Owner to Texans Players (singling out Mario, Amobi): You Need To Be Like Cushing

I follow them both on Twitter, Cushing is always hitting the gym hard and working out. Mario is always on a jet ski at his lake house or some BS. Mario is given far more credit than he should be

 

Pretty much. While I'm not to keen on owners calling players out in the media, they certainly have the right to do so and it can help sometimes. With that said, calling out a player and saying he should play like a guy who just got suspended for 4 games isn't sending the right message IMO.

I completely agree with what McNair said. Cushing plays with a TON of intensity and I would love to have Mario/Amobe and the rest of the defense to play like him. However, I'm not sure how well Mario will take this news since he's played very hard himself and has played the right way for the past 4 years and is being asked to play like a player who hasn't played the right way.

 

Cushing got suspended for a performance enhancing drug, while it wasn't steroids, it was something that is banned by the NFL. I really don't consider that an "off the field" issue since it most likely effected how he play on the field.

In your hypo, it would be more like your partner telling you to be more like a lawyer who just got in trouble for breaching attorney-client confidentiality (or something similar) and whose license was just suspended by the bar.

 

Okay then, take your adjusted hypothetical. Does that mean I can't learn how to become a better lawyer from watching him argue in a court room because of that one situation in which he used poor judgment? Of course it doesn't.

Cushing failed ONE drug test last year and passed several. I'm inclined to believe that the banned substance wasn't the reason he was beating up offenses later in the season, when he was passing all the drug test. The banned substance he tested positive for wasn't the reason he was one of the hardest working players on the team.

That has NOTHING to do with what he got suspended for -- that is entirely reflective of his work ethic and intensity he brings to those.

 

Many passed on 'hey, bud let's party' because he was tooooo laid back. I just don't see mario "developing" that intensity. It's not in his personality and there is nothing wrong with that. Last year he had a shoulder injury, the year before that he was stellar.

As a fan, the only thing I get from uncle bob's comment is that he is frustrated and wants to win already. Nothing wrong with that either. Houston "writers" always get on bob mcnair for acting like he doesn't care about winning, now that he makes a comment..oh noes he is Al davis.

Let's get this season started already!!!

 

Maybe the team overvalues Mario. He never dominated in college. He's had one dominant performance (the Denver game) in the pros. He's a top 10 defensive lineman. There's nothing wrong with that. So he won't be Freeney, Allen, or Peppers, so what. That's not motivation or work ethic. That's talent. It also seems odd that in the same article McNair praises the passion level of the coach who is still 2 games under .500 while telling his Pro Bowl DE he needs to raise his passion level. So, if Mario plays better the team will win, but Gary's doing just fine?

 

Mario is just one more example of why the rookie pay scale needs to be put in place, and should have been put in place long ago... You pay these kids 40 million guaranteed and then expect them to go out and prove themselves on the same level as the guys drafted in the 6th round fighting for a chance to put food on the table? You've taken away all the motivation by rewarding talent, and talent alone is nothing without dedication and persistence.


Doesn't make any sense and the NFL knows it.

 

Psst, hey Mario, step with me into the shadows.

 

THE GUY WAS JUST SUSPENDED, I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE AGREES WITH THIS, ITS SURREAL

 

Welcome to The NFL fan world. This is not like baseball. People don't hate you because you cheat. They hate you if you get caught.

 

i wanted to post a "can you imagine if this was baseball..." post, but i post those too much in NFL steroid threads, so I decided not to.

 

I'm a big fan of cushing, and I don't disagree he works harder than anyone else, but now's not the time to ask others to be like him.

i know bob is getting up there in age, but I think he still knows what's going on with this team

 

Crazy old kook.

 

Maybe the reason that cushing is willing to attack his own players is because he has animal like instincts brought on by perhaps roids. Im just saying. Also how can you leave Ryans out of the model player conversation, that guy is a beast. I guess he was referring to the front line

 

i don't see how a team selecting a probowler is a good example of supporting a rookie pay scale.

Jamarcus Russell, however, now then you may have a more legit argument.

 

I just think there are some guys who are ready to step up and prove themselves, but then for your Peyton Mannings you have your Jamarcus Russells, guys without a leaf of intelligence and maturity getting rewarded for a few nice college games and showing off a powerful arm in a few private workouts.

You think Mario Williams would have more motivation to prove himself and dedicate himself hardcore to his profession if he was given a base rookie salary of say... 3 million per year instead of a huge contract with a signing bonus? Possibly. But he has more money than he knows what to do with.

What if you were offered a job at a big name company and given a ridiculous salary to start off with, with a huge signing bonus... You instantly make more money than 99% of the employees that work there. This all being while you are fresh out of college and haven't proven anything to anyone yet. That doesn't seem very logical does it?

The system is set up to stack the deck against you. Everyone is going to expect big things from you, you are going to suddenly have to find motivation to succeed under mounting pressure because you've suddenly been given all the success in the world based on talent, nobody knows how you're really going to adapt to the big leagues. But why the hell should you care? You're 22 years old and you've just won the freaking lottery. Now you have to go out and actually go to work?

The #1 picks already have to deal with all the pressure of being the new face of the franchise, or the cornerstone of what the team is trying to accomplish... By setting them up with these ludicrous amounts of money you are setting them up to fail.

Look at all the people who have won the lottery and been bankrupt a few years later. Money isn't appreciated unless it is earned.

 

is Mario a psycho like Cush? no, of course not. But that's just how Cush is and Mario isnt.

Mario is a quiet guy who goes about his business in his own way. You cant fit a square peg in a round hole.

That being said, I don't think Mario has mailed it in or that he has coasted by any means. The guy did come into the league very raw. And like you pointed out, he wasn an all world college football player because he relied on raw physical abilities rather than technique and skill. However, even the most amazing raw athletes fail in the pros because they don't work on the details and technique. Mario has done what he needs to do to be one of the best in the league. I just don't think it's fair to call him out because he does it in a less public way than other guys.

 

Some guys go harder than others, some guys get by on talent, some guys have to work harder and roid more frequently...

Mario Williams puts in what he needs to and he's done fine, he's not going to be the slideshow they show at the rookie symposium to put the fear of God into the youngsters, no... Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russell have that market cornered.


I just think the system is flawed and hopefully a rookie pay scale will help even things out so teams don't have to waste huge chunks of money on talent that turns out to be nothing more than a 300 pound waste of time.