What is your opinion of the Patriots medical staff?

[Brady6]

The medical staff seems to be under a lot of fire, is it merited in your opinion?

Things being questioned in the media are:

• Jonathan Fanene undiscovered knee injury.
• Rob Gronkowski’s treatment and recovery.
• Potentially preexisting injury that led to Wilfork’s torn Achilles.

Along with seemingly promising players like Ras-I Dowling and Myron Pryor who never were able to come back from what were not considered career ending injuries at the time they occurred.

Personally I lack the medical knowledge to provide a proper opinion.

It Is What It Is » Bill Belichick on Patriots medical staff: ?We have confidence in all of them?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I think it's legit to ask the question. Were I an orthopedic MD my opinion could not be fully formed as I still have no access to the med data which any doctor requires before making a judgement.

My position has been for quite a while is that there are enough "issues" such that Kraft needs to hire an outside resource to evaluate the medical staff's performance. It's his billion dollar business and there are problems with several of the prime business assets.

 

[Rob0729]

FWIW, Matt Chatham tweeted yesterday that he doesn't know a single current or former player who has an issue with Dr. Gill and the medical staff.

As for the Fanene thing, the medical staff are not responsible for Fanene not disclosing a pre-existing issue. Free agents don't get MRIs before they sign with teams. And the NFLPA grievance with Dr. Gill was a negotiating tactic to force the Pats to settle with Fanene. Many reporters reported there wasn't a lot of meat behind the grievance, but it was easier for the Pats to settle with Fanene than to let the grievance process play out.

As for the Gronk drama now with second and third opinions holding up the process, that is a new phenomenon created by the new CBA. The new CBA is written now that it specifically states players can get second opinions on their course of medical treatment and their playing with injuries. Gronk's contract is structured that it becomes an issue because Gronk has a greater interest in his long term future since he does not get the bulk of his new contract unless he is on the roster in 2015 and rushing back could hinder how he is paid.

As for the Wilfork thing, we don't know what his problem was. He could have known had a partial tear of his Achilles and decided to play through it. The Pats passed on LaRon Landry because of that, but the Jets decided to take him with a partial tear and the Redskins let Landry play with a partial tear. So if the team knew Wilfork had a partial tear and they let him continue playing, it wouldn't be unprecedented. But until there is anything, we have no idea if Wilfork's injury prior to tearing his Achilles had anything to do with his season ending injury.

I am sure there have been mistakes by the medical staff, but I think it is now just a piling on by media at this point.

 

[borg]

Can you expand on...."Potentially preexisting injury that led to Wilfork’s torn Achilles."

Haven't read/heard this before
Thanks

 

[goheels22002]

The medical staff seems to be under a lot of fire, is it merited in your opinion?

Things being questioned in the media are:

• Jonathan Fanene undiscovered knee injury.
• Rob Gronkowski’s treatment and recovery.
• Potentially preexisting injury that led to Wilfork’s torn Achilles.

Along with seemingly promising players like Ras-I Dowling and Myron Pryor who never were able to come back from what were not considered career ending injuries at the time they occurred.

Personally I lack the medical knowledge to provide a proper opinion.

It Is What It Is » Bill Belichick on Patriots medical staff: ?We have confidence in all of them?

Amazing. The Pats get croaked in Cincinnati, Fanene lies on his medical questionnaire, Gronk has five surgeries since last season, and a 370-pound, 31-year-old man who's had two 300-pounders slam into him on every play for 11 years blows out his Achilles, and you want to blame the doctors?

Who do you blame when you catch a cold? Your urologist?

Let's get real. This is the NFL. Players go down with injuries.

Let's try the Belichick method. Let's try focusing on the guys who can get on the field and actually help the team to win the game.

 

[letekro]

Can you expand on...."Potentially preexisting injury that led to Wilfork’s torn Achilles."

Haven't read/heard this before
Thanks

It is an inference drawn from his horrible play in the first 3 games, which included him running around blocks every chance he could and getting dominated by the likes of Vlad Ducasse.

 

[SB39]

Personally I lack the medical knowledge to provide a proper opinion.

That pretty much says it all and represents each and every single one of us. Even if there is a medical doctor in this forum, they would still lack the medical knowledge unless they've examined those players or, at the very least, analyzed the official test results, x-rays, MRIs, etc.

 

[neuronet]

It is an inference drawn from his horrible play in the first 3 games, which included him running around blocks every chance he could and getting dominated by the likes of Vlad Ducasse.

What is that? (stupid football question #321) Does that mean literally running around obstacles on the sideline to keep limber? An alternative to stationary bike?

 

[VrabelJr]

We have one of the best, if not the best, medical staffs in the NFL. Gronk's situation is unfortunate and I think the blame goes around to our medical staff, coaches and the player.

In Fanene's case, it seems that he straight up lied to us and didn't disclose pre-existing medical conditions. That should have no impact on our medical staff.

In regards to Wilfork, his injury was a long time coming unfortunately. We've been very lucky that this is only his first.

 

[Froob]

They are what they are.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

I don't know whether it is the medical staff or BB, but the Patriots routinely put guys back on the field before they are 100%. The worst case was Gronk running around one limp arm, but that is not the only case.

 

[upstater1]

I don't know why this Gronk injury is so confusing for people. People keep talking about the break.

What they don't talk about is the infection. Unless Gill is to blame for the infection, what are we even discussing here? It's not a matter of rebreaking the same area that broke first. It was a different area.

Gronk's arm got infected. Maybe Gill didn't clean the instruments. If so, he deserves to be criticized--AND SUED. Otherwise, it's an infection.

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: What is your opinion of the Patriots medical staff?

Can you expand on...."Potentially preexisting injury that led to Wilfork’s torn Achilles."

Haven't read/heard this before
Thanks

It was touched on in discussions after the Wilfork injury, he clearly was not himself in the early season games and then to see a player who had missed 3 games in his entire career go down with a season ending injury on a play where there was minimal contact you have to be curious if he belonged on the field.

 

[patsfan-1982]

I really don't have a opinion. BB treats every injury as day to day and everyone is listed as questionable he gives the media noting so us fans then make up are own stories that the media then adds more Drama to,

bottom line the front office the coach's players and medical staff know everything there is to know about the injured players and when they can return they just don't let us the media and other teams know

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: What is your opinion of the Patriots medical staff?

We have one of the best, if not the best, medical staffs in the NFL. Gronk's situation is unfortunate and I think the blame goes around to our medical staff, coaches and the player.

In Fanene's case, it seems that he straight up lied to us and didn't disclose pre-existing medical conditions. That should have no impact on our medical staff.

In regards to Wilfork, his injury was a long time coming unfortunately. We've been very lucky that this is only his first.

As I said in my OP I lack the medical background to offer a valid opinion but just the same I cannot see a scenario where you would refer to the medical staff as the best or even in the discussion for the best.

If there is one profession in this world that that you cannot make a statement along the lines of "its unfortunate but" that profession would be medical, one mistake changes dramatically changes a opinion. Its not like throwing an interception if they ****ed up Gronkowski's arm there is not a second chance he is done, we are in cap hell and are offense is forever altered.

 

[Ring 6]

It was touched on in discussions after the Wilfork injury, he clearly was not himself in the early season games and then to see a player who had missed 3 games in his entire career go down with a season ending injury on a play where there was minimal contact you have to be curious if he belonged on the field.

You are really reaching here.
If want a real discussion about the medical staff, you shouldn't taint it by implying things that you have absolutely no evidence of.

My answer to your question if that I really am incompetant of having an informed opinion because I have no data about they way they have done there job that would allow me to form an opinion and do not have the medical acumen necessary to do so if I did have the data.

 

[Brady6]

Re: Re: What is your opinion of the Patriots medical staff?

What is that? (stupid football question #321) Does that mean literally running around obstacles on the sideline to keep limber? An alternative to stationary bike?

It means Wilfork didn't have his usual leverage and was getting pushed around at the point of attack. Media members were speculating that he was playing through a leg injury which was causing his diminished play.

 

[Ring 6]

As I said in my OP I lack the medical background to offer a valid opinion but just the same I cannot see a scenario where you would refer to the medical staff as the best or even in the discussion for the best.

Why? If you lack the ability to offer a valid opinion how can you have any idea whether they are the best, worst or anywhere in between?

If there is one profession in this world that that you cannot make a statement along the lines of "its unfortunate but" that profession would be medical, one mistake changes dramatically changes a opinion. Its not like throwing an interception if they ****ed up Gronkowski's arm there is not a second chance he is done, we are in cap hell and are offense is forever altered.

I'm not sure how you would gather that they f-ed up Gronks arm.
The decision was made by Gronk (along with the team, but a team cannot decide on surgery without the player agreeing) to have the surgery to insert the plate, because he wanted to play in the post season.
There is absolutely no evidence or even claim that the second break was due to a poor job by the surgeon.
The medical staff did not infect Gronks arm.
Can you give some insight as to where and why you are placing blame on the medical staff?

 

[Ring 6]

It means Wilfork didn't have his usual leverage and was getting pushed around at the point of attack. Media members were speculating that he was playing through a leg injury which was causing his diminished play.

So you think that the team doctor should tell Vince Wilfork whether he should or should not play if he has a leg injury?
With this standard we would need 180 players on the roster.

 

[VrabelJr]

As I said in my OP I lack the medical background to offer a valid opinion but just the same I cannot see a scenario where you would refer to the medical staff as the best or even in the discussion for the best.

If there is one profession in this world that that you cannot make a statement along the lines of "its unfortunate but" that profession would be medical, one mistake changes dramatically changes a opinion. Its not like throwing an interception if they ****ed up Gronkowski's arm there is not a second chance he is done, we are in cap hell and are offense is forever altered.

This is sports medicine. Not heart or brain medicine. You're dealing with people in the top 99.99 percentile of physical genetics that are playing a high impact game against people with similar traits. There's a reason there are so few highly regarded sports doctors and tons of middle tier guys. It's ******* hard.

Turn your sad and mopey Pats fan blinders off for one second and take a look around other teams in the league. Boston has some of the best medical facilities, teaching and tools at its hands in the entire world. Because of this Boston attracts some of the most talented doctors in the world. Stack that against cities like Cleveland, Kansas City, St Louis, etc. etc.