Angel
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Can't please everyone, so you please yourself
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
We all know people who try to make everyone happy. Maybe they’re fueled by insecurity, an intense spiritual passion or compassion.
Maybe they’re 6-foot-5, 320-pound gentle giants who make their living crushing mortals on a football field. Maybe they’re Willie Roaf, a future NFL Hall of Famer, one of the two best tackles to ever play the game.
Roaf’s quest to make Carl Peterson and the Chiefs happy ended Thursday afternoon inside a plush law office on the 30th floor of a downtown building. It was there that Big Willie read a seven-minute retirement statement, ending his football career — and more important, stopping football broadcasters from speculating about his football future.
Big Willie sat down at the head table in a conference room, read his statement in front of cameras and reporters and then walked out, declining to answer any questions. He thanked all the appropriate people, his coaches in New Orleans and Kansas City, the fans in both cities and all the people who helped him along the way of his magnificent 13-year career.
He fired no shots. If he was upset that Peterson set him up to be the fall guy for this season by constantly telling fans and reporters that Willie might change his mind, Willie kept those thoughts to himself. It’s fair to speculate that Peterson begged/pressured Roaf to temper his inflammatory thoughts during their Wednesday meeting, a gathering that led Peterson to immediately acknowledge Roaf’s retirement.
Whatever. I’m comfortable just assuming Peterson bungled Roaf’s situation and misled Chiefs fans about Roaf’s intentions. At this point, it really doesn’t matter what King Carl did or didn’t do, what he knew or when he knew it. We have 18 years’ worth of material to judge Peterson’s rulership. “Tough Negotiator” will be printed on his general manager tombstone. He’ll be buried wearing a very rusty USFL Championship ring.
But I’m really not all that interested in bashing Peterson today, though the Chiefs’ backup quarterback situation can only be described as irresponsible.
No, on Thursday I wanted to find out what was motivating Big Willie. He said his father, an Arkansas dentist, was his biggest fan. He said his father had missed just one home game in Willie’s career. Roaf comes from quite an accomplished family. His mother is a judge. His siblings are all very bright and very educated.
I called Willie’s father, Clifton Roaf, shortly after Willie’s news conference. Clifton was as bright and articulate as advertised.
“I’ve told Will for years that not every decision is going to please everybody,” Clifton explained. “Some people are going to be displeased. … Will never wants to disappoint his teammates. He probably needed to be more emphatic with coach Edwards and the Chiefs about his intentions. When he came to Kansas City after the knee injury in New Orleans, he wanted to play on a grass surface that would be easier on his body. And we knew he would only be able to play for a short time.”
Clifton Roaf indicated his son could probably still play in the NFL, but Willie couldn’t play at the level he was accustomed to playing at.
“I taught him not to accept a paycheck for eight hours work when he could only do six hours,” Clifton said. “Will has a lot of pride. He’s not going to play for a paycheck. We’re not like that.”
So Willie walked away. It was tough. He admitted that for years his identity has been totally caught up in being a football player. How do you retire when you don’t know what’s next, when you’re just in your mid-30s, when you come from a family of achievers, when it’s obvious your old teammates still need you?
Roaf took Green’s injury very hard. He didn’t like that television broadcasters somewhat blamed him for Green’s struggles. Big Willie was a little bit angry when he arrived in Kansas City, perhaps he was ready to rip Carl Peterson.
“I told him you never burn a bridge, because you never know when you might have to go back across it,” Clifton Roaf told me. “And if you don’t have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all.”
Does that mean Big Willie might change his mind and play next year?
“No,” Clifton Roaf said. “Will told reporters that if he’s ever lucky enough to get into the Hall of Fame that his career began as a Saint and he’ll go into the Hall as a New Orleans Saint. But one day maybe he could have his name in Arrowhead Stadium. That’s what I mean by not burning bridges.”
It would be an honor to have Roaf’s name in Arrowhead Stadium.
I don’t expect it to happen. Peterson is nothing like Willie Roaf. The King holds grudges and cares little about making anyone — besides Lamar Hunt’s accountant — happy.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15522237.htm
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
We all know people who try to make everyone happy. Maybe they’re fueled by insecurity, an intense spiritual passion or compassion.
Maybe they’re 6-foot-5, 320-pound gentle giants who make their living crushing mortals on a football field. Maybe they’re Willie Roaf, a future NFL Hall of Famer, one of the two best tackles to ever play the game.
Roaf’s quest to make Carl Peterson and the Chiefs happy ended Thursday afternoon inside a plush law office on the 30th floor of a downtown building. It was there that Big Willie read a seven-minute retirement statement, ending his football career — and more important, stopping football broadcasters from speculating about his football future.
Big Willie sat down at the head table in a conference room, read his statement in front of cameras and reporters and then walked out, declining to answer any questions. He thanked all the appropriate people, his coaches in New Orleans and Kansas City, the fans in both cities and all the people who helped him along the way of his magnificent 13-year career.
He fired no shots. If he was upset that Peterson set him up to be the fall guy for this season by constantly telling fans and reporters that Willie might change his mind, Willie kept those thoughts to himself. It’s fair to speculate that Peterson begged/pressured Roaf to temper his inflammatory thoughts during their Wednesday meeting, a gathering that led Peterson to immediately acknowledge Roaf’s retirement.
Whatever. I’m comfortable just assuming Peterson bungled Roaf’s situation and misled Chiefs fans about Roaf’s intentions. At this point, it really doesn’t matter what King Carl did or didn’t do, what he knew or when he knew it. We have 18 years’ worth of material to judge Peterson’s rulership. “Tough Negotiator” will be printed on his general manager tombstone. He’ll be buried wearing a very rusty USFL Championship ring.
But I’m really not all that interested in bashing Peterson today, though the Chiefs’ backup quarterback situation can only be described as irresponsible.
No, on Thursday I wanted to find out what was motivating Big Willie. He said his father, an Arkansas dentist, was his biggest fan. He said his father had missed just one home game in Willie’s career. Roaf comes from quite an accomplished family. His mother is a judge. His siblings are all very bright and very educated.
I called Willie’s father, Clifton Roaf, shortly after Willie’s news conference. Clifton was as bright and articulate as advertised.
“I’ve told Will for years that not every decision is going to please everybody,” Clifton explained. “Some people are going to be displeased. … Will never wants to disappoint his teammates. He probably needed to be more emphatic with coach Edwards and the Chiefs about his intentions. When he came to Kansas City after the knee injury in New Orleans, he wanted to play on a grass surface that would be easier on his body. And we knew he would only be able to play for a short time.”
Clifton Roaf indicated his son could probably still play in the NFL, but Willie couldn’t play at the level he was accustomed to playing at.
“I taught him not to accept a paycheck for eight hours work when he could only do six hours,” Clifton said. “Will has a lot of pride. He’s not going to play for a paycheck. We’re not like that.”
So Willie walked away. It was tough. He admitted that for years his identity has been totally caught up in being a football player. How do you retire when you don’t know what’s next, when you’re just in your mid-30s, when you come from a family of achievers, when it’s obvious your old teammates still need you?
Roaf took Green’s injury very hard. He didn’t like that television broadcasters somewhat blamed him for Green’s struggles. Big Willie was a little bit angry when he arrived in Kansas City, perhaps he was ready to rip Carl Peterson.
“I told him you never burn a bridge, because you never know when you might have to go back across it,” Clifton Roaf told me. “And if you don’t have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all.”
Does that mean Big Willie might change his mind and play next year?
“No,” Clifton Roaf said. “Will told reporters that if he’s ever lucky enough to get into the Hall of Fame that his career began as a Saint and he’ll go into the Hall as a New Orleans Saint. But one day maybe he could have his name in Arrowhead Stadium. That’s what I mean by not burning bridges.”
It would be an honor to have Roaf’s name in Arrowhead Stadium.
I don’t expect it to happen. Peterson is nothing like Willie Roaf. The King holds grudges and cares little about making anyone — besides Lamar Hunt’s accountant — happy.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/15522237.htm