"Here's what I know...Jason is not going to be at any OTAs (organized-team activities). I know that Jason is not going to be at any minicamps, and I know that right now, that Jason is not going to be at training camp."
This development comes in the wake of Taylor participating on ABC's Dancing with the Stars and Bill Parcells reaction to the star player missing his workouts. ESPN writes that,"Taylor recently became incensed with Parcells during a recent visit to team headquarters, according to the Miami Herald. Taylor popped in on the Dolphins' executive vice president while he was watching tape, but the newspaper said Parcells ignored Taylor without speaking a word to him....according to the Herald, Parcells had no interest in talking to Taylor. Parcells even looked at Taylor, the newspaper reported, before going back to watching tape."
First of all, why was Jason Taylor on Dancing with the Stars? Because Emmitt Smith and Mark Cuban did so and therefore it's okay for a rough and tough athlete to dance around like an idiot on national tv? Hardly.
Smith is a former Cowboy so this borderline female behavior is to be expected. Cuban is not an athlete nor is he a professional football player on a horrendous team which almost lost every game last year. Huge differences.
I don't care what Taylor or his agent says, any time you spend off the field, gaining national attention and not focusing on football, is time you could be spending with your teamates getting ready for the next season. And you know what? I don't give a shit if he had 11 sacks last year, or was "Man of the Year." The Dolphins were dog-shit despite his "heroics." How many games did they win? 5? A guy like Taylor should be at every workout mentoring the two D-Ends the Dolphins drafted. It makes no difference that this guy is a pro-bowler, too. He still needs to be there in order to learn Sparano's new defense and teach the Rookies how to play.
Parcell's behavior is right on the money here. The first thing a GM like Bill Parcells needs to do is change the culture arround Miami. It needs to go from a losing mentality to a winning mentality basically overnight. While Taylor's teammates welcomed him with praise after Dancing, Parcells stared him down with contempt. This is exactly the type of hardball Parcells needs to play in order to fix the Dolphins.
Furthermore, would you expect anything less from the guy who coached LT, the most badass player of all time (Butkus aside)? Parcells was hired to bring back ass-kickery to the Dolphins, a franchise that still has the NFL's only undefeated team. How can you bring back ass-kickery if your top d-lineman is prancing around in his underwear?I love how Taylor was "incensed" at Parcells for ignoring him. This is exactly why the Dolphins were so bad last year -- they have prima-donnas like Taylor who think their careers come before the team. Taylor should sit down, shut the hell up, and listen to Parcells since that guy knows how to win. He should also admit that Dancing with the Stars is a pathetic show and that he's sorry for humiliating d-ends around the league.
But instead he's now threatening a holdout, despite having no apparent contract issues with his team. Basically he's trying to tell the Dolphins: I won't let some rickety GM embarass me or tell me how to live my life. Either trade me or let your team suffer by not having me in camp.
Gotta love the NFL and total assholes who play for our hard-earned money.
2 comments:
Man, I'll tell you what, this Jason Taylor situation mirrors the Tiki Barber Giants situation to me in many ways. Much like Jason, Tiki was one of those guys that was very well-spoken and who translated well into other entertainment forums. People loved that he was such a public figure. And, I loved him until the last year he played for the team. How could you not? Everything about these guys says "good for the NFL" because they bring in new fans and they go against a lot of traditional stereotypes of NFL players.
BUT, something happened. Suddenly, Tiki started asking the media why the Giants weren't running the ball. This wasn't going to accomplish anything, because members of the media don't call plays for the Giants. Suddenly, it became clear that Tiki had a larger agenda, one that was built around building his career, not on helping the Giants win. Suddenly, he leaves and the team is much better off. They are free to move in a new direction without the stench of the old guard lingering over them.
The thing is, if you had ever told me that Tiki was self-centered and bad for the team, I would have told you that you were an idiot up until his last year when he was speaking out so publicly. Even then, if you had told me the Giants were better off without him, I would have told you that you clearly knew nothing about football. These guys have entrenched themselves so firmly into the cultures of these teams that it's hard for us to really see them as they are.
Taylor is no good to the Dolphins. The Patriots? Yes. The Colts? Sure. The Giants? Hell yes. But, if he's not playing for a championship, then what is going to motivate him? Not football. If he stays with Miami, the only thing motivating him is going to be furthering his career and trying to set himself up for after football. And, he'll hurt the team because his presence will prevent new leaders from stepping forward. Parcells needs to get him out.
Tiki is an ass. I never liked him.
His brother is ten times better.
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