When it comes to preventing injuries, teams should and would consider every avenue (up to and perhaps including witch doctors).
So the Cowboys are willing to run the risk of a few snickers, installing ballet bars to help get their buys stretched out.
According to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, the new quipment comes after 12 players were sidelined with some degree of thigh or hamstring issue last year,
“We’ve put a big emphasis on addressing, as an organization, some of the injuries that we’ve had,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “Just an emphasis on stretching, giving our players the opportunity, whether it’s with ballet bars or V-sits or back systems, whatever things we use, we try to help them get into routines that can help them be flexible and avoid some of the injuries we’ve had.
“It’s always been an emphasis for us. We have to look at ourselves and what we’re doing to help our players stay as healthy as possible.”
Whether the ballet bars work or not, addressing what has been a noticeable problem is a good idea. Too many teams or players stretch in a way that may not be effective, simply because that’s the way they’ve always stretched. Taking a look at such a basic part of being an athlete is worth the time.