Haynesworth is Behaving Selfishly

Maybe not being mentioned here is the fact that the interests of the team and interests of Haynesworth aren't at all divergent. Sure, Shanahan prefers if AH is in camp with the rest of his teammates learning a defense that Jim Haslett is also learning to teach to him, as you would expect from a football coach.

Haynesworth needs to get his numbers because he has a sense of personal pride and a huge contract to live up to, so you better damn believe he's going to get his. And the Redskins need Haynesworth to get his numbers because they have very few people capable of getting that production. So the Redskins need Haynesworth to be in the best possible physical condition a lot more than they needed him at this last mini-camp.

I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive, but I have little reason to doubt that AH is acting in both his best interest and the best long-term interest of the team.

It would also seem to me, and I realize this is an apologist speaking, that everyone knows what AH does and doesn't bring, but we now have ALOT of new D Linemen that would be taking the majority of the snaps/work when there so that the coaches can evaluate them. I also still hold to my belief that AH is going to be used mainly when the D wants a fairly solid 4-3 look, with subs coming in the rest of the time. So while AH not being there for these early camps may hurt from the "team building" and public perception aspects, I am willing to bet a bunch that actual game performance isn't affected at all.

To be clear, I am not defending AH. I think he should be here, but he is doing what he thinks is best for him. And once again for those who understand, it's NOT mandatory. The NFLPA has come to agreement with the NFL as to the number of mandatory workouts for vets and this isn't. He doesn't have to show.

If they want to make it mandatory, maybe the coaches should take it up with the NFL and have them negotiate it with the NFLPA.

Even if AH comes here and stinks it up, I am not going to eat crow and admit anything. As long as it isn't mandatory the play can do whatever he wants. Especially considering the fact he stunk it up when he was in Ashburn last year this time.

The vinny avatar should be banned now, whenever i see it i get creeped out.

thanks for listening.

Maybe not being mentioned here is the fact that the interests of the team and interests of Haynesworth aren't at all divergent. Sure, Shanahan prefers if AH is in camp with the rest of his teammates learning a defense that Jim Haslett is also learning to teach to him, as you would expect from a football coach.

Haynesworth needs to get his numbers because he has a sense of personal pride and a huge contract to live up to, so you better damn believe he's going to get his. And the Redskins need Haynesworth to get his numbers because they have very few people capable of getting that production. So the Redskins need Haynesworth to be in the best possible physical condition a lot more than they needed him at this last mini-camp.

I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive, but I have little reason to doubt that AH is acting in both his best interest and the best long-term interest of the team.

i still don't understand why some people reason this way. If being in the best possible condition is the argument, then Haynesworth skipping voluntary workouts to work with his own physical trainer is understandable. However, failing to travel to DC for three days for a team minicamp is not. Its not like 3 days away from his trainer would ruin this whole offseason workout regimine.

If Haynesworth really wanted to do what was best for both himself and the redskins, he would either:
1) be at all the team OTAs, or
2) work out on his own and come to all the minicamps.

Why is it so hard to accept the obvious - Haynesworth was not at minicamp because he is pissed with the team, does not like how they plan to use him, and is trying to force a trade (or perhaps pressure the skins into sticking with a 4-3).

i still don't understand why some people reason this way. If being in the best possible condition is the argument, then Haynesworth skipping voluntary workouts to work with his own physical trainer is understandable. However, failing to travel to DC for three days for a team minicamp is not. Its not like 3 days away from his trainer would ruin this whole offseason workout regimine.

If Haynesworth really wanted to do what was best for both himself and the redskins, he would either:
1) be at all the team OTAs, or
2) work out on his own and come to all the minicamps.

Why is it so hard to accept the obvious - Haynesworth was not at minicamp because he is pissed with the team, does not like how they plan to use him, and is trying to force a trade (or perhaps pressure the skins into sticking with a 4-3).

And it is hard to understand why you think this is a big deal. But then again, if he is "forcing" the team to stick to the 4-3, actually I'd be all for that because I believe our team has no business being in the 3-4.

Everything that has come directly from Haynesworth himself says that he is not thrilled with the 3-4, but he'll play it. He also wishes they'd use him as a 3-4 DE and not a NT, which I agree. Is he trying to push for a trade? Probably, but it'd be smart for the team to keep him because given the perception of a problem (it is my believe) the team won't get a fair compensation.

Personally, I'd like to see this team use their players better. If this were any other player, we'd be having a discussion about this whole change to the 3-4, whether we should do it, and why do we keep having coaches that don't use their players to the best of their capacity. But since it's Haynesworth, the bitter girlfriends just keep hounding on just him being absent.

Maybe not being mentioned here is the fact that the interests of the team and interests of Haynesworth aren't at all divergent. Sure, Shanahan prefers if AH is in camp with the rest of his teammates learning a defense that Jim Haslett is also learning to teach to him, as you would expect from a football coach.

Haynesworth needs to get his numbers because he has a sense of personal pride and a huge contract to live up to, so you better damn believe he's going to get his. And the Redskins need Haynesworth to get his numbers because they have very few people capable of getting that production. So the Redskins need Haynesworth to be in the best possible physical condition a lot more than they needed him at this last mini-camp.

I'm not sure those things are mutually exclusive, but I have little reason to doubt that AH is acting in both his best interest and the best long-term interest of the team.

Yeah, he's the greatest! If only all the other players would be like him and care enough about the best long term interests of the team to stay away from the minicamps. But, alas, they don't - the selfish bastards!

OK, I'll grant you that he has the right to stay away. I'll even grant you that he's probably working out hard. But please don't try to turn his absence from a 3 day minicamp into a "AH is acting in the best interests of the team" argument. That's just not true.

Yeah, he's the greatest! If only all the other players would be like him and care enough about the best long term interests of the team to stay away from the minicamps. But, alas, they don't - the selfish bastards!

OK, I'll grant you that he has the right to stay away. I'll even grant you that he's probably working out hard. But please don't try to turn his absence from a 3 day minicamp into a "AH is acting in the best interests of the team" argument. That's just not true.

I think the bitter girlfriends group need to write Roger Goodell and ask him to outlaw voluntary camps, and make all camps, OTAs, and workout sessions mandatory. I think this would solve this, and any problem.

On a serious note, I think this would not be a bad idea. I find "voluntary" sessions to be stupid, and the commotion they create in the media and fans is even worst.

This "debate" really has ended up like the JC debate: the haters continually put out their reasons for hating, assuming that the non-haters need to be convinced, meanwhile the non-haters tend to agree with the basic principles of the haters while maintaining a positive overall view.
As it relates to this AH subject: I imagine 0% of the Warpath thinks AH is doing the best thing by staying away.

BUT, the haters group takes his staying away and makes argument after argument as to why this proves the absolute stupidity of a) AH, b) the FO, c) both, and vilifies everything that does not fit in their idea of the right move

AND, the non-haters group gets put in the corner of defending a) AH, b) the FO, c) both when in reality most non-haters are agreeable to the fact that both sides to one degree or another are at fault, but they hold off on pure condemnation.

Thus neither side gets the true capitulation it needs, and the debate can never really be resolved.

nm: pic was probably better left in off topic zone