New Show Takes Sports Medicine for a Spin
Sports medicine has joined the television circuit. A new series called "Athlete 360" is airing on Fox Sports networks and affiliates across the country, and it's teaching fans the finer aspects of breaks and tears.
Each 30-minute show features an athlete talking about a career-changing injury. This week, professional bull rider Mike Moore bears his battle wounds, chatting about his multiple hip dislocations, torn meniscuses and torn MCLs. [Read more on bull riding injuries here.] Next week, racecar driver Tommy Kendall explains the surgeries he underwent after surviving a 180 mph crash.
The show is hosted by Dr. Mark Adickes, an orthopedic surgeon with Memorial Hermann's Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance in Houston's Texas Medical Center, who knows a thing or two about sports injuries. Before attending Harvard Medical School, Dr. Adickes spent seven seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins.
Athlete 360 premiered last September on Fox Sports Houston, sponsored by Memorial Hermann, before Fox Sports Net picked it up for national exposure. The first season began re-airing in April; this time, with audiences nationwide. Other athletes featured this season include Houston Rockets' Dikembe Mutombo and pro-golfer Stacy Lewis.
I watched an episode online, and it seems to be "20/20" with a sports medicine twist, plus a dash of "Pop-Up Video" (if you can even recall that reference). It didn't have the shock and awe I expected, but took a rather low-intensity approach in its presentation. Whether star appeal or sheer curiosity will be enough to keep viewers around, I'm not sure, but I think PTs could have a natural interest in the program.
If you haven't seen the show, you can watch episodes online here or catch them weekly on TV. [Show times are posted on Athlete 360's Facebook page.] Is it too boring, too sensational or just right?