Do players really "care" as much as fans do?

[jkeough]

The real question is do the TopCats care? I've seen them over there shaking their booties when we're trailing by three touchdowns.

no...they are waiting to come down here on the 18th and go to banana joe's

[fignewty314]

I played high school football against Levon Kirkland and he was wide open like Beason now.I inherited a house from my great grandma when she passed away that was about six miles from his family.When I was at home,and he was down,while in college,we lifted weights at the same place.I didn't lift with him,but I was impressed with how hard he worked out.My buddy and I that I lifted with would get there and he would already be there working,we'd leave,he's still working.Run take a shower at the house,go meet back up with my buddy at his house close to the gym,he's still in there lifting.He goes pro,we didn't see him much at all anymore,but he still would come in there when he was visiting his dad(his dad was the janitor at the high school and wouldn't quit his janitor job despite the money).He worked good still.Then when he got paid big,that changed it all.He changed.He didn't work hard,didn't do a third of the things he use to do,got fat and lazy,and really did more talking and telling stories than actually training.These times were of course in the off season,but thats when you need to do your all

[pstall]

I think the rah rah is fine from time to time. But produce. All I care is you produce per your spot. That is what you get paid to do. If you can't you are not a man. End of story.

[dmo4455]

Yes most of the guys truely care but there is always that handful that act like they care but really dont. But for the most part guys at the NFL level obviously love what they do or they wouldn't be where they are.

[Snake]

Do players really get pissed about getting embarrassed 3 weeks in a row or do they simply check their bank account, hot girlfriend, nice car and care less? It is apparent that some players simply mail it in when they get paid (Gamble, Peppers, Delhomme) while others pick it up when it is time to get paid (Davis). Is it truly all about the money to these guys?

Really its hard to call Delhomme out on this one cause he always gives his all. Then again I think its a requirement to bash Jake on every thread now days.

[AKPantherFan]

Yes most of the guys truely care but there is always that handful that act like they care but really dont. But for the most part guys at the NFL level obviously love what they do or they wouldn't be where they are.

it makes sense, you have those who are just soo gifted they ride their talent, and then you have those who have that fire and love the game...

[Miaoww]

it makes sense, you have those who are just soo gifted they ride their talent, and then you have those who have that fire and love the game...

Nobody is gifted enough to ride their talent, even Peppers. He works out hard, he just doesn't work out hard enough.

As for the answer, of course they care. As much as fans? No. It's a job to them, one they perhaps love, but a job nethertheless. For fans it's a passion, a way of life for the kookier ones.

[rayzor]

the raiders haven't cared for years. the lions didn't for a few years.

it's different for different players. there are some teams that the culture is truly apathetic and there are others where the culture is overwhelmingly hyped and passionate. the ravens and the steelers are who i would consider to be passionate about what they are doing consistently.

panthers are borderline. having a passionless "key" player on the team who is holding back but earning $1mil a game will continue to hold the team back.

i don't think that jake is someone that you could say is checked out. i don't think he's all that good and should probably be benched but to say he's just there to grab a check isn't at all true. he's giving it everything he can. sad but true.

i think gamble is trying as well.

pep is just an example of how you can give a pathetic effort and just be there and still collect a paycheck. hopefully beason can change that or at least be seen by the younger players as the model to follow.

[Mr. Scot]

Sorry, but I've never bought into the notion that fans can care more than players.

This is their job, and as such, their livelihood. For the ones with families, if they fail at this their families don't eat.

Even for the ones with no one to take care of but themselves, they still have to put their bodies through things that would probably kill most of us. Because of it, many of them wind up looking like infirm old men by the time they're 35.

Yes, the rewards are great, but so is the sacrifice.

And we think we care more than they do because we talk about it a lot on a message board? :sosp:

Do some players care more than other players? Absolutely (Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett, for example).

But care less than fans? Can't buy that at all.

Their futures depend heavily on what they do on the field. The worst thing that happens to us is we get ribbed by our buddies or lose money on a dumb bet.

[Snake]

the raiders haven't cared for years. the lions didn't for a few years.

it's different for different players. there are some teams that the culture is truly apathetic and there are others where the culture is overwhelmingly hyped and passionate. the ravens and the steelers are who i would consider to be passionate about what they are doing consistently.

panthers are borderline. having a passionless "key" player on the team who is holding back but earning $1mil a game will continue to hold the team back.

i don't think that jake is someone that you could say is checked out. i don't think he's all that good and should probably be benched but to say he's just there to grab a check isn't at all true. he's giving it everything he can. sad but true.

i think gamble is trying as well.

pep is just an example of how you can give a pathetic effort and just be there and still collect a paycheck. hopefully beason can change that or at least be seen by the younger players as the model to follow.

This is why when he came out and said he didnt want to be a Panther I thought we should have just let him go..... I know we would not have got anything for him but did handicapping ourselves help in any way ether? Peppers is just gonna coast and not be back next year.... So really we just shot ourselves in the foot in the long run. I much rather have players out there that are less talented and have high motors then to have talented players that dont have motors at all.

[Purity-Control]

Sorry, but I've never bought into the notion that fans can care more than players.

This is their job, and as such, their livelihood. For the ones with families, if they fail at this their families don't eat.

I agree.

It would be real easy for these guys that get the multi million dollar signing bonuses/guaranteed contracts to just take the cash and quit and some do, but the majority still play the game,not motivated by money but pride. It takes such dedication passion and drive to make it at this level that I don't think its as easy to just say hell with it once you are here.

[raleigh-panther]

On Peppers, we've probably all said what there is to say.

Even when Fowler does his analyisis, tomorrow, so what. Tackles OK. There are tackles behind the line of scrimmage and tackles past the line of scrimmage, which is being measured? An occasional sack, fine. ...but, what Peppers is really paid to do is be an 'impact player'...a disruptive player, a difference maker...what is the saying, from Madden, 'big time players make big time plays in big games'. Julius isn't that guy. Not any more.

...anyway, I agree with Mr. Scott on the beating the players take.

I just have to wonder why the players union would not be for things like 'weight limits' for certain positions and an increase in the roster number to 60 vs. 52...things that would help extend their careers. Those simple two things would help players a great deal.

The simple fact is, the human body is not built to sustain 300, fast approaching 400 lb lineman and its just insane....the joints and more importantly the heart and endrocrine system just can't sustain that. Would football be not just as good if both OL/DL had a 250 lb weight limit, it would probably be better and more athletic.

I guess its on my mind as I read ESPN the magazine today, and it has an anonymous 'star' player, Player X, talking about Carson Palmer's statement of 'someone will die on the football field'. Actually someone did, Lions player years ago had a heart attack as I recall...don't remember if he was pronounced dead on the field, but he was stricken.

...anyway...

[Claws]

A very simple answer to a question and i don't mean to sound smartass but

no players do not care as much we do. it's a business to them.

[fignewty314]

I just asked Chris Hanburger this same question,he's a good friend of mine and lives around the corner from me.For those who don't know him,he was a beast at UNC and for the Redskins.He had the pleasure of being coached by Lombardi,Bill Austin,Jack Pardee,as well as George Allen.He said they all really care.He said he never played with anyone he could think of that didn't want to win every game and would give their all each play of each game.He said the coaches cared more than they did,cause they had their jobs on the line and them,as players,were property of the team.He said George Allen wouldn't talk after losses on the way home after away games.He also said he would about kill them in practice if they lost to the Cowboys.I asked him about this deal with Peppers,and he said he read it in the paper.He said if it's true he would not want him on the team.Said if it's true somebody should have said something a long time before Beason.He also said if that is true,he's an embarrassment to his alma mater