(10-31-2016, 03:42 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: or how much most athletes/teams care in general.

I keep seeing people talking about discipline, character, fire, passion, etc. and I just dont think that stuff resonates with a lot of the athletes out there as much as it does with the fans.

Fans are emotionally invested in their teams. They look at the team as a representation of their city and themselves. Most of the athletes in pro sports never grew up cheering or rooting for the team they are currently on and dont share that passion that the fans have.

Sure, athletes are competitive and they want to win but I just dont think they share in that same passion about their team that the fans share. They try their hardest, get their check, and if they win...great, if they lose...they move on with their lives.

A friend of mine does some work for the Bengals and travels with them for most of their games. I asked him what it was like after the Dallas loss, how the mood was on the plane ride home after they got their butts kicked. He responded "just another game".

Obviously players would rather win games than lose games, but I dont think they lose too much sleep over it.

(10-31-2016, 04:51 PM)Hoofhearted Wrote: Yeah, this was unusually disappointing tho. 

“The best lesson learned today for our football team is you just got to keep playing, regardless literally of the situation, football game, where we are, what's going on - just keep playing, go to the next down and keep playing,”


I mean is that even a "best lesson" ? 


Usually it's we've got to play better, but this just sounds like a defeated man IMO.

(10-31-2016, 04:49 PM)Pat5775 Wrote: Absolutely! Well put.

Unfortunately, if the players are a reflection of their head coach, we are in serious trouble. 

(10-31-2016, 09:35 PM)Derrick Wrote: This may account for the noticeable drop off of some key players this year. They see that working hard gets the same rewards as players not working hard. So why work hard.

(10-31-2016, 09:35 PM)Derrick Wrote: They see that working hard gets the same rewards as players not working hard. So why work hard.

(10-31-2016, 09:39 PM)Marlon23 Wrote: Money has taken away so much from professional sports.  I think the desire to be the best Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ali, all this is gone.  It is gone sad to say...  but True.

(11-01-2016, 01:21 PM)fredtoast Wrote: No they don't see this at all.

You just made this up.

(11-01-2016, 04:17 PM)Fresno B Wrote: I think a lot of people overestimates this team period.

(10-31-2016, 07:32 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Professionals do take their crafts seriously. You'd have to think all NFL players are doing exactly what they wanted in life, so they should be taking it seriously. I don't know anyone who found "their job" and was working for "money". You will bleed sweat for something you love. There is a spottable difference between those who love what they do and those earning a paycheck. The Bengals don't care about that difference, they keep everyone.

If you want to be a legend you have to have talent and work ethic. Work ethic can overcome some talent, but talent cannot overcome work ethic. Those who work hard can overcome talent. The legends have the work ethic to match their natural talent. Who could have been a legend on our team? Geno Atkins, Gio Bernard, and AJ Green. There is nobody else that has the talent level. Andy Dalton appears to have the work ethic but he's pushing his talent to the max and it's not close to Geno/Gio/AJ.

Regardless, who bleeds sweat on our team? AJ Green, Andy Dalton, Giovani Bernard. Who on the Defense? Atkins gets double teamed, so it's hard to tell, I'm guessing he does too. Anyone else? Doubt it. Adam Jones is old.

You better figure out if you want to be legendary early on in life, 20s and early 30s are for cementing those habits. 

(11-01-2016, 01:31 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: Sorry, but no.  Each person you listed was incredibly well compensated for the time they played.  To be the best at anything, not just sports, you must have an innate drive and ambition that makes you get up every day and do more than you did the day before.  It's why a guy like Tom Brady, who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, continues to play the game.  Why a Derek Jeter plays until he is 40 years old.  Not everyone has that drive, but not everyone has ever had that drive.

(11-02-2016, 10:54 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I think part of the problem is that these athletes get pampered from the time they're in high school. Coaches and recruiters kissing their asses, fans kissing their asses, getting paid millions... The hunger and passion is harder to get out of them because they're spoiled. Only great coaches can motivate them consistently.

It also hurts the Bengals that there's no accountability. The GM will never fire himself. The HC has kept his job when he said he would have fired himself. Underperforming position coaches keep jobs for 20 years. Way too much comfort. It spreads down to players as well. Players who keep their jobs despite mediocre play.

Now if you're a player and you see all of this, what's your motivation to push extra hard? When you see everyone from the top down getting by on mediocre? Terrell Owens nailed it way back in 2010..."The problems start from the top down".

(11-03-2016, 06:23 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Spoiled my ass.  The guys in the NFL are the hardest workers on their high school and college teams.  They sacrifice their bodies and play with injuries.  They are among the most competitive and highly motivated men in the world.

They also have massive egos that drive them to win at all costs.  They hate getting beaten while on a stage ion front of thousands of people in the stands and millions of people on TV.

I played high school football with a guy who played in the NFL (Alan Wengilkowski) and I played college football with two guys who made it to the NFL (Van Williams, Boyce Green).  I also was acquainted with Fred Weary when he played for the Vols. They were the hardest working guys on their team.  Thay played hurt and they were far from "spoiled".

(11-03-2016, 07:51 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote:  If you think all these athletes LOVE their sport, you're sadly mistaken. 

(10-31-2016, 09:39 PM)Marlon23 Wrote: Money has taken away so much from professional sports.  I think the desire to be the best Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ali, all this is gone.  It is gone sad to say...  but True.