Haley's Bowe Project Gets Tougher

[Hammock Parties]

http://kan.scout.com/2/921254.html

In the wake of Dwayne Bowe’s four game suspension, it’s become clearer than ever that Todd Haley has a quite challenge in front of him.

When Haley was hired as the Chiefs’ head coach, not much was known about him. He hadn’t exactly been a big name in the coaching ranks until late 2008. If not for the Cardinals’ postseason success last year, Haley would have remained mostly anonymous outside Arizona.

We knew he liked to yell, as evident by his sideline blowups with Terrell Owens and Anquan Boldin. We also knew he had a reputation for developing wide receivers, something he was widely credited with during the Cardinals’ Super Bowl run.

So perhaps more than anything, Chiefs fans could anticipate Haley’s impact on Bowe. Despite his talent, Bowe hadn’t quite broken through as an All-Pro caliber receiver, and the obvious hope was that Haley could help him bring his game to the next level.

From the outside, it didn’t seem like too tall a task. We all figured if Bowe could just focus more and drop fewer passes, he’d be well on his way.

That should have been more than enough meat for Haley to sink his teeth into. After all, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald is widely considered a model player in terms of his attitude, work ethic, and practice habits – not to mention his on-field production – and Haley still found things to gripe about. He reportedly teased Fitzgerald about being a “one trick pony,” suggesting the receiver was relying too much on his ability to out-jump defenders. Fitzgerald took it to heart and began working on his game, improving his separation from defenders and producing more yards after the catch. His performance in last year’s playoffs saw him do plenty of both.

Compared to Fitzgerald, Bowe’s issues probably seemed like a smorgasbord to Haley. Still, from a big picture perspective, Bowe didn’t seem that far off.

However, it now seems safe to say that we didn’t really understand Haley’s task.

Earlier this season, Bowe confirmed rumors that he hadn’t exactly been the most dedicated player on the practice field prior to Haley’s arrival. He had developed a bit of a reputation for questionable practice habits, apparently believing he could simply turn it on during games.

In his defense, he appeared to be largely correct. But if Bowe’s first two seasons in the league were accomplished while coasting through practices, one can only imagine the leap he might take if he were to start taking things more seriously – something he said Haley has been trying to instill in him.

But now that he’s been suspended, Bowe’s practice habits seem like a relatively minor complaint. According to ESPN, the suspension is due to a positive test for a diuretic. While diuretics are considered a banned substance because they can be used to mask drug and steroid use, it’s being reported that Bowe used them in an attempt to flush water from his body in order to drop weight.

Whether the weight loss excuse is simply Bowe’s explanation, or if there’s corroborating evidence to support his story, doesn’t yet appear to be known.

If we take the story at face value, the fact that a professional athlete of Bowe’s caliber needed to worry about losing weight is troublesome in and of itself. Some rumors floated a year ago about Bowe being out of shape during the offseason, but there was no evidence of it by preseason. The issue was dropped and largely forgotten.

This year, however, Haley’s emphasis on conditioning brought the weight issue back to the forefront. According to reports both at the time and at the present, Bowe reported overweight to the Chiefs’ offseason workouts in March, with the Kansas City Star citing his weight as 30 pounds above normal. For someone at his fitness level, to have added so much weight in three months is almost impossible to comprehend.

The key item to remember, however, is that Bowe’s positive test reportedly happened during training camp, months after his initial weigh-in. After showing up overweight in March, Bowe and his teammates went through strict conditioning workouts during Haley’s first minicamps and OTAs. It seems like a safe assumption that Bowe would have shed a good deal of his excess weight during that period.

Why, then, was his weight still enough of an issue in camp that he had to turn to diuretics?

One possible explanation might be that Haley wanted Bowe to lose weight well beyond those 30 pounds. But Bowe is listed at a weight of 221 – almost exactly where he’s been since coming out of college – and he doesn’t appear any different physically. Unless Haley suddenly changed his mind about the weight loss, that entire scenario appears unlikely.

Barring that, the only other rational explanation would involve Bowe falling off the Weight Watchers wagon again during the down-time between OTAs and training camp. If he’d put on additional weight late in the summer, it would certainly explain his urgency to drop those pounds during camp, particularly once his position on the depth chart began to suffer.

As everyone knows, many jokes have been cracked about Raiders’ quarterback JaMarcus Russell and his yearly battles with offseason conditioning. The bigger punchline, though, was never about Russell’s waist – it was about the Raiders using a #1 pick on someone who doesn’t appear dedicated enough to do the things necessary for success in the NFL.

Bowe’s weight issues are a far cry from those of his former LSU teammate, but between his practice habits and lax fitness regimen when he’s away from the team, some of the same red flags clearly exist. Even more troubling is Bowe’s decision to use the diuretics in the first place. This is especially true given the plight of some of his other teammates, namely Branden Albert and Glenn Dorsey, who both waged battles with weight.

Albert, according to reports, weighed in over 30 pounds heavier than his 2008 mark. He hired a nutritionist, completely changed his diet and, courtesy of Scott Pioli, had pictures of himself from his skinner days placed in his locker as motivation. Dorsey put on weight after the season and had to fight just as hard, even failing the first few conditioning tests at training camp.

As of this writing, neither Dorsey or Albert have been suspended for using diuretics to cut weight. Neither has any other Chief who dropped pounds over the summer, of course. But the fact that two larger, overweight teammates managed to do things the hard way only makes Bowe look worse for resorting to shortcuts.

Admittedly poor practice habits, slacking off during the offseason, grasping for a quick-fix to his weight gain, not even checking to see if the substance he was taking was approved – it paints a disheartening picture of a much lazier, careless player than we’d imagined.

It also gives us a better view of the tough road Haley has to travel if he hopes to get Bowe to that next level.

One can only hope the Chiefs’ top receiver has learned from this incident and can use it as motivation to re-focus and grow up a little. Deep down, though, we know this has to be a strike against him in the eyes of Pioli and Haley.

If Bowe’s habits don’t change, there will inevitably come a time when Haley starts to wonder if the battle he’s fighting is worth it. Let’s hope we don’t look back on this incident as the beginning of the end of Bowe’s time in Kansas City.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

This Ash fellow seems to do pretty good work now and again.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Lets look at this in a timeline:

Bowe reports to March workouts 30 lbs overwight, putting him at 251 pounds.

Mini-Camps and OTAs run from middle of May through the middle of June, where apparently Bowe loses a good deal or all of his excess weight.

Then from the middle of June to middle of July Bowe gorges himself with enough Krispey Kremes to make Ryan Sims puke, feels shamed and disgusted, fears the wrath of Haley, and uses illegal diet drugs to make weight at the start of training camp in late July.

This is what were supposed to believe all went down?

[Fire Me Boy!]

Ash does pretty well, but this is a pet peeve, and I see it all the time.

As of this writing, neither Dorsey or Albert have been suspended for using diuretics to cut weight.

It's neither-nor. And neither is a singular noun, so the sentence should read: As of this writing, neither Dorsey nor Albert has been suspended for using diuretics to cute weight.

Journalists should know better.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Ash does pretty well, but this is a pet peeve, and I see it all the time.



It's neither-nor. And neither is a singular noun, so the sentence should read: As of this writing, neither Dorsey nor Albert has been suspended for using diuretics to cute weight.

Journalists should know better.

Agreed.

[DaKernal]

When this story first broke I believed it was true. Now the more stories that come out about it, I really am beginning to suspect Bowe was doing something else and that was his reason for using the diuretic.

Bowes a pot head.

[Hydrae]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Ash does pretty well, but this is a pet peeve, and I see it all the time.



It's neither-nor. And neither is a singular noun, so the sentence should read: As of this writing, neither Dorsey nor Albert has been suspended for using diuretics to cute weight.

Journalists should know better.

This is the one that I noticed in the first line:

In the wake of Dwayne Bowe’s four game suspension, it’s become clearer than ever that Todd Haley has a quite challenge in front of him.

Great editing!

Overall though it was a good article. He makes some good points and I also hope this isn't the beginning of the end for Bowe in KC.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Chiefs09

When this story first broke I believed it was true. Now the more stories that come out about it, I really am beginning to suspect Bowe was doing something else and that was his reason for using the diuretic.

Bowes a pot head.

Oh noes! Teh Reefer!

[DaKernal]

Originally Posted by Raised On Riots

Oh noes! Teh Reefer!

Yeah and I'd bet there's tons of that going on in the NFL, and I hope he's not doing it, but I wont hate the guy if he does, but he's got to be smart enough to not get caught. I think thats why he wont appeal, because he's just happy that he tested positive for the diuretic, and not the mary jane.

[Shag]

Originally Posted by Chiefs09

When this story first broke I believed it was true. Now the more stories that come out about it, I really am beginning to suspect Bowe was doing something else and that was his reason for using the diuretic.

Bowes a pot head.

That may be true, but why would you put one banned substance in your body to cover up another? Plus, if he'd tested positive for marijuana, wouldn't the first offense just be enrollment in the substance abuse program (and no suspension)? Doesn't seem to make sense...

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Hydrae

Great editing!

Indeed. We have the whole of Chiefsplanet editing for us.

[DaKernal]

Originally Posted by Shag

That may be true, but why would you put one banned substance in your body to cover up another? Plus, if he'd tested positive for marijuana, wouldn't the first offense just be enrollment in the substance abuse program (and no suspension)? Doesn't seem to make sense...

I see your point, but maybe to him it was more important for his image to make damned sure he didnt test positive for marijuana, and instead took the chance of testing for something that was used for wieght loss, that way he would have a good explanation for taking the drug.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

Then from the middle of June to middle of July Bowe gorges himself with enough Krispey Kremes to make Ryan Sims puke, feels shamed and disgusted, fears the wrath of Haley, and uses illegal diet drugs to make weight at the start of training camp in late July.

Why not? It's not like he gained all of the 30 back. He was probably a few pounds over.

[Marcellus]

Has it been disclosed when Bo actually took the failed drug test?

[DaKernal]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Has it been disclosed when Bo actually took the failed drug test?

No it hasn't, at least not to my knowledge.