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Jerry Porter... What are you thinking???
xbaggypants
Posts: 2,185 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
One of my fav's acting like TO.
Suffice to say, this is not the best way to make an impression on the new boss.
Let's say the new guy in charge wants you to stick around after work. The company is in pretty bad shape and the boss needs everyone to put in some extra time, to help get the business pointed in the right direction.
Raiders coach Art Shell, who is demanding effort, commitment and discipline now that he's taking over a franchise that death-spiraled to 13-35 the past three seasons, expected 100 percent attendance at every minicamp, meeting and organized team activity this past offseason.
He also hoped star employees -- Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, for instance -- would work out religiously at the facility, to set a positive tone. To be the examples.
From the start, Porter was adamant that wasn't going to happen.
Yes, believe what you have heard. There is a huge rift between Porter, the Raiders' sometimes spectacular, often annoying and always baffling wide receiver, and Shell, the Hall of Fame tackle and coach who couldn't care less if Porter has a nice spread this month in "Dubs Magazine."
On Tuesday, Porter spelled it out succinctly. He and Shell aren't on the same page.
Porter wants to be traded.
"Yes. Absolutely. I've told them that," Porter said on the team's first day of practice at training camp in Napa. Which, coincidentally, did not include Porter during the afternoon workout because of what Shell described as a strained calf muscle.
That's right. Day 1.
What a slap in the face to Shell. To owner Al Davis -- who handed Porter a $13 million signing bonus in 2005 to re-sign with the team -- and everyone else in Silver and Black.
How did it get so bad?
Shortly after Shell was hired Feb. 13, a reprise by Davis in the hope his moribund franchise might regain some semblance of respectability, Porter was summoned into the new boss' office for a get-to-know-you meeting.
As Porter recalls it, the conclave -- with wide receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff present -- went something like this:
"They were asking me what I was going to do as far as the offseason program goes," said Porter, who apparently already was bristling at Shell's take-charge approach. "And I told them, 'I just bought a place in Florida, so I'm going to go down to Florida and work with a trainer.' "
Porter continued. "And this is Freddie B talking. He said, 'What's the matter, stud, you're not gonna stay here for the program?' And I'm saying, 'Nah, I've got to get away and charge my batteries.'
"And (Biletnikoff) says, 'Well, your battery's not charged?'
"And I'm like, 'No.' "
From here, as Porter remembers it, the dialogue grew more heated.
Biletnikoff: "Your batteries aren't already charged?"
Porter: "No, they're not."
Biletnikoff: "So, what's the problem?"
Porter: "Well, for one thing, I don't like the way things are going around here."
At that point, Porter recalls, the head coach intervened.
"And then Art chimes in, 'Who the f -- do you think you are?' " Porter recalled. "And then it starts from there. Art says, 'Who ... do you think you're talking to?'
"And that was that." Porter said.
Yup. That would do it.
Later Tuesday, Shell did not dispute Porter's recollection of their meeting, but he definitely had a response.
"The culture is changing," Shell said firmly, "and everybody has been on board and trying to get involved in the process of winning football games, and getting in here, working. You can't have inmates running the asylum.
"That's not gonna be. Not under me, and 99.9 percent of the players here feel that way. They want direction. We're going to give them direction. And I'm not going to back down off of that.
"A couple of the inmates have been trying to run the doggone culture around here. They've been running the program. And that's not gonna be anymore. I'm the head coach. I'm the guy in charge."
Porter, who tends to tease with his talent, and obliterate good will with his attitude, obviously has a problem with that.
But why in the heck would you say something so inflammatory -- "I don't like the way things are going around here" -- to a new head coach? What was he thinking?
"I just didn't. I'm not going to sit here and bring those issues up because I just don't like what (the issues) were about," said Porter, when asked to be more specific about why he's so unhappy. "But nothing can be done about it. I'm not the GM. So we had our little rift.
"Ever since then, (Shell) hasn't said anything to me, I haven't said anything to him."
Obviously, this can't continue.
Senior assistant Michael Lombardi, who essentially runs the football operation, would not comment. The Raiders really are stuck. Cutting Porter would be so satisfying to a lot of folks in the organization, but his salary-cap acceleration, $6.45 million toward the 2007 total, would be a killer.
Trading him also would cost the team plenty.
And really, where are the takers? It's not as if the Raiders haven't tried to move him before.
To his credit, Porter -- who relayed his message while showing off his perfect abs and wearing a faux gold-and-diamond-encrusted boxer's title belt adorned with 10-inch dollar signs -- did appear to work his butt off since the Raiders finished 4-12 in 2005. He attended the mandatory workouts and camps, dropped 23 pounds, and still has that size, speed and chiseled body that reminds you of Terrell Owens.
Porter doesn't have the cred, or the numbers, to be the royal pain Owens can be and force the issue with a stubborn owner.
In six NFL seasons, Porter has caught 239 passes for 24 touchdowns and 3,215 yards. He has led the Raiders in receiving yards only once, in 2004, with 998 yards.
A second-round pick out of West Virginia in 2000, he has not made a Pro Bowl team.
"They've asked for two No. 1's for me (in a trade)," Porter said his agent told him. "Why ... would you ask for a No. 1 for me, or ask for two No. 1s for me, when I wasn't even a No. 1?"
Maybe Porter answered his own question. And if he's watching from the Raiders' bench in September, he'll have plenty of time to ponder how all of this might have happened.
Suffice to say, this is not the best way to make an impression on the new boss.
Let's say the new guy in charge wants you to stick around after work. The company is in pretty bad shape and the boss needs everyone to put in some extra time, to help get the business pointed in the right direction.
Raiders coach Art Shell, who is demanding effort, commitment and discipline now that he's taking over a franchise that death-spiraled to 13-35 the past three seasons, expected 100 percent attendance at every minicamp, meeting and organized team activity this past offseason.
He also hoped star employees -- Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, for instance -- would work out religiously at the facility, to set a positive tone. To be the examples.
From the start, Porter was adamant that wasn't going to happen.
Yes, believe what you have heard. There is a huge rift between Porter, the Raiders' sometimes spectacular, often annoying and always baffling wide receiver, and Shell, the Hall of Fame tackle and coach who couldn't care less if Porter has a nice spread this month in "Dubs Magazine."
On Tuesday, Porter spelled it out succinctly. He and Shell aren't on the same page.
Porter wants to be traded.
"Yes. Absolutely. I've told them that," Porter said on the team's first day of practice at training camp in Napa. Which, coincidentally, did not include Porter during the afternoon workout because of what Shell described as a strained calf muscle.
That's right. Day 1.
What a slap in the face to Shell. To owner Al Davis -- who handed Porter a $13 million signing bonus in 2005 to re-sign with the team -- and everyone else in Silver and Black.
How did it get so bad?
Shortly after Shell was hired Feb. 13, a reprise by Davis in the hope his moribund franchise might regain some semblance of respectability, Porter was summoned into the new boss' office for a get-to-know-you meeting.
As Porter recalls it, the conclave -- with wide receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff present -- went something like this:
"They were asking me what I was going to do as far as the offseason program goes," said Porter, who apparently already was bristling at Shell's take-charge approach. "And I told them, 'I just bought a place in Florida, so I'm going to go down to Florida and work with a trainer.' "
Porter continued. "And this is Freddie B talking. He said, 'What's the matter, stud, you're not gonna stay here for the program?' And I'm saying, 'Nah, I've got to get away and charge my batteries.'
"And (Biletnikoff) says, 'Well, your battery's not charged?'
"And I'm like, 'No.' "
From here, as Porter remembers it, the dialogue grew more heated.
Biletnikoff: "Your batteries aren't already charged?"
Porter: "No, they're not."
Biletnikoff: "So, what's the problem?"
Porter: "Well, for one thing, I don't like the way things are going around here."
At that point, Porter recalls, the head coach intervened.
"And then Art chimes in, 'Who the f -- do you think you are?' " Porter recalled. "And then it starts from there. Art says, 'Who ... do you think you're talking to?'
"And that was that." Porter said.
Yup. That would do it.
Later Tuesday, Shell did not dispute Porter's recollection of their meeting, but he definitely had a response.
"The culture is changing," Shell said firmly, "and everybody has been on board and trying to get involved in the process of winning football games, and getting in here, working. You can't have inmates running the asylum.
"That's not gonna be. Not under me, and 99.9 percent of the players here feel that way. They want direction. We're going to give them direction. And I'm not going to back down off of that.
"A couple of the inmates have been trying to run the doggone culture around here. They've been running the program. And that's not gonna be anymore. I'm the head coach. I'm the guy in charge."
Porter, who tends to tease with his talent, and obliterate good will with his attitude, obviously has a problem with that.
But why in the heck would you say something so inflammatory -- "I don't like the way things are going around here" -- to a new head coach? What was he thinking?
"I just didn't. I'm not going to sit here and bring those issues up because I just don't like what (the issues) were about," said Porter, when asked to be more specific about why he's so unhappy. "But nothing can be done about it. I'm not the GM. So we had our little rift.
"Ever since then, (Shell) hasn't said anything to me, I haven't said anything to him."
Obviously, this can't continue.
Senior assistant Michael Lombardi, who essentially runs the football operation, would not comment. The Raiders really are stuck. Cutting Porter would be so satisfying to a lot of folks in the organization, but his salary-cap acceleration, $6.45 million toward the 2007 total, would be a killer.
Trading him also would cost the team plenty.
And really, where are the takers? It's not as if the Raiders haven't tried to move him before.
To his credit, Porter -- who relayed his message while showing off his perfect abs and wearing a faux gold-and-diamond-encrusted boxer's title belt adorned with 10-inch dollar signs -- did appear to work his butt off since the Raiders finished 4-12 in 2005. He attended the mandatory workouts and camps, dropped 23 pounds, and still has that size, speed and chiseled body that reminds you of Terrell Owens.
Porter doesn't have the cred, or the numbers, to be the royal pain Owens can be and force the issue with a stubborn owner.
In six NFL seasons, Porter has caught 239 passes for 24 touchdowns and 3,215 yards. He has led the Raiders in receiving yards only once, in 2004, with 998 yards.
A second-round pick out of West Virginia in 2000, he has not made a Pro Bowl team.
"They've asked for two No. 1's for me (in a trade)," Porter said his agent told him. "Why ... would you ask for a No. 1 for me, or ask for two No. 1s for me, when I wasn't even a No. 1?"
Maybe Porter answered his own question. And if he's watching from the Raiders' bench in September, he'll have plenty of time to ponder how all of this might have happened.
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Comments
Heard rumors of a Porter/Lelie trade, but Shanahan isn't going to put up with his crap.
<< <i>So basically he's telling every other team out there he doesn't like authority figures...going to be a tough trade.
Heard rumors of a Porter/Lelie trade, but Shanahan isn't going to put up with his crap. >>
Really? I know a few days back I posted that this trade may work(very similar players, both needing a change of scenery plus the rivalry factor).
Mark Mulder rookies
Chipper Jones rookies
Orlando Cabrera rookies
Lawrence Taylor
Sam Huff
Lavar Arrington
NY Giants
NY Yankees
NJ Nets
NJ Devils
1950s-1960s Topps NY Giants Team cards
Looking for Topps rookies as well.
References:
GregM13
VintageJeff
Sincerely,
NFL Defenses
Chump Bailey knows.
Mark Mulder rookies
Chipper Jones rookies
Orlando Cabrera rookies
Lawrence Taylor
Sam Huff
Lavar Arrington
NY Giants
NY Yankees
NJ Nets
NJ Devils
1950s-1960s Topps NY Giants Team cards
Looking for Topps rookies as well.
References:
GregM13
VintageJeff
Brian
Dallas Cowboys
SuperBowl MVPs
Heisman Trophy Winers