NFL: Understanding the Mindset of the Player After Losing

Unlike most jobs the NFL is full of negativity, an every players must fight his way through it or he will never have a chance to complete a single season.  It doesn't matter if the negativity is coming from a coach, fan, or another player on the team, it is an aspect of the NFL that can not be avoided.  Most people only see the NFL in it's final production on Sunday not really knowing any of the behind scenes action. Knowing the truth behind it all is something that most people say they want to know, but wont dare change their own concept of what they think the NFL really is.

Many time fans don't realize just how much each player has invested into every game. It has been gut wrenching for the Raiders players to stay focused when the Raiders organization has it's own ideas on how the game should be played. 

The fans of the NFL ultimately pay the bills of every single person that works in or around the game.  With that being said you would think that the organization would take fans input as something positive, instead the organization takes it personal when the fans have their opinions on what is going wrong.

I want everyone to know that there is not a fan, owner, or coach that takes losing worse then any player does.  It may seem after losing a game on Sunday that players are care free but what people forget is, before players even get to the NFL we have many years of experience in front of a camera after losing the big game.  We are trained from day one, not to wear your emotions on your sleeves or you will be known as "that guy" that can't control himself.

I bring this up do to the underline craziness that has been going on behind close doors in the Raiders organization for sometime.  Every player that walks through the doors of the Oakland Raiders facility has high hopes that they can make a difference.  But as some of the young players are finding out that the situation is a lot worse then they had thought.  As a professional you wants to help your team in any way possible,  and the last thing you want to do is to fight an up hill battle against the very organization your trying to help. 

After talking to a couple of Raider players I was really surprised to hear what the guys were saying.  To sum it all up players don't feel the team is where it should be, "mostly do to Tom" players didn't care to elaborate on that.  There is a lot of team unity but not on the football field, and just like the fans, the players are getting very anode with the quarterback situation.  

What does all this mean, it means that the Raiders are on the edge of losing all team unity.   It doesn't take a brainy-act to know that without a unified team you don't have a chance to win in the NFL.  In the last weeks of the season players are more willing to talk about the real problems on the team, and I am going to bring you all the inside information without putting the players in jeopardy with the team.  So don't get mad at me for what you hear I am going to tell you exactly what the players have been feeling all season.

Jarrod Cooper

8 year Veteran

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