Weekend Cup O’Chiefs
When they finally showed up to sweat and toil with their teammates on Friday, Brian Waters said it was a business decision that kept him away and Mike Vrabel wrapped himself in the cloak of the collective bargaining agreement in explaining his absence.
In reality, both men said the same thing: at this point in my career, I’ve seen enough to know that I’m not going to commitment myself to the cause of the Kansas City Chiefs more than I’m contractually obligated to do.
Scott Pioli and Todd Haley say they only want players on their team that want to be part of the Chiefs. If they want Waters and Vrabel, they will have to take them on the players’ terms, not their own.
“I know a lot of people want to fall in love with the idea of wanting to be faithful to the team until you die because there’s a lot of that hometown feeling,” Waters said when speaking with the media on Friday. “This is a business, and as soon as they think you don’t fit, you are gone. So you have to make sure you maintain your business angle to it.”
Who could blame Vrabel for having a similar feeling? He’s spent most of his career with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls. When New England felt he was no longer useful, he was shuffled off to Kansas City in the Matt Cassel trade. Last year, the Pats won 11 games; the Chiefs have won six in the last two seasons.
Vrabel had no say in the matter. His only alternative would have been to retire. But Vrabel says he wants to play – and get paid – so he was there on Friday, wearing a Chiefs practice jersey for the first time.
“I think for lack of a better term, I’m just trying to exercise my rights in the CBA,” said Vrabel. “We bargained for rights to make these workouts voluntary. And that’s all I was trying to do, exercise my rights under the CBA.”
None of this should come as a surprise since both Waters and Vrabel are active in the NFL Players Association; Waters is the Chiefs player representative and Vrabel is the former player rep of the Patriots and is currently a member of the union’s executive committee. This is a time when the NFLPA is beginning negotiations on a new agreement with the owners. In fact, the first session between the parties was held just this past week.
Under the agreement between the NFL owners and players, off-season conditioning programs and OTA sessions are not mandatory. In fact, all a team can do in the off-season that is mandatory is a three-day mini-camp like the Chiefs are going through right now.
“I’m a different kind of a guy, I don’t believe in killing yourself over these three or four months,” said Waters. “I believe the off-season as you get older, you want to make sure you take care of your body. But I also know and understand you have to be in great shape going into training camp and I will be.”
Does he have anything to prove to Haley and the new coaching staff?
“I don’t think I have anything to prove to the coaches,” Waters said.
What we are dealing with here are a couple of businessmen and they happen to play football. As Waters implied, fans and even the media like to turn these things into passion plays. But it is a business. For some of the players, it makes business sense to take part in the off-season program and practices.
Take a guy like Larry Johnson for instance. His situation right now makes it imperative that he’s part of the team; it’s the only way he’s going to continue to get paid based on the big money contract he signed with the team. That’s a business decision as well.
There obviously is more to the situation with Waters than business. He would not address those issues on Friday when he spoke with the media between practices.
First, give credit for Waters taking on the media horde that was largely there for one reason – to speak with him. He didn’t dodge the situation. But he also didn’t lay his feelings out in the open and the way he spoke and the things he said and didn’t say gave the distinct impression that he wouldn’t mind carrying out the rest of his career in some other zip code.
When asked if he wanted to play football for the Chiefs, Waters said “Today I do.”
When asked if he was pursuing a trade, Waters would not answer the question.
When asked if he wanted to play for Todd Haley, he said “I’m not going to get into all of that. I’m not going to get into the personal stuff.”
Waters knows his CBA and understands that if he had not showed up for the workouts, he would have faced a fine from the Chiefs. Again, it’s a business decision. Over his career when it comes to the money he’s made from football, Waters has shown two things. One, he is tremendously generous, giving over $1 million to various charitable causes over the last few years in Kansas City and back home in Texas. Two, he’s not the type of guy that wastes money on fancy cars, fancy jewelry or trips to the casino. He takes care of his money and he’s not the type that wants to give back a dime to the Chiefs.
Thus, he wasn’t going to stay away and take a fine.
“It’s my job to handle my business,” said Waters.
Yes it is, but he needs to handle it much better than what he’s done in this off-season. Compared to his teammates, Waters is overweight and out of shape. On the same day that Haley said his team had lost 338 pounds in this off-season, Waters looks like he’s put on weight since last year. He definitely stood out from the rest of the offensive linemen in the drills. They seemed longer and leaner and Waters seemed wider.
Waters allowed that he’s going to have to work harder when he goes home after the mini-camp to catch up with his teammates.
Whether he thinks there’s anything to prove or not, Brian Waters and Mike Vrabel as well must show they can be positive contributors to the 2009 Chiefs, even if their play is all about business.
SIGNINGS & MOVEMENT AROUND THE LEAGUE
BROWNS – signed OT George Foster (Lions).
FALCONS – signed fifth-round CB William Middleton and seventh-round DT Vance Walker.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
June 6
Born on June 6, 1939 in San Diego was CB Dave Grayson. He joined the Dallas Texans in 1961 and played four seasons with the Texans and Chiefs (1961-64). Grayson appeared in 55 games and had 19 career interceptions, including one that he returned 99 yards for a touchdown. In his four seasons, he was the team’s leading kickoff returner, averaging 26.6 yards per return with a 99-yard TD return.
Born on June 6, 1974 in Washington, D.C. was CB Juran Bolden. He played in seven games for the Chiefs during the 1999 season, one of six teams he played for over his NFL career.
June 7
Born on June 7, 1945 in Steubenville, Ohio was DT Gene Trosch. Selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 1967 combined NFL-AFL Draft out of Miami of Florida, Trosch played two seasons with the team (1967 and 1969), appearing in 27 games.
What’s old seems to be new again and so it goes. I’m reminded of the John Matuzak ‘O.W.’ character in the 1979 film, “North Dallas 40″ when, following a playoff loss, O.W. went off on an assistant coach:
“When I call it a game, you call it a business. When I call it a business, you call it a game.–(several expletive deleted comments followed)”
Vrabel and Waters, meet O.W.
After being laid off for three months, I have found a new job. I was told that we are over one 100 counter tops behind with our Cad drawings. I’m salary but I’m putting in 10 hour days to help get caught up. I do this because its helping the business, and in the long run it will help get me a nice pay raise. Just like the players going in to the voluntary OTA’s, it helps the player as well as the team, no matter the length of service. If both the players and I don’t put in the time, then it’s just going to shorten our careers. They both are considered “taking care of business”! I expect at this rate that both Waters and Vrabel will be gone by next year, if not sooner.
It’s pretty clear that Waters doesn’t want to play here anymore.
Will he get dealt somewhere? What could we get for him?
Will he be so out-of-shape that he doesn’t start?
Was this part of a ploy to get Haley and Pioli to get rid of him? Or did he simply underestimate how hard this team has been working so far? Sounds like he’s far from “all in”…like Haley said his players must be.
Will he pull a Tony G…and show up and play his ass off, even though he’s not happy here?
I guess only time will tell.
And I agree with Merwin on Vrabel. I think he’ll play here one year, and then be gone.
It’s starting to sink into my challenged mind, that the seasoned veterans approach to football, becomes more of a business, as opposed to the younger players mentality, of wanting to just play football, make some serious cash & have fun.
Both Waters & Vrabel are pro bowl veterans who have peaked in physical prowess, yet are mentally leaps & bounds ahead of any younger players. Thus their edge… They do not have to prove anything to any one person.
Both of these guys are active in the players union & are practicing what they preach.
Loyalty to any one team over the course of any football players career, has & always will be a fans fantasy, not reality.
Highly paid athletes have no allegiance to any one team. They simply have allegiance to the team that is signing their paycheck.
We, as fans, have to accept the fact that players come & go.(some we wish would go)
I’m of the opinion that “Taking care of business”, at least in the NFL, is a whole lot more than a Great Song.
Good analogy Merwin. I agree too.
If there’s one thing that kills me, it’s that “Union mentality” that says, I’m not going to do anything more than what I have to. If it’s not in my contract, then I’m not doing it. Basically, they slow down progress and impede the cause.
I want the Chiefs to field a winning/ competative team THIS YEAR. If Vrabel and or Waters aren’t 100% committed to the team, then kick them to the curb and lets find someone who wants to play for us.
Don’t get me wrong here, I think the players have certain rights, and should be protected, to a degree from some “greedy owners” and overly zealous HC’s, but actions speak louder than words in most cases, and what I’m hearing is “I got my feelings hurt because of ….(insert gripe here) and now I’m excerising my rights under the CBA and I’m boycotting the voluntary work-outs. That doesn’t work for me. Ship them both off to Detroit and let them finish up their carreers with Gunther.
Of course it’s a business but it’s also much more. The players are paid millions and their business depends on their physical ability and willingness to develop and maintain their skill set. If Waters was such a shrewd, self-described businessman and truly “got it” he would have been training on his own and shown up in great shape to prove his point. He also wouldn’t have blown off a charity that he co-chairs for disabled children to spite his employer. The “voluntary” practices were important enough that all of the other players showed up with two exceptions. They’re different situations and singing different tunes at this point. Whether you agree with it or not (and we show both sides of the coin daily on this site) the Chiefs management is not going to let him dictate the terms of his employment. If he’s a Chief I hope he can help us improve as a team on the field. I’m not sure how that works given what has transpired and his current stance but I guess we’ll see. He’s a lineman on the other side of thirty. Talented, yes. Irreplaceable, I don’t think so. Get some value out of him on your terms and replace him with somebody who truly wants to be part of something special and is willing to work with others committed to doing what it takes to achieve the goal. Turn the page.
P.S. Merwin,
Good comparison and glad to hear you landed on your feet. Good luck.
I hate his attitude, I would cut waters, and end this soap opera over a guy who did NOT perform at a pro bowl level despite voting….now hes out of shape, I mean cmon brian.
Yes, Merwin Congrats on obtaining gainful employment, I think everyone can appreciate what a feat that is in this economy.
At the risk of sounding like a waffler, I want to say one thing about Waters story or excuse for stiffing a charity. Don’t put it out of the realm of possibilities that the Chiefs knowingly and deliberately left his ass hangin on this deal. Now the question I asked myself was, is it the teams responsibility to call Mr Waters to give him a heads up about the event, or should Waters “took better care of HIS business” by being pro active. Are we really supposed to believe that he had NO contact with any of his teammates since he got his wittle feelings hurt? I think it’s a bit hard to swallow that.
But I also believe that the Chiefs were well aware of the damage Waters would do to his reputation by missing the event. Winning of Hearts and Minds, is to win the public relations battle.
Like I said before, him showing up for mini camp only confirmed to me that he is chicken shi*. “I’ll stand on my principals until it effects me in a negative way” doesn’t impress me. He’s hit a low I didn’t think he could get to from where he was.
I truly hope, he’s soon to be past tense!
Here’s why I think the Chiefs line will STILL be better than it was last year even without Waters.
LT – Branden Albert – Has a full offseason to work which he didn’t have last year due to injury, plus, he has a year under his belt. This position is better as a result.
LG – Rudy Niswanger – If Waters is moved, Niswanger can fill in here. I think Rudy is a better guard than center anyway. Is he as good as Waters? Probably not, but he seems like he could be respectable. This position is worse.
C – Eric Ghiacuic – He’s an experienced center both in college and in the pros. He’s a more natural fit here than Niswanger was last year. This position is better.
RG – Mike Goff – He is probably declining, but he is a massive improvement over Adrian Jones. This position is better.
RT – Damion McIntosh – Sure he’s a year older, but last year was his first year on the right side so it would be reasonable to assume that he’ll be better this year than last. If not, Taylor/Richardson/Brown or whomever will step in. At worst, I think RT is on the same level it was last year, which isn’t great, but it could be worse.
Waters is out of shape and is at an age where his skills are going to start declining. He made the Pro Bowl last year because of his name, not his play. I’m hoping Pioli does the smart thing like he did with Gonzalez and strikes while the iron is hot. There is probably a team out there that will want to make a trade to get Waters. We should jump all over it!
Here’s a great article from Arrowhead Pride that I think sums it up pretty well. Except I’d have to tell him to quit being a B!tch.
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2009/6/6/900918/some-advice-for-brian
Vrabel & Waters: 2 excuses, no waiting – nor with any distinction…as virtuous as KC management be vainglorious. No harm, no foul and no love lost.
Kaycee needs Brian more than he needs them…All Pro OGs age 32 are unlike VISA not everywhere so be more in demand than 34 year old LBs… unless you’re putting together a team full of “any 22’s” as ‘check’ & ’search’ are…hellbent for leather, doomed to disappointment.
I really don’t understand why players get a bad rapp for missing voluntary work. I don’t volunteer to go to work. I bet most readers here don’t either. The CBA states that the work is voluntary, and if a player chooses not to attend, the decision should be respected. Yet the media, and most coaching staffs “expect” all players to be there. Teamsters are not expected to drive trucks voluntarily. Plumbers are not expected to unclog sh*tters voluntarily. Now granted, the players make a lot more money than blue collar guys, but the money they earn is for the games, and mandatory practices.
Just imagine if your boss asked you to come in next Saturday, for free…
JasonWhitlock,
Good to see you again on here.
“…or should Waters “took better care of HIS business”Âť by being pro active.”
Obvious. Now the real question is – do you think he’ll show up for work and get the job done?
“We should jump all over it!”
So let’s see…draft is over…no immediate help…Waters has hurt his value with his team and others…so we should strike while the iron is hot and sell low? Or should we cut him so he can be our next Casey Wiegmann?
I may be wrong, but Brian does skip the Voluntay work outs every year. Last year, everyone thought it was a contract dispute. He then showed up for the Mandatory just as he did this year. Lets quit making it a story.
First off, does anyone consider what they do really a business? They get paid to workout for crying out loud. I work 10 hour days, and training for triathlons, half marathons and marathons all summer. I’m talking serious mileage, 40, 50, up to 60 miles per week, and I’ve been working a real job and doing that for 15 plus years. These guys lift for what 2 hours, watch film and study for 2 hours, then practices for another 2 or 3 hours… For what 9 months out of the year… They don’t even put in a full weeks worth of work. Come talk to me when you’ve worked 10 hour day and then get in a easy 7 or 8 mile run in the evening… Then we’ll talk about real work.