Freeman Says Skipping Practice Part Of “Plan”
September 8th, 2010
Joe had trouble typing this headline with a straight face.
Sorry, but Joe doesn’t really believe the spirit of Josh Freeman’s comments today when he spoke of sitting out today’s practice with his busted thumb bandaged as all part of “the plan” leading up to opening day, so Woody Cummings of TBO.com documented.
Freeman, who has been nursing a fractured right thumb (throwing hand) sustained early in the Bucs’ second preseason game on Aug. 21, returned to the practice for the first time Tuesday. On Wednesday, he stood with the quarterbacks during the pre-practice warm up with his right thumb bandaged and without pads.
The decision not to practice on Wednesday was predetermined, Freeman said.
“I’m good,” Freeman said. “It’s part of the plan; no setbacks. It’s part of the plan. It’s called a plan because it’s put in place before something happens. So it’s a plan.”
Now Joe’s not calling Freeman a liar. This all comes down to how one defines plan.
Joe is quite sure that the plan always called for Freeman to sit out if he had trouble with his still-mending thumb. So in Joe’s mind, this is an awful sign yet still part of the Bucs’ plan.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Could be a clever ploy by Raheem to force the Browns to prepare for Freeman and JJ.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
At first I thought you were just knee-jerking this one. Because even baseball pitchers don’tthrow everyday and if he is slowing rehabing then he will def take days off.
BUT, yeah, what Freeman said did stick out like a regurgitated sore thumb.
And @ eric, you could be right. Freeman could have accidentally spilled the beans on this one. Why? Because just last night, the NFL.com made a big deal about Freeman throwing and playing.
Hmmmmm
HA HA!
September 8th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
“It’s called a plan because it’s put in place before something happens. So it’s a plan.”
That crap has Raheem written all over it.
Jeez, what is he teaching these kids???
September 8th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
No surprise here! Freeman letting the cat out of the bag, that is. He did the same thing after he was drafted and let the cat out about the Leftwich signing was just smoke and mirrors, right? LOL!
September 8th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
He’s fine lol and if not JJ is ready
September 8th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
better to let a broken bone heal…..
practice does not speed up healing…
he is the best QB on the roster….
better a rusty QB than one with a sorer thumb because he “practiced” …
better to let a broken bone heal…..
September 8th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
It makes sense that they rewrapped it. A typical protocol for these type of injuries is to remove the bandages, work the injured area for a few days, then rewrap to reduce any new swelling before game day. It helps with the healing process. His fingers won’t be completely healed for a few more weeks but he should be fine to play this weekend so long as he takes it easy on the finger until gameday. They’re still going to be doing compression and cyrotherapy for a few weeks to finish the healing process. I wouldn’t worry about reinjury. Heck, players play injured all the time. The severity of this particular injury is minimal. Freeman will play Sunday unless he really jams his thumb in someway before then.
September 8th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Much ado about nothing. What else is there to write about besides speculation. No new players signed or released today, so lets scare up some news on Freeman’s thumb. It’s no surprise that they’re giving his thumb every chance to heal before game time. They’re doing things the best they can with the conditions they face. Nothing unusual.
September 8th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
This is the type of “story” that ruins this website. It is a great site, but there are waaaay too many stories that are just pure speculation, like this one.
September 8th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I bet Josh reinjured his thumb texting his buddy GMC
September 8th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
At least if Freeman can not play in or finish the game, we have JJ who does have some starting experience and has at times shown to be more accurate of a passer than Freeman. I am not calling JJ the better QB but I am just saying that from what was shown in pre season, there was not a huge drop off in productivity when JJ was at the helm except in Miami in the rain. Plus the Browns are not Super bowl contenders, so either way I think this is a game we should be in to the end and could win if the Defense shows up and we have some better run blocking. If we can run the ball it will make the pass attack a little easier of course the Bucs being able to run the ball effectively is a huge IF.
September 8th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Maybe the thumb injury will make Freeman more accurate than the 50% passer that he was last year. Maybe the injury will offset the inacurracy. You idiots probably actually believe that kind of b.s.. You better hope Freeman plays, b/c if the Bucs lose this opener – hello 2-14!!
September 8th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I agree with those who think this story is too much speculation. It’s protocol for him to work it, rest it, work it, rest it. That’s the definition of rehab.
September 8th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Freeman will play if he can no doubt. He’s a tough kid. I’m just so excited for the start of the season tomorrow night. Go Brett. 🙂 Then USF plays Florida Saturday. Then I’m off to the Bucs game Sunday. Can’t wait.
September 8th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
A bucs webcite shouldn’t report that the number one QB skipped practice due to an injury on the wed. before the opening game of the season?
What’s wrong with you people?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
I think it is a little odd for him to practice on Tuesday and then sit out Wednesday. But maybe that is just me. I do get a bit concerned when the starting QB is still having problems with his thumb a few days before the opening game.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
@Eric S Everything that is happening with Freeman’s fractured thumb is typical. To insure proper healing of any bones the affected area must be “worked” and manipulated. During the “working” times the area is bound to swell due to increased blood flow. This is normal. The bandages afterwards are used to restrict overswelling as well as pain management.
Think of it this way; every time you work a muscle or bone it becomes stressed and swells with blood. This is the bodies way of healing the damage of physical activity. Rest and sleep is the number one factor in healing physical stress. Though, if you do not use that affected bone/muscle it will become stagnant and used to being unused.
Working an injured body part is just as important as resting that body part. Over working and over resting are both dangerous to an athlete ie dystrophy and atrophy.
Nothing that we have seen of Freeman’s thumb is atypical.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:01 am
typical or not, a second year player who is limited in practice and prep is an issue.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:26 am
@eric Even the “issue” you are talking of is typical.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:36 am
@muaha deeb,
Well the issue is the reduced practice time for a young player heading into a big game. I think “typically” that is not good for that player to perform at his best, even if the thumb is inconsequencial by game time. (which is iffy too)
September 9th, 2010 at 12:48 am
@eric Indeed. If there is one thing no one can honestly downplay, it is the value of repetitions for an unproven young QB. I would never argue with you over that.
I was strictly speaking of injury/injuries. I never meant to press into how it would affect his progress due to lost reps.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:54 am
Eric…No matter what goes on with the Bucs you have an issue. You are reaching Mushy status for sure.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:06 am
Mcbuc,
Ok you convinced me, a broken thumb by our young franchise QB causing him to miss preseason work and practice time is of no consequence.
I even heard Shawn King say he expects to see JJ in the game at some point, cause freemans hand is bound to get hit at some point in the game.
I hope the kid is healthy and plays well, but it is an issue.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:43 am
@eric It is not a complete break of the thumb by any stretch of the means. This injury was extremely minimal. A minimal fracture is a crack in the outer structure of the bone(periosteum). What doctors consider a complete break is a clear separation of one part of bone from the rest of the bone(think Junior Seau, 06′). Freeman’s injury was basically a severe jam in which it caused a very small crack in the periosteum.(Most of us have probably endured that in some finger sometime in our lives) That type of injury can completely heal within 4-6 weeks depending on the severity of fracture, the propensity of Freeman’s bones to calcify and the rehabilitation methods.
Call it what it is; A small fracture not a break.
September 9th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Careful with these stories Joe…. You’ll reach BSPN or P-Report status soon…Just seems to be the normal injury healing process…
September 9th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Some other unnamed web site has Freeman practicing Thursday. No splint, no wrap. Just playin football. Oh, the humanity!
September 9th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Yep Freeman back practicing and looking good. Maybe it was the plan all along huh?
September 10th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Do you people not remember the game last week? When Freeman was practicing on the field before the game?
Freeman said, in an interview then that the plan was to wrap it up again as a precaution and rest it before this weeks game.
I swear, sometimes I think people have selective hearing, lol.
All this panic-mongering is good for generating hits I guess, but let’s at least ease up on the false drama…we’re going to have tons of real drama starting this week.
September 10th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Pete Dutcher:
NNNOOO!!!