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Lucas at large

Lucas at Large

Mike Lucas speaks about all things sports

Lucas at Large: Are Packer quarterbacks prone to "tissue'' issues?

Mike Lucas  — 

It just dawned on me why Mel Kiper is so annoying on television. Too many moving parts. We're not talking about his freeze dried hair. That hasn't moved in years.

But Kiper's spastic jaw action can be a distraction when he's engaged in debate or straining to make a point. His message is easier to digest when he's on the radio.

To this end, Todd McShay has been an upgrade in many instances simply because of his delivery. He has less experience than Kiper. But his presentation is better.

On the second day of the draft, Cris Carter was an upgrade as an analyst over dopey Keyshawn Johnson, who offered little when he offered anything at all.

Trey Wingo was also an upgrade as a moderator over sappy Chris Berman, who has yet to gain any separation from the Eagles, Hotel California or the late '70s.

One of ESPN's additions to its draft coverage was a physical therapist, Stephania Bell, who's a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist (i.e. an injury expert).

Bell's fantasy football blog debuted last September on ESPN.com.

Last Saturday, she offered her opinions on the "tissue'' issues of former Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, who was drafted in the second round by the Packers.

Bell seemed to suggest that injuries would continue to hound Brohm. There's no question that he was dogged by injuries as a collegian.

Brohm blew out his knee (ACL) in the 10th game of the 2005 season.

In 2006, he tore ligaments in his thumb and missed three games.

After being named the MVP of the 2007 Orange Bowl, he had minor surgery on his non-throwing shoulder to repair a torn labrum.

In every pre-draft analysis of Brohm, there was some mention of his suspect durability. Bell confirmed as much with her health update on Brohm's tissues and issues.

Could be an interesting season for Packer fans, given the durability questions that are also attached to Aaron Rodgers, who has been challenged to prove his reliability.

Obviously that hasn't been an issue in the past at that position. In fact, it was taken for granted that Brett Favre would show up to work every Sunday. And he did.

By all accounts, Brohm was a terrific catch for the Packers.

By all accounts, Rodgers was the right choice, too.

But there's just enough grey area, concerning their durability (if not their ability), that leads you to believe that Matt Flynn was also a good choice and catch.

The Packers may not be done stockpiling quarterbacks, either.

 

 

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Mike Lucas has covered sports of all sorts for The Capital Times since the early 1970s. He is also the color analyst for UW football and UW basketball on WIBA radio.

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