PA Season Ticket Holder
05-11-2003, 11:23 AM
Sometimes, rules need to be spelled out. Sometimes they don't. But in the case of NFL offseason workouts, something was needed.
As the offseason began, coaches and general managers received stern reminders that the NFL and the NFL Players Association wanted more restraints on overzealous conditioning programs and minicamps. Year round conditioning is supposedly voluntary, but NFL coaches have become so good at putting peer pressure on their players, it's unofficially mandatory.
But that can be a good thing.
It's made players more professional in their work. Most of the players keep their excess weight manageable throughout the year. In most team facilities, the number of overweight players can be counted on one hand. Because teams pay players to stay in shape at the facility, the union is all for these programs.
But the NFL, like any other sport, is competitive by nature. Give coaches 40 to 50 players at their facility during a day and watch them try to get them into more organized work. Give coaches more organized offseason work in the conditioning programs and watch them turn their minicamps into mini-training camps. Pretty soon, you have year round training camps.
So the Players Association and Management Council got together and hammered out a few rules to be followed this offseason, and they had the backing of commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Sure, most of the coaches and general managers who received the instructions tossed them out because it caused no change. With more coaches using the veteran friendly West Coast offense and more former players who are head coaches, the last thing on the minds of these teams is wearing the players out when games are months away.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1550442.html
As the offseason began, coaches and general managers received stern reminders that the NFL and the NFL Players Association wanted more restraints on overzealous conditioning programs and minicamps. Year round conditioning is supposedly voluntary, but NFL coaches have become so good at putting peer pressure on their players, it's unofficially mandatory.
But that can be a good thing.
It's made players more professional in their work. Most of the players keep their excess weight manageable throughout the year. In most team facilities, the number of overweight players can be counted on one hand. Because teams pay players to stay in shape at the facility, the union is all for these programs.
But the NFL, like any other sport, is competitive by nature. Give coaches 40 to 50 players at their facility during a day and watch them try to get them into more organized work. Give coaches more organized offseason work in the conditioning programs and watch them turn their minicamps into mini-training camps. Pretty soon, you have year round training camps.
So the Players Association and Management Council got together and hammered out a few rules to be followed this offseason, and they had the backing of commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Sure, most of the coaches and general managers who received the instructions tossed them out because it caused no change. With more coaches using the veteran friendly West Coast offense and more former players who are head coaches, the last thing on the minds of these teams is wearing the players out when games are months away.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1550442.html