shaneo69
06-19-2007, 11:37 AM
RAND: A mountain out of a molehill
Jun 19, 2007, 3:12:17 AM by Jonathan Rand
Upon further review, all the fuss about quarterback Trent Green was a cotton-candy controversy. It added flavor but not much substance to an otherwise bland off-season.
Why rehash this all now? Because every once in while, it’s only fair to re-examine a bunch of claims and assumptions made in the heat of the moment. You would have thought that requiring Green to cool his heels while the Chiefs worked out a deal with the Dolphins was some kind of apocalyptic threat to the franchise when it was, in fact, just business as usual.
Green’s lame-duck presence around Arrowhead supposedly was going to create a huge distraction to his teammates. The unhappiness of a former team leader as he waited to be traded supposedly would create distrust and disharmony between the locker room and front office.
Green claimed that not only did he feel awkward hanging around but that his presence was making teammates feel awkward, too. Even assistant coaches, he claimed, told him that the way he was being treated was wrong.
This all sounded awfully ominous, huh? Yet how many people have even mentioned Green since the Chiefs and Dolphins finally made a trade two weeks ago?
As soon as the deal was completed, off-season activity at Arrowhead, including the quarterback competition, reverted to business as usual. There was no hangover, no cloud and no scars.
Now that Green has a good chance to start in Miami and enjoy another huge payday – probably at least $6 million in 2007, according to ESPN.com – he’s hardly a controversial or sympathetic figure. So what in heck was the big deal about? You might recall the Green saga was routinely the lead story even on the major NFL web sites and cable sports telecasts.
You can chalk this all up to the public’s voracious appetite for pro football news, 24/7. Minor spats are presented as major controversies. Mountains routinely are made from molehills.
It’s actually national sports news that the Raiders had to cancel their last week of OTAs because rookie coach Lane Kiffin got carried away with overly intense workouts. In a sequel to the Green saga, Daunte Culpepper, whom he’s replacing, is filing a grievance against the Dolphins because they won’t let him participate in team drills as they attempt to trade him.
Except for arrests and criminal investigations, nothing commands off-season attention for the NFL like quarterbacks. They are the Paris Hiltons of the league, with their every move, gripe, injury and negotiation endlessly scrutinized.
Quarterbacks possess star power that lives on even as their performances decline. Though it would be a surprise to see Green or Culpepper revert to Pro Bowl form, both are discussed on the web sites and cable networks as if they remain impact players.
It should be obvious to anyone why Green no longer fit coach Herm Edwards’ plans. His performance declined last year, he’s close to turning 37 and the offense he was brought in to run for Dick Vermeil in 2001 is being phased out. So he was moved in a trade that made sense for both sides and ended in a win-win situation for Green. So where’s the big controversy in all that?
It looks as if we’ve all been had. These off-season brouhahas may keep us occupied, and even entertained, while we spend the spring and summer counting down to kickoff. Most of them, however, don’t really amount to a hill of beans.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Carl Peterson.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/06/19/rand_a_mountain_out_of_a_molehill/
Jun 19, 2007, 3:12:17 AM by Jonathan Rand
Upon further review, all the fuss about quarterback Trent Green was a cotton-candy controversy. It added flavor but not much substance to an otherwise bland off-season.
Why rehash this all now? Because every once in while, it’s only fair to re-examine a bunch of claims and assumptions made in the heat of the moment. You would have thought that requiring Green to cool his heels while the Chiefs worked out a deal with the Dolphins was some kind of apocalyptic threat to the franchise when it was, in fact, just business as usual.
Green’s lame-duck presence around Arrowhead supposedly was going to create a huge distraction to his teammates. The unhappiness of a former team leader as he waited to be traded supposedly would create distrust and disharmony between the locker room and front office.
Green claimed that not only did he feel awkward hanging around but that his presence was making teammates feel awkward, too. Even assistant coaches, he claimed, told him that the way he was being treated was wrong.
This all sounded awfully ominous, huh? Yet how many people have even mentioned Green since the Chiefs and Dolphins finally made a trade two weeks ago?
As soon as the deal was completed, off-season activity at Arrowhead, including the quarterback competition, reverted to business as usual. There was no hangover, no cloud and no scars.
Now that Green has a good chance to start in Miami and enjoy another huge payday – probably at least $6 million in 2007, according to ESPN.com – he’s hardly a controversial or sympathetic figure. So what in heck was the big deal about? You might recall the Green saga was routinely the lead story even on the major NFL web sites and cable sports telecasts.
You can chalk this all up to the public’s voracious appetite for pro football news, 24/7. Minor spats are presented as major controversies. Mountains routinely are made from molehills.
It’s actually national sports news that the Raiders had to cancel their last week of OTAs because rookie coach Lane Kiffin got carried away with overly intense workouts. In a sequel to the Green saga, Daunte Culpepper, whom he’s replacing, is filing a grievance against the Dolphins because they won’t let him participate in team drills as they attempt to trade him.
Except for arrests and criminal investigations, nothing commands off-season attention for the NFL like quarterbacks. They are the Paris Hiltons of the league, with their every move, gripe, injury and negotiation endlessly scrutinized.
Quarterbacks possess star power that lives on even as their performances decline. Though it would be a surprise to see Green or Culpepper revert to Pro Bowl form, both are discussed on the web sites and cable networks as if they remain impact players.
It should be obvious to anyone why Green no longer fit coach Herm Edwards’ plans. His performance declined last year, he’s close to turning 37 and the offense he was brought in to run for Dick Vermeil in 2001 is being phased out. So he was moved in a trade that made sense for both sides and ended in a win-win situation for Green. So where’s the big controversy in all that?
It looks as if we’ve all been had. These off-season brouhahas may keep us occupied, and even entertained, while we spend the spring and summer counting down to kickoff. Most of them, however, don’t really amount to a hill of beans.
The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Carl Peterson.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2007/06/19/rand_a_mountain_out_of_a_molehill/