Being a "good teammate"

[JVides]

Peyton Manning doesn't answer to the public.  His bosses might, but he doesn't.  The public has no control over the Colts' roster, at all.

Really?  Two words for you:  "SAMMY SUCKS!!"  Do you honestly believe the Dolphins once traded Sammy Smith, a high first round pick in only, what, his second or third year, for good-for-nothing Bobby Humphrey just because Don Shula overnight and mid-season decided he was no good?  NO.  The public had turned on him.  The public HAS say over the roster.  If Peyton Manning were cascaded with boos every time he took the field, the public's reaction to him would dictate that he be traded or released.

This is exactly what made it a cowardly, punk statement; rather than accept his role in the defeat, he tries to pass the blame to his OL.

Do you seriously believe Peyton Manning was sitting there behind the podium, with clammy hands and quivering spine, pondering how to shift blame for the loss?  Did you not hear the man say he'd like a few throws back?  Would this all not be irrelevant if the "idiot kicker" had just done his job?  Did the OL NOT give up 5 sacks?  Was any of what Manning said untrue?  ANY of it?  Was he slanderous towards that poor offensive line?  WHY is it that you ONLY want to hear what athletes have to say is when it's cookie cutter crap?  

[Spider-Dan]

Really?  Two words for you:  "SAMMY SUCKS!!"  Do you honestly believe the Dolphins once traded Sammy Smith, a high first round pick in only, what, his second or third year, for good-for-nothing Bobby Humphrey just because Don Shula overnight and mid-season decided he was no good?

Do you think that MIA traded him because of some crowd chant?  They traded him because he wasn't performing on the field.  Case in point: Kobe Bryant.  You can chant whatever the hell you want, bring signs bashing the hell out of a player... if the front office wants to keep him, they'll keep him, period.

The only control the public has is whether or not they spend their money going to the game... and guess what?  If you're at the game chanting how much a player sucks, then you're talking with your mouth but voting with your dollars.

If Peyton Manning were cascaded with boos every time he took the field, the public's reaction to him would dictate that he be traded or released.

BS.  If the RCA dome is still selling out every week, and Peyton Manning is still putting up Pro Bowl numbers, the front office would be insane to trade him.

Do you seriously believe Peyton Manning was sitting there behind the podium, with clammy hands and quivering spine, pondering how to shift blame for the loss?  Did you not hear the man say he'd like a few throws back?  Would this all not be irrelevant if the "idiot kicker" had just done his job?  Did the OL NOT give up 5 sacks?

Sacks aren't entirely the responsibility of the line.  A good QB knows when to get rid of the ball in tough situations.  So a QB might want to watch his mouth when he complains about "protection issues".

Was any of what Manning said untrue?  ANY of it?  Was he slanderous towards that poor offensive line?  WHY is it that you ONLY want to hear what athletes have to say is when it's cookie cutter crap?  

Again, if McGinest said "We lost today because Brady didn't earn his paycheck," would that be a lie?  No, but it's not his place to say that.  And as far as cliche postgame interviews... really, who cares?  If you saw the game, then you saw the supposed "protection problems" and you don't need to hear Manning pass the blame off to his line.  Do you really expect to hear anything of value in those interviews?

Were you a fan of T.O. running his mouth, blaming PHI's losses on everyone but himself?  I mean, he's just telling the truth, right?  Sparing us from the cliche sound bites.

Publicly criticizing the other players on your team is the hallmark of a poor teammate.  For an idiot kicker or egomaniac wide receiver, that's one thing.  But for someone that's supposed to be the leader of the team, it's completely unacceptable.

[Phishfan]

Has anyone heard the question that was directed to Peyton? I don't want paraphrasing, I would like to know the direct question. That always has something to do with the answer. Maybe he was specifically asked about the O-line play. All any of us have heard is the response.

I'm playing Devil's advocate here.

[JVides]

Look, Dan.

The issue is this:  You flog Manning for calling out a teammate in public like he does this all the time.  He has one incident, and you label him a bad teammate.  Now, you want to lump him in with T.O.?  Dan Marino had his "You'll never know how it feels" melt-down after a loss to the Colts late in his career.  People get frustrated and say things that they wouldn't if their emotions weren't running high.  I simply refuse to discard ALL good will Manning has built up over the years over one incident.  

As for whether I was loving T.O.'s rants:  No, I did not enjoy them, because I deemed them factually inaccurate.

Now, onto some of your other points:

Sacks aren't entirely the responsibility of the line.  A good QB knows when to get rid of the ball in tough situations.  

I Agree completely. B-U-T:  Did Manning have a chance to get rid of the ball on the successive third and fourth down plays in the fourth quarter?  Looks to me like he took two steps back (a usual drop is three, five, or seven steps, remember) and was engulfed by Steelers.  He had no time to look for receivers, could not get out of the pocket to throw it away.  What would you, almighty connoisseur of quarterbacks, have done differently?

Do you think that MIA traded him because of some crowd chant?  They traded him because he wasn't performing on the field.  Case in point: Kobe Bryant

Has ALL of L.A. turned on Kobe?  My sister lives there and I visit often, so let me answer that one for you: NO.  ALL of Miami had turned on Sammy Smith.  ALL of it.  The team needed to get rid of him because fans wanted him out in a big way.  Yes, I believe that fans souring on him was a major reason for his being traded.  

Publicly criticizing the other players on your team is the hallmark of a poor teammate.  For an idiot kicker or egomaniac wide receiver, that's one thing.  But for someone that's supposed to be the leader of the team, it's completely unacceptable.

Why?  So Quarterbacks are allowed to be publicly scapegoated after every single loss over an 8 year career (so far) and don't get to snap ONCE?  I'd like to see any one person on this post try to honestly tell me how they'd go eight years without once pulling a Manning.  Don't give me the "Favre never did, nor did this guy or that guy" crap, because Favre had his public incident with Javon Walker just this year.  I am certain that every single QB we idolize has had one moment of public frailty in his career that he'd like back.

[Spider-Dan]

Has ALL of L.A. turned on Kobe?  My sister lives there and I visit often, so let me answer that one for you: NO.  ALL of Miami had turned on Sammy Smith.  ALL of it.  The team needed to get rid of him because fans wanted him out in a big way.  Yes, I believe that fans souring on him was a major reason for his being traded.

I think that had Sammy Smith been near the league leaders in rushing (as Kobe was in scoring), MIA would not have traded him.  Performance is the issue, not popularity.

Why?  So Quarterbacks are allowed to be publicly scapegoated after every single loss over an 8 year career (so far) and don't get to snap ONCE?

Who would have been scapegoating him?

I'm not saying Manning had to accept sole responsibility for the loss.  No one should.  But the least he can do is lose as a team instead of pointing fingers.

I'd like to see any one person on this post try to honestly tell me how they'd go eight years without once pulling a Manning.  Don't give me the "Favre never did, nor did this guy or that guy" crap, because Favre had his public incident with Javon Walker just this year.  I am certain that every single QB we idolize has had one moment of public frailty in his career that he'd like back.

You're changing the issue.  The above paragraph implies that what he said was a mistake, which runs contrary to what you were saying earlier.  If he made a mistake out of anger, fine.  He deserves to get criticized for it, and then hopefully he can refrain from doing it in the future.

[JVides]

You're changing the issue.  The above paragraph implies that what he said was a mistake, which runs contrary to what you were saying earlier.

I could have explained better. My point is, and was, that he had every right to say what he did.  He spoke the truth.  However, the second those words escaped his lips, my first thought was "now you've done it."  I knew he'd get ripped, get labeled as classless, a bad teammate, all those lovely epithets.  So yes, you got me.  I believe what Manning said to be completely OK and a mistake at the same time, because it's OK by me, but it was a mistake because I knew it would cause War, Famine, Pestulence, and Death among sports fans.