First off, let me say that Ronnie's a very important part of our offense, a good player, etc. etc. I like Ronnie, and I like Ricky, and I LOVE our two-headed rushing attack.
What concerns me is the impact that Ronnie's injury will have on Ricky. And I don't like where this is going one bit.
If you're like me and take an interest in what goes on behind the scenes apart from the X's and O's, you've got to be concerned. Ronnie has been out for a few days and already the storm clouds are approaching.
Ricky is back in the spotlight. And that is about the worst possible thing that could happen. I don't think anyone doubts he CAN handle the rushing workload - it's pretty obvious he is in top form. The question is whether he wants to, or more precisely, whether he is *comfortable* doing so.
The media has begun its feeding frenzy on Ricky. Led by your local beat writers such as Armando, they've begun forcing Ricky to speak the media, something we all know he not only dislikes, but it causes him anxiety. The debilitating, need to self-medicate kind of anxiety. You can read more about the media/Ricky situation here, but I'm sure you're all aware anyways:
http://www.thephinsider.com/2009/11/18/1162319/ricky-williams-back-in-the
Ricky has relished and become accustomed to avoiding the spotlight. His brother and friend Ronnie handles all of that, and lets Ricky focus on simply playing. Now, Ricky is one hundred percent in the spotlight, both on and off the field, and there's not much anyone can do about it. If not managed with the utmost delicacy, I can almost guarantee this situation will lead to Ricky's early retirement at the end of this season.
I believe Parcells and this regime understand Ricky better than anyone could hope to, and they will do their best to utilize his talents and help him manage his off-field (media) issues. But their backs are against the wall. IF Ronnie is truly out for the season, Ricky will *have* to be used as our workhorse for the remainder of the season. And now that the media is swarming like a flock of vultures waiting for their prey to die, Ricky is also going to be getting plenty of unpleasant attention in the media. The fact that the media brought forward a complaint has already created a significant amount of tension in the fragile ecosystem that exists around Ricky.
I fear that Ronnie's injury, if season-ending, will also spell the end of football for Ricky Williams, a year earlier than we expected. The whole situation just might remind Ricky why he hated football in the first place. I hope I am wrong.
What concerns me is the impact that Ronnie's injury will have on Ricky. And I don't like where this is going one bit.
If you're like me and take an interest in what goes on behind the scenes apart from the X's and O's, you've got to be concerned. Ronnie has been out for a few days and already the storm clouds are approaching.
Ricky is back in the spotlight. And that is about the worst possible thing that could happen. I don't think anyone doubts he CAN handle the rushing workload - it's pretty obvious he is in top form. The question is whether he wants to, or more precisely, whether he is *comfortable* doing so.
The media has begun its feeding frenzy on Ricky. Led by your local beat writers such as Armando, they've begun forcing Ricky to speak the media, something we all know he not only dislikes, but it causes him anxiety. The debilitating, need to self-medicate kind of anxiety. You can read more about the media/Ricky situation here, but I'm sure you're all aware anyways:
http://www.thephinsider.com/2009/11/18/1162319/ricky-williams-back-in-the
Ricky has relished and become accustomed to avoiding the spotlight. His brother and friend Ronnie handles all of that, and lets Ricky focus on simply playing. Now, Ricky is one hundred percent in the spotlight, both on and off the field, and there's not much anyone can do about it. If not managed with the utmost delicacy, I can almost guarantee this situation will lead to Ricky's early retirement at the end of this season.
I believe Parcells and this regime understand Ricky better than anyone could hope to, and they will do their best to utilize his talents and help him manage his off-field (media) issues. But their backs are against the wall. IF Ronnie is truly out for the season, Ricky will *have* to be used as our workhorse for the remainder of the season. And now that the media is swarming like a flock of vultures waiting for their prey to die, Ricky is also going to be getting plenty of unpleasant attention in the media. The fact that the media brought forward a complaint has already created a significant amount of tension in the fragile ecosystem that exists around Ricky.
I fear that Ronnie's injury, if season-ending, will also spell the end of football for Ricky Williams, a year earlier than we expected. The whole situation just might remind Ricky why he hated football in the first place. I hope I am wrong.
