Hating on the $EC - Mostly Alabama (and a little Georgia too)

[Dr. Strangelove]

Wow, that's awful

[Dr. Strangelove]

Saying a dislocated hip and a fracture on top of it

[lineygoblue]

Ouch.

And why was the kid playing?

Isn't Nick supposed to be concerned about Tua's long-term health?

Did Alabama really need Tua in order to beat Miss State? Really?

As far as I'm concerned, this injury lies right on Nick's doorstep. If I was that kid's parent, I'd be awful pissed at him right now.

[WingsFan]

[froot loops]

Saban claimed he was having him work in the two minute offense.

[iam416]

[froot loops]

It seems like it used to be a strategy back in the 80s where you would empty the bench really early, but it's not like they do it now. It's not like it was the 4th quarter.

It's an issue because the severity of the injury may kill his draft status as a likely number 1 draft pick.

[iam416]

[hack]

Pay them what they're worth already.

[WingsFan]

The play he got injured on, he most likely would have got to the sideline without a gimpy ankle.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Very likely to be a career ending injury. With a hip dislocation, the single blood supply to the ball of the femur usually becomes separated. Surgical repair of that artery is iffy. Avascular necrosis ensues - identical to the Bo Jackson injury. The initial injury did not appear to be fracture inducing however the sheer mechanics of them often induce a fracture of the acetabulum or femoral head. Tua got his leg stuck underneath him as he went down and that kind of mechanics will pop the femur out of the joint. WIth enough force, as in playing football, fractures commonly occur along with the dislocation.

[lineygoblue]

My son just had a broken ankle with a dislocation, and he spent nearly two hours in the operating room getting that put back together. He's got a plate and screws permanently inserted in the bone to keep them together. He's off that foot for 6 weeks, to be followed by a walking boot for another six weeks.

Now that's just an ankle. The hip is another story altogether. Especially for a football player.

If I was Tua's dad, I'd be absolutely livid at Saban and the entire Alabama coaching staff, for letting Tua play. They're supposed to be all about doing what is right for him, but in my opinion, they failed to do that here. It was obvious after last weeks' game, that Tua was not 100%. There's no way that ankle went from where it was following the game against LSU, .. to 100% healthy, in just one week. No way whatsoever. They should have held the kid out, and preserved him for the future. He certainly had a chance to be a high NFL pick, but I think that is in doubt today. All because Nick wanted him to run 'the two minute offense'.

I realize that the initial injury was an ankle for Tua, and yesterday's injury was his hip, but to me, putting him in the game at less than 100% on the ankle, made him susceptible to the now more serious injury to his hip. He was unable to play at a high level, and quite possibly avoid the injury that he now has added to his hip. If Jeff is correct about it being an injury similar to Bo Jackson's, then we may have seen the end of Tua's career.

IMO that was a boneheaded decision for a man who is supposedly the greatest college coach in America.

[AlabamAlum]

A few things: It was 20 days between the tightrope ankle procedure and the LSU game and 27 days between the procedure and the Miss State game - the same amount of time, roughly, as he had last year between the same procedure on his other ankle and the Oklahoma game in the CFP last year. The most well-regarded orthopedic practice in the world did both procedures: Andrews Sports Medicine. He was medically cleared for LSU and (of course) Miss State. But even with that clearance, doctors sat with Tua, his mom and dad, and a decision was made on whether or not he would play. The coaching staff was not a part of the meeting.

So, he plays the entire game vs LSU, practicing the week before and the week after, and in the first half against MissState. Tua gets his hip injury, and people try to find fault. It is what it is: A freak accident. I guess we could have not let him practice and sat him for the rest of the year, but that would have been silly. But ridiculous people say ridiculous things and try and assign blame. And to those people, I say go fuck yourself. Repeatedly. I cannot stand idiots who use a horrible accident to make some kind of hay out of a freak separated hip on a type of tackle that Tua had been exposed to a 1000 times in practice and in games.

Anyway, enough with idiots.

Normandy was special. It is hard not to get choked up there as they memorialize the 75th anniversary. I wish I could tell my grandfather how his service there is still remembered and honored.

[iam416]

I concur 100% re Tua. Assigning blame for a freak accident is fatuous at best and malevolent at worst.

I'd love to go Normandy. One day.

[AlabamAlum]

It was great. And Paris is Paris and I love it but their problem with refugees is getting worse. My advice for those who have not seen all they want of the City of Lights, go ahead and go. There are now areas in the city concierges are advising you avoid. Saint Dennis and les Halles areas are rather sketchy after dark.