Kevin Ware's injury

[JasonEvans]

I am sure we were all horrified by Ware's leg break. It was Theismanesque. A reporter at the game reported that some members of the Louisville team, who were right on top of it and saw the whole thing happen, were physically ill on the bench (a nice way of saying, they puked). Everyone wishes the kid the best of luck in his recovery, that's for sure.

But, here is an interesting side note (http://www.salon.com/2013/03/31/will_ware_be_stuck_with_the_bill/) that should make all of us bitterly angry. Salon says NCAA injury insurance policy carries a ridiculous $90k deductible and it may not apply to Ware anyway.


the New York Times reports that when it comes to major on-the-court injuries like the one Ware sustained, medical bills can end up being the responsibility of the student and the student’s family, rather than the NCAA or the school. Indeed, the NCAA has a Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program, but the Birmingham News reports that there is a $90,000 deductible. Worse, the Daily Caller reports that while “the NCAA has its own catastrophic injury insurance, which insures individual athletes up to $20 million … the majority (of athletes) don’t qualify.”

“If you don’t lose a limb, or motion in one of your limbs, you wouldn’t be considered catastrophically injured,” Ramogi Huma, head of the National Collegiate Players Association, told the Daily Caller. “Then it’s completely up to the school, or yourself.”

It is my hope that Louisville has its own insurance policy program for players that will cover Ware completely. It is clear from the Salon article though, that not all schools are required to do such a thing and I wonder if the NCAA might consider it an improper benefit if some schools had a really good policy and others did not (I know I would want to play sports for a school that took better care of me if I got injured).

And you can store this as item #2384 in the NCAA Idiocy File... right alongside transfer rules, non-renewable scholarships, and no payment to players for using their likeness.

-Jason "really hope Ware can play again" Evans

[NashvilleDevil]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.

[Acymetric]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.

That seems pretty likely...really hope he can recover. Really tough to see that happen, I probably would have pulled for Louisville anyway but I definitely will now. I expect that the medical cost issue will be worked out, too public for it not to be if indeed there are any issues of coverage.

[Bluedog]

Duke offers all of its students a pretty good insurance policy (at a relatively reasonable cost) and I'm sure it's included as part of athletic scholarship. Hopefully, Louisville does the same. Hoping for the best. Didn't look good from inside the stadium.

[PackMan97]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.

It's a freak injury. These things happen. If this were the case we'd see it happen at places like Vanderbilt which has an elevated court compared to the sidelines. In addition, the edge of the court was still a good ways away. I just don't see this as any issue at all with the court.

[MCFinARL]

I am sure we were all horrified by Ware's leg break. It was Theismanesque. A reporter at the game reported that some members of the Louisville team, who were right on top of it and saw the whole thing happen, were physically ill on the bench (a nice way of saying, they puked). Everyone wishes the kid the best of luck in his recovery, that's for sure.

But, here is an interesting side note (http://www.salon.com/2013/03/31/will_ware_be_stuck_with_the_bill/) that should make all of us bitterly angry. Salon says NCAA injury insurance policy carries a ridiculous $90k deductible and it may not apply to Ware anyway.



It is my hope that Louisville has its own insurance policy program for players that will cover Ware completely. It is clear from the Salon article though, that not all schools are required to do such a thing and I wonder if the NCAA might consider it an improper benefit if some schools had a really good policy and others did not (I know I would want to play sports for a school that took better care of me if I got injured).

And you can store this as item #2384 in the NCAA Idiocy File... right alongside transfer rules, non-renewable scholarships, and no payment to players for using their likeness.

-Jason "really hope Ware can play again" Evans

Absolutely Theismanesque, can still remember seeing that injury on TV like it was yesterday and this did look very similar, and similarly horrifying. I was trying to figure out why Tyler was so upset, thought he had actually gotten hit in the eye, until they explained what happened. Never saw anything like that on a basketball court. I hope the very best for this kid but it's hard to be optimistic that he could get all the way back from an injury like that. And I certainly hope you are right that there is insurance coverage.

[7duke4]

That's what it took for my broken leg. I crushed my tibia and fibula in a skydiving accident. After fixators and pins and many surgeries, I ended up with a bone graft that thankfully finally healed my leg (shout out to Johns Hopkins). Blue Cross paid for almost all of it. When I saw Kevin's leg crumple today, I knew exactly what it was and I broke down. I wish for him few surgeries, a speedy recovery, and good drugs. The pain is unbelievable.

[DukeDevil]

on the good side (if there can be one) better a fracture than ruptured tendons or ligaments. Young bones heal well, torn tendons and ligaments...not so much. All that being said...I feel for the kid. That just looked...horrible.

[Andre Buckner Fan]

That's what it took for my broken leg. I crushed my tibia and fibula in a skydiving accident. ... The pain is unbelievable.

I can't even imagine.

I was glad when they stopped replaying the shot. It looked beyond painful...

[brevity]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.

I want to see this lawsuit happen. If only to take the NCAA to task for playing basketball in venues not designed for basketball, and forcing its players to perform in front of a larger audience with crappier seats. (NBA arenas, people. It's all I ask.)

I do not believe the injury was shown in the live broadcast as it happened -- we saw Thornton's odd realization with no context, and then only saw it on a replay from a different angle. It did not appear that the Louisville players on the court saw what happened either, but they got sick to their stomachs when they saw some later, um, dangling. Count me out when it comes to gruesome injuries, but I still appreciated CBS showing what caused the Cardinals' very human reaction to something that went beyond the game.

[Acymetric]

Absolutely Theismanesque, can still remember seeing that injury on TV like it was yesterday and this did look very similar, and similarly horrifying. I was trying to figure out why Tyler was so upset, thought he had actually gotten hit in the eye, until they explained what happened. Never saw anything like that on a basketball court. I hope the very best for this kid but it's hard to be optimistic that he could get all the way back from an injury like that. And I certainly hope you are right that there is insurance coverage.

That's exactly what I thought when they first cut to Tyler.

[langdonfan]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.


First thing I thought when I saw where on the court the injury had occurred...

[bedeviled]

But, here is an interesting side note (http://www.salon.com/2013/03/31/will_ware_be_stuck_with_the_bill/) that should make all of us bitterly angryHuh? I don't know why I should be bitter or angry. I think the only issue is that he could lose his scholarship.

I'm actually impressed that the NCAA offers benefits beyond that of its member institutions. Although the deductible is $90k, the NCAA requires that each school establish and document insurance for each student-athlete to cover at least the amount of the NCAA deductible. Thus, the athletes are covered whether it is from institution, parent, or personal policy until the NCAA policy kicks in. I think it is unreasonable to desire the NCAA to cover care for all injuries and treatment (major and minor) for every athlete at every college.

I don't understand why anyone would think Ware wouldn't be covered. If, as it appears, he is not disabled, he will not get "catastophic injury" benefits, but he will still get medical benefits under the policy. I think the quote from the NCPA head is misleading...of course the majority of athletes don't have catastrophic injuries....but they still get covered by the policy. The extra benefits they don't get are benefits specifically for people who are disabled. The exception is that disabled people have their college education paid for while non-disabled people don't.

So, he could lose his scholarship, but he still gets medical coverage.

[Son of Jarhead]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.


I want to see this lawsuit happen. If only to take the NCAA to task for playing basketball in venues not designed for basketball, and forcing its players to perform in front of a larger audience with crappier seats. (NBA arenas, people. It's all I ask.)

I do not believe the injury was shown in the live broadcast as it happened -- we saw Thornton's odd realization with no context, and then only saw it on a replay from a different angle. It did not appear that the Louisville players on the court saw what happened either, but they got sick to their stomachs when they saw some later, um, dangling. Count me out when it comes to gruesome injuries, but I still appreciated CBS showing what caused the Cardinals' very human reaction to something that went beyond the game.

I don't think the floor or its elevated placement had anything to do with the injury at all. We see players crash into the stands, or dive over press row, all the time, so why would a three foot drop bother players any differently? Worrying about things like that leads to playing tenatively, which players at this level simple can not do.

His feet came down on the court, not out of bounds, and his leg broke right as he landed. It just snapped and gave way under him. Completely a freak accident. No lawsuit there, unless the medical costs/insurance thing is handled poorly, which I doubt given the wide spread publicity and potential public relations nightmare that would bring. It seems it was just ready to go (I wonder what may have weakened it?)... if it didn't break then, it probably would have soon.

Ware's is much more severe, but to the freak accident nature of the injury, it reminds me of the US Olympic men's 4x400 relay runner, Manteo Mitchell (a fellow Cat from Western Carolina), who broke his leg just running along the back stretch in a heat in the London games last summer. It didn't break all the way as Ware's obviously did, but still a freak accident in that nothing seemed to happen that outwardly says "this is why it broke". (BTW, Mitchell finished the race, helping the US qualify for the finals in which we won a silver.) Unfortunately, I know for myself a little too well what Ware experienced, as my leg was once bent unnaturally like that, only it was my femur & the sport was football... well, that and I was just a kid... but I still remember that bend in the wrong place like it was yesterday. Thankfully, I don't remember the pain. Thanks, Dr. Bassett, for putting all the little fragments back together.

Best wishes, Kevin Ware, for a fast and full recovery. Sorry the injury happened to you at all, but as consolation, it sure gave your teammates renewed purpose & intensity in the second half that we just could not match. I honestly hope your teammates keep that going and get a championship ring for you.

I actually thought we could be in trouble at halftime knowing that the Louisville players would come out for the second half all hyped to win it for Ware. If this injury happens in the second half, the game changes completely.

[bedeviled]

Completely a freak accidentI agree. I see some have speculated that it is due to the limits of the raised floor or, in another thread, due to nutritional supplements, bone cysts, etc. But, Derrick Roland (2009 @ Texas A&M) broke his tibia and fibula when landing from a jump in, I believe, a similar manner. In football, Tyrone Prothro (Alabama) broke his tibia and fibula when landing, though with some added weight from a defender.

Moreover, elite soccer players have their tibias and fibulas broken with a disconcerting frequency. While most of those are due to violent impact (but still, I wouldn't think a sliding cleat would snap multiple leg bones), some result from what appeared to be minimal impact (see Henrik Larrson, Celtic/Sweden). And, sometimes, their legs break without collision, but simply by force of placement (see Cisse', Liverpool/France).

Actually, Cisse' broke each of his legs (separate occasions). And, despite all of the medical clearance performed on professional soccer players (and Cisse' played with multiple clubs), I don't recall hearing any evidence of bone deficiencies or other abnormalities.

While Roland and Prothro never played again, many of the soccer players have returned to action (typically within the year!) and were still able to play at elite levels.

Personally, I don't think the reactions we saw tonight were primarily about "my brother got injured." Like in Tyler's case tonight, these type of injuries historically provoke shattering reactions in players (and fans) besides teammates and childhood friends. The great Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United/Denmark) had to undergo psychotherapy after witnessing David Busst's fracture. While reflection might spuriously link reactions to the relationships to the player, I think the actual impact is due to more than this.

[throatybeard]

I'd bet anything that Rick Pitino would cover the costs if the school doesn't. He went to the hospital as they were setting the bone.

[burnspbesq]

I'd bet anything that Rick Pitino would cover the costs if the school doesn't. He went to the hospital as they were setting the bone.

I'd also bet against Ware's scholarship being pulled.

[sagegrouse]

I'd also bet against Ware's scholarship being pulled.

This was an injury "in the line of duty." Louisville will pay the costs -- every penny of them. He will keep his scholarship -- although if unable to play, I believe there are provisions where it will not count against the 13 allowed for basketball.

The real issue is his leg. I have heard from two doctors who were TV witnesses, and both said that the main question is whether he incurred vascular (arterial) damage that would restrict the blood flow to his foot, with possibly devastating consequences.

In the Duke family Shav Randolph had a devastating and gruesome ankle injury (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19861) (scroll) at a Sixers' practice November 30, just as his second year was getting underway. It had a similar effect on his teammates, although it turned out to be a severe dislocation (http://articles.philly.com/2006-12-06/sports/25399529_1_shavlik-randolph-ankle-sixers)rather than a break. It put a major hitch in Shav's career, which he is just now overcoming six years later.

sagegrouse

[bjornolf]

on the good side (if there can be one) better a fracture than ruptured tendons or ligaments. Young bones heal well, torn tendons and ligaments...not so much. All that being said...I feel for the kid. That just looked...horrible.

That's true for a simple break. Thanks to calcium deposits during healing, the bones often heal stronger. There were stories of Soviet and East German weightlifters having medical breaks done to make them better support weight. Don't know if it's true. Seems to me loss of training time would negate any advantage gained.

Not so much the case with complex fractures and bones shattering like this. Blood flow and compartmentalization, not to mention infection, are real dangers. He's got a long road ahead. He'll be lucky to play at the same level ever again. I'll certainly be praying for the young man's full recovery.

[DukeDevil]

Not so much the case with complex fractures and bones shattering like this. Blood flow and compartmentalization, not to mention infection, are real dangers. He's got a long road ahead. He'll be lucky to play at the same level ever again. I'll certainly be praying for the young man's full recovery.

I'm aware of all that, my post was meant to reflect the best case scenario where it ends up being only the bone with no significant vascular damage. What I'm saying is, if it were his knee doing all that...wrongness, then there just wouldn't even be a chance he comes back from it.

[bjornolf]

I'm aware of all that, my post was meant to reflect the best case scenario where it ends up being only the bone with no significant vascular damage. What I'm saying is, if it were his knee doing all that...wrongness, then there just wouldn't even be a chance he comes back from it.

RGIII and AP hope you're wrong about that.

In all seriousness, I hope the kid doesn't have bone density issues. Just jumping and landing like that, it's pretty rare to see such a catastrophic injury. Usually when you have an injury like that, it involves someone else landing on you or pulling you down or twisting you up somehow.

[Native]

Just FYI, there's a lot of pretty graphic pictures circulating about all this. A lot of which are in high quality and visibly show the bone protruding from Ware's leg.

If the Internet hasn't desensitized you to this sort of thing yet, it might be best to not aimlessly browse for the next few days.

Prayers to Ware — after aimlessly browsing and running across a photo I don't think I'll be able to eat breakfast today.

[duke80]

Louisville basketball players touched the hearts of thousands and possibly millions yesterday.
The love and devotion of these young men to each other and to Kevin Ware was something
so rare and so real. I cried when I saw what happened. Some things and some people are
bigger than life. I pray for his full recovery.

[sagegrouse]

1. Kevin Ware tried to stop on a dime rather than bound into the bench and stands. It put huge stress on his leg. This was compounded by the fact that ...

2. The Adidas shoes gripped the surface perfectly. A slip might have hurt his back but would have saved his leg.

I echo the sentiment above that the Louisville team reaction was heartwarning and touching. Hope for the best for Ware --

sagegrouse

[rsvman]

RGIII and AP hope you're wrong about that.

In all seriousness, I hope the kid doesn't have bone density issues. Just jumping and landing like that, it's pretty rare to see such a catastrophic injury. Usually when you have an injury like that, it involves someone else landing on you or pulling you down or twisting you up somehow.

I've said it elsewhere on this board, but I'll say it again. I think bone density issues, per se, are pretty rare in people of Ware's age. Not unheard of, but rare.

I would think much more commonly people have areas of the bone that are fracture-prone because there is a bone abnormality of which they are unaware. Most of these are congenital bone cysts and the like, but sometimes they are tumors of the bone, including both malignant and non-malignant types.

I hope he doesn't have a malignant bone tumor, but if he does, it would not be the first time one of these was discovered in the wake of an unexpected fracture.

[gus]

I don't think the floor or its elevated placement had anything to do with the injury at all. We see players crash into the stands, or dive over press row, all the time, so why would a three foot drop bother players any differently? Worrying about things like that leads to playing tenatively, which players at this level simple can not do.

The elevated playing surfaces have always made me worry. I have no idea whether it actually contributed to how Ware landed, but that is one of the first thoughts I had after getting over the horror of the injury. He certainly was not tentative in challenging the shot, but he may have tried to stop himself quickly rather than falling off the precipice.

[Newton_14]

That's the NCAA for ya. I saw an interesting tweet that thought the injury was in part due to the elevated court on a football field. If he defends that shot in a basketball arena his momentum takes him into the stands or bench. But at Lucas Oil he has to stop abruptly to avoid falling 3 feet into the bench area.


It's a freak injury. These things happen. If this were the case we'd see it happen at places like Vanderbilt which has an elevated court compared to the sidelines. In addition, the edge of the court was still a good ways away. I just don't see this as any issue at all with the court.

Actually I think ND's point has merit. Only Ware knows, but it is very possible/even likely, he tried to put on the brakes when he planted, due to the elevated court. It absolutely could have caused the torque that led to the awful injury.

There are lots of reasons why playing the Regional Games and Final Four in Football arena's is a dumb idea, and player safety tops the list.

The NBA playoffs are held in basketball arena's and the College tourney's should be played in basketball arena's also.

Finally, the relevation on the insurance is a sad reflection on how bad the NCAA has become. That kid should not have to pay one penny. This tourney brings in billions of dollars to the NCAA, and part of that income should be dedicated to covering the full cost of injuries of this nature.

[TruBlu]

1. Kevin Ware tried to stop on a dime rather than bound into the bench and stands. It put huge stress on his leg. This was compounded by the fact that ...

2. The Adidas shoes gripped the surface perfectly. A slip might have hurt his back but would have saved his leg.

I echo the sentiment above that the Louisville team reaction was heartwarning and touching. Hope for the best for Ware --

sagegrouse

I have not watched the replay (and don't want to). But IIRC, there was a logo on the sidelines where Ware ended up. Did he land on the logo? I know that in the past, there have been numerous discussions about logos being slippery, and causing players to fall. If he landed on the logo, is it possible that the logos have been overcompensated and traction has been made too good?

I saw a similar injury many years ago, in a country far, far away (Peru to be exact). As brash and stupid young sailors, we got into an unauthorized divisional tackle football game (with no equipment other than a football) on a Peruvian Army base soccer field. A friend suffered a similarly gruesome compound fracture of the same bones, except in his case the bones were completely shattered for almost the entire length from the ankle to the knee. He spent 4 months in the Peruvian Army Hospital with numerous surgeries before he could even be transported to the States for further treatment. Although he made an eventual recovery that allowed normal movement (thanks to metal plates and screws), it ended any athletic/stressful activities for him. Unfortunately for him, he was a bull rider in rodeos before joining the Navy.

With limited medical knowledge, I am hoping that the breaks that Ware suffered were a clean break. Wishing him a complete and speedy recovery.

[Here is a Turtle]

Kevin Ware is up and moving on crutches. ESPN initially said 4-6 month recovery on sports center last night. He must not have torn any ligaments. Apparently he had a previous stress fracture that caused the break.

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2042351

[hurleyfor3]

I have not watched the replay (and don't want to). But IIRC, there was a logo on the sidelines where Ware ended up. Did he land on the logo? I know that in the past, there have been numerous discussions about logos being slippery, and causing players to fall. If he landed on the logo, is it possible that the logos have been overcompensated and traction has been made too good?

Since the NCAA went to using its own floors, both sites I've been to (Indy in 2010 and Denver in 2011) had everything painted onto the floor and waxed over. In Indy this included the logos from all the previous Final Fours held there.

Having a completely uniform playing surface was one reason the NCAA went this route. Another, less mentioned but certainly a consideration, was to limit advertising, NBA logos and so on.

[Bluedog]

I have not watched the replay (and don't want to). But IIRC, there was a logo on the sidelines where Ware ended up. Did he land on the logo? I know that in the past, there have been numerous discussions about logos being slippery, and causing players to fall. If he landed on the logo, is it possible that the logos have been overcompensated and traction has been made too good?

The NCAA last year banned having logos made of anything other than the standard court material. (Finally, a good decision on their end for player safety.) Thus, there should be no difference in the court traction in the areas with a logo.

[Here is a Turtle]

My Fiance surprised me with floor seats for the game on Sunday, right at the foul line.....directly in line with Ware's injury. We watched the entire thing unfold 20 feet in front of us. It was hard to tell what was going on at first but everyone had to quickly turn away when he started to roll around exposing the injury. A few people left the stadium because they were so nauseous. I am not sure how coherent he was initially, but he was out cold when they wheeled him away. It was a tough way for my Fiance to catch her first Duke game.

That's unfortunate. Hopefully she's not turned off to going to future games. At least Ware is resting comfortably and on crutches now.

[DukeDevil]

RGIII and AP hope you're wrong about that.

In all seriousness, I hope the kid doesn't have bone density issues. Just jumping and landing like that, it's pretty rare to see such a catastrophic injury. Usually when you have an injury like that, it involves someone else landing on you or pulling you down or twisting you up somehow.

I had the same thought (about RG III) while I was typing that...but I stand by what I said. At that age, a fracture of a long bone, even a bad one (if nothing else serious is involved - vascular, ligamentous, etc) heals pretty well and in the long term doesnt have a lot of impact. With ACL tears etc, there was a study recently showing that the vast majority (don't have it on hand and no time to look up the exact number) end up needing knee replacements later in life.

My first thought (actually my....5th? after multiple bouts of near vomiting and horror) was that the kid must have an osteosarcoma resulting in a pathologic fracture.

Regardless, I really hope he pulls through this and impresses us all in 1-2 years with a game winning dunk on carolina.

[NashvilleDevil]

It's a freak injury. These things happen. If this were the case we'd see it happen at places like Vanderbilt which has an elevated court compared to the sidelines. In addition, the edge of the court was still a good ways away. I just don't see this as any issue at all with the court.

Vanderbilt does have an elevated court but the drop off is not 3 feet or whatever it is for these tournament games.

[Lippl]

I have a little experience in this unfortunate field. At age 10 I fractured my lower arm in a very similar manner - impact against ground after falling with my arm extended snapped both bones, compound fracture. The bones didn't quite pierce the skin but I do have a nice scar where they came close. Three months in a cast and I was good as new, so I am optimistic about Ware's prognosis.

Several years later in my early 20s I was jumping to get a rebound in a basketball game - I landed normally and heard something pop in my lower leg. It was a stress fracture . . . however I didn't come down with nearly the force as Ware did (as I don't have anywhere near his vertical). No reason why it should have happened . . . accept the mystery.

[Son of Jarhead]

Apparently he had a previous stress fracture that caused the break.

This was my first theory, that he had a previous (relatively) minor injury like a stress fracture. I guess a stress fracture came first to my mind because we've heard a lot about them with Seth's saga this year.

This also supports my feeling that the floor had zero to do with the break. The effort he made to stop quickly was merely to stay involved in the play, and surely that added extra stress on the bones, but the floor being elevated had nothing to do with it... he never would have gotten to the edge, he wasn't going that fast. He even landed with one foot inbounds & the other on the side-line, and the snap was immediate. Just a freak accident.

I saw somewhere that one of his teammates (Smith?) said he heard the snap. That just gives me the chills thinking about. I mean, it was bad enough for us fans watching it, but I can't imagine what those closest to him felt. Just saw on ESPN that his mother arrived to be with him today (Monday). Think about her, watching from home? Gut-wrenching.

Edit: Just found this link, mentions his mom losing it. He called her from the hospital 30 minutes after the break and the first thing he says is "Mom, I need you to calm down". Also love that immediately after the injury, while he is still laying on the sidelines, he tells Pitino "You gotta pull yourself together." I really like this kid.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2013/story/_/id/9121580/2013-ncaa-tournament-kevin-ware-louisville-cardinals-says-fine

[bedeviled]

Apparently he had a previous stress fracture that caused the break. http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2042351My web browser doesn't pull up an article to this link, so I can't speak about the link itself, but....

I'd like to do my part to nip a meme in the bud before it starts. I fear that every time someone has a stress fracture now, there will be a heated debate with people invoking the name of Kevin Ware.

From what I have seen, there is NO evidence of a prior stress fracture. Indeed, I would think it would be difficult to discover a previous stress fracture in the context of such a severe injury. If anyone sees a report that he had a stress fracture documented prior to the injury, then I'm definitely willing to accept this reasoning. But all the articles that I've seen are simply speculations of cause....when there doesn't necessarily have to be one. Actually, some outlets have experts speculating a stress fracture and other experts speculating a poor diet within the same article! So, I'll add in more expert opinion from the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/kevin-wares-gruesome-injury-likely-just-bad-luck/2013/04/01/ae033e7e-9adb-11e2-9bda-edd1a7fb557d_story.html) (bolded text by me):
“It’s a torsional injury,” said Craig H. Bennett, head orthopedic surgeon for University of Maryland athletics, who has seen only two similar injuries in the past decade. “It’s a rotational injury, and all the stress gets concentrated on one area.” Normally, he said, knee or ankle ligaments would have absorbed the stress of Ware’s twisting leap, tearing if the forces were too great, or doing their job and sending him back to the court. But Ware landed in just the wrong way, Bennett believes.
Another, less likely possibility, said Frederick Azar, an orthopedic surgeon and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, is that Ware had a weak spot in the bone, possibly from an undiagnosed stress fracture. Such fractures can result from the constant pounding on a basketball player’s legs. More rarely, a cyst or benign tumor can create a weakness. But only Ware’s doctors would know, Azar said.

So, what do Ware's doctors and those in the know say? USNews reports (http://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2013/04/01/louisvilles-kevin-ware-resting-after-surgery)
While some have speculated that Ware could have had a previous stress fracture that left him predisposed to such an injury, Pitino discounted that, saying there was "nothing prior." "Basically his leg went one way and his shoe went another and the bone split," Pitino said. "There's no preexisting thing that makes it do that."According to USAToday (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/03/31/louisville-cardinals-kevin-ware-successful-broken-leg-surgery/2041241/), in interview with the chair of Louisville's orthopedic surgery
An open fracture could have been caused simply by the amount of force and the angle at which Ware landed after leaping to challenge a Duke shot, Roberts said. "It looks like what we call a bending fracture — like snapping a pencil with your finger," he said. "There was a significant amount of force, and the angle looked about right."

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I have been a Duke enthusiast since the mid 80's, and I have never had an experience like I did watching the game on Sunday. I had built up a large amount of eagerness and enthusiasm regarding the game. I watched the UM/Florida game with mild interest, but could hardly sit still waiting for our boys to tip off. The first minutes of the game had me on the edge of my seat, and I felt good about how we were playing and keeping it close.

Then the injury happened. The severity and gruesome nature of Ware's injury actually sucked away all my enthusiasm about the game. I found myself suddenly only barely interested in the outcome of the game, and I can't fathom how the players on either side were able to compartmentalize and go back to setting screens, knocking down jumpers, and getting a hand in someone's face.

I have heard not a word on what K's had to say about the injury. The only reference I have heard to K acknowledging the injury, was that he offered to Pitino to have the teams warm up again after the long and awkward break. I find it very unlikely that he hasn't made comments in some regard. I'm sure he wouldn't want to say anything to detract from the attention that is rightfully placed on Louisville's gameplay, but I am admittedly curious to know what on earth you do to rally the troops at halftime after something like that.

I suppose I don't really have a point to make here, other than I was wondering if anyone else on this board of passionate fans also found it difficult to gussy up much concern over the outcome of the game following the injury.

Go Duke!

[Tripping William]

I have been a Duke enthusiast since the mid 80's, and I have never had an experience like I did watching the game on Sunday. I had built up a large amount of eagerness and enthusiasm regarding the game. I watched the UM/Florida game with mild interest, but could hardly sit still waiting for our boys to tip off. The first minutes of the game had me on the edge of my seat, and I felt good about how we were playing and keeping it close.

Then the injury happened. The severity and gruesome nature of Ware's injury actually sucked away all my enthusiasm about the game. I found myself suddenly only barely interested in the outcome of the game, and I can't fathom how the players on either side were able to compartmentalize and go back to setting screens, knocking down jumpers, and getting a hand in someone's face.

I have heard not a word on what K's had to say about the injury. The only reference I have heard to K acknowledging the injury, was that he offered to Pitino to have the teams warm up again after the long and awkward break. I find it very unlikely that he hasn't made comments in some regard. I'm sure he wouldn't want to say anything to detract from the attention that is rightfully placed on Louisville's gameplay, but I am admittedly curious to know what on earth you do to rally the troops at halftime after something like that.

I suppose I don't really have a point to make here, other than I was wondering if anyone else on this board of passionate fans also found it difficult to gussy up much concern over the outcome of the game following the injury.

Go Duke!

This was precisely my own experience as well. So, you were not alone in that regard.

[Mal]

This was precisely my own experience as well. So, you were not alone in that regard.

Here, too. I should add, though, that part of this was from a feeling of fatalism, too. The first 8-10 minutes of the game had a Final Four feeling and was great basketball. When we didn't take full advantage of their probable (completely understandable) bewilderment, and what looked like trying too hard in the first couple minutes after play resumed, however, it became clear that they were a better team that matched up well with us, and that was slowly forcing a game style that suited them. When combined with time to collect themselves at halftime and set their minds to winning for their teammate, we weren't going to be able to hang with them. Unless we went zone, which we all knew we weren't about to do, or got really hot from three, which seemed unlikely. I hoped for the best, but we were hanging by a thread with two minutes left in the first half. So it was a combo, of shock from the injury not only causing me not to care about the eventual outcome of a sporting contest as much as I normally would, but also acting as the convenient rationalization to cover what was a pretty bad feeling about that eventual outcome.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

...it was a combo, of shock from the injury not only causing me not to care about the eventual outcome of a sporting contest as much as I normally would, but also acting as the convenient rationalization to cover what was a pretty bad feeling about that eventual outcome.

I would write off some of my own feelings that way too, except for the fact that at the moment of the injury we were down one with just under 6 minutes to go and that we were tied with 15 minutes to go in the second half. We were playing competitively for the next ten plus minutes of gametime, but my heart just wasn't in it.

Maybe I'm getting old and soft.

Go Duke!