This is brilliant. I’m sure many Eagles fans are going to be very upset that this drama is unfolding down in Washington with their beloved Redskins. Just when you thought Albert Haynesworth was going to be the good soldier (he praised the 3-4 recently after complaining about it all offseason), he goes and pops off on the team.
The video is right here on CSNWashington.com if you want to see some of the sarcasm in his voice.
Here is a little bit of the back story to this in case you haven’t been following. Haynesworth couldn’t practice this earlier this week because of dehydration. Head coach Mike Shanahan essentially called that nonsense. Then, he was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of headaches. Apparently, he feels like they are holding back injury information on him.
“I was told I had ‘headaches’ or whatever and that’s why I couldn’t go out and practice,” he said, in a manner that let everyone know that he thinks it’s total nonsense. “I think it was a little bit more than that.”
Haynesworth then said, “[Headaches] was part of that but it wasn’t all of it. They left out a lot of stuff.”
OK, then what were the real reasons you were held out?
“You would have to ask them,” he said.
On Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, Haynesworth was out there in the third quarter with the backups and he clearly didn’t appreciate it.
“I’m a ninth year pro,” he said. “I don’t think I should have been out there in the third quarter, but having ‘headaches’ again, that’s what they wanted to do.”
Shanahan said the big tackle did some work on the treadmill on Friday just so he’d be able to play in the Ravens game.
“He wasn’t going to be able to play with the first or second team for obvious reasons,” Shanahan said. “He’s going to have to earn his way into that group, and once we get him into football shape, then we’ll get him some playing time. We’ll see how he did and evaluate that.”
Haynesworth was asked why he thinks they’d do this to him.
“I guess to make me look bad for not going to their off-season conditioning program,” Haynesworth said. “Next year, I’m not coming either … I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
This is great. You really should watch the video to see the attitude with which he says all this stuff. How long can this really go on? I’ve said this before, but I really do blame the Redskins for not having any clue of what they were getting into when they signed him. I’m actually starting to side with Albert.
UPDATE: A league source tells Jason La Canfora of NFL Network that Haynesworth could be suffering from rhabdomyolysis. You can read more about that here, as I have little to no interest in breaking down health issues.
I don’t know enough about how this stuff works in the NFL but here are my thoughts.
1. Shanahan is doing a great job as a coach of letting the player know that he is one player out of 80. I think Shanahan hates the entitlement that “stars” feel. I don’t think he is alone either. The insane money that is earned by these “stars” has forced many coaches to play guys that aren’t “buying in” to the team philosophy. The coaches message (with out personally attacking the player in public) is get on board or suffer. I believe that if money were not the issue Haynesworth would have been gone long ago.
2. Because of the above- I think coaches are using these situations in the last year of the CBA to point out problems with the current system.
3. I almost can’t blame Albert because this precedent has been set way before him and he wants what he feels he is entitled too. I mean look at what Brett Favre (who I love to watch play) gets away with.
4. I think the New CBA will strip a-lot of power from these guys (players) to act this way because ownership will be able to demonstrate that these things are damaging the final product they pay all of these coaches big money to produce.
I believe that Haynesworth will be placed in the IR/PUP/Mental list come tommorrow and his 2010 Season will be over, as is his career with the Redskins..The F/O of Redskins will say he is seeking and getting Professioanl Help from Mental Doctors but the Truth is he will never see the field as a
Washington Redskin this year or any other year under Coach Shannahan..
(it goes against every thing Shannahan teaches)