[News] Eisenberg: Joe Flacco's Passion For Football Is Not An Issue

[BR News]

Future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis called into question quarterback Joe Flacco's lack of passion, but Eisenberg sees a difference between being demonstrative and passionate.

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[araveninwaconc]

Hello, You know what I am the first so I will say my peace and everyone will read it! I believe everyone is taking Lewis comment the wrong way. I don't believe he says Joe has to be like him and be demonstrative But must FEEL some type of passion! From my perspective I appeared to me Joe was missing something not physical. Some times the flame can go out and we just go through the motions? I am sure every one can contest to this? Perhaps Lewis statement was to purposely light that flame? Com on folks even a GEEK has passion for what he is most geekiest at?

[b93333]

Hello, You know what I am the first so I will say my peace and everyone will read it! I believe everyone is taking Lewis comment the wrong way. I don't believe he says Joe has to be like him and be demonstrative But must FEEL some type of passion! From my perspective I appeared to me Joe was missing something not physical. Some times the flame can go out and we just go through the motions? I am sure every one can contest to this? Perhaps Lewis statement was to purposely light that flame? Com on folks even a GEEK has passion for what he is most geekiest at?

Exactly!

[Peej]

What is "passion"?

To some, it's a flashy pregame dance, a fiery speech, etc.

To others, it's showing up at 5 AM for a workout the day after a bruising, hard-fought game, enduring the pain of a rehab when you already have more money than you thought you'd ever need, standing in front of the cameras and admitting you have to play better, getting the coaches to alter the strategy resulting in three second-half TDs!

To all, it's knowing that your teammates know and trust you!

[eze17]

What is "passion"?

To some, it's a flashy pregame dance, a fiery speech, etc.

To others, it's showing up at 5 AM for a workout the day after a bruising, hard-fought game, enduring the pain of a rehab when you already have more money than you thought you'd ever need, standing in front of the cameras and admitting you have to play better, getting the coaches to alter the strategy resulting in three second-half TDs!

To all, it's knowing that your teammates know and trust you!

Very eloquent...Well spoken and right on target!!!

[Moderator 3]

Quote

I'd like to see someone go up to Yanda and suggest that he lacks passion for football. That would go well.

 

[araveninwaconc]

What is "passion"?

To some, it's a flashy pregame dance, a fiery speech, etc.

To others, it's showing up at 5 AM for a workout the day after a bruising, hard-fought game, enduring the pain of a rehab when you already have more money than you thought you'd ever need, standing in front of the cameras and admitting you have to play better, getting the coaches to alter the strategy resulting in three second-half TDs!

To all, it's knowing that your teammates know and trust you!

Well I see you still miss the point. Ray did those dances gave nice speeches, but 9 times out of 10 he talked the talk he walked the walk! Every Sunday! Listen every body has their own way of producing passion, the main point is sometimes we lose it! Joe looked like he had lost it! Plain and simple? Up until Cleveland second half? Nevertheless we will see how much passion for the game he has? What is tasteless about you analogy it is against the browns? Lets use Dallas as a better one next week?

[araveninwaconc]

  22 minutes ago, Peej said:

What is "passion"?

To some, it's a flashy pregame dance, a fiery speech, etc.

To others, it's showing up at 5 AM for a workout the day after a bruising, hard-fought game, enduring the pain of a rehab when you already have more money than you thought you'd ever need, standing in front of the cameras and admitting you have to play better, getting the coaches to alter the strategy resulting in three second-half TDs!

To all, it's knowing that your teammates know and trust you!

Well I see you still miss the point. Ray did those dances gave nice speeches, but 9 times out of 10 he talked the talk he walked the walk! Every Sunday! Listen every body has their own way of producing passion, the main point is sometimes we lose it! Joe looked like he had lost it! Plain and simple? Up until Cleveland second half? Nevertheless we will see how much passion for the game he has? What is tasteless about you analogy it is against the browns? Lets use Dallas as a better one next week?

Ray dances was "Flair" Not passion. The "Rock" ? any other wrestler?

[CQ1]

OK...,grant it, "passion" really isn't the issue. Lets talk about Joes issues. It appears to many that Joe has gotten out of his funk- at home, and against Cleveland. Woopdefreakindo. Well see where this fiasco is going / went, come Sunday afternoon.....The only issue I will continue to bring up is his pocket presence- he has none. For years, the defense can give him the entire OPEN field right in front of his face....he can run- and well (although not pretty; other QBs do it, and to help their team win). If he cant slide safely, that's his own stupidity and as a team-,and a vested fan were paying for it. Also, more importantly, we all know it- hell stay in the pocket WAY to long. I'm already tired of brining this up......errrrrr.
Look at our record and his QB rating since the Super Bowl.

[CQ1]

OK...,grant it, "passion" really isn't the issue. Lets talk about Joes issues. It appears to many that Joe has gotten out of his funk- at home, and against Cleveland. Woopdefreakindo. Well see where this fiasco is going / went, come Sunday afternoon.....The only issue I will continue to bring up is his pocket presence- he has none. For years, the defense can give him the entire OPEN field right in front of his face....he can run- and well (although not pretty; other QBs do it, and to help their team win). If he cant slide safely, that's his own stupidity and as a team-,and a vested fan were paying for it. Also, more importantly, we all know it- hell stay in the pocket WAY to long. I'm already tired of brining this up......errrrrr.
Look at our record and his QB rating since the Super Bowl.

BTW: Joe and his agent were both passion enough about pinning us against the wall with his mega-contract. So?........

[The Greek]

  3 minutes ago, CQ1 said:

OK...,grant it, "passion" really isn't the issue. Lets talk about Joes issues. It appears to many that Joe has gotten out of his funk- at home, and against Cleveland. Woopdefreakindo. Well see where this fiasco is going / went, come Sunday afternoon.....The only issue I will continue to bring up is his pocket presence- he has none. For years, the defense can give him the entire OPEN field right in front of his face....he can run- and well (although not pretty; other QBs do it, and to help their team win). If he cant slide safely, that's his own stupidity and as a team-,and a vested fan were paying for it. Also, more importantly, we all know it- hell stay in the pocket WAY to long. I'm already tired of brining this up......errrrrr.
Look at our record and his QB rating since the Super Bowl.

BTW: Joe and his agent were both passion enough about pinning us against the wall with his mega-contract. So?........

he was ready to accept a 6 year 75 million contract in the fall of 2012 but ozzie decided to break off talks when the team was struggling and cam was fired. the rest is history so if anyone is to blame for the massive contract it is the front office. could have had him for a lot cheaper. cannot blame flacco or linta on that one

[araveninwaconc]

I am beginning to see that there is a misunderstanding about Passion and how it distinguishes it self . Passion is the desire want or drive for something anyone can have passion for anything. Once that passion leaves the desire leaves for what one was once passionate for? Ray Lewis dance can be interpreted as passion, his speeches definitely! His play on the field no question. However something almost extinguished his flam and his passion grew which was good for himself and the team. One has to have a passion to be a true leader! Would we expect the locker room to react any other way? Are most of us saying Ray is a trouble maker? I believe his statement to be true and just. Can you command with no passion? No one was describing Flacco not to have once possessed it but to the fact he might have at one point lost it? That was all that was meant to be said. And it was necessary to obtain it again. Plain and simple. Example: Does Jay Cutler have passion? (for the Game)

[FlocksGottaFeed]

That's the thing. Ray has the right to his opinion like everyone does. For all that he did for game in his era he deserves at least that. (Passion) It's about perspective and/or interpretation for everyone. The only thing I see going-on in this incident is that for the 1st time the Ravens are being mentioned for this game.

Ray's definition of passion is extroverted - Joe's is introverted, but no one achieves their levels of success without it. Ray is really just saying, "I love you brother, but I need you to play better (with 3 explanation points)!!!". Joe is saying, "I hear you brother, but I got this (with a quiet period). The teammates are saying, "Yep, we got your back Joe!!! We're good brother Ray!!!" 

That's what it means to be Ravens for Life.

Edited November 19, 2016 by FlocksGottaFeed
the right to his opinion

[birdseye]

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a huge Flacco defender and dont want to trade/cut him by any streatch. That being said, I'm seeing more and more evidence that Ray has a point, and an important one. Joe clearly loves football, you don't achieve the kind of success in the NFL without loving the game. Tony Lombardi from RSR explains the reality of the situation in his "word on the street" podcast. Flacco realizes this is his job, he wants to win, and puts in some extra time to be better and to make sure his job is safe. He doesn't however, have the necessary passion/fire/ambition whatever you want to call it, required to be the best. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers have that and that is why he will never be as good as them. You could argue he is more talented than all of them, but that is only half the battle. Love Flacco, he is a very good quarterback, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

[balfan23]

Like Joe said ... when things are going well, his demeanor is pointed to as a positive. When he goes ho-hum out on the field and mounts a late game winning drive, he's Joe Cool ... unflappable, calm and that lack of panic keeps his team from getting rattled. When things don't go well (and lets face it, they haven't been going all that well for a while), he's dispassionate, lethargic and uninspiring. 

Can't have it both ways folks ... besides  ..you're not going to change him. He is who he is. Let's just hope he finds his groove - in his own way - soon. 

[TheConquerorWorm]

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a huge Flacco defender and dont want to trade/cut him by any streatch. That being said, I'm seeing more and more evidence that Ray has a point, and an important one. Joe clearly loves football, you don't achieve the kind of success in the NFL without loving the game. Tony Lombardi from RSR explains the reality of the situation in his "word on the street" podcast. Flacco realizes this is his job, he wants to win, and puts in some extra time to be better and to make sure his job is safe. He doesn't however, have the necessary passion/fire/ambition whatever you want to call it, required to be the best. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers have that and that is why he will never be as good as them. You could argue he is more talented than all of them, but that is only half the battle. Love Flacco, he is a very good quarterback, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

Again, you are comparing him to Hall Of Fame QBs. That's like saying Terrence West & Kenneth Dixon don't have the passion, drive or work ethic to be like Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith or Jim Brown. Or saying despite being more talented, Aaron Rodgers is a choke artist cause he should have as many rings as Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw or Jim Plunkett.

Flacco is a good QB that wins games especially in the 4th quarter. Expecting him to be like Brady is unrealistic...

[Minionhunter]

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a huge Flacco defender and dont want to trade/cut him by any streatch. That being said, I'm seeing more and more evidence that Ray has a point, and an important one. Joe clearly loves football, you don't achieve the kind of success in the NFL without loving the game. Tony Lombardi from RSR explains the reality of the situation in his "word on the street" podcast. Flacco realizes this is his job, he wants to win, and puts in some extra time to be better and to make sure his job is safe. He doesn't however, have the necessary passion/fire/ambition whatever you want to call it, required to be the best. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers have that and that is why he will never be as good as them. You could argue he is more talented than all of them, but that is only half the battle. Love Flacco, he is a very good quarterback, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

Tony is a well known Flacco hater. I don't put much in what he has to say especially after he admits quitting on the team and going to games.

[crazyboutravens]

Joe is a very, very good QB. I think this is the year he deserves a bit of a break. I think he is still struggling to get past the torn AC. It has changed his mechanics and most everyone can see that. He will get past it. Can everyone remember
Big Ben and how bad he looked against us after his surgery. I know he said the
injury had nothing to do with his performance but I for one do not believe that for
a minute. Get behind Joe. Go Ravens.

[balfan23]

Just now, crazyboutravens said:

Joe is a very, very good QB. I think this is the year he deserves a bit of a break. I think he is still struggling to get past the torn AC. It has changed his mechanics and most everyone can see that. He will get past it. Can everyone remember
Big Ben and how bad he looked against us after his surgery. I know he said the
injury had nothing to do with his performance but I for one do not believe that for
a minute. Get behind Joe. Go Ravens.

Really, you think that Ray could have gone there. "Why is Joe's performance down?" Maybe he just hasn't gotten himself right post injury. Maybe it even goes beyond the effects it has had on his mechanics and he's gotten a bit more gun-shy in the pocket - which hasn't been helped by his patchwork O line failing to offer decent protection. He needs to work with his staff to devise a game plan that works given his current physical limitations and the limitations in his protection.

But then if he says that, then we're not all a-buzz over his comments. 

[playlikeawhat]

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a huge Flacco defender and dont want to trade/cut him by any streatch. That being said, I'm seeing more and more evidence that Ray has a point, and an important one. Joe clearly loves football, you don't achieve the kind of success in the NFL without loving the game. Tony Lombardi from RSR explains the reality of the situation in his "word on the street" podcast. Flacco realizes this is his job, he wants to win, and puts in some extra time to be better and to make sure his job is safe. He doesn't however, have the necessary passion/fire/ambition whatever you want to call it, required to be the best. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers have that and that is why he will never be as good as them. You could argue he is more talented than all of them, but that is only half the battle. Love Flacco, he is a very good quarterback, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

Mostly agree. I feel the same way about everybody on your list except MAYBE Tom Brady. Peyton is easily the most overrated winning QB of the last 20 years. If Joe had Peyton's caliber of pass-catchers throughout his career in a weak division we'd be singing Joe's praises like fangirls too. Philip Rivers has to be the mouthiest loser QB I've seen in recent memory. Passion gets him nothing more than L's most of the time. I will at least credit him for not being as smug as Jay Cutler though lol.

[The Purp]

I think the most insulting aspect of what Ray said is that he referred to Flacco as a teammate and not a friend. Ray who is constantly talking about the young guys he mentors and never played with as friends but a guy he played with for 5 seasons and won a SB together is only a teammate?

[Dorota]

A very well written article.

"I'd like to see someone go up to Yanda and suggest that he lacks passion for football. That would go well."

-You and me both, John. You and me both.

[SorryNotSorry]

Good to know almost no one on this website knows the definition... the real definition, not the one some of you are making up for mere convenience... of the word "passion". lol

Edited November 19, 2016 by SorryNotSorry

[bigcatfrank1]

Hello, You know what I am the first so I will say my peace and everyone will read it! I believe everyone is taking Lewis comment the wrong way. I don't believe he says Joe has to be like him and be demonstrative But must FEEL some type of passion! From my perspective I appeared to me Joe was missing something not physical. Some times the flame can go out and we just go through the motions? I am sure every one can contest to this? Perhaps Lewis statement was to purposely light that flame? Com on folks even a GEEK has passion for what he is most geekiest at?

thats a good line, "even a GEEK has passion for what he is most geekiest at".....so Joe just needs to tell his guys the answer! When he sees a problem, let them know. When he needs them to cut sooner, let them know. When he needs them to go 3 yards deeper before the cut, tell them. When he needs them to climb the ladder for the ball because he going to put where only "they can get it" TELL THEM ! Joe can do that, maybe he already does, but maybe Ray was sending him a message to turn it up a notch. Take it to um Joe, Lets Go Ravens!

[thegooddoc456]

Ray Lewis has been one of Flacco's biggest cheerleaders, even before he established himself. Lewis spoke from the standpoint of a fan. Which of us have not been driven crazy by Flacco's shenanigans sometimes? I know I've often longed to see more urgency from him, which he seems to only tap into at the very end of games. If I had access to Flacco, I would have told him myself. It bodes well for Flacco and the Ravens in general that Lewis called him out...seemingly, no one else in the Ravens organization has the cojones to do so. He responded and played with more focus than he ever had when Ed Reed called him out in 2012. Ray's greatness and leadership always hinged on seizing the moment...I remember him rallying the troops on the sidelines in the middle of a game and letting them know that "this ain't no time to come to the sideline and say my bad, leave it all on the field". Yeah, Flacco is no Lewis, and I don't expect any 'Braveheart' speech from him anytime soon, but I expect him to lead through the urgency and excellence of his play.

[JamesA119]

  7 hours ago, birdseye said:

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a huge Flacco defender and dont want to trade/cut him by any streatch. That being said, I'm seeing more and more evidence that Ray has a point, and an important one. Joe clearly loves football, you don't achieve the kind of success in the NFL without loving the game. Tony Lombardi from RSR explains the reality of the situation in his "word on the street" podcast. Flacco realizes this is his job, he wants to win, and puts in some extra time to be better and to make sure his job is safe. He doesn't however, have the necessary passion/fire/ambition whatever you want to call it, required to be the best. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers have that and that is why he will never be as good as them. You could argue he is more talented than all of them, but that is only half the battle. Love Flacco, he is a very good quarterback, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism.

Mostly agree. I feel the same way about everybody on your list except MAYBE Tom Brady. Peyton is easily the most overrated winning QB of the last 20 years. If Joe had Peyton's caliber of pass-catchers throughout his career in a weak division we'd be singing Joe's praises like fangirls too. Philip Rivers has to be the mouthiest loser QB I've seen in recent memory. Passion gets him nothing more than L's most of the time. I will at least credit him for not being as smug as Jay Cutler though lol.

I disagree with your explanation of Manning. Manning spent innumerable hours practicing with his WRs such that by game day it was easier than practice. In fact what's more likely is that if Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne had played with Flacco, they would not smell the pro bowl much less the HOF

[Moderator 3]

1 hour ago, JamesA119 said:

I disagree with your explanation of Manning. Manning spent innumerable hours practicing with his WRs such that by game day it was easier than practice. In fact what's more likely is that if Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne had played with Flacco, they would not smell the pro bowl much less the HOF

Different era.  Now the CBA limits how much they can practice.

[megalomarc]

Lewis is one great motivator. I think he chose the right words to do that in 2012, to light the fire in Flacco's game. He might have seen that it's the time to say something to bring him back to that similar state. This is time for the Ravens and Flacco to have a statement game, to shock everyone else. This could be a turning point of the season, where the Ravens can realise they are serious contenders. And this realisation has to start with the play of the quarterback. It seems to me that Flacco didn't play to the same standarts that he is used to. He is used to be considered as a tough quarterback, but since his knee injury, it seems to have changed a little. The sense of self sacrifice for the team seems less. (in my humble opinion). So maybe Ray saw that too, and thought : "I will piss him off so that he elevates his game in a crucial statement game".

[20306cab]

Comparing Johnny Unitas to Far Below Average Joe, is like comparing Abe Lincoln to Jimmy Carter. Another Eisenbergism, proving this guy should ONLY write for The Baltimore Sun, where ridiculous comments are the norm. Wait, are they still in business? Well, nobody knows, 'cause nobody reads it anyway.

[PurpleReigning]

As has been pointed out elsewhere online, what Ray possibly meant was the "passion to be great". And not one coach or player who's ever been through this organization has stated that Flacco has that. There are no "stories" of countless hours spent as Flacco's house, or some place he rented in Arizona to work with receivers in the offseason. No lore of Flacco hours before games throwing over and over. And apparently there have been whispers that he's only a 9-5 QB. And I'm sorry, QB's with his arm talent who put in extra hours with recovers simply DO NOT MISS AS MANY OPEN RECEIVERS as he does on a regular basis. Many in this town still have Bowler-syndrome. So happy to have a decent QB that they don't want to call it how it is. The Ravens are 5-4 because this guy misses 5-8 open receivers each game when he has ample time. Ray deserves a ton of slack because it was his defense that would get the ball back and give Joe another shot and he would eventually hit it. The difference now is he's still missing those throws, but there are no hall of famers on defense. Those throws are worth 7-10 points a game, and lo and behold, the Ravens used to win by 7, now they lose by 7. Of course, back then, Flacco wasn't making $20 million.