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I had a chance to meet Lance and he text message me to tell me about this interview. I told him I would post this on the site.
Taken from Saskatchewan News Network.
Link: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstar....html?id=97cbb040-a59c-4bac-89c2-13303411965e
Riders DB reflects on Parcells, T.O. and Monday Night Football
Rob Vanstone, Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post
Published: Monday, July 16, 2007
On a regular basis during the 2007 CFL season, the Saskatchewan News Network does a lighthearted interview with a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The series continues with the thoughts of former Dallas Cowboys defensive back and punt returner Lance Frazier, who was grilled by Rob Vanstone.
SNN: What is Bill Parcells like? He'd kind of be an intimidating boss, wouldn't he?
FRAZIER: He wasn't really intimidating. Actually, he was a character -- a funny guy. He's very respectful. A lot of people get him confused with his old-school approach. It's a new age of football now and a lot of people don't react well to the way he handles things. I've got the utmost respect for him because he's such a real guy. He's up-front. You always knew where you stood with Parcells. Walking away from that situation, I can really say I respect him for that.
Font: ****SNN: Is it intimidating when you first meet Parcells because of his mystique and his aura?
FRAZIER: Kinda, sorta. The way the guy walks around the field is very intimidating. He's always looking to coach you up on anything and everything. He gives you that sneer -- that famous Bill Parcells sneer. You know you're in trouble when Parcells is out there sneering. Being a rookie and having to deal with that, it was very tough at times, but it paid off.
SNN: Is there a Bill Parcells sneer moment in your life that you will never forget?
FRAZIER: The worst one I could remember was my first Monday night game against the Eagles. We were at home and I muffed two punts. You get ready to come off the field and you kind of know he's looking at you. He's the type of guy who will watch you from the other side of the field until you get to the sideline. So you pick the furthest distance away to come back to the sideline. You could feel him burning a hole in the side of your head. He would walk up to you and look at you, evil as could be. You don't want to look at him. Finally, two series go by and he would still come over and say, "Son, what have you got? Stage fright or something?" He would just rip into you, basically, but it would take him two or three series. I will never forget that night.
SNN: How long did it take to get over that . . . or are you over it yet?
FRAZIER: I am, actually (laughs). You've just got to let that kind of thing go because you're still playing a football game, but it does have a lasting effect on you, trust me.
SNN: What kind of rush is it to play on Monday Night Football?
FRAZIER: There's high school, there's college football, there's NFL on Sunday, and then Monday Night Football is what I would believe is a playoff atmosphere. I've never been in the playoffs in the NFL, but there's something in the air on Monday night. It's huge. It's the only game on and everybody brings their A game. That, to me, was equivalent to what I would imagine a playoff or Super Bowl game would be like.
SNN: What's the best part of being an NFL player?
FRAZIER: It's a childhood dream, No. 1. When you achieve that, what more could you ask for? I think the best part about it is just meeting and getting to play with some of the guys that you idolize as a kid. To finally meet them and be on their level, and just the way that you're treated and accepted in the community and all over the world, just was wonderful for me.
And there's all the perks that came with it.
SNN: What kind of perks?
FRAZIER: You get a lot of things given to you. People treat you differently when you have that status. Let's face it. That's society. After you put in all the hard work and time over the years, you kind of feel like you deserve it. There are some things that you get and people accept you and just give you things for free.
Font: ****SNN: Like what?
FRAZIER: Of course, there's all the promotional-type things. People just want you to try their stuff just because you're a football player. They figure it will bring them more business. Or, they will invite you to their parties. You get invited to restaurants and you get meals . . . drinks . . . whatever. There were some good perks to that.
SNN: What was the best one?
FRAZIER: I was a young guy who liked to party. I never really paid to go out. You could go out in an evening and spend $100 to $150 a night partying. That was very convenient for me.
SNN: What do they give you for being a CFL player? Any perks here?
FRAZIER: Not that I know of (laughs), which is probably a good thing because it kind of keeps you out of trouble. The biggest perk for me being here is actually having another opportunity to play football. That's more on the serious side, but that's good enough for me.
SNN: What's the worst part of being an NFL player?
FRAZIER: You have to come in and compete every year. They're looking high and low for people to come in and take your job. There's no level of satisfaction from a GM's standpoint or a personnel standpoint in the NFL. Knowing that, it can be very stressful to keep and maintain your job.
SNN: Who were the toughest receivers to cover?
FRAZIER: Terrell Owens has got to be at the top of that list. Joe Horn . . . Chad Johnson . . . Those were probably the top three guys that I faced. I did pretty well. Against T.O., I got hurt in that first game, but I did OK.
I didn't really give up anything too big. I did great against Chad Johnson. That was actually my first game starting. And Joe Horn, I wasn't really on him much. The three of them were pretty tough. You've got your hands full when you're talking about covering those type of guys.
SNN: With T.O., is there a lot of the talking and bravado when you're playing against him?
FRAZIER: He's more businesslike. People can say whatever they want about his character and his personality, but when he's out there between those lines, he's business. You can ask anybody about T.O. on the field and he comes to work.
I hope I did this right and the format turns out. I had a chance to meet Frazier two weekends ago and I asked him some of the similar things that the reporter Rob Vanstone asked him.
What he told me was there was a very small minority who responded to Parcells' personality in a negative way and that made life difficult for them. He said one name in particular - Larry Allen.
He also told me that he liked playing under Zimmer and appreciated him as a coach. The way Frazier talked he didn't mind the intense style of coaching. He also said he wished he was on the Cowboys squad now. He says they are a very talented team on paper.
I am intending to ask the Riders organization to allow Lance to come to our peewee and bantam training camp as part of the Riders' community service initiative. If that happens I will grill him some more on the Cowboys.
Taken from Saskatchewan News Network.
Link: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstar....html?id=97cbb040-a59c-4bac-89c2-13303411965e
Riders DB reflects on Parcells, T.O. and Monday Night Football
Rob Vanstone, Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post
Published: Monday, July 16, 2007
On a regular basis during the 2007 CFL season, the Saskatchewan News Network does a lighthearted interview with a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The series continues with the thoughts of former Dallas Cowboys defensive back and punt returner Lance Frazier, who was grilled by Rob Vanstone.
SNN: What is Bill Parcells like? He'd kind of be an intimidating boss, wouldn't he?
FRAZIER: He wasn't really intimidating. Actually, he was a character -- a funny guy. He's very respectful. A lot of people get him confused with his old-school approach. It's a new age of football now and a lot of people don't react well to the way he handles things. I've got the utmost respect for him because he's such a real guy. He's up-front. You always knew where you stood with Parcells. Walking away from that situation, I can really say I respect him for that.
Font: ****SNN: Is it intimidating when you first meet Parcells because of his mystique and his aura?
FRAZIER: Kinda, sorta. The way the guy walks around the field is very intimidating. He's always looking to coach you up on anything and everything. He gives you that sneer -- that famous Bill Parcells sneer. You know you're in trouble when Parcells is out there sneering. Being a rookie and having to deal with that, it was very tough at times, but it paid off.
SNN: Is there a Bill Parcells sneer moment in your life that you will never forget?
FRAZIER: The worst one I could remember was my first Monday night game against the Eagles. We were at home and I muffed two punts. You get ready to come off the field and you kind of know he's looking at you. He's the type of guy who will watch you from the other side of the field until you get to the sideline. So you pick the furthest distance away to come back to the sideline. You could feel him burning a hole in the side of your head. He would walk up to you and look at you, evil as could be. You don't want to look at him. Finally, two series go by and he would still come over and say, "Son, what have you got? Stage fright or something?" He would just rip into you, basically, but it would take him two or three series. I will never forget that night.
SNN: How long did it take to get over that . . . or are you over it yet?
FRAZIER: I am, actually (laughs). You've just got to let that kind of thing go because you're still playing a football game, but it does have a lasting effect on you, trust me.
SNN: What kind of rush is it to play on Monday Night Football?
FRAZIER: There's high school, there's college football, there's NFL on Sunday, and then Monday Night Football is what I would believe is a playoff atmosphere. I've never been in the playoffs in the NFL, but there's something in the air on Monday night. It's huge. It's the only game on and everybody brings their A game. That, to me, was equivalent to what I would imagine a playoff or Super Bowl game would be like.
SNN: What's the best part of being an NFL player?
FRAZIER: It's a childhood dream, No. 1. When you achieve that, what more could you ask for? I think the best part about it is just meeting and getting to play with some of the guys that you idolize as a kid. To finally meet them and be on their level, and just the way that you're treated and accepted in the community and all over the world, just was wonderful for me.
And there's all the perks that came with it.
SNN: What kind of perks?
FRAZIER: You get a lot of things given to you. People treat you differently when you have that status. Let's face it. That's society. After you put in all the hard work and time over the years, you kind of feel like you deserve it. There are some things that you get and people accept you and just give you things for free.
Font: ****SNN: Like what?
FRAZIER: Of course, there's all the promotional-type things. People just want you to try their stuff just because you're a football player. They figure it will bring them more business. Or, they will invite you to their parties. You get invited to restaurants and you get meals . . . drinks . . . whatever. There were some good perks to that.
SNN: What was the best one?
FRAZIER: I was a young guy who liked to party. I never really paid to go out. You could go out in an evening and spend $100 to $150 a night partying. That was very convenient for me.
SNN: What do they give you for being a CFL player? Any perks here?
FRAZIER: Not that I know of (laughs), which is probably a good thing because it kind of keeps you out of trouble. The biggest perk for me being here is actually having another opportunity to play football. That's more on the serious side, but that's good enough for me.
SNN: What's the worst part of being an NFL player?
FRAZIER: You have to come in and compete every year. They're looking high and low for people to come in and take your job. There's no level of satisfaction from a GM's standpoint or a personnel standpoint in the NFL. Knowing that, it can be very stressful to keep and maintain your job.
SNN: Who were the toughest receivers to cover?
FRAZIER: Terrell Owens has got to be at the top of that list. Joe Horn . . . Chad Johnson . . . Those were probably the top three guys that I faced. I did pretty well. Against T.O., I got hurt in that first game, but I did OK.
I didn't really give up anything too big. I did great against Chad Johnson. That was actually my first game starting. And Joe Horn, I wasn't really on him much. The three of them were pretty tough. You've got your hands full when you're talking about covering those type of guys.
SNN: With T.O., is there a lot of the talking and bravado when you're playing against him?
FRAZIER: He's more businesslike. People can say whatever they want about his character and his personality, but when he's out there between those lines, he's business. You can ask anybody about T.O. on the field and he comes to work.
I hope I did this right and the format turns out. I had a chance to meet Frazier two weekends ago and I asked him some of the similar things that the reporter Rob Vanstone asked him.
What he told me was there was a very small minority who responded to Parcells' personality in a negative way and that made life difficult for them. He said one name in particular - Larry Allen.
He also told me that he liked playing under Zimmer and appreciated him as a coach. The way Frazier talked he didn't mind the intense style of coaching. He also said he wished he was on the Cowboys squad now. He says they are a very talented team on paper.
I am intending to ask the Riders organization to allow Lance to come to our peewee and bantam training camp as part of the Riders' community service initiative. If that happens I will grill him some more on the Cowboys.
