Jan 6, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) is looked at by team trainers after being injured against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game at FedEx Field. The Seahawks won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Michael McGraw is a writer and editor for Riggo’s Rag, a Redskins fan site. He recently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his knee. He will be blogging about his recovery and talking about sports and RG3 along the way. It is actually kind of a selfish endeavor if you think about it, but just play along.

It started with a growth on the side of my right knee. I had just finished an April run and noticed that my knee was swollen, but only selectively on the side. It looked like a second knee cap was forming on the outer part of my leg. How long has that been there? The doctor was confused by the swelling as well: “It could be a cyst…or some fluid…or maybe a small tumor.” A knee tumor? He ordered an MRI to get a better visual. I waited a week to get the official diagnosis, time spent frantically calculating my chances of survival on the internet (not good was the consensus). When I returned to get the results from the doctor, he gave me the news that made me long for a knee full of tumors. I had a benign cyst but no ACL.

The news was surprising because I had torn that same ACL on two prior occasions. The first time was in 2002 playing tennis. My opponent lobbed a ball over my head after I came to the net (I was never very good at prolonged volleys). In attempting to jump for the ball, my ankle gave out and my knee shredded. The pain was so horrible I nearly blacked out. In 2006, I re-tore the same ACL playing a game of Capture the Flag in college. This fluke injury forced me to spend the next year carrying out the same conversation:

“How’d you tear your ACL? Are you a snowboarder?”

“No, I was playing Capture the Flag.”

“…You disgust me.”

However, with my current injury there was no obvious cause. No singular moment of agony. This time, my ligament just wore out over the years. In some ways, that will be harder to explain to others than the Capture the Flag fiasco.

Surgery was on Monday. It was a long and exhausting day at the hospital. Through all the reality-distorting drugs, only a few random memories have endured. My last moment of consciousness on the operating table involved nurses shaving my knees to prepare for surgery. There are few moments in my life in which I felt more vulnerable. I remember the intense bouts of nausea after waking up, and my attending nurse commenting on the pale color of my skin (but in a beautiful British accent). I recall my dad telling me the doctor had removed a large chunk of cartilage that was just floating around my knee. I hope I will forget that moment in time.

The days since the surgery have been long and painful. I’m not sure when the adidas RGIII “All-In For Week One” commercial was conceived, but it certainly did not come from Griffin laying in bed 48 hours after his operation. There is no way he was thinking anything other than “I wonder if I can use this dinner tray to saw off my leg somehow.” I know professional athletes have a different mentality than sports bloggers, but I have to think RG3 felt some vulnerability as well. He had to, right? He is rehabbing his second ACL surgery on the same knee; he had to at least consider whether he would ever fully recover. Maybe he had some of the same feverish, self-lamenting thoughts I did during my sleepless nights. How could this happen to me again? What is wrong with my body? Why didn’t I date more people in college? Is this what it feels like to be 30? Am I ever going to write the “Great American Novel” or will I give up on it like my ACL gave up on me?

Only three days out from surgery, I already feel physically and mentally exhausted. How can professional football players go through this every offseason? Not every injury is as invasive as an ACL tear, but many are far worse. How does Tim Hightower have the dedication to return to the field after almost two full seasons of rehabbing a knee injury? He’s younger than I am. My goals for recovery are not nearly as lofty: I want to be able to jog again without excruciating pain. More immediately, I want to be able to take this bandage off so I can scratch my (now) hairless knees. It’s clear I do not have a warrior mentality.

Even an outstanding comeback campaign from Denver Broncos legendary quarterback Peyton Manning wasn’t enough to beat RGIII’s appealing apparel. He finished second to the budding superstar. Coming in 3rd is Baltimore Ravens future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, while San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick came in at number 4. Kaepernick’s bicep-kissing end-zone celebration and all around explosiveness made him one of the top players to follow in the second half of the season. He guided his team to Super Bowl XLVII, and the 49ers finished first in total jersey sales. As exciting as Kaepernick was though, Griffin seems to be the man to beat in terms of popularity. He had the benefit of being selected No. 2 overall in the draft as the savior of a franchise, and he possessed the smarts to be social-media savvy from the beginning. This helped RGIII promote his individual brand in D.C., and his style of play certainly didn’t hurt his cause either. Griffin battled and competed at a high level all year long and frequently put his body on the line.

Nothing beats the NFL when it comes to promoting the sport, from selling team collectibles to fans wearing the team’s jersey. Whether they’re headed to the stadium, or crashing on the living room sofa, pro football fans, like the players they worship, aren’t dressed for the game until they’ve put on the team jersey. This explains why marketing sports through merchandise and endorsements have become a million dollar business. A prime example of this is the tie up between football power Real Madrid and Bwin Party Digital entertainment. Bwin has been the major sponsor of the Spanish club since 2007, and they have had advertising rights on the team’s jersey from that time. Bwin is of course well known for its online poker site partypoker. Partypoker is one of the leading online poker sites which enjoy a huge player base and a proven track record in online gaming. They are considered to be one of the best online poker sites, and one can easily sign up and join their games online. Partypoker is also known to have sponsored many celebrity poker tournaments which have benefited many charitable institutions. Several big name sports stars have participated in these events for charity, like tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Boris Becker. In addition to Real Madrid, Bwin also has sponsorship with English football giant, Manchester United.

Robert Griffin III is working hard this off season, rehabilitating from the knee injury he suffered in the divisional playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks. What’s positive is that he’s reportedly recovering at a staggering rate, and he may be ready for the beginning of the 2013 season. There is no limit or obstacle that Griffin feels he can’t overpass.

Aug 29, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Anthony Armstrong (13) breaks a tackle by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Leonard Johnson (29) during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-US PRESSWIRE

Right now the Redskins are dealing with and offense that has struggled as of late and needs to pick things up to compensate for the less-than-stellar defense.  Joshua Morgan leads all receptions with 29 hauls but only 309 yards to boot.  Nine games in, you will need to see more production out of this group.  Armstrong’s speed should be able to help out with the down field passing game that has been lacking and his familiarity with the offense also doesn’t hurt.  With the uncertain return of Pierre Garçon something will have to give to allow Robert Griffin a chance to make things happen in the passing game.