Distraction vs. Potential

[Dave Gray]

With Brandon Marshall coming to the Fins, it got me thinking about the concept of distraction vs. potential.

At what point do you shy away from a diva/cancer/risk, despite them having the physical gifts to be a superstar?

And from there, which things are you willing to give a 2nd chance:
- can't get along with teammates (Owens)
- problems with authority/practice
- general malcontent
- drugs/alcohol
- domestic violence
- thuggery (Pacman)

[StL FinFan]

A second chance is fine.  But no 3rd, 4th, 5th etc.   Screw up twice and you're gone.

[Dave Gray]

But, screw up once with another team, or once on your own.  Are you okay bringing in a known problem child from another team, to give him a fresh start with you?

[StL FinFan]

Yes, but I sit him down and make it abundantly clear to him that if he screws up, he is done here.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Yes, but I sit him down and make it abundantly clear to him that if he screws up, he is done here.

And when Marshall responds, "okay cut me, I won't mind being a FA along with taking your $24 million in guaranteed money."  Then what....

Taking a flier on a problem child is one thing.....giving a problem child a multiyear deal with millions in guaranteed money is another. 

[BigDaddyFin]

Depends on the coach/owner philosophy too. 

If it's me, I'd ask the following in regards to the points listed originally.

-can't get along with teammates
Why?  Is it the chemistry/other guys in the locker room?  Is too much on the guy to carry the team?

- problems with authority/practice
Does he not practice because he's old?  Does he have problems with authority
because he doesn't respond well to yelling/people chewing his ass out publicly?

- general malcontent
Not even sure what this means. 

- drugs/alcohol
Did the guy get caught in up in some shit?   Was it something stupid where he once got a DUI?  Did he go to rehab?  The NFL has a pretty strong rehab and testing program.

- domestic violence
As much as I hate domestic violence, my feeling is screw up once and you get a reprieve.  Screw up twice, or more ala Chris Henry, cut the bastard. 

- thuggery
Means different things to different people.  A guy who once got in a bar fight, yeah you keep him.  A guy who runs around pulling shit and instigating every few minutes is more trouble than he's worth.  Teams have too much security around and too much invested in the players for them to be out doing stupid shit and forget kicking someone's ass for a minute, what if the stupid bastard breaks his hand or something else and can't play the next week?  Then what?

[Spider-Dan]

What's the difference between drugs/alcohol, domestic violence, and thuggery?  Seems like it should all be under "problems with the law."

[Dave Gray]

What's the difference between drugs/alcohol, domestic violence, and thuggery?  Seems like it should all be under "problems with the law."

I think it shows difference in character.

I have a problem, especially, with domestic violence.  Beating up your wife is more harmful to marketing a player, I think.

Drugs or alcohol, I'm more likely to be lenient with a first time, for whatever reason, assuming that the person is willing to go to treatment.

Thuggery is not as bad as the others (like making it rain at the strip club all the time), but I think that the long term impacts of this are bad, because they seem to keep recurring and there's no getting it out of the player.  If you're in the wrong place all the time, eventually it's going to be the wrong time.

[Phishfan]

In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with players enjoying the entertainment of strip clubs. I don't consider that thuggery at all. People from all walks of life walk into those places. I would consider thuggery the practice of being in scuffles no matter where it happens to be.

[Dave Gray]

In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with players enjoying the entertainment of strip clubs. I don't consider that thuggery at all. People from all walks of life walk into those places. I would consider thuggery the practice of being in scuffles no matter where it happens to be.

I agree.  I just used strip clubs as an example, because it was front and center in all of Pac-Man's trouble.  While I agree that strip clubs, in and of themselves, are not trouble, generally, the kind of guys chillin' at the titty bar on a random Wednesday at 3 AM aren't model citizens in other respects and tend to get in trouble.

[JVides]

And when Marshall responds, "okay cut me, I won't mind being a FA along with taking your $24 million in guaranteed money."  Then what....

Taking a flier on a problem child is one thing.....giving a problem child a multiyear deal with millions in guaranteed money is another. 

Which is why the Pats should have never taken on Randy Moss, or signed him to an extension.  Oh, wait...

[Sunstroke]

I don't think Marshall is going to be any distraction at all for the Dolphins...just a godsend to their passing game.

I am all about the potential, because I always feel that a strong enough coaching staff can keep all but the most extreme head cases contained enough so that any distractions caused don't adversely affect the team's performance on the field.

At what point do you shy away from a diva/cancer/risk, despite them having the physical gifts to be a superstar?

And from there, which things are you willing to give a 2nd chance:
- can't get along with teammates (Owens)
- problems with authority/practice
- general malcontent
- drugs/alcohol
- domestic violence
- thuggery (Pacman)

Technically, you could have put Owens' name next to the first three and been spot on...

T.O. was just out of control in SF...his drama was a daily occurence, and since the coaching staff couldn't keep him under control, I was glad to see him go.

That said, I sure wish we'd gotten "anything" for him when he forced his way to Philly instead of Baltimore. He was arguably one of the three most talented receivers in the game at the time, and we legally owned his rights (his agent screwed up on turning in his request to void last 3 years on contract), but he got the NFL to let him take it to arbitration, and he ended up going to Philly as a free agent instead of the trade we'd made to Baltimore for their second round pick. Philly ended up giving us a broken down D-lineman as compensation, but the guy was done, and played a whopping 5 games for SF before retiring.  So, F*** you, Terrell Owens, and F*** you too, Stephen Burbank (the arbitrator).

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Which is why the Pats should have never taken on Randy Moss, or signed him to an extension.  Oh, wait...

Before the trade Moss had a contract with Oakland that would have paid him $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008.  As part of the trade agreement, Moss tore up that contract and agreed to a one year deal with a base of $2.5 million and $1.5 million dollars in escalators/incentives for 2007 and would make him a FA in 2008.  

NE did not sign him to an extention the way Mia signed Edwards to one, they demanded on pay cut and a one year prove it deal.  

Not even close to comparable.  

[Sunstroke]

NE did not sign him to an extention the way Mia signed Edwards to one...

We signed Braylon Edwards too?

Far-fuckin-out!!