Is the lockout and lack of conditioning to blame for the injuries?

2 torn ACL's in 2 days. Nate Bynam and Dontavia Bogan are both done for the season with torn ACL's. Curtis Holcomb also done for the season with an achilles...

Not putting Crabtree in this category but there have been other significant injuries, not season ending, but definitley keeping people out of practice.

I know that we have injuries every off season during TC but it seems as if they are dropping like flies, and it only begs the question ,"Are the injuries due to lack of conditioning and an offseason workout program from the Lockout?"

no

really doctor?

Football is one of the only sports where you're guarenteed to get injured. Sucks for Byham, I think he was gonna be a key roleplayer. It's part of the game, look at Green Bay last year.

Originally posted by valrod33:
no

I can't speak to any player's specific injury. But as a whole, yes, absolutely the lockout will play a role in the increase of injuries this year -- season ending or not.

As a league, there is just no way these guys are in better shape when left to their own devices for four months. Many will point to the Frank Gore's and Alex Smith's of the world since they always stay in great shape... but their work ethic does not represent the entirety of the league.

Most of the injuries we'll see this year will be due to muscle imbalances. That is, for example, an overdeveloped hamstring can lead to an achilles tear. In fact, most injuries result from a muscle imbalance.

I hope somebody out there is keeping track of the injuries this year and comparing them to the last couple seasons. It will be interesting to see the results. I know my colleagues at AP are doing their own analysis. But as a private company, they won't release the data.

Has to be. As long it's not any starters

No, it happens every year. Guys get hurt.

Originally posted by sincalfaithful:

Originally posted by valrod33:
no

Originally posted by valrod33:
no

Ok maybe I should re-phrase it. Obviously ALL the injuries are not to be blamed on the lockout, but as the insightful post above mentioned, maybe it is to blame for the INCREASE in injuries...

every year there is a new "reason" why guys get hurt in camp and in preseason. let me break it down and put it in a way a 5 year old can understand. FOOTBALL is a rough sport and injuries happen ALL THE TIME.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
No, it happens every year. Guys get hurt.

I partially disagree. Of course, injuries DO happen, and they'll happen every year, every game almost.

But I think there's a good chance there will be an increase in injuries. While guys like Alex Smith or Vernon Davis keep themselves in great shape, I don't know about other guys though. Who knows how they'll be effected by the lack of the training camp workouts.

these guys are professionals, i hope they were doing their own conditioning (possibly a naive assumptoin), i think its just the nature of the league, people get hurt

Regardless of the level of competition or how much they're getting paid, most athletes will not autonomously keep themselves in as good of shape as they would with a coach barking in their ear. Say what you want about "being a professional" but that's the reality.

Being in substandard shape increases one's likelihood of getting injured. Especially when an injury occurs without contact, what else can you blame it on? Yes s**t happens, but all of us who have played sports can remember the guys who pulled a hamstring on the first day of conditioning were the ones who showed up obviously out of shape.

Conclusion: The lockout and resulting lackluster conditioning are likely a big factor if more players than usual end up getting injured early on.