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Theismann, Taylor make light of injury to promote upcoming Redskins, Giants game

WASHINGTON — The Washington Redskins and New York Giants are having less than stellar seasons on the field but NBC dipped into their rich histories for what could be one of the most polarizing TV promos in years. Nearly 32 years to the day ‘Skins quarterback Joe Theismann suffered one of the most horrific injuries in NFL history at the hands of Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor on Monday Night Football, NBC ran a promo of the Redskins-Giants prime time Thanksgiving Day duel featuring the two during Sunday Night Football — a promo that can only be described as epic.  

What epic means to you, however, seems to depend on where you live. While NBC Washington’s Carol Maloney had some fun with it on air Sunday night, some national outlets aren’t laughing quite as hard. Deadspin and Awful Announcing didn’t seem amused, citing Taylor’s sordid past as a reason to keep him from promoting anything other than a prison rehabilitation program. Some might find the ad humorous and think it’s refreshing to see Theismann poke fun at a devastating injury that ended his career and — by his own admission — changed his life. But it’s hard not to wonder if Joey T. being a good sport necessarily makes NBC’s choice a good idea. If readers are so inclined, below is a video of Theisman’s career-ending injury. Editor’s Note: Some scenes may contain graphic images.

Quarterback Alex Smith’s grueling road to recovery chronicled in ESPN program

NFL quarterback Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury that put his career in jeopardy and had him fighting for his life, and his long and grueling road to recovery is chronicled in an upcoming one-hour program from ESPN called "Project 11." The leg injury occurred Nov. 18, 2018, in the third quarter of a game between the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans. After being sacked by the Texans' J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson, Smith suffered a spiral and compound fracture of the right tibia and fibula.
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