Football Some players don't want to be in the playoffs

Sam Hall · 12-23-2008, 12:48 PM

Ross Tucker
INSIDE THE NFL

Playoff payoff? Some players don't believe the postseason is worth it

The playoff push will come to a screeching halt this Sunday as teams that have fought furiously down the stretch find out whether they have a spot in the 12-team tournament. Some teams' Super Bowl hopes are about to vanish. Coaches' livelihoods will be at stake. Yet there's one surprising thing about some NFL players this time of year that fans and media alike are unaware of: Not all of the players really care if their team makes the playoffs.

It is strange, but true, and one of the secrets of the NFL I learned firsthand. It happened my rookie year, in 2001, under Redskins head coach Marty Schottenheimer. We were in the thick of the wild-card race coming down the stretch and I remarked to one of the veteran players about how awesome it would be if we could get in. He just shrugged.

"Don't you want to make the playoffs?" I asked.

"Nah, not really," he replied.

I was floored. I was a bright-eyed youngster loving every second of the NFL and his response brought me back to the harsh reality of the business. He went on to say he just wanted the season to be over so that he could head down to Florida for New Year's Eve. He showed up to the last game with a packed-to-the-gills U-Haul attached to his SUV. He was leaving right from the stadium, right after the game.

Granted, players like this are the exception and not the rule, but they do exist. Like their peers, they're mentally and physically exhausted from a marathon season that starts in late July with training camp. They just want to go home, and the playoffs aren't motivation enough for them. Some doubt their team would even get very far even if it did make the postseason.

These players are almost always motivated solely by money, and they look at playoff income as a pay cut rather than a bonus. Case in point, most people know that NFL players get paid their entire salary during the regular season. That means a guy making $1.7 million, a fairly common salary in the NFL, gets $100,000 every week of the season. Every player on a playoff team will receive an $18,000 check, which is why some players feel as if they are performing at a lower rate of pay.

Sounds ridiculous to most people, I'm sure, but the truth is the playoffs are simply not as important to some players as they are to the fans of that team. Those players aren't fans of that team. They probably didn't grow up in that city. They may or may not be in the last year of their contract. For them, this is just a high-paying and extremely physical mode of employment.

These type of players are usually former high-round picks who have already made a lot of money during their career and are jaded by the business. Obviously, players like this are not the type any fan, coach or teammate wants on their team. Franchises must find a way to weed out players like this. Can you imagine a player with that kind of attitude lasting very long in Indianapolis or New England?

Believe me, players in the middle and back-end of a roster would never have this mentality. They know how important it is to their future to make the playoffs. The $18,000 is a welcomed bonus, sure, but a bigger motivation comes from knowing that the only constant in the NFL is the change on every team from one season to the next. That change is amplified when a team fails to make the tournament; it is minimized if a team exceeds expectations and makes the playoffs. I know that all too well.

I started 12 games for the Buffalo Bills in 2004. We won six in a row heading into the season finale. Alas, we didn't beat the Steelers to make the playoffs, and the first change came in February, when the team released Drew Bledsoe and handed over the reins to J.P. Losman. We all know how that turned out. I was eventually released as well. There is no telling what personnel decisions would have been made had we secured a postseason spot. That is why most coaches and players realize how valuable those opportunities really are.

Even higher profile players can comprehend the tremendous increase in exposure they receive for being a top player on a playoff-bound team. Even that, however, is not what the playoffs is really about. For most NFL personnel, at least I hope, the biggest motivation comes from having the opportunity to win a championship and being able to say that you were a part of something special. Every organization should strive to have people in place that wholeheartedly believe that at their very core.

And isn't that what makes the NFL playoffs so special in the first place? That it really isn't about the money. It is about the pursuit of a title, the chance for a ring, and the glory and lifelong memories that come as a result of it.

For the vast majority of NFL players, the answer is yes. For a select few, sadly, the answer is no.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...kes/index.html

Demonpenz · 12-23-2008, 12:51 PM

I don't care if Tony G just wants to get his numbers or whatever. The fact he still plays balls out Running over freakers trying to get in the endzone and makes some nice blocks says to me there are people who are professionals out there.

Sam Hall · 12-23-2008, 12:53 PM

I'm not surprised, but it's still a slap in the face to the fans. It makes me wonder which fringe playoff teams care about getting in.

Demonpenz · 12-23-2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Hall

I'm not surprised, but it's still a slap in the face to the fans. It makes me wonder which fringe playoff teams care about getting in.

Arizona probably has their t times picked out

eazyb81 · 12-23-2008, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Hall

I'm not surprised, but it's still a slap in the face to the fans. It makes me wonder which fringe playoff teams care about getting in.

Why is it a slap in the face to the fans?

Would it be a slap in your employer's face if you left your workplace on Friday afternoon with a UHaul to head to your vacation spot?

Sam Hall · 12-23-2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eazyb81

Why is it a slap in the face to the fans?

Would it be a slap in your employer's face if you left your workplace on Friday afternoon with a UHaul to head to your vacation spot?

It's a slap in the face to any loyal fan whose team still has a chance, especially ticket holders.

eazyb81 · 12-23-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Hall

It's a slap in the face to any loyal fan whose team still has a chance, especially ticket holders.

Why? Nowhere did it say he's throwing the game or not trying hard. It sounded like he's doing his job, but if he had his choice, he'd choose for vacation to start now.

StcChief · 12-23-2008, 12:52 PM

yeah showing up to last game ready to leave town.... kinda sends the wrong message, but the Union backs that attitude.

Adept Havelock · 12-23-2008, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StcChief

yeah showing up to last game ready to leave town.... kinda sends the wrong message, but the Union backs that attitude.

Link? Put up or

.

Deberg_1990 · 12-23-2008, 01:35 PM

IM sure there are alot of players with this attitude.

Realistically, alot of these players are not nearly as passionate about the game as the fans. Its only a job.

I wonder which vet said that to Ross?? Bruce Smith? Deon Sanders?? haha I think they were with the Redskins in 01?

blueballs · 12-23-2008, 01:36 PM

ever experienced burnout
plus jaded vet - not hard to accept
constant media attention

Sam Hall · 12-23-2008, 01:38 PM

I'm going to agree with Herm in that if a player doesn't care about winning, than it's time to retire.

**Lzen** · 12-23-2008, 01:42 PM

The first thing I thought of was Ryan Sims.

Demonpenz · 12-23-2008, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lzen

The first thing I thought of was Ryan Sims.

I dunno sims has been running his ass off to belly flop on the pile. He needs a couple more paychecks badly. The players I think of is Randy Moss on the Raiders, or the arizona on sunday, they wanted no piece of tackling. Or how about Ty Law not even running after a player when pollard or someone was burned, he stopped and just started shouting at pollard.

12-23-2008, 12:48 PM	Topic Starter
Sam Hall UNSTOPPABLE Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: KC area Casino cash: $9895185	Some players don't want to be in the playoffs Ross Tucker INSIDE THE NFL Playoff payoff? Some players don't believe the postseason is worth it The playoff push will come to a screeching halt this Sunday as teams that have fought furiously down the stretch find out whether they have a spot in the 12-team tournament. Some teams' Super Bowl hopes are about to vanish. Coaches' livelihoods will be at stake. Yet there's one surprising thing about some NFL players this time of year that fans and media alike are unaware of: Not all of the players really care if their team makes the playoffs. It is strange, but true, and one of the secrets of the NFL I learned firsthand. It happened my rookie year, in 2001, under Redskins head coach Marty Schottenheimer. We were in the thick of the wild-card race coming down the stretch and I remarked to one of the veteran players about how awesome it would be if we could get in. He just shrugged. "Don't you want to make the playoffs?" I asked. "Nah, not really," he replied. I was floored. I was a bright-eyed youngster loving every second of the NFL and his response brought me back to the harsh reality of the business. He went on to say he just wanted the season to be over so that he could head down to Florida for New Year's Eve. He showed up to the last game with a packed-to-the-gills U-Haul attached to his SUV. He was leaving right from the stadium, right after the game. Granted, players like this are the exception and not the rule, but they do exist. Like their peers, they're mentally and physically exhausted from a marathon season that starts in late July with training camp. They just want to go home, and the playoffs aren't motivation enough for them. Some doubt their team would even get very far even if it did make the postseason. These players are almost always motivated solely by money, and they look at playoff income as a pay cut rather than a bonus. Case in point, most people know that NFL players get paid their entire salary during the regular season. That means a guy making $1.7 million, a fairly common salary in the NFL, gets $100,000 every week of the season. Every player on a playoff team will receive an $18,000 check, which is why some players feel as if they are performing at a lower rate of pay. Sounds ridiculous to most people, I'm sure, but the truth is the playoffs are simply not as important to some players as they are to the fans of that team. Those players aren't fans of that team. They probably didn't grow up in that city. They may or may not be in the last year of their contract. For them, this is just a high-paying and extremely physical mode of employment. These type of players are usually former high-round picks who have already made a lot of money during their career and are jaded by the business. Obviously, players like this are not the type any fan, coach or teammate wants on their team. Franchises must find a way to weed out players like this. Can you imagine a player with that kind of attitude lasting very long in Indianapolis or New England? Believe me, players in the middle and back-end of a roster would never have this mentality. They know how important it is to their future to make the playoffs. The $18,000 is a welcomed bonus, sure, but a bigger motivation comes from knowing that the only constant in the NFL is the change on every team from one season to the next. That change is amplified when a team fails to make the tournament; it is minimized if a team exceeds expectations and makes the playoffs. I know that all too well. I started 12 games for the Buffalo Bills in 2004. We won six in a row heading into the season finale. Alas, we didn't beat the Steelers to make the playoffs, and the first change came in February, when the team released Drew Bledsoe and handed over the reins to J.P. Losman. We all know how that turned out. I was eventually released as well. There is no telling what personnel decisions would have been made had we secured a postseason spot. That is why most coaches and players realize how valuable those opportunities really are. Even higher profile players can comprehend the tremendous increase in exposure they receive for being a top player on a playoff-bound team. Even that, however, is not what the playoffs is really about. For most NFL personnel, at least I hope, the biggest motivation comes from having the opportunity to win a championship and being able to say that you were a part of something special. Every organization should strive to have people in place that wholeheartedly believe that at their very core. And isn't that what makes the NFL playoffs so special in the first place? That it really isn't about the money. It is about the pursuit of a title, the chance for a ring, and the glory and lifelong memories that come as a result of it. For the vast majority of NFL players, the answer is yes. For a select few, sadly, the answer is no. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...kes/index.html
Posts: 8,137

12-23-2008, 12:51 PM	#2
Demonpenz I got Rice cookin in the micro Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $3152136	I don't care if Tony G just wants to get his numbers or whatever. The fact he still plays balls out Running over freakers trying to get in the endzone and makes some nice blocks says to me there are people who are professionals out there. __________________
Posts: 54,267

12-23-2008, 12:53 PM	#3
Sam Hall UNSTOPPABLE Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: KC area Casino cash: $9895185	I'm not surprised, but it's still a slap in the face to the fans. It makes me wonder which fringe playoff teams care about getting in. __________________
Posts: 8,137

12-23-2008, 12:52 PM	#8
StcChief Playing for #1 Draft Pick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Just West of Lambs land Casino cash: $10004900	yeah showing up to last game ready to leave town.... kinda sends the wrong message, but the Union backs that attitude. __________________ sig test for this screwy schema
Posts: 25,901

12-23-2008, 01:35 PM	#10
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	IM sure there are alot of players with this attitude. Realistically, alot of these players are not nearly as passionate about the game as the fans. Its only a job. I wonder which vet said that to Ross?? Bruce Smith? Deon Sanders?? haha I think they were with the Redskins in 01? __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 66,914

12-23-2008, 01:36 PM	#11
blueballs Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	ever experienced burnout plus jaded vet - not hard to accept constant media attention
Posts: 14,233

12-23-2008, 01:38 PM	#12
Sam Hall UNSTOPPABLE Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: KC area Casino cash: $9895185	I'm going to agree with Herm in that if a player doesn't care about winning, than it's time to retire. __________________
Posts: 8,137

12-23-2008, 01:42 PM	#13
Lzen Supporter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Jan Quadrant Vincent 16 Casino cash: $2250692	The first thing I thought of was Ryan Sims. __________________ If at first you don't succeed ...skydiving is not for you.
Posts: 41,318