Tuesday's Update

Not much other than the Jamie Harper injury updates from all over the place. We'll spare you from the repetitious reporting. Fact is, it appears no one will know Harper's status until at least Thursday.

One thing I find interesting is reading the different interpretations that different reporters get from essentially the same information. An example would be Jamie Cumbie's broken hand and it's effects on his effectiveness. In one place we read that the injury has become an "extreme limitation". In another we read that Cumbie reports that the hand didn't bother him during practice and his teammate said it has actually improved Cumbie's pad level and made him a better player. No mention from the writer of this story how the hand "limited" Cumbie.

I know - one was reported by the player and teammate and the other by a supposedly objective reporter. But still, they are diametrically opposed to each other and you wonder how two people can look at the same injury and come up with such vastly different reports.

I'm not questioning the reporters belief in what was written. I am questioning whether either did anything more than assume how the injury is limiting Cumbie (or not) based on anything other than how similar injuries have limited others in the past. Who says the injury is an extreme limitation? The injured player? His coaches? The teammates? The reporter based on his observations? We're left to guess.

Same for the other article saying the injury has helped Cumbie. You would expect the player and teammate to play up the positives and limit (or exclude) the negatives. Did you ask his coach? Did you see him practice and your observation was that the injury isn't causing a problem? We're left to guess.

My guess is that neither of these guys saw Cumbie practice and have no idea how the injury is or isn't effecting his play. One assumed it was very limiting because of his position and height. The other talked to his teammate and got a totally different impression without (apparently) confirming this with the coaches or another source outside of the players.

Great reporting.

News
Here is one story about the punting battle. From no punter to having three options in a little over a year. I'm voting for Maners, because of experience. Zimmerman is the punter of the future, but the last thing we need is a true freshman lining up against Alabama in front of 60,000 with a history of shaky special teams.

And what's up with Richard Jackson?