Cbz40
03-25-2005, 06:13 AM
Posted on Fri, Mar. 25, 2005
I hate it when they're good or noble
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Who the heck does this Marco Rivera think he is?
Why does he suddenly show up, out of nowhere -- or, actually, Green Bay -- and decide to make life difficult for those of us in the Evil Empire of sportswriting?
Everything had been so OK. Lately, this job was going exactly to blueprint.
There I was, feeling smug about having done my part in finally pushing Barry Bonds off the "bridge," and about destroying him and his family.
Barry blamed us this week. He was real whiney about it, too. Hello, win column.
And Mark McGwire? Being able to wipe out his legacy had been another proud moment for us media Osamas.
But this is an on-going process.
When there is trouble in jock kingdom paradise, many of the troubled have a problem accepting responsibility for their own actions.
Sooner or later, they usually get around to hanging it on you-know-who.
But that's when one more good whack with the Toshiba tire tool (or your laptop of choice) will finish them off. There are, however, also those moments when the reverse happens.
Something good and noble suddenly surfaces.
It's disruptive for those of us in the Evil Empire.
The Toshiba tire tool has to be re-booted.
Not to get mushy about it, but ...
You did what, Marco Rivera?
Nine mil?
You offered to give back Jerry Jones his $9 million?
Never heard of such a thing.
"I told the Cowboys," Rivera said Thursday at Valley Ranch, "if they wanted to walk away from the contract, it was fine with me."
Imagine that in today's jock kingdom. Latrell Sprewell is scrambling, trying to feed the family on $14.6 million a year, and here's a guy willing to scoot on nine mil, guaranteed.
As quoted in the newspaper Thursday, Packers head coach Mike Sherman wasn't surprised. "That's just the kind of guy he is," Sherman said of Rivera.
To backtrack a bit:
Three weeks ago, the Cowboys made a large splash in NFL free agency, signing three players in 24 hours, including offensive guard Marco Rivera, who had previously played nine years for the Packers.
By far the biggest NFL payday of his career had grossed a $9 million signing bonus, which was his on the spot, and overall, five years, $20 million.
A week later, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Rivera was in a local hotel workout room, jogging on the treadmill, when he felt "the worst pain in my life. I knew right away it was real bad."
MRI results soon confirmed it was a herniated disk in his back. Immediate surgery was needed. The injury was considered career threatening.
"When it happened, I went back to the room and told my wife that this wasn't going to be good, and we had a decision to make," Rivera said.
"Here I'd been a Cowboy for a week, I'd signed for all this money, I was excited to be here, and be a part of one of the great NFL franchises ever, and now, how do I tell the team that I'd done something like this on a hotel treadmill?"
Rivera and his wife made a quick decision.
"It wasn't right for me to keep the money," he said. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself, just hanging around, collecting a paycheck. I had much rather retire with dignity. The last thing I wanted was to cause headaches for the Cowboys, not after what this team had done for me.
"I came here to play, to help win championships. Other than that, it wasn't right for Mr. Jones to have given me all that money and he gets nothing in return."
Jones immediately refused the give-back offer. Then came the surgery, which went well.
Rivera was in high spirits Thursday, much encouraged after his first two weeks in rehab.
"It's going great," he said. "I know now I can help the team. I'm ready to rock 'n' roll. I feel real good. I told the doctors I'd be ready for mini-camp in May. They were a little hesitant on that, but there's no question I'll be full speed for training camp."
The Brooklyn-born Rivera went to high school on Long Island, and then played at Penn State.
So where exactly does his kind of attitude come from?
"A lot of it, I credit Joe Paterno," he said, speaking of the Penn State head coach who is now under plenty of fire for hanging on too long.
"I will always stand-by Coach Joe," added Rivera. "He had a big impact on my life and made me the man I am. I know Coach Joe is catching a lot of heat, but he really cares about you being a better person as much as he does a football player."
If fully recovered, we know the Cowboys signed a good football player in Marco Rivera.
But obviously, they also have something else.
Even the Evil Empire is pleased to have strayed off it's destructive course, and discovered the good and the noble.
I hate it when they're good or noble
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Who the heck does this Marco Rivera think he is?
Why does he suddenly show up, out of nowhere -- or, actually, Green Bay -- and decide to make life difficult for those of us in the Evil Empire of sportswriting?
Everything had been so OK. Lately, this job was going exactly to blueprint.
There I was, feeling smug about having done my part in finally pushing Barry Bonds off the "bridge," and about destroying him and his family.
Barry blamed us this week. He was real whiney about it, too. Hello, win column.
And Mark McGwire? Being able to wipe out his legacy had been another proud moment for us media Osamas.
But this is an on-going process.
When there is trouble in jock kingdom paradise, many of the troubled have a problem accepting responsibility for their own actions.
Sooner or later, they usually get around to hanging it on you-know-who.
But that's when one more good whack with the Toshiba tire tool (or your laptop of choice) will finish them off. There are, however, also those moments when the reverse happens.
Something good and noble suddenly surfaces.
It's disruptive for those of us in the Evil Empire.
The Toshiba tire tool has to be re-booted.
Not to get mushy about it, but ...
You did what, Marco Rivera?
Nine mil?
You offered to give back Jerry Jones his $9 million?
Never heard of such a thing.
"I told the Cowboys," Rivera said Thursday at Valley Ranch, "if they wanted to walk away from the contract, it was fine with me."
Imagine that in today's jock kingdom. Latrell Sprewell is scrambling, trying to feed the family on $14.6 million a year, and here's a guy willing to scoot on nine mil, guaranteed.
As quoted in the newspaper Thursday, Packers head coach Mike Sherman wasn't surprised. "That's just the kind of guy he is," Sherman said of Rivera.
To backtrack a bit:
Three weeks ago, the Cowboys made a large splash in NFL free agency, signing three players in 24 hours, including offensive guard Marco Rivera, who had previously played nine years for the Packers.
By far the biggest NFL payday of his career had grossed a $9 million signing bonus, which was his on the spot, and overall, five years, $20 million.
A week later, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Rivera was in a local hotel workout room, jogging on the treadmill, when he felt "the worst pain in my life. I knew right away it was real bad."
MRI results soon confirmed it was a herniated disk in his back. Immediate surgery was needed. The injury was considered career threatening.
"When it happened, I went back to the room and told my wife that this wasn't going to be good, and we had a decision to make," Rivera said.
"Here I'd been a Cowboy for a week, I'd signed for all this money, I was excited to be here, and be a part of one of the great NFL franchises ever, and now, how do I tell the team that I'd done something like this on a hotel treadmill?"
Rivera and his wife made a quick decision.
"It wasn't right for me to keep the money," he said. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself, just hanging around, collecting a paycheck. I had much rather retire with dignity. The last thing I wanted was to cause headaches for the Cowboys, not after what this team had done for me.
"I came here to play, to help win championships. Other than that, it wasn't right for Mr. Jones to have given me all that money and he gets nothing in return."
Jones immediately refused the give-back offer. Then came the surgery, which went well.
Rivera was in high spirits Thursday, much encouraged after his first two weeks in rehab.
"It's going great," he said. "I know now I can help the team. I'm ready to rock 'n' roll. I feel real good. I told the doctors I'd be ready for mini-camp in May. They were a little hesitant on that, but there's no question I'll be full speed for training camp."
The Brooklyn-born Rivera went to high school on Long Island, and then played at Penn State.
So where exactly does his kind of attitude come from?
"A lot of it, I credit Joe Paterno," he said, speaking of the Penn State head coach who is now under plenty of fire for hanging on too long.
"I will always stand-by Coach Joe," added Rivera. "He had a big impact on my life and made me the man I am. I know Coach Joe is catching a lot of heat, but he really cares about you being a better person as much as he does a football player."
If fully recovered, we know the Cowboys signed a good football player in Marco Rivera.
But obviously, they also have something else.
Even the Evil Empire is pleased to have strayed off it's destructive course, and discovered the good and the noble.