One of Le Batard’s greatest articles…

[Dolfan954]

Here's a snippet:

The biggest criticism Williams keeps getting is that the timing was terrible (it was) and that his motives were selfish (they were). Williams is selfish. He'd tell you so himself. He's supposed to keep being miserable confined to football just so the rest of us can be happy? That would be pretty extraordinarily unselfish. He's a running back, not Gandhi.

He is certainly guilty of putting his own needs before those of his teammates. Just like Dave Wannstedt was guilty of putting his own needs ahead of Williams' by playing him in a meaningless game last season against the Jets to help save his job. You want more loyalty to ''team'' from him? Where was the team's loyalty when it ran this town's favorite son, Dan Marino, right into retirement even though he didn't want to quit?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/

 

[ZOD]

One of Lebatard's greatest articles?

No it's not. He has no great articles. He's a hypocrite and a fraud. I'm tired of all these so called sportswriters......

They cling to the fame awaiting to become Judas to the sport.

 

[Dol-Fan Dupree]

He's supposed to keep being miserable confined to football just so the rest of us can be happy

Many many many guys do this every day. They just don't get paid millions of dollars to do so.

 

[Dolfan954]

One of Lebatard's greatest articles?

No it's not. He has no great articles. He's a hypocrite and a fraud. I'm tired of all these so called sportswriters......

They cling to the fame awaiting to become Judas to the sport.

That's your opinion, and I respect that. I'm curious though. What exactly was your issue with the article?

 

[MikeO]

LeBatard doesn't get it.

It is a business yes. But you don't try to do things to try and "SCREW" the other half (player or team).

And that Week 17 game was meaningless? No game is meaningless. What, now LeBatard is saying we should have benched every starter and tanked that last game? Way to go Dan....nice attitude. Where did you go to school, St. Boniventure! You don't quit or just not suit up just becuase its the last game of the year and it doesn't have playoff meaning.

Now Wannstedt ran Marino into retirment? Marnio was old and not a very good player at the end. Did LeBatard watch 62-7!!!! Marino was part of that, he couldn't move or throw the ball the same anymore. Wannstedts best move he ever made was trying to move on from the Marino era and take the team in a new direction. Plus, NOBODY ran Dan off. Marino made his own decision. If he wanted to stay he would have stayed.

 

[ZOD]

Since the dumba$$ has the question though..........

Why are all four "greats" that retired in their prime running backs?

Maybe it's because from little league to the NFL the RB's are pre-madonnas that really are not the best football players.

Maybe it's because the backfield is all the reporters choose to focus on.

I know when I think of sacrifice and love of the game the player's picture in my mind is of Art Donovan.

Did he carry the ball Mr. Authority on Football Brown?

 

[MikeO]

and the fact he is supposed to be miserable and make us happy.

No, if your miserable, LEAVE! Quit. Don't play anymore. But 1 week before camp you can't decide this. At that point you sit down, tell your teammates, coaches, friends, family.........that this is my last year. After this season I will retire.

If I have a huge presentation next week due for my firm which means big money to a lot of people who have paid my salary the past 2 years......and I call up today saying, nope, I quit. That's bullcrap. It's not being an adult. It's being totally selfish to the people who have been good to me in my life. And it just isn't right.

Ricky is 27 and needs to grow up!

 

[Dolphreak]

Zod and Dupree hit the nail on the head!!!

LeRetard is, well, exactly that...

and I think I will tell my kids that I need to find myself rather than work to feed them. If they really care about my feelings and happiness they will support that decision... :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

 

[MikeO]

Since the dumba$$ has the question though..........

Why are all four "greats" that retired in their prime running backs?

Maybe it's because from little league to the NFL the RB's are pre-madonnas that really are not the best football players.

Maybe it's because the backfield is all the reporters choose to focus on.

I know when I think of sacrifice and love of the game the player's picture in my mind is of Art Donovan.

Did he carry the ball Mr. Authority on Football Brown?

And Barry Sanders ONLY retired because he has like 4 or 5 kids from 4 or 5 different ladies, and he didn't want that reported in the Detroit papers. The Detroit press started talking about this issue after kid #4 or somethnig, he didn't want his image tarnished. So he retired. Talk to any DETROIT reporter......they will tell you such. There was no leaving trying to find the truth. Sanders left because he didn't want his off the field problem of spawning kids all over the Detroit area to be a big issue in the media.

 

[ched27]

i think lebatard and rosenhaus should go marry each other because there both full of crap. :roflmao:

 

[ZOD]

That's your opinion, and I respect that. I'm curious though. What exactly was your issue with the article?

My problem is the disdain the author has for the sport.

If he would like to write about "the truth" of the world.....

How about the truth of that 8 year old kid that imitates football play in his backyard. He holds the ball from under center announcing his own prescence droping back in the pocket as "Jay Fiedler" or whoever. He throws the ball as high and far as he can to catch it as he announces the pass complete to himself "Chris Chambers".

That same kid grows up in an embattled home. That same kid has no future in football. That same kid becomes a man. That same kid "escapes" watching the fortunate play football for a living.

Truth? What is the truth?

Dan Lebatard does not like this game. The "truth" is he makes a living bottom feeding at the bottom of a beautiful ocean.

 

[touborg]

That man is so biased it's embaressing.

 

[yankeehillbilly]

Now Wannstedt ran Marino into retirment? Marnio was old and not a very good player at the end. Did LeBatard watch 62-7!!!! Marino was part of that, he couldn't move or throw the ball the same anymore. Wannstedts best move he ever made was trying to move on from the Marino era and take the team in a new direction. Plus, NOBODY ran Dan off. Marino made his own decision. If he wanted to stay he would have stayed.

Remember that the 62-7 game Dan played with a pinched nerve. His passes had absolutely no zip after that injury. Watch some film of Dan before he got hurt that year or from the previous year. He walked like Robbie the Robot, and his movement in the pocket had certainly deteriorated, but he could still fling the ball with the best of them. Did Wannstedt force Dan out? He did tell Dan that the Phins were going in a different direction. Whether that meant a different starting QB outright or just a different philosophy which would require skills that Dan no longer (if ever) possesed, only Wannstedt knows, but in either case it was probably clear that Dan would not be starting for the Phins. Whether this was one of the best things Wanny could have done is debatable. Dan certainly didnt have more than a year of two left, but many feel that year or two could have been used tutoring a young QB to take over (tho I dont think Huard would have ever been starting material). Others feel that a fresh start in 2000 with a new head coach, new QB etc. was the best way. I think that even a worn out Marino would have been a better choice than Fiedler, especially if they drafted a young QB for Dan to teach, but thats just my opinion. One last point, Dan did think long and hard about taking Denny Green up on his offer to make Dan the Viking's starting QB for one year, so it can be argued that Dan would not have retired had Wannstedt not said something that led Dan to believe his time with the Dolphins was over.

 

[ZOD]

yankee,

If you didn't see Dan in his final year.....

Check out Jason Cole's Q and A session every now and again. Every once in a while someone will make reference to Dan half heartedly and Jason Cole will put them in their place....

Paraphrasing here...

"Dan Marino barely left this game with the ability to walk and enjoy the rest of his life with his family. Let the man enjoy his life."

He gave all he had. It was over.

 

[inFINSible]

My problem is the disdain the author has for the sport.

If he would like to write about "the truth" of the world.....

How about the truth of that 8 year old kid that imitates football play in his backyard. He holds the ball from under center announcing his own prescence droping back in the pocket as "Jay Fiedler" or whoever. He throws the ball as high and far as he can to catch it as he announces the pass complete to himself "Chris Chambers".

That same kid grows up in an embattled home. That same kid has no future in football. That same kid becomes a man. That same kid "escapes" watching the fortunate play football for a living.

Truth? What is the truth?

Dan Lebatard does not like this game. The "truth" is he makes a living bottom feeding at the bottom of a beautiful ocean.

*sniffle* that was beautiful.