The world may never know, as the old-school commercial suggests - and since there really is no scientific formula or controlled laboratory environment for conducting research on such, the age old quandary has never been solved - nor should it be.
One of the great mysteries of life should continue to be so, as there is no urgency - unlike the injury situation for the New England Patriots, which gets more and more devastating each week.
In Sunday's 27-17 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins, Patriots' Pro Bowl right tackle Sebastian Vollmer had his right leg rolled under by Dolphins' defensive tackle Randy Starks, snapping his tibia like a twig - and even as he lay screaming, pounding his fists into the Gillette Stadium turf, the question popped up once again:
Just how many devastating injuries can one football team endure before they destroy their season?
On a one year "prove it" contract with the Patriots, Vollmer was hoping to stay healthy enough to earn a nice payday from the club or with another team as an unrestricted free agent after the season, but the gruesome injury isn't going to help that cause any and - coupled with his persistent back problems may, in fact, end his football career.
And when combined with season ending injuries to defensive stalwarts Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots may be the most physically handicapped team in the National Football League - and that's not even taking into account third down back Shane Vereen's broken wrist in the season opener...
...not to mention cornerback Aqib Talib's never-ending hip issues, defensive tackle Tommy Kelly's mysterious knee injury nor receiver Danny Amendola's membership in the injury of the week club. Oh, yeah, Tom Brady's swollen right hand, too, that he denies that there's anything wrong with - sort of like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who refuses to acknowledge that his arm has been cut off:
Brady: "tis but a scratch"
Media: "A scratch? Your hand's swollen!"
Brady: "No it isn't"
Media: (Pointing to his hand) "What's that then?"
Brady: "I've had worse"
Media: "You lie!"
Brady: "Next question, you pansy!"
Fortunately Vereen is scheduled to return to action in mid-November and Talib is nearing the point where he may return as well. Amendola is back but generally ineffective while awaiting his next compromising injury and tight end Rob Gronkowski has returned from missing the first six games of the season after spending his offseason touring various operating rooms around the country.
Fortunately for the Patriots, they have options on the depth chart to fill Vollmer's starting gig in the personage of Marcus Cannon and the team still has serviceable swing tackle Will Svitek to back him up, but any other injuries along the offensive line will reduce the team to playing undrafted rookie free agents - but it's not like that hasn't worked for them before.
On defense, Wilfork and Kelly have been replaced by 6th round draft pick Chris Jones and undrafted rookie free agent Joe Vellano, Mayo by 2nd round selection Jamie Collins and Talib by 3rd rounder Logan Ryan while Vereen's snaps have been taken by Brandon Bolden and Amendola's by 2nd round pick Aaron Dobson and undrafted free agent Kenbrell Thompkins.
Oh, by the way, the Patriots are 6-2 and facing an awful Pittsburgh Steelers team this coming Sunday for a chance to build upon their two-game lead in the AFC East.
Smoke and mirrors, incredibly talented depth and deft position coaching - all have been in play to salvage a season that would have been tanked by a lesser team, yet the Patriots make their adjustments and move on to the next opponent.
With all that the Patriots have been through, turning over their entire receiving corps and and the suffering of the disastrous injuries, these hardships that they have encountered are making this a gritty, hard-nosed team that are about to get some of their players back...
...so the rest of the league should be very, very afraid of how these things are going to work in New England's favor after Thanksgiving.
All teams deal with injuries, but none this season with as many as the Patriots - and with their depth getting invaluable real-game reps, when this team gets as healthy as they are going to get there's not another team in the league that has the advantage over them.
So, how many injuries does it take to destroy a team's football season? When it comes to the New England Patriots, the world may never know.
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