Thursday, March 10, 2005

Okeafor Blasts Former Teammates

The following was torn from www.azcardinals.com.

It's amazing how much it mimics Trent Dilfer's radio show rant, calling into question the heart and attitude of some of his former teammates.

This is precisely why Simmons had to go, and why there needs to be a continuous purge of underacheivers. Frankly, it pi$$es me off. Keep up the restructuring, Ruskell. This isn't going to go away overnight.

Okeafor Found What He Was Looking For in Arizona

Defensive end Chike Okeafor entered his second time around in free agency with clear expectations in mind. He let his agent know there were only a few teams he was interested in playing for and agreed to visits with only Denver and Arizona.

“I did my scouting last season watching teams, watching them play,” Okeafor revealed. “You see a lot of another team’s heart based on how they play as a unit. That is what football is, a unit. I had a pretty good idea it would be between a few teams. I know what I’m dedicating to a team for the next five years of my young life and I wanted that same respect back from my team.”

Although rumor has it that Okeafor received a similar financial offer from Seattle, he chose the Cardinals because he was looking for something special, and he found that in Arizona.

“I finally felt the love,” expressed Okeafor.

Even though Seattle made the playoffs last year, Okeafor said the attitude under Head Coach Dennis Green appealed to him more.

“It’s just in the attitude,” explained Okeafor. “There is a different attitude here. One thing over there (Seattle), I felt alone. Not surrounded by enough people who thought like me, felt like me, played like me on a day to day basis, and loved the game like me. I’ve been in search for that in some of my teammates and I found that here. Teammates and coaches, we are all in this together and that had the most to do with it.”

6 comments:

  1. good riddens...

    hes replacable...

    im just glad he is taking aim at the players...and not the Seahawks in general...then i would of taken offense, as i consider myself a Seahawk...

    maybe thats why the FO is slow...they want to rebuild the defense...just like I predicted on the last thread (or two)

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  2. interesting how the offense wants to stay but the defense doesn't...

    its obvious the 'attitude' problem isn't the offense...

    so look at the 11 players on the other side of the line of scrimmage...

    screw it...im done being optimistic this offseason...Hartwell isn't coming to visit? this is pathetic

    (look at the Post Intelligencer article)

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  3. The Hartwell situation hasn't changed. He just isn't scheduled to visit us yet, he never was. He only announced his intention to visit ATL and SEA. Right now he's at home in Baltimore, getting ready for his visits to the two towns.

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  4. since im in Maryland, I wish I could find him in Baltimore and tell him to visit Seattle first...

    then get one of you guys to tie him down once he gets to Seattle

    wow...how impressive would it be to sign the one Raven who isn't a crackhead (J Lewis), a hippy (Ogden), or a token drugged white boy (Boller)

    NOTE: Boller has to be on drugs to have that accuracy...

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  5. we have this HORRIBLE commercial over here of Ogden dancing with some chicks...its been on for about 3 years...its a sad variation of the macarena...

    stupid car insurance

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  6. Well I think this article validates my paranoia a bit unfortunately. I have had, for a long time, a suspicion, that the reason the Seahawks have had so many difficulties landing good free agents had less to do with the fact that Seattle seems a long way away from anywhere, than it does the attitudes of the players and coaches. After all, players are used to flying, they are used to hopping on a plane to go to their favorite place to shop, hunt, fish, water ski, buy marijuana, etc..., so why should living in Seattle, (a great place to do any of those things) be a problem?
    I remember very clearly when Holmgren first got brought in to coach, how many of the players balked at what they percieved to be an innordinate amount of ego from him. (Not saying that's right or wrong, or that it's Holmgren's fault). I remember hearing and reading quptes from players who saw Holmgren as an ego maniac. Then came the massive purges, and I had hoped that fixed the problem. Unfortunately, many of the players drafted and brought to the team were of the same whining ilk as the ones released, ie. Simmons, Stevens, Robinson, I could go on. I even remember how after John Randle was brought here, in his last remaining seasons in order to bring leadership and a winning attitude to the team; and I remember the resistance that he got from many of the players when he tried to be that leader. I don't think that any one player or coach can be blamed for this, I think it's a widespread attitude problem that exists on the team, which resists hard work and accountability. I think that there are still several players here who have never bought into what Holmgren is preaching.
    This problem cannot be fixed overnight, but must be fixed if we are ever going to become more than just a mediocre team. Dilfre talked about it very plainly, now we here much of that sentiment echoed in Okeafor's statements.

    The one hope that I have, is the statements made by Hasselbeck after signing his contract. He was elated that now he feels he can have some real say, some real control over this team. And that's how it should be. I sincerely hope that between Hass and Jones, (who are now going to be playing for the greater part of their careers here), one or both of them can take hold of the teams leadership reigns, and begin to set a winning tone on this team.

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