Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Transfer Rumor: Bolton On Verge of First Signings

Risk/Reward decision - Freddie has surgery

Back when Freddie was signed I said that it was a risk/reward decision. The risk was entirely concerning health, particularly the hip/hamstring issue. The reward would be a high impact player with the potential for a 10/10 season who could be the face of the franchise.

Today, many are taking the news of hip surgery as proof of failure. Yes, he won't be able to train with the team for all but the last few days of the season. Yes, this will particularly effect his ability to feed Jaqua, Le Toux, Evans and others.

But this is not the end, for we have yet to see the beginning. To be honest, it is better for surgery now pre-season than it would be in May, or June, or whenever. Freddie should be back for the Opener, and maybe a few weeks earlier (10-12 weeks recovery). But, he has a multi-year deal, at least two years (some places have reported a 3rd year option). It is more important for Freddie to play games that matter than to train, as would be true regardless.

So while this news is bad, it is not dire.

Dr. Marc Philippon was the surgeon and by any reading this was the best guy in North America to do it.

"Marc essentially saved me from a total hip replacement," says [Greg] Norman, a two-time British Open winner who owns a ranch northwest of Vail and designed the Norman Course at Vail Resorts’ Red Sky Ranch Golf Club near Wolcott.

"(Marc) is a pioneer in terms of bringing science to the golf course, and the flexibility of the instruments he uses allows him to reach areas of the joint that were previously inaccessible. Before I came to him these methods weren't used for golf-specific injuries, but now it’s a common procedure among professional golfers."

later

Philippon, 42, counts among his patients Mario Lemieux of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Olympic gold medal figure skater Tara Lipinski, NBA basketball star Marcus Camby and Pro Bowl NFL running back Priest Holmes.

After her gold-medal win in the giant slalom at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, ski racer Julia Mancuso, 23, had her hip scoped by Philippon, who acknowledges that "skiing is a risk sport." But he adds that diagnosing the problem early and using arthroscopy can keep young athletes active and avoid osteoarthritis and eventual hip replacement.

It is notable that Camby won the Defensive Player of Year post surgery.

Our season isn't over, nor is Freddie's. It has yet to start.

We can panic later. For now its just cold outside in Seattle and we wait for 10 more players through Discovery, Draft and Transfer.

Comment 3 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

More from Sounder At Heart

Keys to Game: Crew at Seattle

May 2010 by Dave Clark - 6 comments

Comments

Display:

This sucks for you guys, but it’s a good thing he’ll be ready soon enough.

Hopefully it doesn’t become a recurring injury in 2009, for your sake, and for the league’s.

by Ben Van Weelden on Dec 19, 2008 7:19 PM PST reply actions  

His hip has been reoccuring for 2-3 years now. The real hope is that this time the right guy fixed it.

Prior to this the hope was that the extended time off would be enough rest.

by Dave Clark on Dec 19, 2008 7:58 PM PST reply actions  

Yeah, as much as I don’t want to admit it, this is a real blow. The only concern of course has been his injury, and I’m not convinced another surgery will do the trick—no matter by whom—esp. as I was a real believer in ‘the extended time off’ solve-all….

by Zack on Dec 19, 2008 11:13 PM PST reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Sounder at Heart is a blog about the Seattle Sounders FC, with occasional forays into Democracy in Sports, Roster Management, Soccer Statistics and Life in Puget Sound. We are not the actual Sounders blog.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Small
On "fake turf" in Seattle, 2012 edition
Small
Andy Rose!
Gopher2_small
2012 MLS Team Salary info VS Performance

Recent FanPosts

Acerimmer_small
Eddie Johnson Scores on Michael Gspurning? Yes indeed!
Paraguay_small
Sounders #awaysupport
Small
What's our line-up vs. Dallas?
Me_in_scarf_small
Vancouver Away- tickets available to all
Small
Sounders pursuing Del Piero?
Tubshot_small
Where The Badges At?
Small
Fredy's headers and HAIR

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Sounder at Heart exists on Facebook - Like Us

Follow SounderAtHeart on Twitter

Sounder At Heart on Twitter

follow me on Twitter

Follow the rest of us on Twitter

Sounder At Heart (Site Feed)

Sidereal (MLS stats)

Jeremiah Oshan (top 10 soccer journalist on Twitter, Baby!)

Aaron Campeau (Villa, Mariners)

Dave Clark (beer, specfic, mideast)

Brian Floyd (all Seattle sports)

Nos Audietis (podcast stuff, snark)

Chris Coulter (photos, academy)


Managers

Tiny_dave_with_scarf_small Dave Clark

Oshan_small Jeremiah Oshan

Seattlesoccerscene_small sidereal

Nos Audietis Crew

Avatar_small Aaron Campeau

254350_1953423628277_767159_n_small dano_seattle

Authors

Img_0349_small malcontentjake

Devlin_small sum anon

Small dennyoffside

Ravelry_logo_small Abbott Smith

Special1tv_o_small Timm Higgins