Merriman Will Defy Science

By Derik Hettinger
Love of Sports Correspondent

In life, there are decisions a person can look back on and say that if they had a chance to do it over again, they would.

Shawne Merriman hopes this common sense of regret will never become his mantra.

Merriman’s decided to forgo season-ending knee surgery on two torn ligaments in his left knee and attempt to play the upcoming season for the Chargers. The Pro Bowl linebacker suffered the injury last December in a game against Tennessee. Despite arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason, Merriman began feeling discomfort during initial training workouts in preparation for the new season.

Merriman consulted four specialists, all of whom urged him to undergo the surgery to ensure his career lasts as long as possible. However, he denied the surgeon’s counsel and pronounced himself ready to play.

According to the Chargers, the injury is barely a footnote on his season status.

“ To be as simple as possible,” Merriman said, “I just want to play football. That’s what it comes down to. I know what’s on the table. I know what’s on the line. I put a lot of work in this and I want to play. I’m putting off the surgery until I need it.”

As much as I’d like to award Merriman a titan award for enduring his debilitating injury and playing on, I cannot. His decision to play in 2008 is ludicrous.

Merriman runs a tremendous risk of blowing out his knee entirely. Because both his PCL and LCL are torn, his knee is susceptible to hits and tackles that define the excruciating rigors of the NFL. He’s a physical player, and his abilities directly correlate with a style of play both brutal and remorseless. The hits he delivers evoke memories of Bill Romanowski in his prime and Rodney Harrison of a few years ago.

While a healthy knee would be able to stand up to such force, and has over the course of his young career, Merriman has no such luxury now with the two most crucial ligaments in his knee torn to shreds.

Merriman says he’ll wear a brace to hold his knee together and help deter striking impact. While this will improve his chances of further injury, there’s no guarantee. One hit at the precise location could make this outstanding athlete’s shelf life shorter than advertised.

I know Merriman sees the writing on the wall for this team.

LaDainian Tomlinson is now 29 years old, nearing the age where a running back begins to slow down. Even a running back as supremely skilled and durable as Tomlinson stands little chance to weather the years ahead with the same dominance that preceded him. After all, it happened to Shaun Alexander.

The Chargers defense is tremendous, but its aging at certain spots, particularly at linebacker and defensive line. Quarterback Philip Rivers is only 26, but many are left to wonder what he’d do without the security blanket provided by the elusive Tomlinson if he were to decline.

The Chargers have been knocking on the door of a championship for several years now. In this current era, a team has a window of opportunity to seize a championship. A team, with the exception of the Patriots, can only contend for so long before age and the process of free agency impedes greatness. Merriman sees the chance to win now and is willing to risk it all to be a part of a possible championship formula.

While I applaud Merriman for putting the team ahead of himself, it’s obvious he’s not looking at the bigger picture. He’s a young athlete with infinite upside. If he blows out his knee now, he may never play again. Yet, if he undergoes surgery now, while he’ll miss the 2008 season, he should secure a healthy return. That would put him on a timetable to return for next year and beyond. Does he want to be available this year, or for the rest of his foreseeable future?

Merriman’s already made his choice. The question is now irrelevant. However, fans can be left to wonder if he made the right decision. In the meantime, Chargers fans will watch their team with caution flags, cringing every time he makes a tackle or goes down on the turf.

Although Merriman wants to seize a championship now, he could very well be the reason behind a Chargers championship apocalypse.  If the worst case injury scenario becomes reality, the team will take years to recover from the debilitating loss of their best defensive player. That is far longer than it would take for Merriman to heal from ligament surgery.

In that instance, his highly acclaimed selflessness will rapidly change into a case of selfishness.