Tag Archives: Chris Cooley

I wish that the Associated Press could get away with spicing up their headlines a little bit. Not only would more people pay attention, but in some cases the headline would be more truthful, too.

Take, for example, this article about Chris Cooley, recently injured tight end of the Washington Redskins. For those of you who don’t have fingers, the article is titled, “Chris Cooley: Lockout cost me season.” I think that the name I created pops more, and it also has the benefit of being more true. And even if the AP doesn’t want to change the format too much, they could go with the less-enthralling-but-still-accurate, “Chris Cooley: I Can’t Take Responsibility For My Own Negligence.”

It’s very sad that Chris Cooley got injured. I’m not a hater. No, I’m a fan of his. As a former owner of his in fantasy football, I fondly remember the many times he got me 4, 5, even sometimes as many as 7 fantasy points a week. I laughed a few weeks ago as he talked trash about Tony Romo while putting up Herculean stats of 1 catch for 4 yards against the grueling defense of the St. Louis Rams. See, usually his words cause me nothing but joy.

But this claim that the lockout is the source behind his injury — “100%” is his quote — does not cause me joy. It causes me — well, I’m not sure what emotion it is, but it’s the emotion that makes you roll your eyes and say, “Bitch, please.”

Chris Cooley got injured, and injuries happen for a variety of reasons. The obvious one is “playing a dangerous game.” Granted, injuries are known to occur when the muscles are inactive and then forced to become active again. And yes, Cooley is hitting on something when he suggests that not being allowed to use team facilities and physicians may have slowed his healing process of a knee that was injured last season.

But it’s not like he can’t pick up a phone and call a doctor. The AP article knows that Cooley is full of shit too, but they can’t say it because of that whole “national press” thing. They were able to give us plenty of lines to read between, however:

Cooley couldn’t work out with the trainers at Redskins Park because, during the lockout, players were barred from team facilities. Yet, even though the game has made him a millionaire many times over, he didn’t hire a physical therapist until June.

If Cooley knew he was injured at the end of last season, there were plenty of things he could have done besides “work through the pain as he always has.” He could have hired a therapist earlier. He could have went to a doctor. Instead, he waited until the season was over for six months to start rehabbing. In the article, Cooley seems to be aware that his story has holes, because he claims that it was because he couldn’t go to the team doctors and trainers.

Oh, yeah. Right. The vaunted medical experts in Washington. The ones who did an amazing job of getting Albert Haynesworth into shape last year.

“No, it’s cool. I think I’ll just lay here for a little bit.”

Bottom line is that Chris Cooley got hurt. It’s unfortunate, and I’m sure it’s frustrating for a tight end who had been the only bright spot on that offense for years to see another tight end overtake him in the depth chart, then lose the rest of his season. I also know that Chris Cooley likes to say outlandish things to get attention, and he had his own blog for awhile, as if he were a white, less-athletic and less-insane Gilbert Arenas. But at some point, you have to take responsibility for things. And pointing a finger at the lockout — which doesn’t even make fans care anymore, since it’s over — is not a good way of dealing with your issues.

Don’t worry, though. I’m sure you’ll come back and be just as exciting as ever!

Posted by Nate Raby