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It's from ESPN's Page 2, which means it's about 10% actual news and 90% entertainment. Regardless...
"Having played on some real dogs during his 16-year NFL career, I asked Carolina wideout Ricky Proehl a while back what it was like to play the final month of the season with no reason to get out of bed in the morning. The fans hate you. Your body aches. The locker room is a nightmare. Who's ready for some football? But to my surprise, Proehl said those were some of the most enjoyable months of his career.
Why?
Human nature, he said. With nothing to play for, a player's real character comes out. And so does a team's. Many future championship teams have been formed during the meaningless December games of a losing season, when guys play for nothing more than pride and love for football. Sounds cheesy, but it's true. "You find out really quick who takes pride in their work, who is a professional and who is going to pack it in," he said. "This time of year is the best time to find out who you want to go to war with."
Which made me think: They should give out an award for guys who do the toughest thing in sports -- play great, scrappy, tough-nosed, inspired football for horrible teams that are going nowhere.
In other words, the best players on the worst teams. Guys who excel with nothing to motivate them, other than a pure love for the game. Not the prettiest things to look at, but the most loyal, fierce, hardworking pups on the planet, who will protect your heap of trash like it was the Hope diamond.
Junkyard Dogs.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado (because I'm about to go on vaca) I give you the FlemFile's 2005 NFL Junkyard Dogs."
First go to the fans section and nod your head in agreement...then note the honorable mentions for DT and ESPECIALLY G.
"Having played on some real dogs during his 16-year NFL career, I asked Carolina wideout Ricky Proehl a while back what it was like to play the final month of the season with no reason to get out of bed in the morning. The fans hate you. Your body aches. The locker room is a nightmare. Who's ready for some football? But to my surprise, Proehl said those were some of the most enjoyable months of his career.
Why?
Human nature, he said. With nothing to play for, a player's real character comes out. And so does a team's. Many future championship teams have been formed during the meaningless December games of a losing season, when guys play for nothing more than pride and love for football. Sounds cheesy, but it's true. "You find out really quick who takes pride in their work, who is a professional and who is going to pack it in," he said. "This time of year is the best time to find out who you want to go to war with."
Which made me think: They should give out an award for guys who do the toughest thing in sports -- play great, scrappy, tough-nosed, inspired football for horrible teams that are going nowhere.
In other words, the best players on the worst teams. Guys who excel with nothing to motivate them, other than a pure love for the game. Not the prettiest things to look at, but the most loyal, fierce, hardworking pups on the planet, who will protect your heap of trash like it was the Hope diamond.
Junkyard Dogs.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado (because I'm about to go on vaca) I give you the FlemFile's 2005 NFL Junkyard Dogs."
First go to the fans section and nod your head in agreement...then note the honorable mentions for DT and ESPECIALLY G.
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