Our Own Norma Rae

From many come one has multiple meanings

Oh man this story keeps getting better. Thanks to neighbor Paul this morning for the tip, yesterday at 5pm ET, Brad Biggs at the National Football Post, a football omnibus site I love, reported that defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth's tardiness and subsequent dismissal from practice on Christmas Day were about more than just him mouthing off about leadership and tossing defensive coordinator Greg Blache under the bus.

It would seem he was unhappy about the early start to the Christmas Day team activities and had attempted to lobby his teammates to show up late in a show of unified protest. That seems suddenly to cast Albert in a light several degrees more shallow than he was yesterday. Especially in light of the team's explanation that early meetings and practice were scheduled so players could be back home with their families as soon as possible (op. cit.).

Albert of course denies it all, though in a way that does not refute the core of the story, Albert wonders aloud if he was boycotting practice then why would he be at practice? If the NFP story is to be believed, and they claim quote multiple sources unquote, then Albert was lobbying his mates for a work slowdown, not a work stoppage. It is perhaps then worth noting that NFP reports that Albert was more than an hour late to practice Friday, while he is insisting it was no more than twenty minutes.

The story now moves from one of Albert being beset upon for his honesty following the Monday night debacle against the Giants, targeted for unfair discipline of a type dealt to no one else on the team for similar infractions, to one of Albert willfully fomenting team wide insubordination with Christmas as the ostensible subject when likely the true target was a diminishing of the coaching staff to drive a wedge further between them and the players. That's class bro.

I have some advice for all the whiny ass tittly babies in winter professional sports, the Albert Haynesworths and Stan Van Gundys that just want to deal with fewer obligations on national holidays, and that advice is shut the fuck up and do your job. Just like waiters do not get weekends off, professional football players do not get Christmas week off.



Albert Haynesworth and his defensive teammates: AP Photo from here.