Vick was supposed to play all week until Saturday when he got downgraded?

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

If no snaps are missed in practice and the player is definitely going to play in the game, what exactly is Florio's point, beyond trying to just stir up ****, of course.

 

[blackglass3]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

This should refuel "Suspend Belichick" talk on ESPN in a few hours.

And even though Peter King is on vacation, I suspect we will see a special "Morally Outraged" column from him by Friday.

It has been oddly unsettling these last few weeks, not being talked about in a negative light.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

The only shocking development in that story is Ellis' inability to keep his mouth shut. ....

He's gonna get a dose of Belichick/Pioli that he'll never forget.

Can't agree with you more.

I generally like him for his attitute and frankness but feel that he is not yet mature to speak properly on sensitive subjects.

In addition to expressing shock and disappointment when the cameragate story broke out, I think he went on record saying something like "that is bad....I hope we didn't do it".

Why blurt out something when you might not know what the hell is going on behind the scenes??

 

[jmt57]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

“We keep things under wraps for a reason,” Hobbs said. “We never want things to leak out. Teams can use it against us, and strategize for players that are going to potentially be there or potentially not be there.”

When I saw that quote I knew that it would be just a very short matter of time before somebody picked up on it and complained. The public doesn't like it when athletes respond with nothing but cliches, yet then skewer them when they joke around (Brady) or speak the truth (Hobbs).

Actually, this is a good example of why BB limits media access and coaches players to respond to questions without really saying anything. It will probably be used in the locker room to the rest of the team as an example of what not to say.

 

[JoePats]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Since the injury report refers to participation in practice Wed/Thu and chance of playing on Friday, the Pats would only be in violation if Hobbs missed any practice time or had a chance of not playing. Since he played almost every snap all year, and the league has videos of each practice anyway, I don't see what the problem is.

 

[BadMoFo]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Nothing to see. Hobbs practiced, Hobbs played. Did he need to be on the report?


If anything, Florio would have an easier time implying that Ellis was forced to play.

 

[Truck]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Since the injury report refers to participation in practice Wed/Thu and chance of playing on Friday, the Pats would only be in violation if Hobbs missed any practice time or had a chance of not playing. Since he played almost every snap all year, and the league has videos of each practice anyway, I don't see what the problem is.

Right...The report is the probability that a player will play....Not under how much pain he's playing...Correct?

 

[Pats726]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Florio is turning into a lemming of the anti-Pats lynch mob....when he drooled on about the IR violation, he sent me back a snide remark about reading his FULL SN article and understanding it. He did talk about looking at ALL teams and their practices..which is what the NFL should be doing, but as far as penalties went, Florio singled out the Pats. I sent another e-mail to him and told him he was basically a hypocrite. Either punish ALL teams for IR violations OR none...Florio is too busy running his lynch mob against the Pats.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

WOW! The sky is really blue.

 

[JoePats]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Right...The report is the probability that a player will play....Not under how much pain he's playing...Correct?

I belive so...If he doesn't need extra treatment beyond normal and practices fully and is 100% to play, which seems as it was the case, then he wouldn't have to be listed. The only reason I added the extra treatment thing is because I'm not sure of the situation which would require someone to be listed as "full particpation in practice," especially if he was definately playing.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Nothing to see. Hobbs practiced, Hobbs played. Did he need to be on the report?


If anything, Florio would have an easier time implying that Ellis was forced to play.

Florio's next spin will probably be exactly that, in fact it almost sounds as if he's implying it already:

"Hobbs has told the story of a very real injury to his groin, which became progressively worse over the course of the season.

“From camp, through the preseason, all the way to the regular season, it started aching a little more each day to where it got to the point where we definitely needed surgery,” Hobbs said.

But yet Hobbs showed up on the injury report only once after December 1.

So what gives?"

 

[Tucker]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Maybe next year we should have the entire starting roster listed as probable. That's what I'd like to see

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

Much ado about nothing. Here is an article from USA Today last November that details multiple teams' practice of cheating the injury report.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-11-22-injury-report-cover_N.htm

When the league hasn't fined anyone in 9 years eventhough they know every team does it and the max fine given out has been $25k, you know it is a joke.

As for Florio, he will continue to play both sides of the fence on the Patriots until the it stops generating traffic for his site.

 

[otis p. driftwood]

Re: Hobbs can't shut up about injury report

I don't see anything wrong with what Hobbs said...Florio is just probably used to Patriots saying nothing of note all the time, but this is something that has been publicly covered in the past.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Belichick say something about it himself a couple years ago? Around the Falcons game where Vick was supposed to play all week until Saturday when he got downgraded?

I think that's when BB really decided to play with the report, but that's just my opinion.