Chiefs Great Yahoo! article on Tony G, with a sad swipe at Solari. - Page 3

Direckshun · 08-15-2008, 10:53 AM

I bolded the Solari part.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

Gonzalez gives Chiefs steady diet of lectures
By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports
August 15, 2008

RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Tony Gonzalez heard the frantic screams – "He can't breathe! He can't breathe!" a woman sitting behind him in a Southern California restaurant was yelling last month – and whisked around to see a man turning blue. Within seconds, the Kansas City Chiefs' perennial All-Pro tight end was standing behind the stricken diner and administering the Heimlich maneuver, a lifesaving technique for which he'd never received any formal training.

As a chunk of filet mignon shot out of 45-year-old shipping company manager Ken Hunter's mouth and onto the restaurant floor, the first thought Gonzalez had was, "Thank God he's alive."

His second thought?

I'll bet that beef is full of antibiotics.

An exaggeration? If so it's only a slight stretch. Of all the NFL stars who could've saved a man from choking, he may have been the only one who'd be quite so grossed out by the food he managed to dislodge. Just ask Gonzalez's teammates, who've grown so accustomed to his neo-vegan diet and the accompanying lectures that they sometimes shy away from him during meals.

"Eating with Tony is a great way to ruin your appetite," veteran quarterback Damon Huard said last Saturday from the team's training camp. "You'll be biting into a piece of meat, and he'll say, 'You know that cow was probably corn-fed. And because of that, they had to give it antibiotics, and that probably gave it ulcers. I don't even want to think about what might be in there.' By then you're pretty much ready to clear your plate."

An hour later, as he sat in the cafeteria at the team's University of Wisconsin-River Falls headquarters, Gonzalez expanded upon the carefully crafted dietary approach that has fueled his second decade of excellence. A year-and-a-half after swearing off most dairy products and meat, the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder is laying waste to the stereotype of the scrawny, wimpy herbivore.

Coming off a stellar campaign that included 99 receptions for 1,172 yards (leaving him 179 yards behind Shannon Sharpe for the NFL's all time lead among tight ends) and earned him a ninth consecutive Pro Bowl invitation, the 32-year-old Gonzalez insists he's at his physical peak, with no sign of a decline.

"It's unbelievable how good I feel," Gonzalez said. "Seriously, my recovery is so much better than it's ever been, and my endurance is tremendous. The best part is that during games I really don't get tired. I have more focus, too. I'm even staying awake in meetings."

There were times last season when Gonzalez felt like closing his eyes during film sessions, especially during Kansas City's nine-game losing streak to complete a 4-12 campaign. Frustrated by the motion-laden yet inflexible schemes of offensive coordinator Mike Solari, Gonzalez chafed as opponents such as Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga correctly called out his routes before they were run.

"Sometimes we'd do all that shifting and defenses wouldn't move," Gonzalez recalled. "They'd just sit there and wait, and we'd run the ball into an eight-man front and get stuffed. Even when we had a mismatch, the quarterback didn't have the freedom to change the play at the line. It's dumbfounding that we didn't do that."

With Chan Gailey having replaced the fired Solari and an influx of young players that includes rookie left tackle Branden Albert, the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the rebuilding Chiefs have reason for optimism. If star halfback Johnson comes back strong from the foot injury that short-circuited his '07 season, wideout Dwayne Bowe builds upon the breakout flashes he showed as a rookie and third-year quarterback Brodie Croyle justifies the faith coach Herm Edwards has shown in him, Chiefs fans could at least experience some offensive excitement.

It's a given that Gonzalez, fresh off his fifth consecutive season with at least 900 receiving yards, will do his part. "He's not slowing down at all," Vikings safety Darren Sharper says of Gonzalez. "Plus he's such a crafty tight end – he knows all the little push-off moves, and how to use his body and post you up."

Another standout Vikings defender, recently acquired All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen, says his former Chiefs teammate is "one of my biggest role models in the NFL, because of his work ethic. A lot of people don't see that – they see Tony Gonzalez, superstar pretty boy, the guy who has to be dressed just right and have his hair done before he does anything. But the guy works – he's out there catching 100 balls a day; he never drops a ball in practice and never lets up. He's an absolute machine."

For Gonzalez, it all goes back to nutrition. When he decided to eliminate dairy and red meat from his largely organic diet – he still eats fish and the occasional chicken dish – Gonzalez's peers were highly skeptical.

"They'd tell me, 'You're gonna get crushed. You're gonna get your ass kicked,'" Gonzalez recalled. "They still think that, too, because I look so skinny, but I weigh what I've always weighed."

Gonzalez is currently collaborating with a nutritionist on a book detailing his dietary philosophies, though not necessarily from a vegan perspective, that will tentatively be published toward the end of '08. Gonzalez, who was so moved by scientific tome "The China Study" that he met with author T. Colin Campbell, has spoken to children about the benefits of maintaining proper nutritional habits, something on which he wants to expand in the coming years.

In the meantime he is more than willing to lecture his teammates.

"Anything I eat, he'll tell me what's in it," Croyle said. "I tell him, 'Man, I'm from Alabama. I just eat. Leave me alone.' When I hear him ask, 'Could you cook that in olive oil instead of butter?' I say, 'Dude, if you went to Alabama and said that stuff, they'd ask you to leave.'"

Said Edwards, the Chiefs' third-year coach: "Tony and (veteran linebacker Donnie Edwards), they both get on each other. They're each on diets, but different kind of diets, and they argue about which one is better. I walk by and go, 'You guys are like two women.' "

Bowe, who caught 70 passes for 995 yards as a rookie in '07, is well-acquainted with The Lecture. "At least twice a week he'll be like, 'Man, what are you eating?' " Bowe said. "I'll look down and say, 'Fried chicken? Cheese?' and then he'll stop eating his big ol' salad and give me the talk. He'll say, '1 or 13? You can eat like that and play one year or eat like this play 13.' And you know what – I listen."

Perhaps, but Gonzalez isn't close to satisfied. As he paused to inspect a piece of tortellini to ensure that no cheese was inside, the tight end noted that two nights earlier in a preseason victory over the Bears, the Chiefs had moved 81 yards in 16 plays in the game's first 8:45.

"I wasn't tired at all," Gonzalez said, "but Dwayne Bowe is out there tapping his helmet saying, 'Come get me.' And he's in his second year! I was like, 'Bowe, you're killing me.'"

Spoken like a true lifesaver.

RustShack · 08-15-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

lol like we're going to be in contention of winning a Super Bowl anytime soon, let alone a playoff game.

Get off the drugs.

It doesn't take 10 years to rebuild a team.. it takes a couple... If Gonzalez is here in two more years, or even next year we will be a better team...

Chiefs Pantalones · 08-15-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustShack

It doesn't take 10 years to rebuild a team.. it takes a couple... If Gonzalez is here in two more years, or even next year we will be a better team...

lol I think can, I think I can, I think I can.

Not until Herm and Carl are gone...then we WILL.

RustShack · 08-15-2008, 05:49 PM

Has this offseason, draft, free agent aqusitions been diffrent then any in the past? Do you think the outcome could be diffrent?

RustShack · 08-15-2008, 05:58 PM

Also we already the know the Defense has gotten much better, and should continue to improve. Based on Gaileys past, training camp, and our first pre season game... it looks like our offense its on its way to being respectable again. Gonzo should still be here when we are ready to compete. Heck who knows, maybe we are the suprize team of the NFL this year.

Chiefs Pantalones · 08-15-2008, 06:08 PM

Under the leadership this team is under, I doubt to see that much improvement. But we'll see. I hope we do. All I know is that I've been saying what you just said the past 10 years.

Mecca · 08-15-2008, 06:18 PM

I can't wait till after this year when we have more players bitching about the last OC.

**Bwana** · 08-15-2008, 07:52 PM

Good for Tony, Solari is a tool.

JuicesFlowing · 08-15-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

[I]

Props to the players for acting like pros and doing their job in spite of that embarassment. I would have been sorely tempted to walk off the field, kick the OC in the balls and refuse to play another down until they brought in a new coach.

LJ was pissed, and I never blamed him, yet the media and fans crushed LJ ... Solari never got as much blame as he deserved... or maybe it's Herm's fault for allowing that sad offensive game plan, I dunno.

chagrin · 08-15-2008, 08:48 PM

Solari was a goof, hell the whole coaching staff are goofs - F all those dick heads, I don't even enjoy theorizing or even imagining what our team will do this year; I feel so bad for the folks who live there and spend much more than I ever will on merchandise; I'd be on a killing spree, geesh.

Chief Faithful · 08-15-2008, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

And yet the Head Coach just let him do it over and over and over....

Why didnt the HEAD COACH make the proper changes or suggestions to correct the very GLARING problem?

Just doesnt add up, Yes I know this is Herm's what 5th OC in his 8 year tenure as a HC. But this cant be right...

He inherited one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL and made the promise when he became HC that he would not change the offense as long as it continued to produce. Last year the wheels came off and at the end of the season he made real change. I'm pleased with what he has changed and how he has made the changes.

Without Herm no way Carl makes all the necessary changes.

MadMax · 08-15-2008, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

I don't think it was the "system" to which Gonzo was necessarily referring, Mr. Boris The Somewhat Okay. It was the fact that we were running the football into 8 and 9 man fronts all year long. All year long. Did I mention that we did that all year long?

It drove a lot of people crazy, including myself. This fostered quite a bit of discussion about the value of "execution" over "innovation" and stuff like that, but the bottom line is that you can't expect to gain yardage in the NFL by running into stacked enemy lines all year long and you can forget about first downs and TOP. On top of all that, even our ridiculous passing game was focused on the short gain. Dumpoffs to the flanker and the backs, basically. As you well know, those are, essentially, long handoffs and a stacked line can easily defend those plays as well. It was stupid and kinda nuts. I have no idea why Solari continued to do it and why Herm allowed it.

FAX

That is so true I just threw up in my throat a little

Methinks Slolarry is insane in the membrane...

But i'm happy to see Herm has a plan

Is it still in the can? Or maybe the evil Chan stole his plan and tossed it in the garbage can

FAX · 08-15-2008, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMax

That is so true I just threw up in my throat a little

Methinks Slolarry is insane in the membrane...

But i'm happy to see Herm has a plan

Is it still in the can? Or maybe the evil Chan stole his plan amd tossed it in the garbage can

Don't mean no offense. Don't want to incense. And in your defense, your post is condense and in present tense. Still, maybe I'm dense, but let me dispense with any pretense and end the suspense 'cause when I commence to read your two cents, I found it intense and it made me incensed and a little more tense 'cause it makes no sense.

FAX

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 08-15-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMax

That is so true I just threw up in my throat a little

Methinks Slolarry is insane in the membrane...

But i'm happy to see Herm has a plan

Is it still in the can? Or maybe the evil Chan stole his plan amd tossed it in the garbage can

Word up homie. I hope things are going as well as possible for you right now. I miss you and Eric both. I hope to eat some of that awesome bbq of yours again one of these days.

**Rausch** · 08-16-2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMax

That is so true I just threw up in my throat a little

Methinks Slolarry is insane in the membrane...

But i'm happy to see Herm has a plan

Is it still in the can? Or maybe the evil Chan stole his plan and tossed it in the garbage can

BigRock · 08-16-2008, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

I don't think it was the "system" to which Gonzo was necessarily referring, Mr. Boris The Somewhat Okay. It was the fact that we were running the football into 8 and 9 man fronts all year long. All year long. Did I mention that we did that all year long?

It kinda goes hand in hand, though, doesn't it? If they call a run play and the offense lines up and sees 8 men in the box, and they can't change a play they know is doomed to fail, then it's just as much on the system that doesn't allow change as it is on the playcalling.

Solari just took poor playcalling to extremes by going "Hmm, they've put 8 men in the box on 50 straight plays. We'll call a run! They'll never expect it!".

08-15-2008, 10:53 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	Great Yahoo! article on Tony G, with a sad swipe at Solari. I bolded the Solari part. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns Gonzalez gives Chiefs steady diet of lectures By Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports August 15, 2008 RIVER FALLS, Wis. – Tony Gonzalez heard the frantic screams – "He can't breathe! He can't breathe!" a woman sitting behind him in a Southern California restaurant was yelling last month – and whisked around to see a man turning blue. Within seconds, the Kansas City Chiefs' perennial All-Pro tight end was standing behind the stricken diner and administering the Heimlich maneuver, a lifesaving technique for which he'd never received any formal training. As a chunk of filet mignon shot out of 45-year-old shipping company manager Ken Hunter's mouth and onto the restaurant floor, the first thought Gonzalez had was, "Thank God he's alive." His second thought? I'll bet that beef is full of antibiotics. An exaggeration? If so it's only a slight stretch. Of all the NFL stars who could've saved a man from choking, he may have been the only one who'd be quite so grossed out by the food he managed to dislodge. Just ask Gonzalez's teammates, who've grown so accustomed to his neo-vegan diet and the accompanying lectures that they sometimes shy away from him during meals. "Eating with Tony is a great way to ruin your appetite," veteran quarterback Damon Huard said last Saturday from the team's training camp. "You'll be biting into a piece of meat, and he'll say, 'You know that cow was probably corn-fed. And because of that, they had to give it antibiotics, and that probably gave it ulcers. I don't even want to think about what might be in there.' By then you're pretty much ready to clear your plate." An hour later, as he sat in the cafeteria at the team's University of Wisconsin-River Falls headquarters, Gonzalez expanded upon the carefully crafted dietary approach that has fueled his second decade of excellence. A year-and-a-half after swearing off most dairy products and meat, the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder is laying waste to the stereotype of the scrawny, wimpy herbivore. Coming off a stellar campaign that included 99 receptions for 1,172 yards (leaving him 179 yards behind Shannon Sharpe for the NFL's all time lead among tight ends) and earned him a ninth consecutive Pro Bowl invitation, the 32-year-old Gonzalez insists he's at his physical peak, with no sign of a decline. "It's unbelievable how good I feel," Gonzalez said. "Seriously, my recovery is so much better than it's ever been, and my endurance is tremendous. The best part is that during games I really don't get tired. I have more focus, too. I'm even staying awake in meetings." There were times last season when Gonzalez felt like closing his eyes during film sessions, especially during Kansas City's nine-game losing streak to complete a 4-12 campaign. Frustrated by the motion-laden yet inflexible schemes of offensive coordinator Mike Solari, Gonzalez chafed as opponents such as Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga correctly called out his routes before they were run. "Sometimes we'd do all that shifting and defenses wouldn't move," Gonzalez recalled. "They'd just sit there and wait, and we'd run the ball into an eight-man front and get stuffed. Even when we had a mismatch, the quarterback didn't have the freedom to change the play at the line. It's dumbfounding that we didn't do that." With Chan Gailey having replaced the fired Solari and an influx of young players that includes rookie left tackle Branden Albert, the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the rebuilding Chiefs have reason for optimism. If star halfback Johnson comes back strong from the foot injury that short-circuited his '07 season, wideout Dwayne Bowe builds upon the breakout flashes he showed as a rookie and third-year quarterback Brodie Croyle justifies the faith coach Herm Edwards has shown in him, Chiefs fans could at least experience some offensive excitement. It's a given that Gonzalez, fresh off his fifth consecutive season with at least 900 receiving yards, will do his part. "He's not slowing down at all," Vikings safety Darren Sharper says of Gonzalez. "Plus he's such a crafty tight end – he knows all the little push-off moves, and how to use his body and post you up." Another standout Vikings defender, recently acquired All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen, says his former Chiefs teammate is "one of my biggest role models in the NFL, because of his work ethic. A lot of people don't see that – they see Tony Gonzalez, superstar pretty boy, the guy who has to be dressed just right and have his hair done before he does anything. But the guy works – he's out there catching 100 balls a day; he never drops a ball in practice and never lets up. He's an absolute machine." For Gonzalez, it all goes back to nutrition. When he decided to eliminate dairy and red meat from his largely organic diet – he still eats fish and the occasional chicken dish – Gonzalez's peers were highly skeptical. "They'd tell me, 'You're gonna get crushed. You're gonna get your ass kicked,'" Gonzalez recalled. "They still think that, too, because I look so skinny, but I weigh what I've always weighed." Gonzalez is currently collaborating with a nutritionist on a book detailing his dietary philosophies, though not necessarily from a vegan perspective, that will tentatively be published toward the end of '08. Gonzalez, who was so moved by scientific tome "The China Study" that he met with author T. Colin Campbell, has spoken to children about the benefits of maintaining proper nutritional habits, something on which he wants to expand in the coming years. In the meantime he is more than willing to lecture his teammates. "Anything I eat, he'll tell me what's in it," Croyle said. "I tell him, 'Man, I'm from Alabama. I just eat. Leave me alone.' When I hear him ask, 'Could you cook that in olive oil instead of butter?' I say, 'Dude, if you went to Alabama and said that stuff, they'd ask you to leave.'" Said Edwards, the Chiefs' third-year coach: "Tony and (veteran linebacker Donnie Edwards), they both get on each other. They're each on diets, but different kind of diets, and they argue about which one is better. I walk by and go, 'You guys are like two women.' " Bowe, who caught 70 passes for 995 yards as a rookie in '07, is well-acquainted with The Lecture. "At least twice a week he'll be like, 'Man, what are you eating?' " Bowe said. "I'll look down and say, 'Fried chicken? Cheese?' and then he'll stop eating his big ol' salad and give me the talk. He'll say, '1 or 13? You can eat like that and play one year or eat like this play 13.' And you know what – I listen." Perhaps, but Gonzalez isn't close to satisfied. As he paused to inspect a piece of tortellini to ensure that no cheese was inside, the tight end noted that two nights earlier in a preseason victory over the Bears, the Chiefs had moved 81 yards in 16 plays in the game's first 8:45. "I wasn't tired at all," Gonzalez said, "but Dwayne Bowe is out there tapping his helmet saying, 'Come get me.' And he's in his second year! I was like, 'Bowe, you're killing me.'" Spoken like a true lifesaver.
Posts: 59,693

08-15-2008, 05:49 PM	#33
RustShack **** That Noise Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Jack Trice Casino cash: $3046954	Has this offseason, draft, free agent aqusitions been diffrent then any in the past? Do you think the outcome could be diffrent? __________________
Posts: 15,125

08-15-2008, 05:58 PM	#34
RustShack **** That Noise Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Jack Trice Casino cash: $3046954	Also we already the know the Defense has gotten much better, and should continue to improve. Based on Gaileys past, training camp, and our first pre season game... it looks like our offense its on its way to being respectable again. Gonzo should still be here when we are ready to compete. Heck who knows, maybe we are the suprize team of the NFL this year. __________________
Posts: 15,125

08-15-2008, 06:08 PM	#35
Chiefs Pantalones GO CHIEFS!!!!!! Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $6868717	Under the leadership this team is under, I doubt to see that much improvement. But we'll see. I hope we do. All I know is that I've been saying what you just said the past 10 years. __________________ Don't be fooled by my username, I'm white.
Posts: 26,653

08-15-2008, 06:18 PM	#36
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-682950	I can't wait till after this year when we have more players bitching about the last OC.
Posts: 115,355

08-15-2008, 07:52 PM	#37
Bwana It's Five O'Clock Somewhere Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Billings, Montana Casino cash: $2135863647	Good for Tony, Solari is a tool. __________________ Adventure is dangerous....but monotony can kill you.
Posts: 70,490

08-15-2008, 08:48 PM	#39
chagrin Giggitty! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Missoula, Mt Casino cash: $9804905	Solari was a goof, hell the whole coaching staff are goofs - F all those dick heads, I don't even enjoy theorizing or even imagining what our team will do this year; I feel so bad for the folks who live there and spend much more than I ever will on merchandise; I'd be on a killing spree, geesh. __________________ Times have changed, so have I, things are better now.
Posts: 13,414