Playing Hurt: Treating and Evaluating the Warriors of the NFL Review

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(More customer reviews)Full disclosure: the book was recommended to me by a doctor who is a freind of the author. Additionally, I have personally been treated more than once by the trainer (Jimmy Whitesel) who the author worked with while he was with the Seahawks.
WHAT THE BOOK DOES NOT DO
I don't usually refer to other reviewers, but even though I agree wholeheartedly with their recommendations to buy this book, their comments are baffling to me, and, I believe, quite misleading.
First, the book does not focus on drinking. I was so surprised by the reviewers who said that the author talks too much about drinking, that I actually re-read the entire book. In 177 pages, the author mentions drinking exactly 3 times, and each time it is a very brief, almost passing mention, mostly in the context of the restaurant's atmosphere as part of a meal on the road. To claim that drinking is some major part of this book is utterly ridiculous.
Second, the book does not leave you lost in medical terminology. The criticism that the author often uses anatomical terms without explaining them is somewhat fair, but only somewhat. The author DOES explain the consequences very clearly, so you never feel like you're missing something. For example, even if you don't fully understand the position and exact function of the anterior cruciate ligament in the human knee, you can't possibly miss how critical it is to knee stability. The author goes to great lengths talking about how it affects performance, especially depending on the position the player plays.
Finally, as for focusing on the Seahawks, well, duh. He was the Seahawks' team doctor. He's writing from his own experience. He DOES talk quite a bit about other teams, their medical staffs, their approaches, etc. I never felt like I was getting a limited viewpoint; the author regularly clarified how his experiences were the same or different from other teams, so I never felt as though I was getting a limited viewpoint.
WHAT THE BOOK DOES DO
The book takes you through a typical season, starting with the Scouting Combine in February, and through the draft and summer camp, the season, and playoffs. You get tremendous insights into the medical aspects (of course), and this alone makes the book well worth reading. After reading this book, every injury report I hear takes on whole new ranges of meaning.
But the book does not stop there. In describing how the midical aspects are part of the whole, you get amazing insights into how an NFL teams works. Indeed, at first I was confused as to why the last two chapters talk about non-medical things, such as detailed sections on each of the head coaches the author worked with. After reading them, however, it was clear that there was tremendous insight into how a coach thinks, how he interacts with players and all the people surrpounding a team, and mostly how his approach affects everything that leads to winning or losing.
BOTTOM LINE
If you have any interest at all in professional sports, especially the NFL, buy and read this book. The insights you gain will reall affect everything you hear from now on about coaches, players, and injuries.

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Inside the world of the NFL-the draft, the sidelines, and in the trainer's room-through the eyes of a team physician-Draws on Dr. Scranton's years with the Seattle Seahawks, working with coaches like Chuck Knox and Tom Flores and characters like Brian Bosworth-Includes interviews with former players such as All-Pro running back Curt Warner-Explains the role of a team physician in everything from evaluating college talent to the treatment of players-May be the last fully candid book of its kind because NFL franchises now require their doctors to sign confidentiality agreements-One of the most controversial issues in the NFL todayDr. Pierce Scranton takes you through his eighteen years as the team physician for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Scranton explores the frenzied world of treating injured pro athletes while also having to deal with team owners, general managers, head coaches, and agents.Scranton discusses the issues that are always present in pro football, whether it's the league's steroids policy or the debate about "grass vs. turf." He gives readers a detailed look at how team physicians evaluate college players before the NFL draft, as players try to hide unreported injuries while the doctors try to discover them. He also talks about the highs and lows of being associated with the Seahawks and working with NFL greats Chuck Knox, Steve Largent, Tom Flores, and the incredible Brian "the Boz" Bosworth. Features a foreword by Tom Flores, four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and coach.

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