They Should Listen to Wiki Karmel

The Great Wiki Karmel has been arguing for quite some time with his acquaintances about mandatory appendectomies for all professional athletes. The appendix is a vestigial structure. It is completely useless. So there is no reason to have it. For most people, though, there is no reason not to have it. And since there is invasive surgery involved in an appendectomy, it really doesn't make sense. Unless you are a professional athlete. There is so much (money, fan emotion, stirring of local economy if a team makes the playoffs) riding on the performance of athletes that an appendectomy to the wrong person at the wrong time can be devastating.

What is bringing this up now? Andrea Bargnani, while not the best player on the Toronto Raptors, is a key component to the team's playoff chances. And now that he will miss time (perhaps the playoffs completely), the Raptors will suffer. Toronto will suffer. Canada will suffer. All of this could have been avoided.

The same thing happened a few months ago to Ben Roethlisberger.

Get it together sports franchises! Mandate this. Put it into contracts.