Is Russell Wilson Fake?

[hawknation2016]

Is there a racist element to the expectation that Russell should be any less boring and politically correct than the other starting QBs in the league? This is basically why the "not black enough" thing started. People expect him to be genuine, outspoken, and charismatic in a specific kind of way. But he's a great guy in his own way, so people have a problem with it? I don't know. I'm just musing.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I like Russell. I like how much time he gives to others.

I just wish he didn't publicize every good deed he does. Makes him look self serving even though I'm sure he isn't.

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[Hasselbeck]

No hatred for any of the QB's I mentioned, I brought them up as an example comparing how they act to how Russell does/would.

Would Russell ever take an opposing fans flag from them and throw it on the ground? Nope

Furthermore, Cam was charged with felony counts of burglary, larceny and obstructing justice for stealing a fellow student’s laptop in 2010. When police came to his dorm, Cam threw the laptop ( which he had painted his name on)out his window. He was suspended from the team, and held in jail. All charges were dropped when he completed a court-approved program. Despite his troubled behavior, Cam persevered to become the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner and the Number 1 NFL draft pick.

In 2015, Green Bay Packers fan sought payment from the Carolina Panthers after Cam tore down and stole his homemade, $500 sign that said “Carolina Cheeseheads” at a Packers-Panthers game. Cam’s explanation: “You’re not going to sell a Whopper at McDonald’s.”

The guy has immense talent, but doesn't always use his best judgment.

So he made a mistake as a 21 year old .. big deal. Most 18-21 year olds do something extremely stupid.

The flag thing and the sign thing never bothered me. But I guess it depends on who you are.

I think both cases are pretty flimsy reasons to think he's in the same category as an alleged rapist. But oh well, back to the point at hand.

 

[McGruff]

When you are a public figure, whether in arts, sports or business, your image is important. What you portray to the public is important. That doesn't make it fake, but it does make it filtered.

Russell Wilson is a genuinely good guy who cares about doing good things. He's also a hard worker. He's student and a learner as well as a leader ans a business man. These are all PART of who Russell Wilson is, and as a public figure, its the PART that he lets the world see.

Undoubtedly there are other PARTS to Russell Wilson that he keeps private. And that's okay. All public figures do it. They put the totality of their person through a public filter. That doesn't make them fake. He is what he genuinely portrays, but that's not ALL he is.

 

[UK_Seahawk]

I think he's trying to be the man his dad wanted him to be. Listen how he talks about how his dad used to do pretend interviews and how his dad shaped his life.

This persona seems to me to be a hangover from his relationship with his father. I'm not sure he knows any other way.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Hasselbeck]

I used to think the Cam hate was mostly just lazy racism, but then I realized that Johnny Manziel was hated long before he busted in the NFL, for also being a guy who prioritized having fun over having class. There is a racist element to the Cam hate of course, but I think if he were white and doing the same thing he'd still have a lot of haters because most fans feel that all QBs are required to be classy professionals ala Peyton Manning.

Personally, I think it's stupid. If a QB can help you win, and he's not getting in legal trouble, I don't care how he does it. I like that Cam has fun, I like that he rubs the other team the wrong way. I did not love his SB sulking, but at least he was consistent. He acts like a kid when winning, and he acts like a kid when losing. I don't know why anyone was surprised or offended by his demeanor. It's two sides of the same coin. It's just who he is.

Agreed on all points. I also think there's something to social media making these athletes turn into a villain with how much constant fawning the ESPN's, Bleacher Report's, etc do with these players. Just look at the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is one of the most entertaining athletes to watch in the history of the NBA, yet the 24/7/365 pub they get leaves a lot of people hoping they fail so the media gets off their junk for a minute.

I think that's the precise thing that happened to Cam Newton last year. I think that's the precise thing that happened to Johnny Manziel BEFORE his life began to really spiral out of control. And I think to a point that's also affected Russell Wilson, because the media is going to gravitate to a winner.. especially one that's very well spoken, very easy to sell, and one that has had stories put out about him that make him an easy target for criticism (the concussion/water comment, the abstinence thing, the alleged incident with Golden Tate, etc etc)

And then yeah, there's also that underlying theme of a little subdue racism involved.. especially when the athlete is black.

 

[McGruff]

I can recognize Russell Wilson has a very manicured, managed, manufactured public persona and still love him as a person and player and still not have my fandom questioned.

Manicured, yes.

Managed, absolutely.

Manufactured? I don't buy that at all. Russell isn't being fake. He's not fabricating his public image. It genuinely represents a slice of who he is. The side he chooses to put forward to the public. But that choice doesn't make it manufactured.

 

[McGruff]

As far as media is concerned he is like Tiger Woods used to be, or maybe Peyton Manning...although obviously off the field they are way different. Both Woods and Manning I feel put on a media show that was scripted and sculped just like people claim Wilson does. I could be wrong it just seems like this is the case.

The difference MAY be that Woods and Manning have persona's that MAY be very different, and even counter to, their private lives.

Wilson's public persona appears to be consistent with his private life. It's just filtered.

 

[McGruff]

As hgwellz12 says, everyone is at least a little fake some of the time. It's just part of being a human being in society. So really the question should be "Is Russell more fake than most?" I would say no, because he actually lives the life he ascribes to.

I think a more accurate description of Wilson would be to say that he's corny and lacks self awareness.

Socially awkward would seem to fit as well. Between the weird endorsements (nano-water . . . although I felt it worked really well for my oft-injured daughter during VB season, football bread) and the horribly awkward twitter romance with Ciara he comes off as just goofy.

 

[rideaducati]

He's always given me a Tiger Woods vibe with his persona. Tiger always had that "too good to be true" thing about him too.

But really I don't care, I don't personally know the guy.. I never will personally know the guy. He does a lot of good things in the community, he keeps his nose clean off the field, and he does a pretty damn good job on the field.

Personally, I always thought Tiger was an irritable, uncaring person based on the way he spoke to and treated his caddies, and a personal story I had heard from an acquaintance who had stopped at the side of the road to help Woods after Woods' car broke down by the side of the road many years ago (Tiger pulled the "do you know who I am" line.) So when the truth was revealed about Tiger's mass infidelities and he admitted to not caring about anyone in the world other than himself, it wasn't a surprise to me at all. If the same things came to light about Wilson, it would shock the hell out of me.

Outside of handing a press conference poorly after the biggest loss of his career, how has Cam ever been a bad dude? He's like Russ in that he does a lot of great things for kids, has not had any incidents off the field, etc.

Just because he's arrogant and likes to dance and celebrate doesn't make him a terrible person.

Hate towards Cam has always been very perplexing to me, but maybe I'm just in the minority on it. :?

I used to think the Cam hate was mostly just lazy racism, but then I realized that Johnny Manziel was hated long before he busted in the NFL, for also being a guy who prioritized having fun over having class. There is a racist element to the Cam hate of course, but I think if he were white and doing the same thing he'd still have a lot of haters because most fans feel that all QBs are required to be classy professionals ala Peyton Manning.

Personally, I think it's stupid. If a QB can help you win, and he's not getting in legal trouble, I don't care how he does it. I like that Cam has fun, I like that he rubs the other team the wrong way. I did not love his SB sulking, but at least he was consistent. He acts like a kid when winning, and he acts like a kid when losing. I don't know why anyone was surprised or offended by his demeanor. It's two sides of the same coin. It's just who he is.

Cam Newton would be fine with the Superman pose and the smiling and goofing around. The hate comes from when things aren't going well for Cam and he pouts like a baby or sulks with the towel over his head. If you're gonna dish it out like he does, you'd better damn well TAKE it a bit better when things don't go your way. That's the way I see it. He can dish it out, but he can't take it coming back. I have little respect for those kind of people.

 

[2_0_6]

:13:

 

[Cary Kollins]

No hatred for any of the QB's I mentioned, I brought them up as an example comparing how they act to how Russell does/would.

Would Russell ever take an opposing fans flag from them and throw it on the ground? Nope

Furthermore, Cam was charged with felony counts of burglary, larceny and obstructing justice for stealing a fellow student’s laptop in 2010. When police came to his dorm, Cam threw the laptop ( which he had painted his name on)out his window. He was suspended from the team, and held in jail. All charges were dropped when he completed a court-approved program. Despite his troubled behavior, Cam persevered to become the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner and the Number 1 NFL draft pick.

In 2015, Green Bay Packers fan sought payment from the Carolina Panthers after Cam tore down and stole his homemade, $500 sign that said “Carolina Cheeseheads” at a Packers-Panthers game. Cam’s explanation: “You’re not going to sell a Whopper at McDonald’s.”

The guy has immense talent, but doesn't always use his best judgment.

So he made a mistake as a 21 year old .. big deal. Most 18-21 year olds do something extremely stupid.

The flag thing and the sign thing never bothered me. But I guess it depends on who you are.

I think both cases are pretty flimsy reasons to think he's in the same category as an alleged rapist. But oh well, back to the point at hand.

the laptop thing actually happened in 2008, when Cam was 19....and for the record it isn't clear if he actually stole the laptop or got it from someone who stole it, but it was definitely an extremely poor decision by a 19 year old kid

 

[Jerhawk]

And he just got picked to be the host of the nickelodeon kids choice awards for the 2nd straight year. Last year was a lot of fun with him dancing with Ciara and Marshawn doing his thing.

I still look back at the 2014 NFCCG against the packers with Russell mic'd up, where he had his random outburst screaming "they don't want it! I hate losing!" Or whatever. That one moment, imo, was where we got a look behind the "coach" side of wilson and saw the true competitor he is. Ferocious, fearless, taking things head on. That's the side of Russell I'd like to see him display to the public a bit more, but he choses the Mr nice guy approach.

Nothing wrong with it tho. I agree with kearly (as usual) he's just socially awkward at times. Sort of corny. Still an awesome dude all around tho

 

[Rocket]

He's 1/2 cheerleader, 1/2 positive mental attitude phrase generator, and 1/2 intensely focused on his craft.
I don't care if he seems like a cheerleader the same way I didn't care if lynch was the anti-cheerleader.
Both of them are top tier at their job, who gives a rats posterior if they wear screaming baby goat masks in the basement.

"I HATE TO LOSE"
Wilson, sideline

 

[Fuzzman55]

The Seahawks have been extremely fortunate to have Hasselbeck and now Wilson as the QBs of their franchise. Looking around at some of the embarrassments teams deal with, I'm not going to take it for granted.

Anyway, the 'Fake' stuff is pretty weak criticism. If that's the best people can come up with, and fans of other teams can latch onto, I think we're sitting pretty. Wilson is just starting to enter his prime and he's going to drive our opponents crazy for many years to come.

 

[253hawk]

Outside of handing a press conference poorly after the biggest loss of his career, how has Cam ever been a bad dude? He's like Russ in that he does a lot of great things for kids, has not had any incidents off the field, etc.

Just because he's arrogant and likes to dance and celebrate doesn't make him a terrible person.

Hate towards Cam has always been very perplexing to me, but maybe I'm just in the minority on it. :?

No one said he's terrible as a person, he's just an annoying petulant man-child douche with a ginormous ego on the field.

And you'd never in a million years see Russ pout after a game, fight with teammates, rip down banners, yank people's gear out of their hands, or threaten to "slap the S out" of someone. That's childish even at a college level, and this guy was the MVP? :177692:

 

[vin.couve12]

I don't see how anyone could think Wilson is some sort of genuine personality. It's really very transparent and it has shown in the locker room on multiple, multiple occasions. Maybe the average fan, who worships the team and longs to worship the QB position, has a tough time with it, but in a room full of other alpha males.....let's just say that there is a reason why the team viewed Marshawn as their "unquestioned leader."

I don't see how this is even a question if you can separate fandom/worship and people.

So long as he doesn't somehow lose the locker room or it just becomes some big problem it's really kind of a moot annoyance and nothing more, however.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

The actual content of the discussion isn't really about if Wilson is "fake" or not (although there's a little bit of that with the first baseman reaching thing), but rather, is about if some people find him to be annoying as a teammate or not.

From his time on the Hawks, his time on the N.C. State footbal teaml, and his time on the N.C. State baseball team a few people have said now that some of his teammates find him kind of annoying and think he's a kiss@ss who sucks up to the coaches an annoys people by trying to act like one.

That said, of the "bad" things a teammate could be this is way, way down there on the list (it's an inter-office politics gripe, not one too really take that seriously) and for everyone who feels this way about him there's gotta be at least one person (and probably more) who doesn't and many more who don't really care either way, but it is a story about him that seems to have travelled across multiple teams he has played for.

At the end of the day though, that *some* people he plays with might feel this way isn't even remotely surprising, as fans also comment on his overly eager cornball persona, and they're not spending full work days with him.

The sense I get is that guys like Cam or Rapes aren't great teammates from a PR and front office perspective, but pretty much universally rallied around from a team perspective. Wilson in his own way is kinda the reverse sometimes, it seems.

You lost me when you exaggerated his teammates not liking him. There was one and immediately another teammate came to Wilson's defense.

I know someone who has access to multiple players and his teammates love him. He may not connect with all of them but they all respect the heck out him and view him as a great guy, teammate and human being.

This stuff is stupid.

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He's a 9er fan. Consider source and motive.

I'd rather have a franchise guy be like Russell Wilson than many other NFL examples of "cool" people.

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[sutz]

I think people confuse being controlled and well-scripted with being fake. Just because he has tight control over his actions and words does not mean he is some kind of a huckster on a con. Yeah, he uses a lot of cliches and football speak, but he backs everything up with how he works, on and off the field. I'm not a fan of his whole Christian side, but he keeps that pretty low key for the most part. Much like Hass did in his day.

As for the contrast between he and Marshawn, sure, they have vastly different styles. But, Marshawn was here first, at a time when we had a lesser QB and a suspect o-line, and he set the tone for the team at a time when they were just developing an identity. I don't worry too much about personality conflicts between the two. Besides, Marsh is gone, Wilson is still here. Leaders will naturally emerge if they are allowed to. Wilson has been a natural leader everywhere he has played since NC. I don't think he could do that if he was 'faking it.'

 

[HawKnPeppa]

It's because of the rumor about Percy Harvin not liking him. Percy gets along with everyone, and is one of the most respected players in NFL history, so obviously it's all on Russell Wilson for being an annoying, terrible teammate.

Yeah, Percy Harvin. The guy that told Russell 'just let me play,' when Russ wanted to run plays with him to get on the same page. Yeah, I'll take his side every time.

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