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Nov. 11, 2005, 10:53PM
Texans nix Carr-pooling to practice
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Why did the Texans tell David Carr's dad he could no longer attend practice?
Was he distracting the boy? Were coaches afraid to chew out the kid with the old man standing there? Is Rodger Carr the reason the Texans are 1-7?
No, no and no.
Rodger Carr never did anything except stand on the sideline and watch. He never got in the way. He never said anything like: "Hey, are you guys getting tired of seeing my kid get the feathers knocked out of him? Ever think of getting some better blockers?"
Rodger Carr would have been perfectly justified if he'd wondered why the Texans used their first draft choice on a quarterback, then failed to provide him with a great offensive line.
QB's dad sidelined
He never did that. He just watched. He moved here when his son got drafted because he liked being around the players and games.
"He has been coming to my practices since I was in the third grade," David Carr said. "He just wants to know what's going on. He went to practice because he liked watching his son play. He also likes to know what's going on. He feels important sitting up there in the box when he can tell people what play is coming."
Rodger Carr had attended almost every practice for four seasons, but when the Texans were 0-5, Dom Capers got tough. He closed practice to sponsors, employees, visitors ... and Rodger Carr.
Only reporters are allowed to watch practice these days. Other coaches have done similar things over the years, but they typically begin by throwing out the media.
Some of them admit later it was a waste of time. Players aren't distracted by the people standing on the sidelines. They usually don't even know they're there.
Capers didn't throw out reporters for obvious reasons. He didn't have the nerve to tell the Chronicle's John McClain and Channel 11's Gifford Nielsen to leave.
Desperate bid for focus
There's a technical term for this kind of move. It's in the Unofficial Coaching Guide To Surviving A Bad Season. The chapter is Grasping At Straws And Other Distractions.
Having failed to fix the blocking and tackling, having discovered that Chris Palmer's firing didn't make everything right, Capers decided to repair something that wasn't broken.
"With the way things have been going with us, you look at anything you might do to bring more focus and concentration to the team," he said. "Anything you can do to make a little change. I just felt like doing that. We've had a real open policy here. We've had days with 30-40 people here. Let's tighten this thing down. Let's focus on our group."
Throwing out a bunch of guys who buy ads in the game program is one thing. Telling the quarterback's dad to get lost is another. Why pick this fight? Was this an admission that David had been coddled?
"That has nothing to do with it," Capers said. "If you have a rule, it's the rule. I've got a friend coming out from Mount Union (his alma mater). I had to call and tell him he couldn't come to practice. I'll have lunch with him instead. Just anything to get the focus and concentration to play better."
Mount Union? I could see banning a guy from Berkeley, maybe Texas. But Mount Union? Show him in.
Was offensive coordinator Joe Pendry uncomfortable with Rodger Carr being there?
"It doesn't bother me who's around," Pendry said. "I'm the same all the time."
Indeed. Rodger was there when Pendry threw Carr out of the huddle during a September practice.
"My dad has been at practices when (former Fresno State quarterbacks coach) Jeff Tedford screamed in my face," David Carr said. "We've thrown things at one another when my dad was there. He has seen all that. He usually sides with the coaches in those situations. I don't think that would be a problem."
(Since Rodger got tossed, David's completion percentage has gone up and his sacks have gone done. Maybe Rodger was causing problems.)
Rodger surely would admit that Pendry has been good for David. He's tough and demanding. When David screws up, he hears about it. He wouldn't think of asking Pendry to tone it down.
Pendry got in David's face after he took a sack on the final drive of Sunday's loss to Jacksonville. Pendry was fuming about it three days later.
"We're taking too many," he said. "I'm not pinning it on one guy. There's just no excuse for it."
Years from now, Carr is going to see Pendry as one of the best things that ever happened to him. Here's predicting he'll look like a real live NFL quarterback by the end of this season.
Too bad there has been time spent on irrelevant issues. Like whether Rodger Carr can be at practice.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see him out there," David Carr said. "That's one of the reasons he retired and moved out here. I also understand what Dom did. He wants to bring our team closer together. That's the most important thing right now."
What is Rodger Carr doing with his free time?
"He's getting better at golf," David Carr said. "That's one thing I'm worried about. He might be able to get after me when the season ends."
richard.justice@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3456107
Texans nix Carr-pooling to practice
By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Why did the Texans tell David Carr's dad he could no longer attend practice?
Was he distracting the boy? Were coaches afraid to chew out the kid with the old man standing there? Is Rodger Carr the reason the Texans are 1-7?
No, no and no.
Rodger Carr never did anything except stand on the sideline and watch. He never got in the way. He never said anything like: "Hey, are you guys getting tired of seeing my kid get the feathers knocked out of him? Ever think of getting some better blockers?"
Rodger Carr would have been perfectly justified if he'd wondered why the Texans used their first draft choice on a quarterback, then failed to provide him with a great offensive line.
QB's dad sidelined
He never did that. He just watched. He moved here when his son got drafted because he liked being around the players and games.
"He has been coming to my practices since I was in the third grade," David Carr said. "He just wants to know what's going on. He went to practice because he liked watching his son play. He also likes to know what's going on. He feels important sitting up there in the box when he can tell people what play is coming."
Rodger Carr had attended almost every practice for four seasons, but when the Texans were 0-5, Dom Capers got tough. He closed practice to sponsors, employees, visitors ... and Rodger Carr.
Only reporters are allowed to watch practice these days. Other coaches have done similar things over the years, but they typically begin by throwing out the media.
Some of them admit later it was a waste of time. Players aren't distracted by the people standing on the sidelines. They usually don't even know they're there.
Capers didn't throw out reporters for obvious reasons. He didn't have the nerve to tell the Chronicle's John McClain and Channel 11's Gifford Nielsen to leave.
Desperate bid for focus
There's a technical term for this kind of move. It's in the Unofficial Coaching Guide To Surviving A Bad Season. The chapter is Grasping At Straws And Other Distractions.
Having failed to fix the blocking and tackling, having discovered that Chris Palmer's firing didn't make everything right, Capers decided to repair something that wasn't broken.
"With the way things have been going with us, you look at anything you might do to bring more focus and concentration to the team," he said. "Anything you can do to make a little change. I just felt like doing that. We've had a real open policy here. We've had days with 30-40 people here. Let's tighten this thing down. Let's focus on our group."
Throwing out a bunch of guys who buy ads in the game program is one thing. Telling the quarterback's dad to get lost is another. Why pick this fight? Was this an admission that David had been coddled?
"That has nothing to do with it," Capers said. "If you have a rule, it's the rule. I've got a friend coming out from Mount Union (his alma mater). I had to call and tell him he couldn't come to practice. I'll have lunch with him instead. Just anything to get the focus and concentration to play better."
Mount Union? I could see banning a guy from Berkeley, maybe Texas. But Mount Union? Show him in.
Was offensive coordinator Joe Pendry uncomfortable with Rodger Carr being there?
"It doesn't bother me who's around," Pendry said. "I'm the same all the time."
Indeed. Rodger was there when Pendry threw Carr out of the huddle during a September practice.
"My dad has been at practices when (former Fresno State quarterbacks coach) Jeff Tedford screamed in my face," David Carr said. "We've thrown things at one another when my dad was there. He has seen all that. He usually sides with the coaches in those situations. I don't think that would be a problem."
(Since Rodger got tossed, David's completion percentage has gone up and his sacks have gone done. Maybe Rodger was causing problems.)
Rodger surely would admit that Pendry has been good for David. He's tough and demanding. When David screws up, he hears about it. He wouldn't think of asking Pendry to tone it down.
Pendry got in David's face after he took a sack on the final drive of Sunday's loss to Jacksonville. Pendry was fuming about it three days later.
"We're taking too many," he said. "I'm not pinning it on one guy. There's just no excuse for it."
Years from now, Carr is going to see Pendry as one of the best things that ever happened to him. Here's predicting he'll look like a real live NFL quarterback by the end of this season.
Too bad there has been time spent on irrelevant issues. Like whether Rodger Carr can be at practice.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see him out there," David Carr said. "That's one of the reasons he retired and moved out here. I also understand what Dom did. He wants to bring our team closer together. That's the most important thing right now."
What is Rodger Carr doing with his free time?
"He's getting better at golf," David Carr said. "That's one thing I'm worried about. He might be able to get after me when the season ends."
richard.justice@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3456107