Brandon Rush’s knee injury renewed his loyalty to Big Blue – Blue Cross-Blue Shield, that is, or whatever health insurance covers the Kansas University athletic department. Anybody who believes the high-profile basketball sophomore would have bypassed the pros before he hurt his hinge also thinks Dolly Parton wears a padded bra.

Brandon and his minions weren’t about to divorce themselves from the university with about a $100,000 surgical bill staring them in the face. They’ll pursue repair and healing on KU’s nickel.

Countless major questions; we won’t know many answers until 2008. Will Rush’s surgery, rehab activities and constant speculation about a return to combat be a contribution or a distraction? Suppose KU gets rolling along and decides it doesn’t really need him. After all, he defected once. How much obligation will coach Bill Self feel to work him back into the rotation out of sympathy?

Would Rush red-shirt a year to regain peak shape? Rumors persist that a brother has suggested he have the surgery, get fine-tuned, sit out the year to avoid looking like damaged merchandise, then try for the NBA in ’08. That leaves KU with nothing but a huge new medical bill.

Most important, there’s a scholarship that could go to somebody who might help a whole season. That, to me, is the most frustrating aspect of this drama.

What about those Jayhawks ready and able to contribute for 2007-08, guys who prefer to concentrate on things like an NCAA Final Four trip? Will the incessant musings about Rush’s comeback hamstring the other guys’ goals and achievements, and those of Bill Self and his coaching staff?

Eyes will be trained on Bill Walker, the touted Kansas Stater who ripped an ACL last December. He’s due back with a lot of other promising Wildcat newcomers in 2007-08. Come October, Walker will have had at least nine months to rejuvenate his left knee. He also had an ACL incident with his right knee in 2003 and reportedly rebounded in about four months.

We keep hearing that KU’s Rush could be reconstituted in four to six months and might not miss a game. Hard-nosed analysts say that period will be more like seven or eight months including playing back into shape. Whatever, far too much emphasis will be on Rush’s medical status and not enough on the other battling Jayhawks with the potential to do great things without Brandon. They’d been planning on his absence anyway before the Kansas City accident. Will they be resentful?

There’s already been too much focus on Rush and whether he will or won’t help KU in ’07-08. There is fear this fol-de-rol will continue to divert the spotlight from where it belongs.

Now for a little perspective. This Memorial Day, 11 more Americans were killed in the Iraq war while there was constant hand-wringing around here about Brandon Rush’s injury. Consider this ultimate in fictional silliness: They’re toting some KU alum off the battlefield on a stretcher after he’s taken a hit in his leg and they ask if he’s OK. “Yeah, I’ll recover, but how’s Brandon’s knee?”

Let’s remind ourselves, often, that sports are The Toy Department of Life and should be treated that way. If healing Brandon Rush’s knee could stop the killing of our people in the war, I’d pray at some shrine eight hours a day.

Meanwhile, I’m a lot more worried about our combat heroes and heroines than about whether Rush can work the system even further for his personal benefit.