Are a lot of these rookies pissed off about the fake ball, or do they find it funny? If they are pissed, then yeah. Why do something that you know pisses your teammates off? If not, then no. And in that case, I can pretty confidently say that those rookies don't get pissed off by that. The key is that people don't like to be demeaned or treated like crap. That prank doesn't demean them. Most rookies dislike hazing - they do it because they are told to or feel like they will alienate people. We see that in all the veterans' comments about how they had to deal with it.
Look, I don't even agree with hazing, and probably think that RW wasbeing a jackass about it, but if he told me to carry his pads, I would do it an move on without acting like I had sand in my coochie. It's called not sweating the small stuff, and realizing that making a stand on the ridiculous and petty things makes you... well... ridiculous and petty... and certainly doesn't endear yourself to your teammates that might be wondering how you'd take being jacked with just a tiny bit.
And that's your perogative to do things you don't agree with when a someone acting like a jackass tells you to do so. Others have a right to say they have no interest in doing it. And yet as far as we know, none of his teammates care that he didn't do it.
How is asking a rookie to carry your pads acting like a jackass? It happens in every single training camp in the NFL...its part of the process. Its fine if you think its okay that Bryant didnt agree to do it, but lets not get carried away with the actions of Roy Williams...what he did is not out of the ordinary, its very commonplace.
Agree with the first comment, but I feel that being that big a weenie is the wrong choice. Perhaps we disagree on that. As for the second, who knows how they feel really. I'm sure it's such a non-issue that most would decline comment. "as far as we know" they're all secretly outraged and plotting mass hazing revenge.
I just don't think there is a wrong choice - it's simple personal preference. It depends how demeaning he feels it is. For me, I probably wouldn't care much. He's been through hell in his life and been treated like crap by a lot of different influences, so maybe he just saw this as extension of that and reacted as such. I have no idea what his motivations were - but if he doesn't want to do it, I don't look at him as a weenie for that. Agreed - the point is, we don't know. So we shouldn't be saying that he should have done it to maintain the respect of his teammates. For all we know, his teammates appreciated him standing up to Roy if they don't like him. Or they don't care. Or they think he's an arrogant jackass for not participating.
I was just using the description from the quote I was replying to ("and probably think that RW wasbeing a jackass about it"). Like I said, I don't think Roy did anything wrong, and I don't think Bryant did anything wrong.
(off-topic)And....Martellus Bennett attempts to steal the spotlight http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/26/martellus-bennett-apologizes-for-nude-photos/
Refusing to carry someone else's pads doesn't make you a jerk. Asking someone else to do so just because they are a rookie, on the other hand, does. That there is a "tradition" of veterans acting like jerks towards the rookies doesn't mean they aren't being jerks. And it certainly doesn't make the rookies jerks for choosing not to acquiesce to that nonsense. I applaud Dez Bryant for not allowing himself to be pressured into "fitting in". People, especially in the sports world, attach too much importance to tradition, and not enough importance to basic principles of human decency.
No but it does look like he's putting himself separate from the team... I personally wouldn't treat a rook that way, but if I went through it (it being something that just isn't this big a deal) and saw someone come in acting like "I'm not carrying HIS pads" I would think he's a tool. I applaud him for standing by his decision, even if it makes him look like a crybaby. And for being a tool.
wow you are a crusader. you might look up the word "team" in the dictionary it has something to do with "fitting in" for a common purpose. no sarcasm your post is why the rest of the world is beating us. you'd rather pat yourself on the back for imaginary moral victories over nonsense than get the job done reason 1 why Dez Bryant should carry someone's pads because he's self-absorbed priss who takes himself way too seriously and has some learning to do to understand that football is a team sport, no matter how good he is. I cant believe anyone posting this touchy feely bull**** ever played a down of football in his life. Football is about carrying someone's pads figuratively and literally throughout the game. You're literally putting your livelihood and health in the hands your teammates. If he cant even be bothered to go along and carry pads or deliver donuts as a rookie **** that guy.
Bill Walsh, Mike Holmgren, and Brad Childress, among others, have played plenty of football and completely disagree with you.
Asking rookies to carry your pads = "get the job done"? There are better ways to build up team camaraderie.
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZukVN_djZds&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZukVN_djZds&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> That's how you handle a rookie, if he doesn't do what the veteran says....Delonte will pork your mom
And in the same vein there are a number of coaches that apparently completely agree with him since they allow it.
No one said this was optimum camaraderie building. We could argue that all day, I suppose. I'm just saying that he handled it poorly if he wants to be a team player.
