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Chris Samuels will not be getting a Christmas card from the New York Giants this year. The Washington Redskins' offensive lineman was accused of dirty play by Mathias Kiwanuka, a defensive end for the current Super Bowl Champions...

For What It's Worth...There Are Too Many Cry Babies in the NFL

by Jimbo (Columnist)

25

475 reads

Opinion

September 06, 2008


Chris Samuels will not be getting a Christmas card from the New York Giants this year.

The Washington Redskins' offensive lineman was accused of dirty play by Mathias Kiwanuka, a defensive end for the current Super Bowl Champions.

According to an Associated Press report, Kiwanuka was upset that Samuels tackled him and rolled his ankle when Samuels was clearly beaten on the final play of the Giants-Washington game, Thursday night.

Claiming he did not believe Samuels was just trying to protect his quarterback, Kiwanuka said, "Even the greatest players get knocked down. You have to stand back up, be a man and line up for the next snap."

Perhaps that is advice Kiwanuka should take to heart. That is, whenever he's done blowing snot bubbles in the press.

Over the past 20 years, the NFL has slowly transformed from a league full of tough guys and men's men into a collection of posers, mama's boys, and accountants.

Kiwanuka's attitude is just the culmination of that downward slide.

Newspaper headlines used to blare out the exploits of the greatest plays and the greatest players in the game. Now we read about feuds between players and management as they quibble over how to slice a pie that is stuffed full with PSL money, sweetheart stadium-deals, and television revenue.

30 years ago, Turkey Jones turned Terry Bradshaw into a human jart, planting the Steelers' quarterback head first into the painted green turf of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. It was big news.

For a month.

Today, Brett Favre moans about the way his former team has mistreated him, and it's big news forever.

Does anyone on the planet really believe Ray Lewis would have intimidated a single offensive lineman from the '70s? Those guys had no big contracts, no fear, and generally no teeth. Their idea of a "perk" was dry towels in the shower room.

They were what we called t-o-u-g-h. And I miss them.

How many times this season will I have to watch linebackers spin themselves into the ground while trying to arm-tackle 200 pound men running full speed toward them?

How many times this season will I have to watch wide receivers prance out of bounds rather than take a hit and gain an extra yard or two?

How many times this season will I have to listen to grown men whine about the bullies in the NFL who won't play nice?

Endorsements, celebrity, and money have turned too many of today's NFL players into self-protective commodities. There are too many times on the field when players seem to make quick calculations to determine whether to put in a little extra effort on a play or just "play it safe."

That is not to say there are no "He-Men" left in football. But more often than not, they are the special teams guys with nothing to lose but a roster spot.

For what it's worth, if Mathias Kiwanuka is so concerned about the dirty play he sees in the NFL, he should do something about it.

He should toughen up. 

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25 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Andrew Kneeland 10 months ago

    Great stuff, Jim! I agree with everything you said. POTD worthy, for sure!

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  2. Paul Augustin, Jr. 10 months ago

    Unfortunately, coaches are now instructing players to get what they can and then get out of bounds.

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  3. Angel Navedo 10 months ago

    nice article.
    a better pic would have been of T.O. from his, "That's my quarterback!" press conference.

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  4. Joe G 10 months ago

    "Does anyone on the planet really believe Ray Lewis would have intimidated a single offensive lineman from the seventies? "

    Mean Joe Green would have beaten the snot out of Ray Lewis with the coke bottle that little boy gave him. Five stars, POTD.

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  5. Silver Fox 10 months ago

    Should I whine about this article? Just kidding. LOL Nice job.

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  6. Bob Cunningham 10 months ago

    JON RUNYAN.

    last tough guy left in the NFL.

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  7. Michoel Botwinick 10 months ago

    Wow, has Runyan got got a mean streak.

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  8. Thomas 10 months ago

    I agree! great article. POTD from me and 5 starz!

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  9. Trever Roby 10 months ago

    Totally agree with ya here. Great story!

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  10. Trever Roby 10 months ago

    Totally agree with ya here. Great story!

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  11. Tom Jackson 10 months ago

    love the pic of romo. u made a mistake, so what if it may have potentially ended the game for ur team, be a man and walk to the sideline, dont have ur center come to have to basically pick u up

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  12. Craig Garrison Sr 10 months ago

    very well written Jim, I also think the media adds to this attitude. When these guys cry like this and the media adds to it for the sake of a "story"(I hit this from that perspecitve myself: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/54585-did-chris-samuels-try-to-hurt-mathias-kiwanuka) they only encourage these whiners to whine even more. And it only makes it worse when the issue in question was nothing more than football, not the head stomp that Garrard suffered a couple of years ago, but just another football play like thousands of others that take place EVERY WEEKEND.

    Good job.

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  13. mark andersson 10 months ago

    I just finished reading Johnny U and another book about the 58 championship. They would run guys out of bounds and then slam them into tables! This is a great article about that era!

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  14. Ken Sheehan 10 months ago

    Good article, I agree that there's alot of soft players in the league today. For the most part their guys who the only thing thats bigger than their contract is their ego.

    But there are still tough guys, Bob pointed out Jon Runyan, I'd point out Logan Mankins (who's terrifying in my opinion) but these guys tend to be low key players. Special teamers and a number of lineman on both sides of the ball still have that tenacity I like to see.

    There are to many guys today who are more concerned about that next contract or getting on sports center then they are about playing the game and playing it right. I hope we'll see guys come out with more of an old school attitude and just lineup and hit somebody.

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  15. Jared Vernon 10 months ago

    Don't forget about Steve Spurrier, he's a BIG baby.

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  1. Danny Burnham 10 months ago

    Great article, we need more tough guys in the NFL. They should all put "Nancy" on the back of their jerseys.

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