- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of New Times free.
Remember that pesky "bruise" that's kept Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells sidelined for the last three weeks? Well, that "bruise," it turns, out was a torn meniscus, on which Wells had some secret surgery that the team kept hush-hush for nearly a month.
Wells sustained the injury in the final game of the preseason and he's been listed as questionable for each of the Cardinals' two regular season games. The question was answered at kickoff time, though, as Wells didn't play in either game.
The super-secrecy surrounding Wells' surgery implies it was intentionally kept under wraps. When teams prepare to play each other they do so on the assumption -- or possibility -- that certain players will be in the game.
By keeping Wells' status as questionable, rather than saying "the guy's not playing," Cardinals' opponents were forced to prepare accordingly.
If that was the master plan, it didn't work out so well. The Cards played like garbage last week, getting blown out by the Atlanta Falcons, and barely eked out an ugly win against the St. Louis Rams in week one -- when Wells' stand in, Tim Hightower, lost two fumbles.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt tells the Arizona Republic that the secrecy behind Wells' surgery wasn't that sinister.
From the Republic:
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.
