Media jumping to conclusions regarding Porter’s knee

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, August 06, 2007  |  Comments( 6 )

Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins' coaching staff excused linebacker Joey Porter from practice on Friday and Saturday in order to rest his sore right knee, and it didn't take long for the South Florida media to get the propaganda machine up and running.

Print, radio and television outlets have all reported on the Porter situation. Some of the more liberal reports have peppered their objective observations with subtle interjections of assumption and conjecture. Miami TV personality and NFL superagent Drew Rosenhaus stood on his soapbox Sunday night and laid out a worst-case scenario about how chronic knee issues often lead to a premature exit for aging veterans. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that fans have begun to voice their concerns about the long-term prospects of Miami's biggest free-agent acquisition.

Here's what is known for sure:

1) Porter is being evaluated by the Dolphins' medical staff;
2) Porter has been spotted wearing a brace on his right knee;
3) Porter underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee back in May;
4) Porter skipped the final day of OTAs back in June in order to rest the right knee.

At first glance, these facts would seem to be a cause for concern; however, the reality is that none of these issues provide any conclusive proof that Porter's long-term health and effectiveness will be compromised.

When pressed on the subject, head coach Cam Cameron intimated that Porter's knee was being looked at, but he also went on to say that his staff does not expect to find anything significant and that this is nothing more than a precautionary move. Couple that with Cameron's well-known stance on resting and protecting his veterans (they are allowed to skip out on one practice during two-a-days) and Porter's absence from action suddenly appears to be a virtual non-factor.

The fact that Porter is wearing a knee brace and that he is experiencing bouts of soreness is really quite commonplace. Anyone who has undergone even the most basic knee procedure will tell you that dealing with soreness and wearing a supportive sleeve simply comes with the territory. Even if Porter is forced to undergo a follow-up arthroscopy in coming weeks, nobody would be premature to sound the alarm regarding his long-term prognosis.

All appearances suggest that Porter's soreness has done little to affect his play on the field. The nine-year veteran has looked extremely solid in training camp, even taking time out to field punts in Tuesday's evening practice.

Those are not the type of antics that are generally associated with guys nursing a gimpy knee.

Even the aforementioned Rosenhaus, who is known for being a bit of a shock monger during his weekly television appearances, was quick to point out that Porter's recent R & R is not enough to warrant major concern at this point.

So if a co-worker comes up to you and starts showing visible signs of distress while mentioning the plight of Joey Porter, tell him or her to relax. At this point, odds are that he will be healthy and ready to go come September.

Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch@realfootball365.com. For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 6  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Tom		09:15 AM
08/06/2007
Drew Rosenhaus is the Geraldo of the NFL. He seriously needs to get over himself. If he needs a reality check, have him e-mail me...
No.2
dave		10:43 AM
08/06/2007
I have had several scopes to both knees and you are really stiff and sore after surgery. Depending on his procedure he could be...
No.3
Khalid in Sac		02:05 PM
08/06/2007
C'mon guys. It's two weeks into training camp. Everyone should be nursing some bumps and bruises right now or your not getting...
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