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Thread: Bernard Pollard responds
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04-01-2013, 04:45 PM #37
Re: Bernard Pollard responds
If there are two or more people involved in any undertaking there is politics involved. There are right and wrong ways to play politics and get the outcome you desire. Playing team politics the wrong way gets you off the team - even if the outcome of your position was what was desired.
Pollard & Reed played the political game wrong and are gone.
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
I would say there are no rules in politics, except you have to have the juice. If you have the votes, then you can press your agenda no matter how ugly it gets. If you don't have the right backing lined up, you better not stick your neck out.
What I'm trying to say is that there are players who have the juice -- Flacco, Rice, Yanda, Ngata, Suggs, Webb. They aren't going to cut those guys right now, so those guys can press for an agenda when the players need clout. Pollard didn't have the juice. So if he was a bit of a cancer, then indeed he made a political mistake. That's a reasonable thing to say.
But it still comes down to guessing about how bothered Harbaugh was or wasn't about Pollard's mouth.
I can believe it was an issue, but I don't believe it was THE ISSUE.
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04-01-2013, 05:00 PM #39Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Supposedly, that meeting that was characterized as a "near mutiny" was where Harbaugh encouraged players to speak freely.
Only after the players spoke up. It's not like Harbaugh said "let's get our feelings out."
There was an unprovoked challenge made to his authority. He responded pretty well to it. But it's generally not the best practice to call out your boss in front of your coworkers, is it?
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
True. Of course, my co-workers and I are not generally making $2 to $12 million a year, in many cases two or three times more than the boss. So... I don't know if the working environment here tells me anything about the working environment inside the place they call The Castle.
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
John Harbaugh is a gangster at heart. If you haven't figured that out by now, you might want to ask somebody.
Whose is the one key name missing from the entire 'mutiny' story? The leader of leaders for the Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis. Do you want to know why, because Ray Lewis handled issues with the coaching staff the right way. When he felt that Greg Mattison was not aggressive enough, he went to him personally, behind closed doors. When he felt that they should "let the rushers rush and the cover guys cover", as he put it, he went to the coaches, before bringing his information back to the players. Ray Lewis led with positive energy. If you notice, of all the veterans that we've heard of who didn't care for Harbaugh, the one guy whose name has never came up is Ray Lewis.
Reed was never a leader. Reed was an introvert who wanted to do things his own way. Once he got older, due to his status, he just felt like he shouldn't be told how to do things, because his way always worked. His actual leadership skills are hit and miss.
You don't buck a coach after the ass whooping they took, because you don't feel as though you should have to practice in pads. Really? Do you think Belichick puts up with that shit? Do you think Mike Tomlin puts up with that shit? That defense went through one sucky assed season and look how the players handled it throughout the entire year. God Bless Ray Lewis, because there aren't too many leaders that could have kept that ship together. God Bless Joe Flacco too, because he's the one who had to put up with Cameron's shit while getting criticized by his own teammates no less. Who was the main guy who came out and did that? Surprise, surprise, Ed Reed.
I keep telling you guys that John Harbaugh is Michael Corleone deep down. And you know what, now that they won the Super Bowl, Ozzie is REALLY going to roll with it. This is what Bisciotti wanted when he fired Billick, somebody to unify the locker room and restore order."Please take with you this final sword, The Excellector. I am praying that your journey will be guided by the light", Leon Shore
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04-01-2013, 06:32 PM #42
Re: Bernard Pollard responds
I loved having Pollard on the team but being honest he can not cover very well. Why pay him when you could draft a rookie and pay him dirt and maybe get a future pro bowler/HOF player?
It's all strategy and business.
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04-01-2013, 06:52 PM #43
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04-01-2013, 06:53 PM #44Regular 1st Stringer
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Fair enough and you're definitely right that it's hard to compare. But I think this quote from the article sums everything up: "Harbaugh also is wise enough to realize that any player who doesn’t understand the notion that coaches coach and players play should be playing for someone else."
This is of course accepting that this near mutiny is the only reason he was cut. It's much ado about nothing IMO. Pollard had other issues that led to his release. Given that he's gotten a June designation, it's definitely more cap related than we originally believed.
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04-01-2013, 07:08 PM #45On The Practice Squad
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
If you have a look at the behind the scenes video of the game against the Broncos, at 3:45, look at the communication and understanding between Ray and John. Ive never seen John do this, as in, talk to the players about the plays in-depth and consult, also because I rarely watch behind the scenes stuff. Usually Ray would be talking to a defensive coach, but here he talks directly with John. John may just be a Special Teams coach, which is probably why he doesnt get the respect from Pollard and Reed, but if you look at this scene, John is willing to listen and understand as long as there is effective communication and mutual respect. Excellector is spot on.
Last edited by Aussie_Raven; 04-01-2013 at 07:14 PM.
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04-01-2013, 07:16 PM #46
Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Yes, isn't it odd?
I could care less about this story from PFT. They really are rumor mongors who look for the least bit of shit to stirr just for a story.
As for Pollard, the dude was a frickin' banger. The hit on Ridley (NE) in the playoffs earned him his pay check for the season, IMO. I wish he was still here."I don't know a man on this Earth who can outwork me". Ray Lewis
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Re: Bernard Pollard responds
Anyway you wanna cut it, the ring leaders of the so called munity and voices on other issues are gone. They say Dumervil is a natural leader. he better keep his mouth shut in this locker room.
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