Players can see team doctors during lockout

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By Tom E. Curran
CSNNE.com

Digging into my Boston Globe Sunday, I found a story on Patriots team doctor Thomas Gill. Written by Amalie Benjamin, the story opens with an anecdote about Gill being in his fourth floor office at MGH when he excuses himself from a conversation because "one of the Patriots showed up."Wait, what? I thought team doctors were off-limits during the lockout. So too did the NFLPA - or at least some members of it. The union shuttered its old website when it decertified but stated a new one called NFLLockout.com. And in a March 21 story entitled "What Happens in a Lockout?" one line says, "Players and agents cannot talk to coaches, team PR, team doctors, etc."So I checked with the NFL. Me and whoevercobbled together the "WhatHappens in a Lockout?" story were mistaken. According to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, players are free to meet with team doctorsas long as it's away from the facility.Team trainers can also glean information about the convalesence of the players from those doctors. So if you're say, Aaron Hernandez coming off hip surgery, you can be at Dr. Gill's office getting checked out. You cannot be inside Gillette Stadium getting your workout on, however.That I had a mistaken perception (six syllables used there instead of the one-word syllable "wrong"), is one thing. That the union is putting the mistaken notion out in their informational bullet points as recently as a week ago is indefensible.As youwere, Dr. Gill. (UPDATE: Commenter Marima asked "What did Dr. Gill do that was indefensible?" After reading my last two sentences, I understand her confusion. Very poorly worded by me. I meant "as you were" in the "keep doing what you're doing, Doc" sense not intending at all to impugn the good Doctor. A round of apologies and barium swallows on me.)

Tom E. Curran can be reached at tcurran@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Tom on Twitter at http:twitter.comtomecurran

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