Every time a star player gets hurt, coaches and the media talk about the “next man up” philosophy. It doesn’t matter which sport. This week after Tony Romo hurt his back, Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett said, “It’s the next man up philosophy.” When Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone weeks ago, it was “next man up.” When Jay Cutler injured his groin and then his ankle, Bears Coach Marc Trestman spoke about his “next man up philosophy.” With Derrick Rose’s two knee injuries, Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau has been discussing his “next man up philosophy” for quite some time.
It is not a philosophy. It is a function or mantra of team sports. When a golfer or a tennis player gets injured, another player typically cannot play for them. But, on a team, in any sport, there are more members of the team than the starting players. Thus, when a player gets injured, another player steps up and plays. Depending on the talent of the injured player and his or her backup, there may or may not be a large effect on the team.
It is not as though there are coaches or teams that do not employ the “next man up” philosophy. At the press conference of such a team, the coach laments that since “he doesn’t adhere to the next man up philosophy,” he cannot field a team for the next game. One can only imagine the hilarity.
There is no other theory. There is no other side. Teams will replace injured players with the back up player 100 percent of the time. Thus, it is not a philosophy. Yes, coaches tell their players about a “next man up philosophy.” However, unlike a philosophy, it is a team mantra to help teams deal with the injury of a star player. It also helps motivate back up players to be ready in case the starter is injured.
But let’s be clear, it is not a philosophy. A quick search of “next man up” will provide hundreds of headlines proving that it is more than just coaches repeating what has become an increasingly annoying sports cliche.
Until the day a coach steps up to the podium and announces that he does not believe in the “next man up philosophy” and that the team will play the next game without a quarterback, let’s stop calling playing the back up player a philosophy.
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