Article ‘No firmly established evidence’ for viral 49ers injury theory

[C C]

https://frontofficesports.com/49ers-inju...nt-theory/

EXCERPT: Cowan, who is not a doctor, went on in a series of posts and Substack articles to link the 49ers’ injuries in the past decade to the proximity of the substation. Star players including Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, and Fred Warner have all struggled with injuries, many of them major tendon and ligament tears.

The post picked up traction in the days before the game, but Kittle’s injury was gasoline on the fire. Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne joked “that power plant” is the source of the team’s injuries. Former NFL players promoted the theory on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “We don’t know enough about it, but we know it’s 100% fact,” said cohost Will Compton. Other former NFLers like Taybor Pepper and Kurt Benkert also posted about the theory online. (Pepper was the 49ers’ long snapper from 2020 to 2024, and Benkert was briefly on the practice squad in 2022.) Cowan’s original post has around 22 million views on X.

Though the Kyle Shanahan–era 49ers have consistently been among the most injured teams in the NFL, there are two major problems with the substation theory.

First, 49ers players have been exposed to the substation for far longer than the decade since the team moved to Levi’s Stadium. The plant has been operating since 1986. The 49ers opened a new practice facility next door in 1988, and they won three Super Bowls in the next seven years. The team moved into Levi’s Stadium in 2014, something Cowan presents as an important development when in fact the team had been practicing near the plant for nearly 40 years.

Second, according to a bevy of medical experts, the research doesn’t back it up... (MORE - missing details)

[Zinjanthropos]

https://frontofficesports.com/49ers-inju...nt-theory/

EXCERPT: Cowan, who is not a doctor, went on in a series of posts and Substack articles to link the 49ers’ injuries in the past decade to the proximity of the substation. Star players including Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, and Fred Warner have all struggled with injuries, many of them major tendon and ligament tears.

The post picked up traction in the days before the game, but Kittle’s injury was gasoline on the fire. Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne joked “that power plant” is the source of the team’s injuries. Former NFL players promoted the theory on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “We don’t know enough about it, but we know it’s 100% fact,” said cohost Will Compton. Other former NFLers like Taybor Pepper and Kurt Benkert also posted about the theory online. (Pepper was the 49ers’ long snapper from 2020 to 2024, and Benkert was briefly on the practice squad in 2022.) Cowan’s original post has around 22 million views on X.

Though the Kyle Shanahan–era 49ers have consistently been among the most injured teams in the NFL, there are two major problems with the substation theory.

First, 49ers players have been exposed to the substation for far longer than the decade since the team moved to Levi’s Stadium. The plant has been operating since 1986. The 49ers opened a new practice facility next door in 1988, and they won three Super Bowls in the next seven years. The team moved into Levi’s Stadium in 2014, something Cowan presents as an important development when in fact the team had been practicing near the plant for nearly 40 years.

Second, according to a bevy of medical experts, the research doesn’t back it up... (MORE - missing details)

Never seen a team as oft-injured as the Buffalo Bills. As of November they’d already had 250 man games lost and today have 14 players out dealing with injuries. Even Josh Allen banged up. Their defence is decimated and I don’t know how they can pull off a win in Denver today.

Buffalo too close to Niagara Falls so let’s blame the power plants.

[C C]

Never seen a team as oft-injured as the Buffalo Bills. As of November they’d already had 250 man games lost and today have 14 players out dealing with injuries. Even Josh Allen banged up. Their defence is decimated and I don’t know how they can pull off a win in Denver today.

Buffalo too close to Niagara Falls so let’s blame the power plants.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get massacred by injuries almost every year, too. But there one can blame it on the hot, humid weather and all the muscle cramping that eventually turns into far worse.

[Zinjanthropos]

Never seen a team as oft-injured as the Buffalo Bills. As of November they’d already had 250 man games lost and today have 14 players out dealing with injuries. Even Josh Allen banged up. Their defence is decimated and I don’t know how they can pull off a win in Denver today.

Buffalo too close to Niagara Falls so let’s blame the power plants.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get massacred by injuries almost every year, too. But there one can blame it on the hot, humid weather and all the muscle cramping that eventually turns into far worse.

Yesterday the Bills had an injury on the opening kickoff plus a few more as the game progressed. Nobody in Buffalo is blaming injuries for loss. The referees on the otoh are being vilified for some OT decisions. Not just in Buffalo btw. I hate blaming referees and I know the feeling from 40+ years of refereeing basketball, although not a whole lot as I became more experienced. Every now and then somebody blames refs for their team’s inadequacies and their general lack of rules knowledge. Don’t want injured refs but NFL might be wise not sending that crew to Buffalo anytime soon.

[Yazata]

I watched the game yesterday and I think that the Bills got robbed by the refs!

[C C]

I watched the game yesterday and I think that the Bills got robbed by the refs!

Hubby kept watching, but I dropped out after the Broncos got almost two touchdowns or whatever ahead of the Bills. So I never saw the interlude of how the latter finally came back to get the score even at 30-30 (only after that).

But there was that non-pass-interference toward the end and the one (right after?) that the refs did call as pass interference on the Bills defender, giving the Broncos field goal range. It seemed almost like: "Well, because we let him (legitimately?) get away with contact on the prior pass, there's no way we can ignore the contact on this one."

[Zinjanthropos]

I watched the game yesterday and I think that the Bills got robbed by the refs!

Hubby kept watching, but I dropped out after the Broncos got almost two touchdowns or whatever ahead of the Bills. So I never saw the interlude of how the latter finally came back to get the score even at 30-30 (only after that). 

But there was that non-pass-interference toward the end and the one (right after?) that the refs did call as pass interference on the Bills defender, giving the Broncos field goal range. It seemed almost like: "Well, because we let him (legitimately?) get away with contact on the prior pass, there's no way we can ignore the contact on this one."

Remarkable coincidence in Bears Rams game today with different ruling. Bills catch in overtime called an interception but in a near carbon copy of the play in the bears rams game the interception was denied and ruled a catch. NFL has a problem. Sure the Bills will be all ears for the explanations…lol

[Yazata]

Remarkable coincidence in Bears Rams game today with different ruling. Bills catch in overtime called an interception but in a near carbon copy of the play in the bears rams game the interception was denied and ruled a catch. NFL has a problem. Sure the Bills will be all ears for the explanations…lol

Cooks, the Bills receiver, had the ball in his hands. He wasn't juggling it or anything. It didn't come loose until after he hit the ground and the Denver player pulled it out of his hands.

It certainly looked like a legitimate reception to me.

And it was a crucial moment in the game. I hate it when refs decisions decide the outcome of big playoff games.

[Zinjanthropos]

Remarkable coincidence in Bears Rams game today with different ruling. Bills catch in overtime called an interception but in a near carbon copy of the play in the bears rams game the interception was denied and ruled a catch. NFL has a problem. Sure the Bills will be all ears for the explanations…lol

Cooks, the Bills receiver, had the ball in his hands. He wasn't juggling it or anything. It didn't come loose until after he hit the ground and the Denver player pulled it out of his hands.

It certainly looked like a legitimate reception to me.

And it was a crucial moment in the game. I hate it when refs decisions decide the outcome of big playoff games.

Agree. I wasn’t sure if I would even watch more NFL playoffs today but after the catch ruling today I said the hell with it. Can’t watch it anymore without feeling something not fair, something not right. I’m not alone, plenty of people tuning nfl out on X. Maybe they’re all Bills fans…idk. I hope it isn’t rigged but when you see these discrepancies on consecutive days, plus the fact the NFL has kowtowed to the Betting Services then one has to wonder.

I do think plays like these are the easiest ones for a ref to rule in favor of a team in a game that’s been rigged. Take an ambiguous rule and favor a team. NFL getting like soccer, the leagues want offence but have more rules that take it away than promote it.