Flanagan: LJ rips Vermeil in HBO interview

[tk13]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/16118327.htm

JEFFREY FLANAGAN TOP OF THE MORNIN’
Kansas City Star

Johnson tuned out when Vermeil talked

Larry Johnson, appearing in a feature with Cris Carter on HBO’s “Inside the NFL” this week, makes it clear again that he really wasn’t all that interested in playing for Dick Vermeil.

“I wouldn’t pay attention,” Johnson said of playing under Vermeil. “My eyes, I would be up in the sky. You know, I would be sleeping in my locker. I wouldn’t carry my playbook because I was just trying to get away from this building, you know, when Dick was here.”

(It should be interesting when Vermeil calls the Chiefs-Oakland game for NFL Network Dec. 23.)

Carter’s interview with Johnson, which appears at 9 tonight, also focuses on LJ’s relationship with Herm Edwards.

Carter asked LJ, “Do you think Herm Edwards, being an African-American and you being raised, of course, by an African-American, that you see a lot of similarities in Herm that you saw in your dad that made you open up to him?”

LJ’s response: “I think so. I could relate to Herman. I couldn’t do that with the other coaches I had because they had not done it. You know, they haven’t put those pads or they haven’t been in the situation as a young black athlete and know what we had to go through.

“You know, when we go out, you know, we like to go out. You know, we like to hang out. We like to have fun. But then you got to worry about the guy around the corner with the gun. You got to worry about this girl on the block. You got to worry about, you know, your parents. You got to worry about your homeboys taking advantage of you.

“There’s so much things you got to worry about being a young black athlete. And to be able to have a father like mine and have a coach like Herm, I was able to escape a lot of those realities and find myself in a new ray of light.”

Edwards also contributes to the show.

“First time I saw (Johnson), I said: ‘Are you ready? Are you ready to touch the ball 30 times a game?’ ” Edwards said. “And he kind of looked up at me, and he probably thought, ‘I haven’t even met coach yet, and he’s — what, is he messin’ with me?’ ”

[TEX]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Everyone who is black or totally without a doubt understands what it is like to live your whole life as a black person please raise your hands.

No one?

Well, by all means, please continue ripping.

This type of thinking is part of the problem. The last I checked there were in fact Jews living in West Germany. Understand?

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by stevieray

And as long as we believe we are truly that different, racism will continue to thrive.

[mcan]

Lets' see:

LJ
1. Didn't listen to his coaches.
2. Didn't learn the playbook.
3. Screwed around (Sleeping in lockers) at work.


Don't get me wrong. I like LJ, and I'm glad he's found a mentor in Herm Edwards. Perhaps that's what he needed to finally take the diapers off. But, there's no questioning that he needed to.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj

The two problems with the interview that I see are:

1. LJ's attitude when DV was coach. It has nothing, IMO, to do with race - just immaturity (sleeping, not paying attention, not carrying the playbook, etc.)

2. The double standard of race in the NFL. It's okay for LJ to say he can't relate to a white coach, but what would happen if Vermeil had said the same thing? Instead of saying "take off the diapers" what would have happened if Vermeil said "You know, I just can't reach the kid because he's black and I'm white. I can deal with white players better because they understand where I'm coming from."

You are exactly correct. Rerverse discrimination is perfectly acceptable in almost any circumstance and especially in sports. What makes this totally perplexing is the fact that in the outside world, reverse discrimination is accepted because it is committed by defination by the minority - yet in the sports world said minority is often times the majority of the playing population.

[FloridaMan88]

If LJ has a problem listening to old white guys, does this mean he tuned out Joe Pa as well?

[johnnykev]

Originally Posted by TEX

This type of thinking is part of the problem. The last I checked there were in fact Jews living in West Germany. Understand?

What the hell does that have to do with black vs. white racism? Genocide and the repurcussions of Nazi Germany are a totally different subject. We're talking black and white (if you can even differentiate "race" as only these two colors or pigments of skin). So I guess, no, I do not understand what point you're trying to make. Jews do not have the same experience as a black man today. This is not to say that the atrocities seen done to the Jewish people is of lesser importance or significance. Lord, think before you speak.

[MVChiefFan]

Last time I checked there was a black man dragged to his death behind a pick up truck full of racist white men not five years ago. I don't think it's only talking that keeps up this attitude. C'mon guys, I'm not trying to be an a-hole but unless you have spent time, day in and day out, with black people you will never understand the hatred that's still there. You may not feel that way and not understand why they can't "get over it" but when you have problems every day with discrimination then it's kind of hard to "get over it". You can think I'm wrong but I'm just stating facts.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsfan88

I'd rather to listen to Vermeil, a Super Bowl winning coach who has taken two different franchises to the Super Bowl, than Herm, a career .500 head coach who is a blowhard and a Marty-wannabe.

We would never have guessed.

That pussy did exactly jack in KC.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Everyone who is black or totally without a doubt understands what it is like to live your whole life as a black person please raise your hands.

No one?

Well, by all means, please continue ripping.

So we are gonna give him a pass on playing the race card, wallowing in the victim mentality....and seemingly taking pride in being a "thug"...because he is black?

In the year, 2006....as a high profile star athlete in the NFL?



I see what you mean, now. Tough life.

[ChiefaRoo]

Originally Posted by chagrin

Good point, I laughed - "...raised of course, by an African-American..."

I haven't watched any of those HBO sports shows in a long time, guess it's not so different as the rest?

LJ's parents are black? Really?!!? How the fook did that happen? You mean to tell me he was raised by "African-Americans" What part of Africa are they from I wonder? Do you guys think Trent was raised by African-Americans too or some other form of hypenated American?

Seriously, let me sum this up

1) LJ - "I didn't like Grandpa Dick because he didn't want me to be drafted and he called me out in public."
2) LJ - "I'm an immature kid in a man's body"
3) Herm comes in speaks ghetto to him (you know like Herm does sometimes) so he can motivate his RB and because Priest is OUT.
4) LJ still being a petulant and easily manipulated kid thinks Herm loves him and he might even trust him if he really delivers
5) Herm delivers because Herm has no other RB and because LJ does have serious talent
6) LJ becomes succesful and loves Herm. Herm may like the kid but he's thinking "mofo better keep running and better not fumble" because that's what coaches do.

Grow up LJ and realize that life has politics. If you want to shit all over vermeil because he didn't play you fine but don't bring race into it or you wind up looking like a stupid kid.

That is all

[johnnykev]

Originally Posted by stevieray

And as long as we believe we are truly that different, racism will continue to thrive.

Please, enlighten me as to how we are the same. Racism is in your words right there. That is a white, middle-class thought process. What is wrong with acknowledging that people are different? Your experiences are not mine and mine are not yours. So stop trying to say that we are the same. We are anything but that.

[stevieray]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Last time I checked there was a black man dragged to his death behind a pick up truck full of racist white men not five years ago. I don't think it's only talking that keeps up this attitude. C'mon guys, I'm not trying to be an a-hole but unless you have spent time, day in and day out, with black people you will never understand the hatred that's still there. You may not feel that way and not understand why they can't "get over it" but when you have problems every day with discrimination then it's kind of hard to "get over it". You can think I'm wrong but I'm just stating facts.

and it wasn't that long ago a white trucker was pulled from his truck and hit in the head with a brick.

stop pretending that the hate that this country can't seem to let go of doesn't rest on both sides of the fence.

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Last time I checked there was a black man dragged to his death behind a pick up truck full of racist white men not five years ago. I don't think it's only talking that keeps up this attitude. C'mon guys, I'm not trying to be an a-hole but unless you have spent time, day in and day out, with black people you will never understand the hatred that's still there. You may not feel that way and not understand why they can't "get over it" but when you have problems every day with discrimination then it's kind of hard to "get over it". You can think I'm wrong but I'm just stating facts.

To be fair, you really should start listing all the horrible crimes against white people, committed by black people....too.

Just to be fair.

[Brock]

I don't know what being black has to do with LJ acting like he was 8 years old when he got here.

[Chiefnj]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Last time I checked there was a black man dragged to his death behind a pick up truck full of racist white men not five years ago. I don't think it's only talking that keeps up this attitude. C'mon guys, I'm not trying to be an a-hole but unless you have spent time, day in and day out, with black people you will never understand the hatred that's still there. You may not feel that way and not understand why they can't "get over it" but when you have problems every day with discrimination then it's kind of hard to "get over it". You can think I'm wrong but I'm just stating facts.

Apparently it happens both ways:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is1IZBoV6iQ