I pretty much agree with this, Mr. Halfcan. Still, changing the "mentality" of the team is going to take awhile. We desperately need locker-room leadership that is consistent with a mental approach of a championship franchise. I mean, just look at Waters. He's a great example of a guy who, when he doesn't get his way and isn't treated "special", he takes his ball and goes home. It's ridiculous and will take some time to turn around. Guys like Vrabel should be helpful in that regard and, if they can get it done, their value and long-term impact on the team is far greater than might be apparent on the field.

FAX

My biggest beef with Waters was the Monday morning "damage-control / everything will be ok"-shtick of his.
That shit got OLD fast.

ROFL

Look at that pic of Krumrie initiating the slap drill: Is Krumrie wearing jeans out on the practice field?

USC's pro day last year. Working out Sedrick Ellis

You didn't hear? He's Wrangler's new bitch-boy.

But Vrabel didn't show up either. WTF's up with that?

He's supposed to be one of our veteran leaders, right?

We are simpatico on that point, Mr. Raised On Rats. Waters found his niche when he was, by default, elected to be the elder statesman of the team. And he was, by all appearances, prepared to protect Herm at all costs. His defense of our pitiable performances didn't do much for his credibility, though. One would think that a guy like Waters would have enough personal pride to find our direction and continuing failures to be intolerable. Herm must have some kind of voodoo, witchy, black magic hold on peeps. Never has there been a more incompetent human to sponsor such loyalty.

FAX

That doesn't take away from the fact that he's in ****ing jeans.

Maybe he thought it would be weird flying out to LA to go to USC's workout and wear sweatpants on the plane

All part of the plan, Mr. KcMizzou. Haley wants him to make an impression on the young guys and these are merely voluntaries, after all. When real, actual training camp rolls around, Vrabel is going to appear unto the team flying on a glorious, white, puffy cloud surrounded by an enormous, naked, angelic chorus singing "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town".

FAX

As is turns out, airlines allow you to bring luggage with you in which a change of pants could be stored.

Maybe someone should look into the web for photos and videos to see what the sweatpants to jeans ratio was at the '08 USC pro day.

Many of us on this board were pretty excited to see him come aboard in Herms first year. Not just a former player but a crazy bastard who wore his jeans and cowboy boots to the on field drills with the DLineman.

I realize people bash his every move and hey that's fine with me. I don't stick up for him but i don't make him out for the dipshit that some here do.

you're kidding, right?

Okay, I need elaboration here. What's the beef?

I just think it looks stupid. No beef (other than him being a shitty coach), no biggie.

Hmmmm. You may have reason for concern though, Mr. Reaper16.

Assuming that the jeans are tight-fitting and Slappy is relatively active during practice, one can reasonably expect testicle pinch to occur. And, should testicle pinch occur, Slappy's concentration and focus would, inevitably, be adversely affected. And, should Slappy's concentration and focus be adversely affected, he would naturally be oblivious to the behavior, execution, and technique displayed by the players for whom Slappy is responsible since testicle pinch is an all-consuming issue at best. This could well be a problem.

FAX

I'll volunteer to buy him a pair of shorts.

Well hell if it were up to me, I'd put him in a Fred Flintstone getup and see where the chips fell for shits and giggles.

Yep, the old school Stram look. Sweat top and athletic shorts. Good God, does Krumrie think he's a cowboy?

Damn that man.

Guys like Vrabel don't show up! Turn it around.... yeah right... Vrabel probably doesn't want to be here either. But he doesn't have any options.

Vrabel may show up and play well, but don't give me the leadership and turn things around crap when he doesn't even show up to camp.

wow. that really struck me as funny. I know it's stupid but the thought of Krumrie in a fred flinstone outfit doing his slap drill... priceless...

ROFL

A mod should change Mr. Fax's name to Mr. Wise.

Doesn't that leadership thing apply to Brian Waters?

Please remove the Helm Of Stupidity prior to posting, Mr. kcbubb.

No one knows why Vrabel hasn't shown up for this voluntary camp. They're saying that he's absent for "unspecified reasons". For all we know, he could have a family member in the hospital, or is scouting for Pioli, or is in Texas meeting with Waters.

Seriously, do you honestly believe that we need to worry about Vrabel's attitude or are you one of those peeps who likes to hang out with midgets and play human checkers until the wee hours?

FAX

How in the merry hell are we supposed to KNOW anything about Vrabel's attitude when all we have so far is one clearly butt-hurt, post-trade interview?

I thought we had already established that he's at summer camp for kids, yes? I'll hold my tongue regarding Vrabel for now, but if this is what defines "veteran leadership" in the "Patriot Way", no thanks, wasted money, good night Gracie.

Vrabel needs to be at the camp teaching the other OLBs how to play the position. If you don't think Haley and Pioli wants Vrabel at camp, you are very confused.

and scouting for Pioli!!! haha! scouting for what, next years draft??? ROFL

Leaders lead by example and you can't lead and be absent.

Vrabel was injured last season, which impacted his performance. It's possible that he's still recovering and doing it someplace other than at the Kansas City facilities.

Of course, there is a more sinister possibility:

Perhaps this was all part of the Evil Belichick's scheme from the very beginning, and Vrabel was never really going to play for the Chiefs. By trading him when they did, the Patriots got the Chiefs to pay his bonus. Now, if the Chiefs release him, he can return to New England and, if he just retires, he's gotten his bonus.

http://www.wvwnews.net/images/teaser/evil%20grin.jpg

Scouting for places to bury the bodies of dumb ass idiots like yourself, Mr. kcbubb. Of course leaders can occasionally be absent. Do you think Vince Lombardi lived in a mud hut on the 50 yard line?

FAX

can't find the link but i read he was at some kids football camp, all the pros know conditioning with sugar and caffeine fueled children rubs off on you. he's planning a sprint up(and hopefully down) mt everest next week if all goes according to plan

That possibility being that Pioli has his OWN "Gonzo" in the house that's getting a pass right now. If Vrabel doesn't show to mini-camp, I'm making him my Official Planet Target of Scorn.

Big Deal you say? Let me put it like this; I've been NICE to Matt Cassel. I've been NICE to Herm. I've even acknowledged Carl's contributions and been NICE to him.

This outsider will receive no nice. And it doesn't stop at the Planet. I will Crusade against that mother****er's old ass up and down the net AND airwaves like Templars cutting down Bedouins 1-2-3 on the way to the Holy Land.

Rookies get breaks. Paid professional veterans whose job has been SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED as a mentor as well as a guaranteed roster spot DO..NOT.

Their's a rumor going around that Vrabel ruptured his Achilles at the end last season, and is still recovering from the injury.

The Chiefs are gonna be HORRIBLE this year. I can feel a 3-13 season... maybe 4-12.

In Spirit he damn sure did!

We'll get the 5, of that I'm sure. Getting 3 more would be a blessing in terms of team morale and getting Pioli the living hell out of the top 10 spot in the draft.

Get 'im OUT! Man does NOT belong there. Not at THIS stage of the game anyhow. This is an evaluation season we're heading in to. We're gonna' find out who among the draftees of the last four years will pop or fizzle.

Our home record should get better if the team can win the home-opener, get one on the road, and come back to Arrowhead to win another. The more fans in Arrowhead making lots of noise, the better our chances for a productive season at home AND on the road.

The main things I'm looking for are individual improvements in terms of knowing, sticking to, and handling assignments, and a monumental execution of the fundamentals of proper NFL defense( tackling at the top of the list ).

although, I agree this doesn't sound good, I'm more worried about the back-ups at ILBs should zach or DJ go down.....

yup, just like thigpen got sacked a billion times last year.

.....oh, wait......

Cassel can scramble as well as, if not better, than Thigpen. And he can throw accurately on the run.

Jesus ****ing christ. Can any of you read more into a vet not being at the first offseason workout? Plus for some of you, this came up twice in the thread;

It helps loads, the coaches, first don't care if he's not there, plus they know he was doing something important.

-oh, and he may do great wonders in the locker room, but no way is he coming into arrowhead on a white horse. This place can be so muther freakin trying sometimes.

Thigpen actually didn't get sacked so much last year....
However, behind NE's great O-ling - Matt Cassell got sacked 47 times last year
Tyler Thigpen got sacked behing our sucky line all of 26 times (avg a bit over 1.5 a game because he played in 14) - the same as kurt warner (played in superbowl)
big ben got sacked 46 times (won superbowl)
bret favre got sacked 30 times
eli manning 27 times
Payton manning 14 times
Brees 13, Cutler 11.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorysta...1&d-447263-p=1

How the **** do you know that?! Watch Haley interviews lately much? You should. You'll find a recurring theme.
Jeez Coffee, that was just short-bus.

NE's offensive line is far from "great". I'm not sure you could even call them good at this point.

I do, I just don't think it's as critical (vrabel not being at this OTA, when he was doing charity instead) to Todd (or the team) as SEVERAL posters were implying in this thread. Now the rest of the offseason? Sure, it'll start to matter more as everyone is getting onto the same page. Training camp...

sarcasm + alcohol = misinterpreted....

This set of OTA's went on yesterday and today as well as Monday didn't they? I can't believe there hasn't been as much as a peep of information leaked regarding how the practices have gone. Times are a changing I guess! :shrug:

You won't know who's on IR anymore either. And, Carl never disclosed details of contracts other than the number of years, and I wonder if we'll even get THAT MUCH out of Pioli.

I really don't care though; just win.