Tribal Warfare
01-06-2011, 03:15 AM
Chiefs’ Haley is fond of the motivational game (http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/05/2563804/chiefs-haley-is-fond-of-the-motivational.html)
By TEREZ A. PAYLOR
The Kansas City Star
Walk around the Chiefs indoor practice facility for a bit, and you’ll undoubtedly come across little pieces of coach Todd Haley’s past.
His favorite motivational quotes and mottos, cobbled together from all his years of coaching, are all over the place. For his players, there’s no escaping it. Whenever they enter and exit the locker room, they are greeted by two gigantic signs in the hallway. One sign is infamous: “Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players.” The other simply reads: “Never confuse routine with commitment.”
Heady stuff, indeed. But this is really just the tip of the iceberg, because Haley knows no bounds when it comes to motivating players through catchy quotes and mottos.
Just ask veteran center Casey Wiegmann. A few stalls down from Wiegmann’s is the locker of rookie safety Eric Berry, which features a prominently displayed paper sign that reads: “Casey says, ‘Don’t Believe the Hype.’ ” Wiegmann’s mugshot is underneath it followed by the words: “Just get a little better every day of practice this week.”
It was something Wiegmann insists he had nothing to do with. But he sure as heck knew where it came from.
“That’s a Haley thing,” Wiegmann, the 15-year veteran, said with a sly grin. “They were on everybody’s locker after we were 3-0. … And he put those up in everybody’s locker with a quote I didn’t say.”
And why would he do that?
“I don’t know,” said Wiegmann, who, being a shy guy and all, fights the urge to tear down the sign in Berry’s locker everyday. “It’s just one of his things.”
Welcome to Haleyisms 101. But while this course may appear to feature a demanding teacher, players say it all just comes with the territory of playing football, an incredibly macho sport that naturally lends itself to quotes that speak to teamwork, courage and hard work — even if the themes become repetitive.
“It’s almost like there’s a (quote) handbook you get when you’re a coach,” joked center Rudy Niswanger, who is in his fifth NFL season. “Every one of them has their favorite stuff (to say).”
Which leads to the obvious question: Can this stuff really hit home with grown men, all of whom have their own ideas about how to live life both on the football field and off?
For the answer, let’s start with boisterous defensive tackle Shaun Smith, a six-year veteran who can often be heard three counties away.
“It depends on who you talk to — I’m going to keep it honest with you,” Smith said. “But for the most part, it does help because it lets your team know what you stand for.”
Receiver Terrance Copper, a seven-year veteran, agreed. And he proved it, because when asked for his favorite Haleyism, he didn’t miss a beat.
“The one on the board over there, about reputation and your character and stuff,” Copper said, pointing to his left. “It just reminds you it’s not about what people think you are. It’s what you are. That’s more than just something to live by, footballwise. That’s something to remember in your life.”
But for all the positive things Copper and Smith — and other Chiefs, too — said about the subject, when asked if his favorite quotes were getting through to his players, Haley admitted Wednesday he wasn’t sure. The only thing to suggest they were is the team’s success this year, something Haley would like see to continue into the playoffs.
And, as a few players were quick to point out, motivational quotes and mottos may be able to help you make it through the grind of the regular season, but they’ll only take you so far in January.
“He’s not talking out the side of his mouth — what he’s saying and trying to get through to us, it all makes sense,” said running back Jackie Battle. “But we’ve accomplished our goal of winning the AFC West and now we’re in the playoffs, so that’s enough motivation as it is.”
By TEREZ A. PAYLOR
The Kansas City Star
Walk around the Chiefs indoor practice facility for a bit, and you’ll undoubtedly come across little pieces of coach Todd Haley’s past.
His favorite motivational quotes and mottos, cobbled together from all his years of coaching, are all over the place. For his players, there’s no escaping it. Whenever they enter and exit the locker room, they are greeted by two gigantic signs in the hallway. One sign is infamous: “Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players.” The other simply reads: “Never confuse routine with commitment.”
Heady stuff, indeed. But this is really just the tip of the iceberg, because Haley knows no bounds when it comes to motivating players through catchy quotes and mottos.
Just ask veteran center Casey Wiegmann. A few stalls down from Wiegmann’s is the locker of rookie safety Eric Berry, which features a prominently displayed paper sign that reads: “Casey says, ‘Don’t Believe the Hype.’ ” Wiegmann’s mugshot is underneath it followed by the words: “Just get a little better every day of practice this week.”
It was something Wiegmann insists he had nothing to do with. But he sure as heck knew where it came from.
“That’s a Haley thing,” Wiegmann, the 15-year veteran, said with a sly grin. “They were on everybody’s locker after we were 3-0. … And he put those up in everybody’s locker with a quote I didn’t say.”
And why would he do that?
“I don’t know,” said Wiegmann, who, being a shy guy and all, fights the urge to tear down the sign in Berry’s locker everyday. “It’s just one of his things.”
Welcome to Haleyisms 101. But while this course may appear to feature a demanding teacher, players say it all just comes with the territory of playing football, an incredibly macho sport that naturally lends itself to quotes that speak to teamwork, courage and hard work — even if the themes become repetitive.
“It’s almost like there’s a (quote) handbook you get when you’re a coach,” joked center Rudy Niswanger, who is in his fifth NFL season. “Every one of them has their favorite stuff (to say).”
Which leads to the obvious question: Can this stuff really hit home with grown men, all of whom have their own ideas about how to live life both on the football field and off?
For the answer, let’s start with boisterous defensive tackle Shaun Smith, a six-year veteran who can often be heard three counties away.
“It depends on who you talk to — I’m going to keep it honest with you,” Smith said. “But for the most part, it does help because it lets your team know what you stand for.”
Receiver Terrance Copper, a seven-year veteran, agreed. And he proved it, because when asked for his favorite Haleyism, he didn’t miss a beat.
“The one on the board over there, about reputation and your character and stuff,” Copper said, pointing to his left. “It just reminds you it’s not about what people think you are. It’s what you are. That’s more than just something to live by, footballwise. That’s something to remember in your life.”
But for all the positive things Copper and Smith — and other Chiefs, too — said about the subject, when asked if his favorite quotes were getting through to his players, Haley admitted Wednesday he wasn’t sure. The only thing to suggest they were is the team’s success this year, something Haley would like see to continue into the playoffs.
And, as a few players were quick to point out, motivational quotes and mottos may be able to help you make it through the grind of the regular season, but they’ll only take you so far in January.
“He’s not talking out the side of his mouth — what he’s saying and trying to get through to us, it all makes sense,” said running back Jackie Battle. “But we’ve accomplished our goal of winning the AFC West and now we’re in the playoffs, so that’s enough motivation as it is.”