mchaps55
Footballguy
I say there will be alot of changes in Miami and that goes for a new head coach:
Intensity up as Parcells stands watch -- for better or for worse
Some players see better effort with Bill Parcells at practice, but wonder where that passion was all year.
Posted on Sat, Dec. 29, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com
COURTESY CBS 4
‘You see a lot of guys trying to turn up their intensity because Bill [Parcells] is here,' Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman said of Parcells, left.Since the start of the season, Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman has preached about the need for intensity during practice. He has attempted to play with that passion, too.
Yet Friday, it became clear Chatman wasn't quite as fond of the team's newfound spark, which oddly increased during the final practice of the year. Chatman's wonder: What took so long?
''You see a lot of guys trying to turn up their intensity because Bill [Parcells] is here,'' Chatman said. ``What's so funny is, Bill is going to evaluate everything you've been doing since you've been here. So to try to turn it up at the end, it's like, where was that at the beginning?
``If you needed Bill to motivate you to get you playing, there goes our season right there anyway.''
Chatman wasn't alone, either.
On a day that marked the second time Parcells has attended a workout since he arrived as the team's new vice president of football operations, running back Samkon Gado also said the intensity was much higher.
''I noticed it immediately,'' Gado said. ``I think guys were a little more focused. If there was any practice this year that might have lacked intensity, you would have expected it [Friday]. It's the last day of practice for the season, and it didn't feel like that at all.''
So why the sudden upgrade in passion? Let's just say Gado didn't point to the upcoming game against the Bengals.
''It doesn't take a genius to figure that out,'' Gado said. ``Mr. Parcells was standing on the sideline. I think he had everything to do with it.''
But Gado also added another sentiment, noting that the increase in intensity from his teammates actually ``speaks to the type of person [Parcells] is.''
A GOOD THING?
That brings up an interesting point: Should it be viewed as a negative that it took Parcells' mere presence to drive up the level of passion during a practice? Or should it be viewed as a positive, since Parcells' presence already is being felt?
Perhaps it's a bit of both. Then again, Parcells isn't easily fooled. And chances are, if a player needed his arrival to motivate them on the last day of the season, he'll likely send them packing soon enough as it is.
''You'd like to think that it wouldn't affect how you practice or play,'' injured quarterback Trent Green added. ``You should be practicing and playing at the highest level anyway.''
That's certainly true. But if any of the players heard Parcells' introductory news conference Thursday, perhaps they also realized this isn't a person who ignores toughness.
Parcells stressed the need Thursday to find a way to limit the numbers of players sidelined because of injuries next season. That might seem impossible, since toughness is not going to prevent a serious injury. Nonetheless, some players believe they know what the new boss means.
TOUGH GUYS WANTED
''I don't want to speak for him, but he probably wants tough guys,'' Green said. ``There's a difference between being injured and being hurt. You need to have tough guys who can play through things. But we've had concussions and torn ACLs. There's not much you can do with that.''
While the idea of a more intense practice because of Parcells' arrival might not speak well for Cameron's motivational tactics, Gado noted that sometimes certain people simply have that effect on people.
For example, Gado says he has a trainer in Columbia, S.C., who is more capable than anyone else to get the most out of the running back during a training session.
''I work out 1,000 times better because he knows exactly how to push my buttons,'' Gado said. ``I think Bill Parcells is a man who knows how to push people's buttons. He does a good job of that, from what I hear.''
Yet oddly, Parcells wasn't involved in coaching Friday. He only watched from the sideline. Apparently, however, the watching eyes of one man might have suddenly caused the eyes of many others to widen.
Too bad, for some, it's just 17 weeks too late.
GOOD-GUY AWARD
Cornerback Andre Goodman was named the Dolphins' recipient of the 2007 Good Guy award on Friday, as voted on by South Florida members of the Pro Football Writers of America.
The annual award is given to the player who provides the most exceptional assistance and availability to local sports writers throughout the season.
Throughout a difficult year, Goodman has consistently addressed reporters with honest insight, thorough explanations and impressive patience, regardless of the topic.
Intensity up as Parcells stands watch -- for better or for worse
Some players see better effort with Bill Parcells at practice, but wonder where that passion was all year.
Posted on Sat, Dec. 29, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com
COURTESY CBS 4
‘You see a lot of guys trying to turn up their intensity because Bill [Parcells] is here,' Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman said of Parcells, left.Since the start of the season, Dolphins running back Jesse Chatman has preached about the need for intensity during practice. He has attempted to play with that passion, too.
Yet Friday, it became clear Chatman wasn't quite as fond of the team's newfound spark, which oddly increased during the final practice of the year. Chatman's wonder: What took so long?
''You see a lot of guys trying to turn up their intensity because Bill [Parcells] is here,'' Chatman said. ``What's so funny is, Bill is going to evaluate everything you've been doing since you've been here. So to try to turn it up at the end, it's like, where was that at the beginning?
``If you needed Bill to motivate you to get you playing, there goes our season right there anyway.''
Chatman wasn't alone, either.
On a day that marked the second time Parcells has attended a workout since he arrived as the team's new vice president of football operations, running back Samkon Gado also said the intensity was much higher.
''I noticed it immediately,'' Gado said. ``I think guys were a little more focused. If there was any practice this year that might have lacked intensity, you would have expected it [Friday]. It's the last day of practice for the season, and it didn't feel like that at all.''
So why the sudden upgrade in passion? Let's just say Gado didn't point to the upcoming game against the Bengals.
''It doesn't take a genius to figure that out,'' Gado said. ``Mr. Parcells was standing on the sideline. I think he had everything to do with it.''
But Gado also added another sentiment, noting that the increase in intensity from his teammates actually ``speaks to the type of person [Parcells] is.''
A GOOD THING?
That brings up an interesting point: Should it be viewed as a negative that it took Parcells' mere presence to drive up the level of passion during a practice? Or should it be viewed as a positive, since Parcells' presence already is being felt?
Perhaps it's a bit of both. Then again, Parcells isn't easily fooled. And chances are, if a player needed his arrival to motivate them on the last day of the season, he'll likely send them packing soon enough as it is.
''You'd like to think that it wouldn't affect how you practice or play,'' injured quarterback Trent Green added. ``You should be practicing and playing at the highest level anyway.''
That's certainly true. But if any of the players heard Parcells' introductory news conference Thursday, perhaps they also realized this isn't a person who ignores toughness.
Parcells stressed the need Thursday to find a way to limit the numbers of players sidelined because of injuries next season. That might seem impossible, since toughness is not going to prevent a serious injury. Nonetheless, some players believe they know what the new boss means.
TOUGH GUYS WANTED
''I don't want to speak for him, but he probably wants tough guys,'' Green said. ``There's a difference between being injured and being hurt. You need to have tough guys who can play through things. But we've had concussions and torn ACLs. There's not much you can do with that.''
While the idea of a more intense practice because of Parcells' arrival might not speak well for Cameron's motivational tactics, Gado noted that sometimes certain people simply have that effect on people.
For example, Gado says he has a trainer in Columbia, S.C., who is more capable than anyone else to get the most out of the running back during a training session.
''I work out 1,000 times better because he knows exactly how to push my buttons,'' Gado said. ``I think Bill Parcells is a man who knows how to push people's buttons. He does a good job of that, from what I hear.''
Yet oddly, Parcells wasn't involved in coaching Friday. He only watched from the sideline. Apparently, however, the watching eyes of one man might have suddenly caused the eyes of many others to widen.
Too bad, for some, it's just 17 weeks too late.
GOOD-GUY AWARD
Cornerback Andre Goodman was named the Dolphins' recipient of the 2007 Good Guy award on Friday, as voted on by South Florida members of the Pro Football Writers of America.
The annual award is given to the player who provides the most exceptional assistance and availability to local sports writers throughout the season.
Throughout a difficult year, Goodman has consistently addressed reporters with honest insight, thorough explanations and impressive patience, regardless of the topic.
