Monday, May 21, 2007

If a Mediocre Defensive End Falls In the Woods...

Alex Brown, a serviceable defensive end, has asked the Bears to trade him. This scintillating bit of news has caused no phones to ring at Halas Hall. No suprise there; he just isn't that good. He is O.K. but is about to lose his starting position to second-year player Mark Anderson. Why? Because Anderson is better. There now, that was simple.

However, I don't get it. Alex Brown has three years left on a contract that pays a very good wage, overpaid some might say. He is not going to sit on the bench; the Bears rotate their defensive lineman in every series. Moreover, no NFL team will pay him more than the Bears. I don't think any will pay him close to what the Bears pay him. What does he want? Who is advising him? In Lombardi-speak, "What the HELL is going on out there?" I guess we'll find out sometime.

The question I have is why does an average football player want to leave a winning team with Super Bowl potential unless he is going to dupe some stupid team to overpay him (see: Washington Redskins)? Because he isn't a "starter?" C'mon, this is not high school. NFL teams play a lot of players in today's game. If it means that much to you Alex, beat the guy out for the job. Compete, you boob. I guess he wants to be traded to a team with lousy defensive ends so he doesn't have to work that hard. Then he will be happy because he "starts" for 7-9 non-playoff team. Amazing.

If you get to watch one episode of "America's Game" on NFL Network, you will understand my amazement. The look on the face of player when he displays his Super Bowl ring is priceless. You see a man who truly realizes why he played the game. The ONLY reason to play professional football is to be called a champion. I know that these players have a short shelf life and don't have a lot to fall back on. Money becomes a priority. But if championships aren't your goal, why would any team want you or pay you? I would want players who care about winning first and try to get as many of those guys on my roster as possible.

Alex Brown does not inspire me. He is an average player who wants to leave a winner for no good reason. Obviously, winning is not a priority for him. The Bears have invested money in a loser. He is now an obstacle in reaching another Super Bowl. To bad he has a family, otherwise, he would not be missed.

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