Nice work from Michael Gehlken and Kevin Acee on covering the Jared Gaither injury. I know they have to be polite and diplomatic, since they can't jeopardize their access and relationship with the team, but they still must be professionals and ask the tough questions, which they are doing. Props.
Mr. Gaither may not like answering these questions, he may feel they are intrusive and unnecessary, but it's only normal that a professional athlete who recently signed a substantial free agent contract with a new team be available to the media. It is also normal that his injury history and reputation be kept in perspective when these questions are asked, since that is all we have to go on to try to figure this thing out. If Mr. Gaither feels that Michael Gehlken is impertinent, he needs to understand that he is only being asked questions that every Charger fan would ask, in much stronger language probably. That huge signing bonus doesn't come out of thin air, it is provided by spectators who buy tickets and Sunday Ticket packages and jerseys. In effect, Messrs. Gehlken and Acee are proxies for Mr. Gaither's bosses, and he needs to suck it up and play along.
I suggest he looks at how Ryan Mathews is answering queries about his playing status. Ryan is eager to discuss his injury and rehab, how well he's progressing, and when he projects to practice with contact and play in a game. He is rehabbing with gusto and wants to return as soon as the doctors and coaches give him the go-ahead, and communicates that to the fans.
Of course, Ryan's injury is easy to diagnose, it shows up on an X-Ray. His collarbone was repaired by orthopedic surgeons. It is tangible. So maybe Mr. Gaither is a little bit embarrassed in comparison.
And all of this considered makes him, in sum, the author of his own misery.
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