In my daily check of interesting news items on the NASCAR wire, there was a story that was a serious jaw-dropper, mainly for the timing and the questionable judgment involved.
Denny Hamlin, solidly among the Chase contenders for the 2015 Sprint Cup title, put himself in a world of hurt when he tore the ACL in playing a game of pickup basketball Tuesday night.
The need for a work-life balance is always a delicate issue, even for regular working folk, but that balance sits on a razor-thin thread for athletes like NASCAR drivers.
All work and no play may make Denny a dull boy (allegedly), but Hamlin's hoops adventure doesn't inspire much confidence. He has a history of the injury, having torn the same ligament in his right knee playing basketball before the start of the 2010 season.
When it happened the first time, Hamlin initially elected to postpone the surgery until after that season. That approach lasted until the sixth race of the year, which was a win at Martinsville, the first of eight victories that season.
Hamlin was in contention all the way to Homestead, but lost the title to Jimmie Johnson. He's been medically cleared to run the last 11 races of 2015, but has a more daunting task this time around, mainly because he's 34 years old instead of 29. Injuries don't heal as fast, but it's all in the attitude.
Medical science has done wonders in allowing athletes to heal much quicker -- Tommy John surgery ring any bells? -- but what happens once Hamlin gets involved in a wreck? Does he play it too safe?
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has three straight top-5 runs -- fifth at Michigan, third at Bristol and Darlington -- and he reached the final round at Homestead last year, coming home in third place.
Hamlin already has the hard part out of the way by making the Chase. The hard work -- made harder by his creaky knees -- has only just begun.
Followers and comments welcome on Twitter @Tomzsports.
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