This is the online version of our morning newsletter, Win the morning. Subscribe to get carefree and inspiring sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.
When I went to college a long time ago I studied journalism. Now, I don’t know what you know about college and stuff, but studying journalism is very different from studying medicine or anatomy or anything like that. These things are not much covered in J-School.
While that means I’m far from an expert on medical stuff, I like to think I’m aware of just about any injuries a football player may suffer while he is playing a very dangerous game.
Then it happened Wednesday and I learned that I don’t know everything. Not even close. That’s when I found out that Lions center Frank Ragnow sent FRACTURED HIS THROAT on Sunday’s loss to the Packers.
And you know what Ragnow did after breaking his neck in the first quarter? WE WILL NOT CHANGE THE GAME.
Insane.
After hearing that news on Wednesday I sat on my bed, scratched by the dog’s grim head, and whistling to myself over and over, “You can break your cigarette !! ??? ”
Apparently yes, you can, as Ragnow learned last Sunday.
My friend Steven Ruiz did some research on the injury and found that it makes it difficult to breathe, eat and talk, which all feels awful.
As I said, Ragnow was able to play the rest of the game with the injury that is even more nutty when you consider the level of contact that a center will have throughout a professional football game. His status for this week’s game is still up in the air, though, because that’s what happens when you break a neck.
Lions backup QB Chase Daniel told ESPN that Ragnow handed over his communications duties to his two guards, who were able to call out contracts before snaps:
“It’s amazing what he could do. It was the guards who sent the calls back to the running hurdles, and obviously when I came in it was all over, so that was easy for us to do as quarterbacks while and I was making all the calls and sending it back.
“We didn’t seem to miss a beat, and it’s unbelievable when your neck is broken and you’re used to making every call. ”
Yeah, I’d say that’s amazing.
And I hope it’s something I never have to go through.
Quick hits: NFL pieces missing… Heroes have issues… Harden Apologies… And more.
– Steven Ruiz and Charles McDonald took a look at the missing piece that every non – playoff NFL team needs to get at the right time.
– Mike Sykes takes a look at the Warriors and says they need to learn how to be good without Stephen Curry.
– James Harden says his trips to Las Vegas and Atlanta would see his sneakers. Suuuuureeeeeee.
This video of Kevin Harlan calling an NBA game from his basement is too good.
– Cavs on Larry Nance Jr. has a brilliant plan. to help local Cleveland businesses throughout the NBA season.