Chocolate Lab;2610794 said:
No, but he can go a long damn way towards it.
What people miss is that Owens is a rare character. Deion was similar, although I believe Deion was much more sinister than TO. But a guy who is a great talent and has put up tremendous numbers in his career, plus has a likable personality, can absolutely draw much of a team to his side. The thing is, you don't see it that often because it takes that combination of great career plus charisma plus lousy attitude, and not many players have that.
And that's all it takes to divide a team.
Then, as I've said, they weren't much of a team in the first place. That is my whole point here. If one or two people can divide it, or wreck it, then you weren't a team in the first place. You were just a collection of individuals that needed to find one or two people to take sides and follow.
If this team was full of guys that were true team players, and team first guys, 1 or 2 or even 3 guys couldn't persuade them, or divide them, into putting themselves ahead of the ultimate goal.
If 1 or 2 people can do that to the whole 'team' then the people you have in place weren't much of a team in the first place.
Thus why those teams back in the 70's and 90's could still win games, and win a lot more than they lost, despite having me players, distractions, and problem makers. Cause the team was still filled with a vast majority of team oriented players that couldn't be divided like sheep.
This team is full of guys who can be divided like sheep, not team players.
theebs;2610809 said:
Yep, you need all 53. The final 10 guys on the roster should be like dogs drewling at the mouth to be on the field for special teams to get acclimated and get into the game.
Instead we have reports that bruce read had to ask players to play special teams.
and why is that, because the middle of the road players and the fring players follow 81, just like they did 21.
Its a horrible horrible thing to have in your locker room.
As I said above if they're easily divided by one or two guys then they aren't team players in the first place and likely never would be. If you're a real team player, and your ultimate goals are team goals, you can't have your mind changed by the thoughts and actions of 1 or 2 people.
Double Trouble;2611221 said:
Absolutely one guy can. Just look at what happened to Philly in 2005.
Using Philly as an example, for anything team related, is foriegn to me. That place is a cess pool.
They were one game better with TO on their roster than they were prior to his arrival and since his departure. That team was, and is, filled with a lot of me players starting with their QB who blames everything on everyone else and acts like he's a victim all the time.
They were yet another example of a team full of weak minded sheep who weren't interested in the team aspect in the first place.
I can think of tons of examples of good or great teams that had distractions on their team and yet still won even with those people in their locker-room.
Cowboys teams of the 70's that had Duane Thomas and Hollywood Henderson on their teams. Those guys were showboats, attention getting, prima-donnas and yet, some how, even with those guys in their locker room the teams of the 70's managed to win, and win a lot.
49ers of the late 80's. They won two Superbowl rings, and tons of games, despite the fact that they had Charles "I love pissing in my teammates cars and my bosses offices" Haley on their team. Despite that guy causing trouble all the time they were able to win.
Cowboys of the 90s won with guys like Irvin (Off the field distractions and antics), Deion Sanders, Leon Lett, Charles Haley on their teams and yet they won, won a lot, and couldn't be destroyed by all those things.
2007 Giants - Despite having complainers, *****ers, and whiners on the team like Shockey, Pierce, and at times Strahan this team managed to win it all and beat the media proclaimed "Best team in the history of the game" even with all those distractions, finger pointing, and stories to the media.
Those are probably just a few examples of teams who've had those kinds of players on their teams yet managed to win. Because the vast majority of those teams were made up of team players who just wouldn't be divided like sheep.
The current Cowboys roster doesn't appear to have that and until they show that they do they're going to continue to be a middle of the road, slightly above average, one and done type of team.
