Tony G speaks to the media

[dirk digler]

From Blob Gretz

Tony G. Speaks About No-Trade

October 15, 2008 - Bob Gretz |

From the Truman Sports Complex
Tony Gonzalez was back in familiar surroundings on Wednesday, practicing with the Chiefs in their indoor facility and then holding court for the media horde after practice.

Gonzalez spoke to his teammates at their morning meeting, with no coaches in the room at his request.

“I told them the situation, how it occurred what my thought process was behind everything, why I wanted to go and how I thought maybe it could help the team,” Gonzalez said of what he told his teammates. “But now it’s over. So, it’s done with. I’m a Chief now for these next 11 games. I’m concentrating on going out there and trying to be the best player that I can be and help this team win.
“I wanted to make sure; I think most of them know me, the guys that have been around for awhile know what I’m all about. But I wanted to make sure those young guys know that this is about winning football games, about being the best football player you can be. No matter what the situation is, whether you are frustrated or you are extremely happy, you have to go out there and bust your tail every day and try to get better and help this team win.”

He also had plenty to say on various subjects:

-On what the day was like on Tuesday waiting for a trade to be made: “It was a high stress situation. It was a sad situation. It was confusing … it was pretty stressful for myself and my family. I felt this was it. What was told to me, a deal was going to get struck if a team was willing to give up what I thought was necessary for me to get out of here. When it came and when I was somewhat shocked that it didn’t go down.”

-On the status of his relationship now with Carl Peterson: “Who knows. I’m disappointed. In the end it doesn’t matter what our relationship is any more. I’m a Chief and I’m here and I’m here to play.”

-On what was offered for him and whether it sounded like a reasonable deal: “From what I understood, a third round was offered and it didn’t go down that way. If you are going to trade me, that’s what you can expect to get. You are not going to get anything higher. I’m 32 years old. A second-round pick you are not going to get that. Everybody knows that … if they were serious about trading me, I think they would have taken that third-round pick. But that’s just my opinion.”

-On whether the Chiefs were serious about trading him: “A part of me thinks maybe they were just trying to appease me. I don’t know if they were serious. In the end, the way it all went down from what I understand, it didn’t sound like it … if they weren’t serious from the beginning, I wish they would have told me that, because in that case none of this would have even gone down. Just sit there and tell me it’s not going to happen this year.”

-Did he request a trade before the season: “No … I wanted to see how it worked out. Obviously Brodie (Croyle) going down, I think that hurt us definitely. We’ve been snakebit this year too. At that point (before the season) I didn’t see the need too.”

-On what it says about the Chiefs that he wanted out: “I’m not saying anything bad about these guys. I think this team is going in the right direction, I really feel that way. They’ve got some great young talent on this team and they are rebuilding, there’s no doubt about that. These g uys are going to be good in thef uture and we can be good this year, but it takes guys about three years to really get in that groove. That’s how long it took me, so knowing that and knowing I’m not going to be around here in three years … that’s the reason I said if it can help the Chiefs with them going out there and getting a pretty good draft choice for me, and it would help me going out there and playing for a contender this year, that was the whole reason behind it. It’s not that I don’t believe in Herm, or I don’t believe in Carl. They’ve done a good job in my opinion. It’s getting down to the end of the road for me and I had to take that shot.”

-On the ceremony planned to honor him before this Sunday’s game: “That’s probably something I would like to wait until the end of the year. It’s up to them … I think it would be akward in light of what went down this week. Let’s just wait on it. We’ll see what they want to do.”

-Will he ask to be traded again after this season is over: “We’ll see. I can’t answer that question honestly.”