-SFGate, 8/2/07
Everyone knows that VD and Larry "Beast" Allen got into a fight on Saturday. Training camp is the only time of year it is acceptable (and in fact expected) for teammates to come to blows. This story is remarkable because both players are on the same side of the ball, rather than the more typical offense-defense. The real burning questions are A) WTF was VD thinking fighting Beast and B) Will Vernon Davis Be the Next TO (Minus All the TDs and Receptions)?
First we'll take a look at Answer A: The tale of the tape shows Davis at 6'3"-256 and Beast at 6'3". However estimates of Allen's weight range anywhere from 325 to "Small Island Status". VD is one of the most athletic TEs in the league and Allen is regarded as the strongest man to ever play the game. But in the end, Allen has the ability to swallow galaxies whole and should not be messed with. I mean look at the guy.
"I haunt BrownMagic in his nightmares"Joking aside, this clip apparently was shot moments before the brouhaha:
If you follow the link, looks like "the fight started because V.D. jabbed at A. Smith after Smith pump faked a pass to him, but instead threw underneath to M. Hicks, who dropped the pass. On the sideline, V.D. wouldn't let it go, so Allen called him out, saying "you need to shut your mouth." V.D. didn't like what he heard, went up to Allen and the rest is history."
Which takes us to Answer B: I love VD's passion and intensity. But it does sound like he's getting a little out of control. Jawing at the D to get everyone pumped up is fine. But causing fights with future HoF-ers and general obnoxiousness are intolerable, especially to fans who vividly remember the end of the TO era. The really problematic part is him riding teh QB, which TO teaches as part of his Learning Annex class, "How to F&*% Up a Rising Team". I trust Nolan will rein in VD when he needs to since he's 100x the coach Dennis "Three Martini" Erickson was. Ultimately my guess is VD will be less like TO and should come around like everyone's favorite fictionalized football player. That's right: Willie Beamen.
1 comment:
Realizing that TEs are not supposed to be the brightest players on the field, this certainly isn't a vote in confidence for VD's strategic thinking. At the site listed above noting VD's similarities to TO, several commenters note that talking trash and fighting are simply a part of getting fired up preseason, and that to read too much into this is mere punditry. I couldn't agree more; except, by all implications, this was an example of a D-lineman stepping in to break up a conflict between an offensive player and his QB. Somehow, I simply don't see the constructive elements of that kind of intra-team conflict.
That said, I encourage letting VD get as big a head as neccessary for him to adopt the following as his TD victory dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IAcf1TATOQ
1:48 through 1:50
Something about the similar hairstyles gets me every time...
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