Johnson Undergoes Hand Surgery; Gives ‘Thumbs Down’ to 2012 PAC

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Dave Johnson gives his PAC status a ‘Thumbs Down’

Johnson Undergoes Thumb Surgery; PAC Status Questionable

April 4, 2012
Team 98 Captain Dave Johnson underwent successful hand surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. News first broke early in the week on the Phi Alpha Cup Twitter page that Johnson may have suffered a serious injury – and that news was confirmed late Tuesday night by Johnson himself.

According to Johnson’s surgeon at Duke Medical Center, typical rehab lasts 10-12 weeks, although Johnson could conceivably play in this year’s PAC, which is 4 weeks away, with a brace. Without their star, Team 98’s quest for a repeat win could be in serious jeopardy. However, Johnson’s teammates seem unfazed so far since not one Team 98 member has yet responded to the news or reached out to Johnson, suggesting they all think it is a joke, or simply don’t care.

Team 97’s most boisterous and outspoken member, Steve Burr, didn’t seem surprised by the callous reaction, or the lack of a reaction at all, by Captain Johnson’s teammates.

“When I first won the Jeffrey J. Eaton MVP Award in 2007, Dave was the first person to come up and congratulate me,” Burr said. “It just goes to show you, that the PAC is more about sportsmanship than anything else. And it’s something that Dave has displayed, and certainly I have displayed over the years. I just wish I could say the same for some of the other guys in the 98 locker room. Actually, what I really wish is that it was Jeff Eaton’s thumb that got mangled instead of Dave’s. But again, it’s all about sportsmanship.”