Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Today Dr. Bam (I'm not really a doctor) is going to take a look at some of the more common types of professional sports injuries that have occurred in 2008, in the hopes that young athletes out there can use this information to avoid the same type of injury.

As always, consult a real doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) before instituting any exercise regime recommended by Dr. Bam.

First, we all know how important doing warm-up exercises is. Stretching should start off any intense physical activity.

For example, if, like Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, you're going to spend some time dodging McDonalds bags in your living room, you should spend at least 10 minutes warming up your hamstrings. Otherwise, like Marshall, you might end up with the fourth-most common injury to professional athletes: doing something dumb just before your DUI trial.

Sure, you might get lucky. You might not put your arm through a glass entertainment center as Marshall did when he initially claimed to have slipped on a McDonalds bag in his home. But why risk looking foolish just before your DUI trial? I recommend professional or amateur athletes should always stick to SAYING foolish things ONLY before any criminal trial. (Note: I'm NOT a lawyer either.)

Just spend the proper time warming up for crying out loud.

Another common mistake that has resulted in injury to professional athletes this year has been taking apples into bed.

I can understand why athletes would choose apples as boudoir mates over say, limes or kiwis. An apple is more seductive, just ask Adam and Eve. But when you're done talking to them, ask Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls rookie point guard, about the dark underside of apples.

Rose, it turns out, suffered the third most common type of injury that occurs to professional athletes: slicing open your arm to the tune of 10 stitches while cutting fruit in bed.

While you're right, this type of injury is more common with professional wrestlers and boxers, it has been known to happen to other types of athletes as well. So, youngsters beware.

With the winter season upon us we should also pay some special attention to conditioning concerns for young athletes. We don't want young athletes to strain themselves doing unfamiliar and strenuous work like shoveling snow or the more mundane reaching into a running snow blower to dislodge a piece of ice. This could result in the second most common type of injury to professional athletes: breaking your fingers on parts moving at RPMs of 1500 or more.

Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic broke three fingers and lost three months of the Avs season in just this very way.

Remember youngsters, there's no shortcut to conditioning. Just remember the simple rule - "keep your hands and feet away from moving metal and plastic parts." While this is especially difficult for hockey players to remember, it's essential to their health.

Which bring us to the most common type of injury suffered by the professional athlete: shooting one's self in the foot, leg or thigh either literally or figuratively with an unlicensed, concealed handgun. This type of injury is more common with wide receivers.

Some believe that this type of injury is proof that MORE wide receivers should carry unlicensed, concealed handguns. But I disagree.

Why confine it to wide receivers?

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Bam Ransom's "Personal Fool" appears at sportsnetwork.com on alternating Fridays.