I was going to write today about a certain outfielder, who occasionally will be quirky, playing minor league ball in Albuquerque while he’s serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy.
But instead of paying more attention to a guy who represents a lot of what is wrong with sports, I changed my mind to focus on a guy from whom athletes like Manny Ramirez could learn something.
Fantasy football nerds (guilty as charged) will know Greg Jennings as the stud wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Those who don’t play fantasy football might not know who he is at all.
Why? Because Jennings is the anti-T.O., the anti-Ochocinco, meaning he doesn’t draw a lot of attention to himself off the field. He doesn’t make headlines, except when he makes plays.
Case in point: Jennings currently is working out a new deal with the Packers. The first I heard of these negotiations was an article in my home-state newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
According to the story, Jennings — who few would argue is underpaid by his three-year, $2.85 million rookie contract — postponed contract talks until after last season, because he didn’t want to be a distraction during the season.
“When you’re looked upon as a leader on the team — not that I’m a main leader, but I’m looked upon as one of the leaders — your leader can’t be a main distraction,” he was quoted as saying in the Journal Sentinel.
I realize a lot of talented players reach deals without a lot of fanfare. But the fact that Jennings can do it while thriving at a position that seems to embrace and exalt attention-seeking clowns, I find refreshing.
Chad Ochocinco love to talk about his next touchdown celebration. Terrell Owens appears on reality TV shows. Jennings just quietly puts up big numbers — bigger numbers than Owens or Ochocinco.
When his deal with the Packers is done, he might not make as much as either of those two idiots. But you get the sense he’s not terribly concerned about that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment