Spring Break
Player's ill-will comments uncalled for
David Hall
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Tenacity, grit, dedication and a respect for fellow teammates. These are the virtues that most people associate with professional athletes. However, one man is on a mission to change all of that.
Last week, Carolina Panthers backup quarterback David Carr spit in the face of his former team and raised questions about his work ethic after dropping some surprisingly caustic quotes directed at his time as a member of the Houston Texans.
"Honestly in the last five years we haven't had much spark," Carr said. "If we were stuck in the forest, it would be hard to light a fire with what we had going on. I've been on an expansion team and it's not fun. I've been on teams that aren't winning and it wasn't exciting. Football is a hard enough game when you go out there and you're battling everything and you go out and lose it makes it hard."
Carr added that he was now glad to be able to play for a team that was "fun and exciting."
Carr, who signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Panthers on April 6, spent five years as a starting quarterback for the Texans after being the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He was released by the hard luck Texans after they traded for Atlanta Falcons backup Matt Schaub, who was soon appointed the starter.
Carr's remarks serve as a troubling insight into the thoughts and motivations of a pro-athlete. First of all, his jabs at the skills of his former teammates are completely uncalled for. Any team member, especially a quarterback, is supposed to have faith in his teammates and help bring out the best in them. Under no circumstances should he harbor resentment toward his fellow players.
Sure, the Texans didn't surround him with the best talent, but the great ones find a way to win. After all, he was paired with a bunch of men good enough to play in the NFL. It's not like he had take the seventh grade team from Shady Acres Middle School to the playoffs. Guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady inspire their teammates and raise the organization's level of play. Carr just wasn't enough of a leader.
Secondly, Carr's comment that playing on the Texans was "not fun" serves to further damage his reputation as a professional athlete. Professional football is a business, buddy. If you want to have fun, play flag football at the local YMCA and go out to Baskin-Robbins afterward. As soon as you start getting a paycheck to throw the pigskin, it's a job, and work is rarely fun.
Carr also said that playing on an expansion team "wasn't exciting." Oh, really? Did playing in front of 80,000 screaming fans not get your blood flowing? Did playing against the best competition in the world leave you bored? Did kids idolizing you and asking for your autograph make you yawn?
This raises a question for fans of any pro-sports franchise: Is everyone on your team giving their all? I have a hard time believing that David "Crying Game" Carr gave 100 percent every week when he had no confidence in those around him and found his playing situation neither fun nor exciting.
Network television doesn't seek exclusive rights to games in order to watch a bunch of frowny-faced men in pads hate their jobs. Owners don't dole out millions of dollars to have a guy put on a half-hearted performance when he steps on the field. Fans don't buy season tickets to watch uninspired football.
David Hall is a freshman news-editorial journalism major from Kingwood. His column appears Wednesdays.
Last week, Carolina Panthers backup quarterback David Carr spit in the face of his former team and raised questions about his work ethic after dropping some surprisingly caustic quotes directed at his time as a member of the Houston Texans.
"Honestly in the last five years we haven't had much spark," Carr said. "If we were stuck in the forest, it would be hard to light a fire with what we had going on. I've been on an expansion team and it's not fun. I've been on teams that aren't winning and it wasn't exciting. Football is a hard enough game when you go out there and you're battling everything and you go out and lose it makes it hard."
Carr added that he was now glad to be able to play for a team that was "fun and exciting."
Carr, who signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Panthers on April 6, spent five years as a starting quarterback for the Texans after being the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He was released by the hard luck Texans after they traded for Atlanta Falcons backup Matt Schaub, who was soon appointed the starter.
Carr's remarks serve as a troubling insight into the thoughts and motivations of a pro-athlete. First of all, his jabs at the skills of his former teammates are completely uncalled for. Any team member, especially a quarterback, is supposed to have faith in his teammates and help bring out the best in them. Under no circumstances should he harbor resentment toward his fellow players.
Sure, the Texans didn't surround him with the best talent, but the great ones find a way to win. After all, he was paired with a bunch of men good enough to play in the NFL. It's not like he had take the seventh grade team from Shady Acres Middle School to the playoffs. Guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady inspire their teammates and raise the organization's level of play. Carr just wasn't enough of a leader.
Secondly, Carr's comment that playing on the Texans was "not fun" serves to further damage his reputation as a professional athlete. Professional football is a business, buddy. If you want to have fun, play flag football at the local YMCA and go out to Baskin-Robbins afterward. As soon as you start getting a paycheck to throw the pigskin, it's a job, and work is rarely fun.
Carr also said that playing on an expansion team "wasn't exciting." Oh, really? Did playing in front of 80,000 screaming fans not get your blood flowing? Did playing against the best competition in the world leave you bored? Did kids idolizing you and asking for your autograph make you yawn?
This raises a question for fans of any pro-sports franchise: Is everyone on your team giving their all? I have a hard time believing that David "Crying Game" Carr gave 100 percent every week when he had no confidence in those around him and found his playing situation neither fun nor exciting.
Network television doesn't seek exclusive rights to games in order to watch a bunch of frowny-faced men in pads hate their jobs. Owners don't dole out millions of dollars to have a guy put on a half-hearted performance when he steps on the field. Fans don't buy season tickets to watch uninspired football.
David Hall is a freshman news-editorial journalism major from Kingwood. His column appears Wednesdays.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
Jack Sutherland
posted 4/17/07 @ 10:32 PM CST
What? Criticizing Carr for criticizing Houston. This author is a huge hypocrite!
Paul Hirsch
posted 4/18/07 @ 1:12 AM CST
David,
You have written a very good article here. Unfortunately you filled it with a bunch of one-sided ramble. Obviously you are a disgruntled Texans fan that did not take away from the comments Carr made the same as most others did, or the way it was intended. (Continued…)
Rusty Gilbert
posted 4/18/07 @ 9:47 AM CST
David:
Tunnel vision is common for a freshman writer, but this article is a major setback for a fledgling journalist.
Who cares about your petty feelings? Do you actually expect an educated public to read and enjoy such narrow ideas? Such an article like this will appeal only to a very small segment of readers. (Continued…)
Jim Smith
posted 4/18/07 @ 10:40 AM CST
David Carr is a mediocre QB, at best. The Texans made a BIG mistake by drafting him first overall, and then continued the mistakes by starting him and expecting more than he will ever be capable of. (Continued…)
Jim
posted 4/24/07 @ 5:11 PM CST
I want to donate www.nfl.ro Send me an email to tyler_216 at yahoo.com if you're interested in developing the site.
Dr. Sweese
posted 4/26/07 @ 10:05 AM CST
After reading this fine specimen of an opinion article I wrote this little ditty:
Bippity Bippity I like Cheese.
Bamp and Boomp and I like Cheese.
Oola Woola Bolly Boing
I like Cheese. (Continued…)
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