kannankeril":2fq8weqt said:
The recent contract talks have caused most of us a good deal of angst and I found myself unconsciously blaming RW. As I listened to the arguments from the "pay-the-guy-whatever-it takes" camp, I found myself questioning my POV. I began to realize that I should not really care about the process/outcome of the contract negotiations so much as feel disappointment at the erosion of the image I had built of a larger than life persona.
The only person to blame here is me since the mental image was my construction, what I hoped it would be. RW did not explicitly claim that self-image. The key here is explicitly.
There was and still is an implication that RW is a team-first guy. From his cultivated demeanor on camera, the organized team practices in Hawaii, to his visits to children's hospitals and more importantly - his signature sign-off post interview line "Go Hawks". They all bespoke what "most of us assumed" to be a team guy. That assumption is contrary to the reported contract demands from his agent. The switch-over to a "me-first", I get sole credit for wins argument eroded the team-first imageWhen in the heck has he EVER taken sole credit for wins?? He ALWAYS gives credit to his receivers and Marshawn.. Recent statements by both player and agent seem to confirm that this line of argument originates from them.
RW has to know the impact of his contract on the ability of this team to sustain success in future. He also has to know that this is a team (owner, GM & coach) that will spend all it can to ensure continued success - this is not the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Pirates. Assuming these statements, I cannot but feel disappointment that he does not feel the need to share that burden/further that goal.
RW has the right to extract every dollar that he can sell this or any other team on. That said, would I feel cynical the next time he says "Go Hawks", you betcha!
Good post, and I was in the same place a while back. Big fan of RW, steadfast in my support even though a part of me recognised he had some struggles. Then a report (correct or otherwise
So you don't even know if the reports are true, yet you are willing to question his character?) came out saying he wanted to be the highest paid QB in the NFL, which made me think of Baltimore and Flacco and how they had to pay him top QB money even though he's nowhere near the top QB in the NFL in my opinion.
So I thought of that in terms of Wilson, and I don't believe that Wilson is the top QB in the NFL, either. In fact, over the past year he has raised several questions that I'm really needing to see answers to this year:
1: Is he a pit bull or a golden retriever? Loyal to his team, or is his loyalty transferable to whoever has the food (money)?
He has been nothing BUT loyal to this team. He has done nothing that would indicate he isn't going to be loyal. He is playing out a contract that is well below what he deserves.
2: How unsettled is his private life? After the divorce, he's been hanging out with his entourage and celebs and is now dating a minor celebrity, placing himself squarely in that ring. How many distractions come with that?
How the heck is it your business who he dates, and that she's a minor celebrity? Who cares who the heck he hangs out with, that's his business. You are purely speculating on what "distractions" may occur. If he can play in a Super Bowl with a divorce looming, I think he'll be fine.
3: Slow starts. Is this a correctable issue? Because if anything it seems to be getting worse.
He's never asked to get out to a fast start. As a team we always come out and establish the run game. Slow starts aren't necessarily his fault.
4: Game-winning drives. Relates to slow starts in that he digs himself a huge hole to come back from, then gets praise for coming back from it. How about we just thrash the hell out of some teams and win comfortably?
Again, slow starts aren't necessarily his fault. But guess what, he has been the definition of clutch when it has mattered. HE doesn't typically dig himself into a hole. You are putting way too much credence into one game (the NFC Championship). Yes that was mainly his fault, but those games are FAR and FEW between.
5: Has he plateaued? His thing seems to be to hold the ball until all the routes break down then play sandlot ball until he finds an open guy. Can he improve on his read times and hit receivers on their routes? Or is this just his thing, and as good as its going to get?
He was a 3rd year QB last year, of course he still has lots of room for growth. 5th, 6th, and 7th year guys still do. But guess what, he's had the most successful first 3 years of a QB of all time.....I think he'll be fine and hasn't "plateaued"
6: Is Wilson genuine? The receivers like Baldwin and Kearse seem like a tight group, but are rarely associated with Wilson outside of game time. Is there chemistry there or do the "real" guys like Baldwin not relate to the cliches. Do they see a real person or a pretender? Do they buy in to his shtick?
Are you best friends with all your co-workers? Do you go out for beers with every single one of your co-workers all the time? This is no different as long as they respect each other and bond on the field, which they have done beautifully and there's been no evidence of discord.
7: The dude is hearing voices. Says it's god telling him the interception was His will, says it's god telling him to be celibate with his model GF. Look, people can have their religion and it doesn't bother me, but literally hearing voices? That's going off the deep end a bit.
I can't remember who it was that called this a euphemism, but that's exactly what it is. He is deeply religious and it is a huge part of his life. That feeling of God speaking to him is his business and how he interprets it.
My "faith" in Wilson is severely shaken compared to what it once was. I still recognise him as a talent, but am no longer defensive of his flaws. Where once I would have blamed some starts on Bevell or scripted plays or whatnot, I now see it as a flaw in Wilson's game. Where once I would have excused the SB interception, I now believe he wanted to win the game as an ego thing and forced a pass that wasn't on. And what I used to see as using cliches as a defense mechanism that allowed him to be more confident to the media, I now see as a cheap plastic veneer and wonder how deep the person is inside.
You see a cheap plastic veneer? I don't even know how to respond to this drivel. It's so damn dumb. What has he done for you to bash his character so much? Because he won't take a ridiculously underpaying contract? He is still the same great guy. Great teammate. Hardest worker. Visits children's hospitals. Has no incidences off the field. Yet, he's fake because he's dating a famous singer and had a conversation in private at a church that happened to be recorded? Get a grip.
Impugned and all lol.
