Some freelance writer wrote an article for ESPN about Haynesworth. Highlights below:
I'm sympathetic to Albert Haynesworth. Totally so. In fact, I can't fault him whatsoever.
Look, I can't comment on Haynesworth as a person. I know he's not the sort of dude you want stomping on you, any more than you'd want to share a row with him in coach. But personal charm isn't the issue. The issue is simple.
Is Haynesworth actually doing something wrong? Is he behaving in an inappropriate, intolerable, incomprehensible manner? Does he richly deserve the slings and arrows already heading his way?
No. No. And, of course, no.
Haynesworth isn't being unduly selfish, disloyal or conniving. Nuh-uh. He's just using the leverage he has to maximum effect. Haynesworth's argument essentially goes like this:
I signed with the Redskins expecting to be a havoc-creating, quarterback-attacking playmaker in a 4-3 defense. That's the role in which I excel; that's the style of play I enjoy; that's what was promised during my free-agent courtship. Only now, the team has shifted to a new coaching staff and a new 3-4 scheme, which basically asks me to eat double-team blocks. Thanks, but no thanks. I'd like a little more excitement. A lot more glory. Please send me somewhere else.
Is that really so awful? So craven?
Let's try a food analogy. Imagine you're thetop pastry chef in New York. A bunch of restaurants want you. One restaurant offers you more money than the others, plus the opportunity to run the dessert menu. You take it. A year later, the same restaurant switches to an all-fondue format and demands that you become a sous chef, chopping chocolate-dippable fruit wedges in the back room.
Technically, you're still preparing dessert. Woo-hoo! But otherwise, it's not exactly the gig you signed up for. Would you be annoyed? Would you maybe call in sick and check the restaurant want ads, even though you're perfectly healthy?
He played only one season in the Skins' 4-3 defense. Should he have to play the next six in a 3-4?
Time for another dessert analogy. You're a parent. You make your child dinner. Before dinner is served, you feed your kid a triple-scoop hot fudge sundae. Upon digging in to the main course, your kid refuses to eat. Too full. Not interested.
Who's to blame, you or the child?
He's dictating terms to his employers. Take this job and shove it? Not quite. But not far off, either.
Hmmm. Come to think of it, I'm not sympathetic to Haynesworth, after all...I'm jealous.
This guy is an idiot of the highest order. Since when did employees dictate to employers the terms of employment? Dude asks if he is doing something wrong. HELLS YES he is doing something wrong in that he signed a contract to play football and he took his money but now doesn't want to play football. That is what he was paid to do.
He is being selfish, disloyal, and conniving in that the Redskins told him in February that they would grant is outright release and allow him to sign on with another team if he forfeited the $20M due to him on April 1. Fat Albert said that he wanted his money and that he would be a Redskin. He took the money but now is not coming to mandatory camp. He is reneging on his end of the deal. Kinda seems selfish, disloyal, and conniving to me.
Dude's analogies suck too. The pastry chef one doesn't make sense because the chef isn't under contract. Haynesworth has a contract. Fine, he may not be happy about the change in scheme but, again, he has a contract he is supposed to honor.
The kid/dessert thing doesn't make sense either because I am assuming the parent's would have said that we are not giving you the sundae unless you promise to eat your dinner. If the kid didn't eat his dinner, he lied and there would have to be repercussions. Haynesworth was said that he wanted his money (dessert) and that he would come to camp (eat dinner). He took the money (dessert) but lied about coming to camp (eating dinner). There should/needs to be repercussions for that. That is character stuff and he has demonstrated himself to be a person of poor character. Don't want that guy on my team. Don't need that guy on my team. Can't win with him. Can't play with him. Can't do it!
6 comments:
It's a flawed argument. He must be getting a percentage of Fat Albert's signing bonus to be spewing this nonsense.
The bottom line is Haynesworth's contract was renegotiated when he was given the opportunity to find a team he'd prefer to move to. That's a clear message that the 'Skins understood that the job description for Buttersworth would be changing. The FO acknowledged it and gave him an out. Instead he chose to take $21 million and lead the team into believing he'd be all-in going forward. Turns out he's a big fat liar and a thief.
I'll take a couple of mid-round picks for the dude at this point. Get him out of here before he becomes a distraction in training camp.
He's an arse and the ideal situation is to recoup the $21M given to him (or as much as possible) and then dump his fat arse.
If we can't recoup the money and don't get good value for a trade, keep his arse and force him to play. If he slacks and whines, bench him, ostracize him, send him home, fine him, etc. Don't let him make our lives any more miserable, make his life miserable. Basically, he would run off with the money but he would never play football the way he did again.
It would be good to recoup the money just to stick it to him and possibly recover some cap space, but the larger issue is making sure the team is comprised of guys who are hungry. Fal Albert may be hungry for triple cheeseburgers, but he's not hungry for winning. If he's not motivated, he's going to come to camp out of shape. Then he's going to whine about the scheme. Then he's going to get distracted by his stripper baby-mama who wants him to support her bastard child. Then he's going to crash his boat in the river and be upset about that. Then he's going to cry because London Fletcher doesn't like him anymore.
No thanks. Get him out of here.
I say we have Fletcher call him up and tell him in his most humble voice that all is forgiven and that we will be going back to the 4-3 and the entire defense will revolve around him and, oh by the way, we will be throwing in an additional $10M for being so gracious to return to the team.
The first day he is undressed in the locker room, we get our new O linemen to bum rush him, tie him with his back to the wall spread eagled, and let the entire team line up and take turns hitting him in the dong with a bar of soap wrapped in a towel Full Metal Jacket style.
After it's all over, Shanny should tell Fat Albert he's got 5 minutes to get dressed and get on the field or we're starting all over again.
JKSD, you have a very graphic imagination. Perhaps you secretly want to get back at Hayney for roughing up your arse!
Hard for him to rough up my arse when he hasn't been in town. Are you fantasizing about me again?
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