Photo Courtesy of Mike Morbeck, Wikipedia
There have been a number of miracles throughout sports history, where players have persevered through incredibly tough circumstances. To name just a few, there is the Michael Jordan flu game, where he scored 38 points and delivered a win in the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Championship, Kirk Gibson’s infamous home run in the 1988 World Series with run-down knees and a severely injured hamstring, and even Jim Abbott pitching with only a left hand his entire MLB career.
Another miracle is in the works, which could possibility be added to the history books within the year. Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants defensive end and quite possibly their most talented defender, lost a finger and a half in a July Fourth fireworks accident.
Many people are aware of the injury, but few know the in-depth information about the injury.
Freshman Jaiveer Bhasin believes Pierre-Paul can return to the level of play he once was at.
“I think at first he will struggle, but eventually, he will return back to his Pro Bowl level,” said Bhasin.
While it is true that Pierre-Paul has been a Pro Bowler in the past, his production throughout his career has been inconsistent. In 2011, he recorded 16.5 sacks, followed by 6.5 and 2.0 sacks the following two years. He returned to form last year with 12.5 sacks, but maybe the confidence got to his head as his off-season mistake cost him a $60 million dollar extension that was left lying on the table for several months.
The former first-round draft pick is losing $871,000 for every game he misses, which is one way to look at this situation positively for the Giants. Despite his inconsistency, his notable presence will still be hard to replace. The Giants have opened the season with two consecutive losses, allowing 27 points against the Cowboys and 24 points against the Falcons. He is hurting his team, due to his own mistake.
Bhasin believes Pierre-Paul should not be punished by his team.
“I think that this issue should be handled internally with the Giants. I feel as if JPP shouldn’t really be in trouble. I think losing how many fingers he did should be punishment enough," he said.
His potential to be a draft bust or a miracle story is truly up in the air now. His future is unknown; whether he will return within the next couple weeks or even this year, it is all speculation.
Giants fan and freshman Dave Perrotti thinks Pierre-Paul will struggle, but is eager to see how he plays.
“Depends on how he plays. I don’t think he can play well, but I’d like to see him prove me wrong,” said Perrotti.
Maybe he can find a way to make the best of this injury and add his name to the list of players who have played through the unimaginable, but only time will tell.
rsartori@ramapo.edu
