He’s 24 and if he has the surgery he could play another four or five years or more (and he’ll be around a lot longer after that) so I think he’d be foolish to play. On the other hand, championship windows don’t stay open long in the NFL (especially in San Diego), his contract is up in a year, and he may not fully recover so he may see this as his last, best shot at a ring. So I can see the allure.

Yeah, I think it mentions that in the article. This is apparently what is the big decision at this point. Does he have it repaired and potentially end his season, or forgo surgery and hope he makes it through the season ok.

Not that I wish injury on anyone – game, season or career ending – but it seems to be fortuitous to the Chiefs in either situation. Either he gets surgery and we don’t face him all year… or he plays through and I imagine he will be less effective as a result. I suggest he will be less effective because I believe he will be mentally cautious if playing with a torn ligament and he will also be dealing with pain to boot.

Like someone mentioned in the other thread… at least we won’t have to see his dance (aka “the seizure stomp”) of which I, for one, am not a fan.

Like I said before, championship windows in the NFL are small and the Chargers are a championship-caliber team. I can understand why he’d want to be part of that. But I agree with Eric, the guy’s foolish if he tries to play on that. If he can recover, his career will be a lot longer than next season.

I don’t wish injuries on anyone.Frankly, if you’re wishing that Merriman gets hurt you’re lacking perspective and aren’t in any moral position to dictate what people “deserve” and what they don’t.

Put it that way, I am with you Derrick.

As far as wishing injuries upon players, I have never before felt it acceptable to ever wish an injury upon any player in any sport. Wishing an injury upon any player is quite possibly one of the lowest things another human can do. Never is a game more important than another player getting hurt, at any level in sports.

However, this is a very special scenario. The hit that Shawne Merriman layed on Priest Holmes was one of the dirtiest hits that I have seen.

As Priest Holmes was finally dragged down, Shawne Merriman came from the middle of the field and layed the biggest ear-hole I have ever seen by planting his forehead into the side of Priests head, and the rest is history. Why did this happen? Because Merriman is jacked up on roids and is just looking for a big hit? I’m am suprised he didn’t do his stupid dance afterwards.

With that came the end of the age of Priest, and eventually the end of Willie Roaf too. If Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson (who was obviously breaking out at the beginning of the year) both rushed for over 1000 yards, maybe Willie would have felt a little more confident coming back to the Chiefs. Just a thought.

So now we come to a sticky situation. Shawne Merriman has recieved a knee injury that if played upon could end his career. Wait, your telling me he knows that this could put an end to his career? As far as I am concerned, the man has been warned. If he really wants a Super Bowl that bad, he is more than welcome to risk his career for it. After all, what is having to walk with a cane when your 50 compared to having serious spinal damage anyways?

I will never go so far as to say that I wish he gets injured, but I can’t say that I will lose sleep if he ends his career in week 2 and the Chargers lose their first playoff game.

I get your point now and I agree with the position that Merriman’s been warned and if he plays on the knee as it is (I think he’d be foolish to do so) that it’s on him. I just don’t think it’s got anything to do with steroids or Priest Holmes. Some players use steroids…always have, always will. It’s easy to hate Merriman a little more for it because obviously he’s a jackass out there on the field who loves rubbing it in on other players, but still he’s not really any better or worse than any other player who uses (and there have been a lot of prominent players who have).

As for Priest, hits in the NFL happen. I found his hit on Priest a borderline cheap shot, but I’ve also seen worse (Jack Tatum on Darryl Stingley, Richard Williamson on every player lying on the ground) and most players out there in the NFL aren’t intending to end anyone’s career. Career-ending injury is just the risk you take when you suit up, especially at running back, and let’s not forget that when he got hit Priest was already well into the age when running backs’ production drastically declines (in fact, his already was in decline) so it’s not like we suddenly lost Barry Sanders in his prime…more like we lost Emmitt Smith during his Arizona Cardinals years. Had Peterson not signed Holmes to that ridiculous contract, it’s likely that Holmes wouldn’t have been in the team’s plans for long after 2005 anyway.

For all we know, Merriman tore those ligaments because somebody tried to take out his knee. Keep in mind that his team has to play the Broncos at least twice a year just like we do and those are some of the dirtiest linemen in the NFL when it comes to blocking.