Revisiting Mike Vrabel's Time With The Chiefs
by Joel Thorman on Jan 31, 2012 10:50 AM CST
Email
PrintJackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston has a really good look at New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and some of his motivational tactics, including the Monday morning film review sessions, which some players don't exactly look forward to.
Check out the full piece here but one part caught my eye. MacMullan quotes former Patriots (and Kansas City Chiefs) LB Mike Vrabel who said, after the trade to the Chiefs, he and Belichick didn't speak for nearly two years!
Vrabel had one year left on his contract when he went to Belichick in 2009 and told him he'd like to redo his deal. Within weeks, he was dealt to Kansas City.
It was a shocking and hurtful development for the proud linebacker, who had enjoyed a tremendous relationship with Belichick. Vrabel didn't speak to his former coach for almost two years after the trade.
Always a reminder that this is a business and not a game.
Vrabel has been off the team for a year now so this isn't relevant to today's Chiefs but the piece itself is a really interesting look at the motivational tactics Belichick uses.
77 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Belichick is wise and was fully aware of who he was getting rid of
6 1st round draft picks, 2 Super Bowl Champions and counting
by Another Successful Tedford QB on Jan 31, 2012 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
wait ... you mean he RETIRED?
Twisted Lord of AP Color Commentary (H/T - Loco)
Winner: 2009 Nostradamus of Arrowhead Pride Award
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
"It's always easier to sell 'em some shit than it is to give 'em the truth" - Shel Silverstein, The Perfect High
hi, Mo! 5 minutes!!!
I know, huh
Twisted Lord of AP Color Commentary (H/T - Loco)
Winner: 2009 Nostradamus of Arrowhead Pride Award
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
"It's always easier to sell 'em some shit than it is to give 'em the truth" - Shel Silverstein, The Perfect High
hi, Mo! 5 minutes!!!
have to wonder sometimes ...
motivational tactics or DE-motivational?
2 years … wow, rather a sad story all in all
Twisted Lord of AP Color Commentary (H/T - Loco)
Winner: 2009 Nostradamus of Arrowhead Pride Award
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
"It's always easier to sell 'em some shit than it is to give 'em the truth" - Shel Silverstein, The Perfect High
hi, Mo! 5 minutes!!!
Or coincidence.
Probably not, but maybe Hoodie was going to trade him anyway.
"Be an analyst. Don’t be a douchebag." - Terrell Suggs to Skip Bayless
I Suspect So
When Vrabel got traded, the story on him was that his play had slipped. Not to mention that he was making a pretty decent salary and the Patriots had to cut cap space. I suspect that Vrabel’s trade was more about cutting costs and looking to go younger than punishing a player for wanting a new deal.
Whatever you think about his methods, they get results.
When you gotta go in the lion's den, you don't go quiet. You go in loud, kick the door down and say WHERE IS THE SONUVABITCH. -B. Billick
Haha...Belichick is awesome!!
here’s your restructured deal
Patrick Chung > Matt Cassel & Mike Vrabel
#82 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
by KansasCityShuffle on Jan 31, 2012 11:04 AM CST reply actions
ray charles> matt cassel & vrabel
by Brendon on Jan 31, 2012 11:13 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Kelly Clarkson > Matt Cassel + Mike Vrabel
#82 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
by KansasCityShuffle on Jan 31, 2012 11:25 AM CST up reply actions
One of the Superbowl props is "Will Kelly Clarkson show her midriff during the anthem"
Since when she was on SNL “Belly Clarkson” was trending on twitter, I’m going to go ahead and assume this is easy money. Along with O/U on the amount of times they will show the Tyree catch is at “1”. I wish you could parlay these props. I’d take a no belly/over on these two and pay for my palm springs golf trip next week.
by craig in calgary on Jan 31, 2012 11:35 AM CST up reply actions
True
Oregon DBs takin’ over.
OT- Anthony B ripped the dancehall here Sat. night. First time seeing him. Bobo dread nice up di area
Yaga-yo
Bredren burnt him up at the Gra-nasty
#82 - Pay The Man & Play The Man
by KansasCityShuffle on Jan 31, 2012 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
KC would be much farther behind in the rebuild if it wasn't for Vrabel and Cassel
it’s easy to rip on them now… but at the time, both were HUGE for this team.
I think Vrabel did a ton for us ... never a question of that
Twisted Lord of AP Color Commentary (H/T - Loco)
Winner: 2009 Nostradamus of Arrowhead Pride Award
"I shall conquer untruth by truth" - Mahatma Gandhi
"It's always easier to sell 'em some shit than it is to give 'em the truth" - Shel Silverstein, The Perfect High
hi, Mo! 5 minutes!!!
I Didn't Have A Problem With Vrabel
He was a solid player and put out his best effort. But considering that the head coach just got fired and that our team has had two losing seasons out of the last three, and all the other stuff, I’m going to stop short of saying that he helped this team go anywhere.
That’s not a knock on Vrabel…that’s a knock on the rebuilding effort.
He might have been our best defensive coach until Romeo got here.
When you gotta go in the lion's den, you don't go quiet. You go in loud, kick the door down and say WHERE IS THE SONUVABITCH. -B. Billick
by Brsrkr on Jan 31, 2012 11:46 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Anyone who gives the Broncos bench the finger, in game...I'm a fan of.
My earliest Chiefs memories are watching guys named Dawson, Podolak, Taylor, Thomas, Bell, and Buchanan. So, yeah...I'm kind of an old fart.
by Scott B. on Jan 31, 2012 11:20 AM CST reply actions 3 recs
Vrabel definitely knows the Bro Code
6 1st round draft picks, 2 Super Bowl Champions and counting
by Another Successful Tedford QB on Jan 31, 2012 11:43 AM CST up reply actions
Moral of the story
Don’t ask Belichick for a new contract or he will ship your ass out of town
Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.
Hammerfisting my own balls since 2006
You Know, I Doubt That Was It
Vrabel’s play dropped off his last year there and I suspect that was more of the motivation than wanting a new contract.
Hey, wait a minute…if Scott Pioli was the GM, then why did he go and talk to Belichick about a contract?
That Is An Outstanding Piece
Whenever Belichick decides to hang it up, I wonder if he’ll drop the media-unfriendly aspect of his coaching and do interviews? I think it would be fascinating to hear what goes on in that guy’s head and what his motivations are.
I’m not a Patriots fan by any stretch, but I’m a huge Belichick fan…for my money, the best coach of this generation. And at least top five of all time.
Apparently (and I haven't been following) the Hoodie has been quite un-hoodiesque this week.
He’s cordial with reporters, actually answering questions, voluntaring commentary about his time with the Giants.
Maybe he’s turned a new leaf?
But I agree, he might be the greatest football coach of all time.
by craig in calgary on Jan 31, 2012 11:33 AM CST up reply actions
Bill Walsh
Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.
Hammerfisting my own balls since 2006
He's In The Top Five
But I think Belichick is better. He set the record for most consecutive double digit win seasons.
I Love Marty, But
Couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. I think he’s often the victim of bad luck there, but still…
It Wasn't Just Kickers
Paul Hackett called a terrible game then. Marcus Allen was underutilized against a terrible Colts run defense.
And Grbac started.
When you gotta go in the lion's den, you don't go quiet. You go in loud, kick the door down and say WHERE IS THE SONUVABITCH. -B. Billick
Meh
I think you nailed it with the luck factor. Is Billick or Switzer a better football coach because they happened to have stacked teams and won the Superbowl?
by craig in calgary on Jan 31, 2012 11:48 AM CST up reply actions
If You Haven't Read Jeff Pearlman's Book "Boys Will Be Boys"
You should read it just for the stuff about Switzer alone. That dude knew he won a lottery ticket…he was just along for the ride.
The Jimmy Johnson stuff was fascinating, though. His motivational tactics were very similar to Belichick’s but more severe. And Johnson was an industrial psychologist, so the effects were considered and intentional. Belichick was warm and fuzzy by comparison.
Switzer can thank Jimmy Johnson for that SB
Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.
Hammerfisting my own balls since 2006
My Top Five
Would be (in this order), Lombardi, Belichick, Landry, Walsh, and Don Shula. Honorable mention to Jimmy Johnson, who had a short but brilliant career.
that's a good list
i’d swap Noll for Landry and then tie up Landry and Shula. Shula’s perfect season is awesome but not winning a Super Bowl with Marino, that’s a bitter pill.
Agreed
I made the very big mistake of not realizing that Chuck Noll was also responsible for drafting players for Pittsburgh…and he had some incredible drafts. I restructure the list to read Lombardi, Belichick, Noll, Landry and Walsh.
FYI…the reason Don Shula didn’t win with Marino was that as Marino was starting out with the Dolphins, Shula took over as GM after squeezing out Bobby Beathard. Shula was an amazing coach, but he was one of the worst general managers in the game. Dan Marino’s lack of a Super Bowl was entirely Shula’s fault.
And
Landry and Noll could be interchangeable. Noll was better in his prime, but Landry was better for longer. And people also forget that Tom Landry helped build the Dallas Cowboys from scratch…he was their first head coach. And when the Cowboys were an expansion team, the NFL didn’t have expansion drafts and free agency, and they didn’t let the Cowboys have any draft picks their first year. Landry had to build that team with 22 guys off the street…which is why it took him five years before his first winning season.
Wow, man's game back then.
When you gotta go in the lion's den, you don't go quiet. You go in loud, kick the door down and say WHERE IS THE SONUVABITCH. -B. Billick
don't get me wrong, Landry was and is a legend.
but he also had a legendary GM in Tex Schramm and a legendary scout/VPPP in Gil Brandt. they helped with a lot of the heavy lifting in building that team. without those two, i doubt the Cowboys would have become “America’s Team” XP
True
But Noll also had a great scout in Bill Nunn, Jr., who convinced Noll to draft Mel Blount and play him at cornerback (Noll wanted to make him a safety) and who scouted all of those great drafts of the ’70s. Nobody does it all on their own. Gil Brandt got all the attention, but Nunn was every bit as good and possibly better as a scout.
It is crazy to think that Noll, the only coach (currently) to win four Super Bowls
never won the AP NFL Coach of the Year.
Noll really did fly under the radar during his career. It seemed like he preferred it that way.
Good debate. Sad, I doubt we’ll ever see 20-plus year tenured coaches again, not like those two guys.
by Dr.WalterBishop on Jan 31, 2012 7:07 PM CST up reply actions
I Think He Did
He’s basically been reclusive since he retired. Former players have said he’s just a really private person. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him give a post-retirement interview.
No, he never won the AP Coach of the Year
He won the Maxwell Coach of the Year in 1989 and the UPI Coach of the Year for the NFC in 1972.
He never won the KC 101 Award or the Paul Brown trophy.
Sorry, I Wasn't Clear
I was agreeing that I think he preferred it that way.
It’s shocking he was never AP Coach of the Year, though. You know, if Belichick wins this year, does he get bumped up another notch? Ties the record for most Super Bowls…makes it close between him and Lombardi.
i think it would have to, Belechick might be the closest thing we've seen to Lombardi
one thing about Noll’s 4, he won them with almost the same team. Belichick’s teams have all been different. IMO, that’s major. of course, having Brady helps, but to go from a defensive team to an offensive team, that’s really unique.
Lombardi and Belichick are also similar in the fact that their “coaching tree” bears little to no successful coaches/FO (so far, the guy in ATL might be the most successful).
something that i think is interesting. Paul Brown’s coaching tree has won, off the top of my head, 15 Super Bowls. Coaches who directly worked under Noll-Shula won 2, Noll won 4, Walsh won 3. Coaches who worked under Walsh-Seifert won 2, Shannahan won 2, Gruden won 1, and Holmgrem won 1.
i’m starting to think Paul Brown should make my top 5…
did Shula or Noll have successful assistant coaches? I know Landry produced Dikta and Dan Reeves…
Noll also coached under Sid Gillman
Gillman’s coaching tree has produced over Lombardi Trophies.
by Dr.WalterBishop on Jan 31, 2012 9:18 PM CST up reply actions
oops
produced over 20 Lombardi trophies.
by Dr.WalterBishop on Jan 31, 2012 9:19 PM CST up reply actions
Man...Forgot About Paul Brown
Had one franchise named after him and started another.
On the other hand, he did sire Mike Brown…so that’s points off.
It Is Major
That’s why I rate Belichick higher. Noll didn’t have to contend with free agency depleting his roster. Neither did Landry or Walsh or even Lombardi. Belichick, however, just seems able to plug new guys in when old guys go away. He’s like a machine.
Don Shula's Big Proteges
Bill Arnsparger and Ray Perkins. Arnsparger’s coaching tree had Marty Schottenheimer. Perkins’ had Bill Parcells.
Screw It...You've Sold Me
Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichick, Chuck Noll, Tom Landry.
There’s just no way I can exclude Brown. He doesn’t have a coaching tree…he has a damned forest. He won titles, he coached forever, he turned out a ton of great coaches, he started a franchise, he has a franchise named after him…the guy wasn’t just top five, I actually can’t make an argument for anyone being better at anything.
The First Generation Coaches From Paul Brown's Tree
Don Shula, Weeb Ewbank, Bud Grant, Blanton Collier, and Chuck Noll. I don’t think anyone else is close in quality to that.
And
I suppose I have to include Sid Gillman…but I just can’t see myself bumping any of the others, so I’m going to say top six and be done with it.
Interesting fact, although Bill Walsh is technically from the Paul Brown coaching tree, Walsh gave Paul Brown no real credit and openly hated the man. The person he gave the most credit to for all he learned in coaching?
Al Davis…a Sid Gillman protege.
for all the bs Al Davis gets, he's was a brilliant mind who just held on too long
kinda sad that we’ll never see most coaches stay in jobs for 10 plus years, keeping the same assistants for five or more so they naturally learn the job better and in turn, become better head coaches.
i guess Romeo is kinda from that mold, maybe the next step up, but one step down from the “Haley” type hire, the kind who is a coordinator for the length of a cup of coffee, is declared a genius, and is then handed the keys to a franchise and promptly gets into an accident.
Actually
Al Davis said that 10 years should be the life expectancy for an NFL coach. After that, the schemes get stale and the locker room tunes him out. Part of the reason that the NFL doesn’t have coaches in one place forever is that it’s such an adaptive and competitive league that nobody can keep up with it for so long. We may not have 10 year coaches like we used to, but we get much better football…that’s a tradeoff I’ll happily take.
He's more engaging than usual.
But still looks like he’d much rather be just about anywhere else.
"Be an analyst. Don’t be a douchebag." - Terrell Suggs to Skip Bayless
Did You See "Hard Knocks" With The Bengals
One of my favorite bits on that series was when Belichick was teasing Ochocinco before the game, telling him he was setting up the defense to completely shut him down. It was funny…like an adult gently teasing a little kid.
I don’t know that Belichick will ever be media-friendly, and probably considers a lot of interviews to be a waste of time, but I also suspect that the assholeishness aspect of his personality is overblown. And who knows? Maybe that’s intentional on his part.
No, but my favourite Billichick moment was during "A football life" on NFLN when he was beaking Derrick Mason.
I can’t remember the circumstances, but Bill was in his face and kept saying “Shut the fuck up Derrick, look at the scoreboard”. That was an outstanding documentary.
by craig in calgary on Jan 31, 2012 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
Yup
And the guy has balls when going for the win. Anyone remember the big Colts-Pats game a couple of years ago where Belichick got criticized for going for it on 4th and 2 because he knew his defense couldn’t hold Manning and getting the ball back would seal the win? He took a ton of crap for that decision, but I thought he was absolutely right.
He was
And he is always wins before team cohesion. He was basically telling his defense he knew they couldn’t get it done. He was right but I’m sure in hindsight they would have loved that chance.
They Definitely Would Have
Tedi Bruschi made a very angry (and wrong) rant about how Belichick was wrong for not trusting the defense in that situation. That would be the same defense that had already demonstrated they couldn’t stop Manning on the previous two possessions.
PFT was saying...
…that the ’07 Team was far too tense prior to the SB and this could be Belichick helping his team enjoy the moment by leading as an example.
by Richard Hill on Jan 31, 2012 6:26 PM CST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Arrowhead Pride
Related FanShots on Arrowhead Pride
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
SBNation.com Recent Stories
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Detroit Lions DT Nick Fairley arrested again; now has more NFL arrests than NFL sacks
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
