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

[ozrave]

good article. thoughtful.

[Purple Dawg 96]

That Joe Flacco that took shots from James Harrison and get rite up and get 3-400 yards mite be gone now! Use to call him Joe "Iron Man" Flacco and the whole team falls on him he is the Leader of the Ravens smh and he doesn't want the keys it seems not just any man can lead this team and Joe doesn't want that job! Smh hope he smokes the Cowboys to shake us haters off like I know he "STILL" can! WE THE BEST!

[slowboater]

Ray: You were one heck of a football player but sometimes you just don't think. Take for example, who you chose to hang with after SB XXXIV, some of your pep talks and now, going below the belt with your "opinion". Some things are better left in the locker room. How about, while you are rambling, which you have done a lot, stop before you state that Joe wasn't a friend. Even though he won you a SB ring, chump.

Maybe it is good that Joe isn't more like you.

[Ugly Ball]

Ray: You were one heck of a football player but sometimes you just don't think. Take for example, who you chose to hang with after SB XXXIV, some of your pep talks and now, going below the belt with your "opinion". Some things are better left in the locker room. How about, while you are rambling, which you have done a lot, stop before you state that Joe wasn't a friend. Even though he won you a SB ring, chump.

Maybe it is good that Joe isn't more like you.

How do you really feel Slowboater ?
The truth is, Joe has never been "that guy" !
So for Ray to call him out on him being a quiet leader, is really just not fair. On the other hand, Every season Joe seams to regress from the previous season in some way. When he is still throwing off his back foot or just making, as he says "bone headed decisions" at this point in his career is a bit unsettling. Add to that, the picture of him sitting on the bench by himself, and it's hard not to think he could be doing more !
If there are so many players that "have Joes back", maybe they should sit with him on the bench and encourage him while the defense is on the field. After all this is a team sport.

And Ray Lewis, in my opinion should stick with the pep talk speeches !

[RaRaRavens]

Guess it's point of view think. I'd prefer my franchise QB to be the vocal, passionate leader. Some prefer stone cold stoic no-nerve type of leader. All that is fine. The issue is, Flacco has not developed to be either. Bottom line is, Flacco IS NOT a leader on this football team. Despite playing the "field general" position and getting paid like one. FLACCO IS NOT A LEADER. And our team will not get far if we keep banking on him to be one.

[cobrajet]

I keep going back to that Cardinals game a few years ago when Q put the team on his shoulders in the second half of that game and we won. Q was fired up and you could tell some of it was passed onto Joe. The more Q got fired up, the more Joe seemed to get fired up. I know a lot of people are defending Joe over what Ray said, but honestly I would love to see more "Cardinals' game Joe."

I think about Johnny Unitas, when John Mackey said, "It was like being in the huddle with God." When Mackey dropped a deep pass that should have been caught and the Baltimore fans were very upset, Johnny simply said to his offense, "Same Play," then he looked at John Mackey and added, "Silence the crowd." The result of that play......Touchdown Mackey! That stuff gives me chills. I would love to think Joe has a little bit of that in him.

[Rav'n Maniac]

How many articles do we need to to discuss Ray's comments in. This is the 3rd article that has addressed it on this site alone. Gotta keep stoking that fire! SMH

[araveninwaconc]

How many articles do we need to to discuss Ray's comments in. This is the 3rd article that has addressed it on this site alone. Gotta keep stoking that fire! SMH

we need that fire! I think its good! Get some bodies moving energy flowing! Its a good thing in football! Don't you know it is a physical game and sometimes an individual needs to have that fire stroked real hot! Watch the response during the game today. Every offensive player will be there to prove a point and to help Flacco the best they can. Ray knew what he was doing and the results will show

[araveninwaconc]

I keep going back to that Cardinals game a few years ago when Q put the team on his shoulders in the second half of that game and we won. Q was fired up and you could tell some of it was passed onto Joe. The more Q got fired up, the more Joe seemed to get fired up. I know a lot of people are defending Joe over what Ray said, but honestly I would love to see more "Cardinals' game Joe."

I think about Johnny Unitas, when John Mackey said, "It was like being in the huddle with God." When Mackey dropped a deep pass that should have been caught and the Baltimore fans were very upset, Johnny simply said to his offense, "Same Play," then he looked at John Mackey and added, "Silence the crowd." The result of that play......Touchdown Mackey! That stuff gives me chills. I would love to think Joe has a little bit of that in him.

oh man would that be great!

[araveninwaconc]

Guess it's point of view think. I'd prefer my franchise QB to be the vocal, passionate leader. Some prefer stone cold stoic no-nerve type of leader. All that is fine. The issue is, Flacco has not developed to be either. Bottom line is, Flacco IS NOT a leader on this football team. Despite playing the "field general" position and getting paid like one. FLACCO IS NOT A LEADER. And our team will not get far if we keep banking on him to be one.

I am glad you said this. You are right he is not a leader! Out right any way. But leaders are born and he is not a leader in our standards with the team. Nevertheless there will be some people who will hate you for that comment?

[araveninwaconc]

  3 hours ago, slowboater said:

Ray: You were one heck of a football player but sometimes you just don't think. Take for example, who you chose to hang with after SB XXXIV, some of your pep talks and now, going below the belt with your "opinion". Some things are better left in the locker room. How about, while you are rambling, which you have done a lot, stop before you state that Joe wasn't a friend. Even though he won you a SB ring, chump.

Maybe it is good that Joe isn't more like you.

How do you really feel Slowboater ?
The truth is, Joe has never been "that guy" !
So for Ray to call him out on him being a quiet leader, is really just not fair. On the other hand, Every season Joe seams to regress from the previous season in some way. When he is still throwing off his back foot or just making, as he says "bone headed decisions" at this point in his career is a bit unsettling. Add to that, the picture of him sitting on the bench by himself, and it's hard not to think he could be doing more !
If there are so many players that "have Joes back", maybe they should sit with him on the bench and encourage him while the defense is on the field. After all this is a team sport.

And Ray Lewis, in my opinion should stick with the pep talk speeches !

Come on people this was a pep talk. How many of you out there have been in team sports? Ray said nothing wrong he just told the truth what is the problem? Why would he say something about his former team that would insult them???????? He had a reason and sometimes people need to hear what they don't want to. Any body that has been watching the raven games could see Joe was not motivated up until the second half of Cleveland. You saw what I saw He sucked! Plain and simple. Ray did the right thing, got some people blood flowing and pumped up! Go Ray!

[araveninwaconc]

That Joe Flacco that took shots from James Harrison and get rite up and get 3-400 yards mite be gone now! Use to call him Joe "Iron Man" Flacco and the whole team falls on him he is the Leader of the Ravens smh and he doesn't want the keys it seems not just any man can lead this team and Joe doesn't want that job! Smh hope he smokes the Cowboys to shake us haters off like I know he "STILL" can! WE THE BEST!

Purple Dawg good post He dosent want the keys! He has never had the keys high school college pro! In the league 8 years and you still play with regression? In order to be a leader you have to be on your game! Who will listen to someone who sucks at their position, super bowl is gone this is a prove it now league! talking about com on guys we can do this. It is no secret that it is our "team leader" who is not holding up to his part of the bargain. So how can he lead any body? I stood up for Joe many times and have caught hell here in NC about he is not elite and I believed he was! But I get beat down every Sunday when they constantly bring up flaws from him that should not exists after 8 years! This is crazy! How come we never hear about Matty Ice and his problems? Same draft class. Just saying!

[araveninwaconc]

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.

Oh Man! Great post couldn't said it better myself! This is exactly how I feel. Since he got that money there has been no fire! It is like a regular job to him. Do you like your job yes? Then it would make sense for you to have Passion for it? No ? then there is none! He does miss a lot of throws to be an 8 year vet! I think you were right with the Kyle Boiler thing we are just glad, or we were glad that we had someone who gave us a chance. It used to be if Ravens had the ball last and we were behind 7-3 points the odds were Flacco would prevail! More often than not it has been disappointing to say the least. But like with every play in football forget the last and focus on the next is all we can do and watch! If Ravens win this one and Joe has a 250+ passing game maybe more then I can say he has turned the corner. I just consider us blessed that our division is having serious problems Just hope Pitt and Cinn problems remain worse than our own.

[araveninwaconc]

  3 hours ago, slowboater said:

Ray: You were one heck of a football player but sometimes you just don't think. Take for example, who you chose to hang with after SB XXXIV, some of your pep talks and now, going below the belt with your "opinion". Some things are better left in the locker room. How about, while you are rambling, which you have done a lot, stop before you state that Joe wasn't a friend. Even though he won you a SB ring, chump.

Maybe it is good that Joe isn't more like you.

How do you really feel Slowboater ?
The truth is, Joe has never been "that guy" !
So for Ray to call him out on him being a quiet leader, is really just not fair. On the other hand, Every season Joe seams to regress from the previous season in some way. When he is still throwing off his back foot or just making, as he says "bone headed decisions" at this point in his career is a bit unsettling. Add to that, the picture of him sitting on the bench by himself, and it's hard not to think he could be doing more !
If there are so many players that "have Joes back", maybe they should sit with him on the bench and encourage him while the defense is on the field. After all this is a team sport.

And Ray Lewis, in my opinion should stick with the pep talk speeches !

That was a pep talk!!!!!!

[CS RAVEN]

Ray, you just lost a fan.

[araveninwaconc]

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.

DARN GOOD POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that's the way it is!!!!!!!!

[araveninwaconc]

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.

Yanda DOSENT LACK passion com on! so who would say it! All all pros have passion and show it! Name one besides Barry Sanders. Oh could Joe be that Barry sanders type?

[araveninwaconc]

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?

Hey at work are you a good team player? Do you hang out with co workers? Is where you work a top flight company? So if you work together on the same job you have to be friends?

[araveninwaconc]

23 hours ago, balfan23 said:

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. 

Very good post couldn't agree with you more. I look forward to hearing more from you! Great Post!

[Crusader]

The problem is the whole team has taken on Joe's attitude. Big difference from Ray Lewis attitude.