Cheese Curds - 2020 - News Around The League

[NCF]

I wouldn't even say this is generational, or racial, or anything like that. It is the nature of young adults who do not know what it takes to be successful. It isn't just a sports thing either. There have been &%$@ workers as long as workers have existed.

Yeah, Ryan Leaf wasn't AA. This is weak human make-up, not a racial divide thing.

[BF004]

Let's go Murphy!!!

Make it happen!


https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... yoff-game/

The Bills will have 6,700 fans in attendance when they host a first-round playoff game next weekend.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed today that the Bills will be allowed fans who are wearing masks and test negative before the game. He also said there will be contact tracing after the game, and that the game will serve as a pilot program for how the state can smartly and safely reopen large events and other businesses.

“A football playoff game is outdoors, which is a much better situation from COVID spread,” Cuomo said. “We believe we are the first state in the nation to run this kind of pilot. We think it can be very instructive to us going forward.”

Cuomo thanked the Bills and the NFL for working with the state on the matter. And he urged fans at the playoff opener next weekend to act responsibly.

“For all the Bills fans, please, everyone, take these measures seriously,” Cuomo said. “The numbers are down. We want to keep them down.”

[Raptorman]

I wouldn't even say this is generational, or racial, or anything like that. It is the nature of young adults who do not know what it takes to be successful. It isn't just a sports thing either. There have been &%$@ workers as long as workers have existed.

Yup. I've hired some young guys. They don't want to work, want to be looking at the phone all the time. When you work for me you have two choices. Work 6 hours straight, taking bathroom breaks and water breaks as needed, or work 8 hours, get 15 at 10, an hour at noon, and 15 at 2. Both pay for 8 hours. Personally, I prefer working 6 and going home. You also get more work done because you aren't stopping and starting 3 times a day. But these guys want 8-4, look at their phone whenever, talk on the phone whenever, half-hour bathroom break whenever. And they end up working for about 4 hours a day. PITA. I had one guy who was taking 4 half-hour bathroom breaks a day. Told him he needed to see a doctor about his digestive problems.

[RingoCStarrQB]

Lot of truth to what Booger said but I do disagree with his emphasis on this "me first" brand building mentality manifesting itself more significantly in AA players. I see this issue as a generational issue, not racial. There are many examples of both black and white players (I cite these two simply because they are the predominant racial groups in the NFL) taking this path. White athletes like Johnny Manziel, Mark Sanchez (well, white-ish, anyway ), Tim Tebow, and Matt Leinart immediately come to mind.

The NFL would do itself a favor if they spent more time and money schooling these top drafted kids on staying focused on the real prize - a long NFL career - rather than a fleeting social media following that dissipates almost immediately following their release from whatever team they've been under-performing for.

This stuff may have started with Brian Bosworth ...... not really sure though. You would think teams would do some in depth character testing before letting the Commission say.......'With the first pick in the 202X NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings take ___________". Right now they're trying to sell 60 years helmet stickers .......... commemorating 60 years of what? ___________________

[BSA]

but I do disagree with his emphasis on this "me first" brand building mentality manifesting itself more significantly in AA players.

Fair enough.
This all comes from the agents. THEY are the ones pushing these guys to build a brand and its part of their pitch when signing these guys.
Some of the players actually have a football agent and a marketing agent and the larger agencies like CAA push that option all the time. Young impressionable athletes are getting distracted by all the attention-seeking behaviors. Focus on your craft, the rest is secondary

[Raptorman]

but I do disagree with his emphasis on this "me first" brand building mentality manifesting itself more significantly in AA players.

Fair enough.
This all comes from the agents. THEY are the ones pushing these guys to build a brand and its part of their pitch when signing these guys.
Some of the players actually have a football agent and a marketing agent and the larger agencies like CAA push that option all the time. Young impressionable athletes are getting distracted by all the attention-seeking behaviors. Focus on your craft, the rest is secondary

If you are at the top of your position, wouldn't you think that your "brand" would build itself?

[YoHoChecko]

If you are at the top of your position, wouldn't you think that your "brand" would build itself?

The thing about building brands is that it's most useful for the guys who might not be able to stay in the league long enough to make their money, and they are looking for what's next. Dominique Foxworth was working the media scouting and evaluation game while still a player. Now he's an ESPN host. Pat McAfee was a punter who did standup comedy in the offseason, now he has a radio show (though punters can and do play for ages).

But you get the idea. The Packers have a 53-man roster that consists of 35 players in their first 4 years. Most NFL players never get that second contract. They have a limited time to both perfect their craft in hopes of a second contract AND develop their backup plan if they don't.

You should be able to do both. You should make sure that the backup plan doesn't interfere with the primary goal of improving as a football player. If you JUST want to use fame and notoriety to bank future endeavors, then you're not going to make it and you don't belong.

But literally NO job, even being a professional athlete, should be a 24/7/365 endeavor. And using your free time to both enjoy yourself AND take steps toward your next phase in life, whenever that comes, isn't a big deal. It's no different than being cast in commercials.

Dwayne Haskins didn't have the professionalism and work ethic to learn what he needed to know to thrive as an NFL QB AND was allegedly looking to bank his status as a professional QB for other opportunities (though despite those rumors, I have no clue what those are because he doesn't have a slogan or social media presence like, I dunno, AJ Dillon and his Quadzilla TikTok). But that's a losing combination.

Like 23 said; this isn't generational or racial or about sports. Every generation has young people with misplaced priorities and an inability to process what level of work ethic it takes to succeed, at anything. Every generation sees the number of those people decline as they age and mature. And every generation has some that remain. Professional sports is just so public, and the opportunity for branding is so great that it's easily visible. And the population we're looking at is 70% black, so that sticks out, too. But none of those things are the issue. It's simply true that in any human population there is a wide distribution of priorities, values, approaches to work/life balance, plans for the future, etc.

If someone comes into the league and squanders that opportunity from a football standpoint, I'm not mad at them. I don't think they're a crap person. They just value different things and will continue their lives without football. So be it. Or they'll learn and mature and make sure football is part of their life like Chris Carter. That's for them. I'm not their boss or their spouse or their kids. I don't have a vested interest in what they do. It's up to the team I root for to figure out who to keep and who to let go. And I just like it when the team plays well.

[Yoop]

Just saw this, I liked J C Tretter as a center, however as a player rep, not so much, take away off season workouts and OTA's and we get what took place this year, teams taking half the season for there defenses to finally become what they could have been by the 2nd game, I hope the league tells Tretter to stick to his day job.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nflpa-pres ... 16555.html

[lupedafiasco]

Just saw this, I liked J C Tretter as a center, however as a player rep, not so much, take away off season workouts and OTA's and we get what took place this year, teams taking half the season for there defenses to finally become what they could have been by the 2nd game, I hope the league tells Tretter to stick to his day job.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nflpa-pres ... 16555.html

I mean as the player rep he’s supposed to look out for the players and their interests. Players don’t want to practice. They don’t want to play preseason. It’s just the way it is.

[BF004]

[Pckfn23]

Any hit with a facemask to the turf is "wrong"

[Cdragon]

Salaski is going to break his neck if he keeps dropping his head that far. One of these days he's going to hit something harder than ribs.

[Christo]

Any hit with a facemask to the turf is "wrong"

It's strange, in football today we have QB school, camps for improving running speed, players getting together to improve they're skills [ think Tonyan working out with George Kittle ] and so on. But nowhere is there a camp to teach tackling, and it shows.
Not too long ago the Saints lost to the Vikings in the playoffs because a DB whiffed on Stephon Diggs because he tried to run into him instead wrapping him up.
All we see is players running into someone with they're shoulder, or in the Clemson players case, his head.
With all of the specialty training that goes into modern football, how is this not emphasized ?
Considering all of the concern about player safety, teaching how to properly tackle should be an issue to take up.

[salmar80]

Any hit with a facemask to the turf is "wrong"

It's strange, in football today we have QB school, camps for improving running speed, players getting together to improve they're skills [ think Tonyan working out with George Kittle ] and so on. But nowhere is there a camp to teach tackling, and it shows.
Not too long ago the Saints lost to the Vikings in the playoffs because a DB whiffed on Stephon Diggs because he tried to run into him instead wrapping him up.
All we see is players running into someone with they're shoulder, or in the Clemson players case, his head.
With all of the specialty training that goes into modern football, how is this not emphasized ?
Considering all of the concern about player safety, teaching how to properly tackle should be an issue to take up.

Fully agree.

Just now a Bills DB is down when diving into a combo tackle with his head down. Hate to see it.

[NCF]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

[YoHoChecko]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

what even is the rationale? Is it the body weight thing? Like I can't even guess what they were SAYING happened there

[Raptorman]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

Sure you would have a different opinion about it if had been Rodgers. I think he threw the flag because he landed on Cousin's head.

[NCF]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

Sure you would have a different opinion about it if had been Rodgers. I think he threw the flag because he landed on Cousin's head.

Sorry, no. I don't see it full speed and I don't see it in replay. Just utter BS.

[go pak go]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

Sure you would have a different opinion about it if had been Rodgers. I think he threw the flag because he landed on Cousin's head.

Absolutely not. Absolutely garbage call and I would say that if it was on Rodgers.

Moreover, I hate that the NFL made this rule to put the refs in this position.

I also agreed with Barr that it wasn't a bad tackle in 2017 on Rodgers.

Like I understand roughing the passers when the ball is out of the hand. But this was a sack. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Crazylegs Starks]

I didn't watch one play of this game, but saw this highlight... they have to get this out of the NFL.

Sure you would have a different opinion about it if had been Rodgers. I think he threw the flag because he landed on Cousin's head.

Absolutely not. Absolutely garbage call and I would say that if it was on Rodgers.

Moreover, I hate that the NFL made this rule to put the refs in this position.

I also agreed with Barr that it wasn't a bad tackle in 2017 on Rodgers.

Like I understand roughing the passers when the ball is out of the hand. But this was a sack. Absolutely ridiculous.

And this sack was far, far less threatening to the QB than what got Perry penalized vs. Andrew Luck years ago.