Shut Up, Vince.

by billb on Mar 9, 2006 1:31 PM CST Comment 15 comments

For those of you you haven't seen this article on ESPN about Vince here is the link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=whitlock/060309

Needless to say I have a number of problems with this article. First, the title implies Vince is somehow running his mouth, but does not mention it in the entire article. But that is a small complaint.

My real complaint is that Whitlock's idea is that because Young has made poor decisions in hiring an agent he is not willing to prepare for games. He says "The most prestigious and most difficult job in all of sports -- NFL quarterback -- is played at a high level by the men willing to humble themselves and prepare like each Sunday is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".

If being confident meant a QB would not succeed in the NFL there would be no NFL QBs. Whitlock is flat out wrong, it is not humility, but a desire to be the best and a willingness to do whatever it takes to be the best that makes a great QB. Vince has those qualities in spades, along with talent.

If Whitlock wants to argue Vince is going to slide because of these decisions, fine. But his whole premise is unfounded. If he knew anything about Young (the summer sessions for example) he would know he is more than willing to prepare.

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What I would like to see..

Its probably been said before, but I hope and pray Vince drops down to the Lions. Can you imagine what Martz could do with Vince. Not to mention the fact that they have a bevy of Awesome recievers. I believe that if the Lions get someone who can actually play QB they would be a very good team.

Let him slide. Maybe, just maybe, in 5 years after his 2nd Super Bowl ESPN will do a "look what they missed" piece.

I beat Wells in pool!!!

by AdamDC on Mar 9, 2006 1:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Whitlock

is an assclown.

by sideshow on Mar 9, 2006 1:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

wtf?

how does he compare vy to larry brown & timmy smith? two average players who had big games on the big stage to one of the greatest college football players ever?

in the words of tim duncan, "retarded".

by texn4life on Mar 9, 2006 2:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Scoop Jackson

Writes stupid things for a living. It's his job. What a bitch.

by Peter Bean on Mar 10, 2006 9:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Ok

HornsFan, wrong black writer...

Folks, take off the orange-tinted glasses for a second. We all love Vince, and I'll admit that Whitlock is usually a tool. But, c'mon. You don't see any truth to what he's written here? You don't think Vince has made some pretty questionable moves regarding who he keeps around him? You don't think going to the White House without a tie was just blind arrogance on his part (I don't care what BS excuse the SID office made up)?

I think Vince will be a success in the NFL, but I'm also not blind. Whitlocks' column has a ring of truth to it, whether or not Texas fans want to admit it or not. I'd love to see Vince play the game -- get a name agent, keep the posse on the down-low, understand and respect the power of The League -- so that he can get that top-three pick and earn the respect of owners and GMs. It'd be nice if he could start off with the right humble attitude, even if that's not "keepin' it real."

by Eric on Mar 10, 2006 10:00 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't see the humble thing

It seems like most NFL QBs are hard working, but not humble in any shape or form.
Who cares what posse you have, if you want to say something about VY's work ethic, then look to how hard he worked at UT. I am sure most NFL players, espically the eliete, have huge posses, but a good agent will be the one who hides them from the reporters and scouts.
Whether or not he has a good agent says nothing about how he is going to play, although it may change where he goes in the draft and his public image.

by Wells on Mar 10, 2006 10:13 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

that was

sorta my point. I never said anything about his work ethic. I said play the game. Who cares about posses? How about old white guys. The same old white guys who run the NFL and its teams. Perception, man. It's all about perception. NFL QBs may not be humble, but not many put on an arrogant face in public. No player is bigger than The League. Some players find that out the hard way. I don't want Vince to be one of those guys.

by Eric on Mar 10, 2006 10:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

you don't have to wear a tie to the white house

by jimmer on Mar 10, 2006 10:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes...

...you do. You're arguing just to have something to argue about. Is it written in the Constitution? No, but it's just what you do. White House staffers are required to wear ties. Every single guy who showed up that day had a tie on, including all of Vince's teammates and coaches. It's about respect. Vince deciding to roll up without a coat and tie made him and, I think, all of us, look kinda bad. It was pure arrogance and I was somewhat embarrased by it.

by Eric on Mar 10, 2006 11:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

well i guess i don't have much respect for the

white house. b/c i didn't wear coat or tie when i went, twice. i think it is rediculous for it to matter how you dress, when you are not involved directly with politics.

white house staffers are toolbags for the most part (with the exception of the presidents personal aide), so VY certainly doesn't want to dress like them. i am sorry you are embarrased by how the best player in college football dresses, but i personally think that is a little materialistic.

like you said, it is not written in the constitution. and i don't think there are bouncers at the door checking for closed toed shoes and collared shirts.

from a guy who has a 2005 Nat. Championship t-shirt on at work right now.

by jimmer on Mar 10, 2006 11:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Vince's post RB decisions remind me of the last super high-profile Longhorn to hit the League: Ricky. Now, I understand that Ricky has some other issues, but don't you think that a real agent would have realized that early on and a) gotten him a real contract and b) more importantly, gotten him the psychiatric (or whatever) help that he needed from the get-go rather than letting him fumble along like he did with the Saints?

The difference of course is that Ricky was (and is) a sure-fire NFL'er. Any OC worth his salt could run a decent offense around Ricky without a whole lot of thought. Vince, however, is going to require some high-level offensive design to utilize him to the full extent and consequently, some teams won't even trade even one player (let alone their whole draft) to get him.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if someone at Texas isn't giving these guys the right guidance (or any) once they decide to go pro. In the end, I'm more concerned that Mack give his guys the right guidance to win 9 more MNCs (in the next 10 years) but it seems a shame that some of our great players are moving on with what seem to be some pretty half-assed plans.

All that said, Whitlock is generally an ass-clown.

by Kahuna on Mar 10, 2006 10:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait

The premise may be true, but the conclusion drawn is ridiculous.

-He didn't hire a good agent.
-Therefore: He's not ready to be an NFL quarterback.

How does the conclusion follow from the premise? It's a dumb argument.

by Peter Bean on Mar 10, 2006 10:07 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Conspiracy

This all has to do with ESPN and Jay Cutler's agent conspiring against Vince Young in order to instill doubt into NFL team's minds and raise Jay Cutler's stock.
Vince Young has not done anything wrong and therefore does not warrant a 2 day (and counting) stint on ESPN.com's front page declaring him to be unfit for the NFL.
I'd also like to point out that LeBron James has his family friends as his closest advisors, and is one of the most respected athletes in his profession with some of the best PR in the business.
This is like the ESPN hype machine that robbed VY of the Heisman, stupid and misguided.

by Born and Raised on Mar 10, 2006 12:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

As Whitlock points out...

The NBA and NFL are in no way comperable. They market the teams and players differently, and have an altogether different business model. I hate to tell you, but there is no conspiracy. ESPN does not hate Vince, nor does it love Jay Cutler. The company is in business for one reason only - to get eyeballs on its Web site and networks. Vince brings eyeballs, and controversial stories about Vince even more so. Don't read anything more into ESPN's coverage than that.

by Eric on Mar 10, 2006 2:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Whitlock

"His every move is cussed, discussed and analyzed by millions of people who don't have a clue about playing the position."
That sums it up perfectly. What makes Whitlock think he has a clue about playing the position? Has he ever played? Correct me if I'm wrong, but just because you get paid to yack about top sports and their players doesn't mean that you know rule one about actually playing or preparing to.

Speaking about preparation, Whitlock obviously didn't prepare himself for writing that article. Did he not hear about the note Vince posted reading "Anyone who wants to beat Ohio State meet me at the field to train."? Did he not hear Mack Brown when he said that Vince had been "hitting the film room and practice field."?

Oh, and by the way, Whitlock can't compare Vince to Michael Vick because Vince hasn't been shooting off his mouth about how great and wonderful he is.

The next time that Whitlock wants to criticise Vince, he should practice what he preaches and prepare himself.

Texan and Longhorn for life

by mackdaddy on Mar 16, 2006 4:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs