riiiiick
10-26-2006, 05:10 AM
good article on a subject he may actually know something about.....
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9753994
(Oct. 25, 2006) -- Anyone who has ever been involved with a quarterback change as a coach or player will tell you it's an excruciating exercise. No other position in sports elicits the emotional outbursts from fans, media and players alike.
Quarterback changes are common these days because of the intense pressure placed upon coaches by external forces such as media, fans and owners. While living through a quarterback switch myself, I can't help but have sympathy for players like Drew Bledsoe (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1041) and Mark Brunell (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1032). I know better than most that it's not all their fault for their teams' offensive struggles. Their coaches, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells, know this as well, and that's why they treat the veteran incumbents with great respect.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=212 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=212> </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR><TR><TD width=212></TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The problem for both quarterbacks is that as you age, your skills diminish to a point where your own deficiencies are open to greater failure due to your team's own deficiencies. When you are younger, more mentally aggressive and willing to set everything else in your life aside and sacrifice to become the great player that you hope to become, it is easier to overcome your own deficiencies and inspire those around you.
Both Parcells and Gibbs know that by changing quarterbacks, they now open Pandora's Box and create divisions within their own locker rooms. They know no position on their team means more to the success of the team than that of quarterback.
Like it or not, the quarterback is the heart, soul and confidence of every team. By benching a quarterback, you guarantee that the next-day's headlines and discussions on sports talk radio will dissect that decision -- which in turn takes the rest of the team off the hook.
Why do you think it is that when quarterbacks are playing well, more often than not, they credit the coach's ability to hold everyone on that team accountable for his individual performance? That's because the quarterback knows better than anyone that every aspect of the team has a big impact on the success of his job.
Once a full-blown quarterback controversy takes hold, the head coach in question loses the most important aspect of his job -- the accountability of everyone else on the team.
All anyone wants to talk about is the quarterback. That's what grabs the attention because that's what everyone sees and that's what they hear.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=159 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=159> </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR><TR><TD width=159></TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Bledsoe and Brunell have been great quarterbacks during their NFL careers and both, I'm sure, realize the level of disdain they are living through is part of the job description for their position. And I'm sure both personally are upset that their fan base has turned on them as the reason for their teams' losses.
It's unfortunate that quarterbacks are viewed as the straw that stirs the drink and that players at other positions buy into the media pressure and listen to the fans' voices. But when you make a change at quarterback, then every one of your teammates who is playing poorly can no longer hide behind the so-called ineffectiveness of the quarterback.
Unfortunately, the quarterback situations in Washington and Dallas have spiraled out of control. And it's likely that both coaches will go against their heart and head and try to spark their teams by ultimately making a change. If in fact they do, I would expect Bledsoe and Brunell to be true professionals and support their replacements. If called upon again, they will play with a renewed edge and a chip on their shoulders to show their doubters the demise of their abilities has been greatly exaggerated.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9753994
(Oct. 25, 2006) -- Anyone who has ever been involved with a quarterback change as a coach or player will tell you it's an excruciating exercise. No other position in sports elicits the emotional outbursts from fans, media and players alike.
Quarterback changes are common these days because of the intense pressure placed upon coaches by external forces such as media, fans and owners. While living through a quarterback switch myself, I can't help but have sympathy for players like Drew Bledsoe (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1041) and Mark Brunell (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1032). I know better than most that it's not all their fault for their teams' offensive struggles. Their coaches, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells, know this as well, and that's why they treat the veteran incumbents with great respect.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=212 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=212> </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR><TR><TD width=212></TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The problem for both quarterbacks is that as you age, your skills diminish to a point where your own deficiencies are open to greater failure due to your team's own deficiencies. When you are younger, more mentally aggressive and willing to set everything else in your life aside and sacrifice to become the great player that you hope to become, it is easier to overcome your own deficiencies and inspire those around you.
Both Parcells and Gibbs know that by changing quarterbacks, they now open Pandora's Box and create divisions within their own locker rooms. They know no position on their team means more to the success of the team than that of quarterback.
Like it or not, the quarterback is the heart, soul and confidence of every team. By benching a quarterback, you guarantee that the next-day's headlines and discussions on sports talk radio will dissect that decision -- which in turn takes the rest of the team off the hook.
Why do you think it is that when quarterbacks are playing well, more often than not, they credit the coach's ability to hold everyone on that team accountable for his individual performance? That's because the quarterback knows better than anyone that every aspect of the team has a big impact on the success of his job.
Once a full-blown quarterback controversy takes hold, the head coach in question loses the most important aspect of his job -- the accountability of everyone else on the team.
All anyone wants to talk about is the quarterback. That's what grabs the attention because that's what everyone sees and that's what they hear.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=159 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=159> </TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR><TR><TD width=159></TD><TD width=15> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Bledsoe and Brunell have been great quarterbacks during their NFL careers and both, I'm sure, realize the level of disdain they are living through is part of the job description for their position. And I'm sure both personally are upset that their fan base has turned on them as the reason for their teams' losses.
It's unfortunate that quarterbacks are viewed as the straw that stirs the drink and that players at other positions buy into the media pressure and listen to the fans' voices. But when you make a change at quarterback, then every one of your teammates who is playing poorly can no longer hide behind the so-called ineffectiveness of the quarterback.
Unfortunately, the quarterback situations in Washington and Dallas have spiraled out of control. And it's likely that both coaches will go against their heart and head and try to spark their teams by ultimately making a change. If in fact they do, I would expect Bledsoe and Brunell to be true professionals and support their replacements. If called upon again, they will play with a renewed edge and a chip on their shoulders to show their doubters the demise of their abilities has been greatly exaggerated.