The Way I See It
THE NFL has decided not to resume the Rookie Beach Bowl the weekend of the 50th Pro Bowl here next month. Football in the sand a
bad idea, especially
for NFL starsIt seemed like an inevitable decision after New England Patriots running back Robert Edwards lost his promising career at the last one, held Feb. 5, 1999, at Ft. DeRussy beach. I just wonder why it took so long.
The Rookie Beach Bowl will be replaced by the Alumni Legends Beach Bowl, according to NFL spokesman Andrew Fink in New York.
Apparently, the NFL is a lot less worried about being sued by guys no longer under contract. But that doesn't lessen the danger of knee injuries in the beach game.
There was a lot of concern expressed by NFL team owners after Edwards, who was heavily counted upon to lead the Patriots into the playoffs this season, suffered severe ligament and nerve damage to his knee while going up for a pass in the flag football game.
It might even be said the Edwards incident led to Pete Carroll's dismissal as New England head coach after a disappointing 8-8 season.
ONE knee surgeon told me the very concept of playing football in the sand begs trouble.
He said that when an athlete playing in deep, soft sand runs and tries to cut, his foot sinks and is held like he was standing in mud.
The rotation that occurs naturally in the foot on a flat surface cannot happen because the foot is locked.
So, the twist occurs in the knee.
The NFL rookies playing last year, with the exception of Pittsburgh's Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, were wearing Nike aqua socks, which give no support for an activity like beach football.
Fuamatu-Ma'afala played in bare feet.
Even former Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Russ Francis said the Rookie Beach Bowl was a bad idea.
I was there when they cleared off a buffet table behind me in the VIP tent to lay out Edwards for examination after the injury. Looking at the expression on his sand-covered face, I don't think the $5.7 million rookie had any idea his career had just come to a sudden and senseless end.
I'm glad the NFL discontinued the rookie game - at least for this year - but league officials never so much as admitted in public that it was a bad idea.
It was later found that the local doctor who operated on Edwards at Straub actually saved his leg from amputation due to complications.
Yet the NFL will stage another sand game next month, this time featuring alumni Marcus Allen, James Lofton, Charlie Joiner, Jack Ham, Mike Haynes, Joe Theismann, Tony Dorsett, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Carl Banks, Phil McConkey and Joey Browner.
These guys will not feel pressure to play with the same zeal as the rookies, and that might - just might - reduce the chance of injuries.
Patriots Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy, who once played in the rookie event, said the active players took it too seriously.
"It's supposed to be a fun game, but everybody is a competitor and nobody wants to look stupid," said Milloy.
Pat Bigold has covered sports for daily newspapers
in Hawaii and Massachusetts since 1978.