Sporting News article on Mario

[eriadoc]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...=tsn&type=lgns

For all you Mario detractors, here's a snippet from the article by Brian Baldinger:

Muscle fibers are different. Some are slow twitch, sort of like they're built for a marathon. Others are fast twitch. They have a suddenness to them, like a cobra striking. All the good pass-rushing ends -- Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Michael Strahan, John Abraham and a few others -- are fast-twitch guys. You either have it or you don't, and Williams doesn't.

[TexansLucky13]

There are two different types of brain fibers, too.

[run-david-run]

And how exactly does the Sporting News know what kind of muscle tissue these DE have? Yes, Mario does not seem to exhibit the quickness I thought he would have, but give him some time, he is still thinking instead of reacting. And you dont put out on of the best D-line performances at the combine 40 yard dash if you are built for a marathon. He is a strong-side DE in my opinon and we should have either Peek or Babin on the other side of him. Playing Mario and Weaver at DE at the same time is not a good idea because it makes us too slow. We have to play Mario to his abilities.

[El Tejano]

I wonder how much good stuff I've passed up reading about Williams because when I see anything on him I don't read it since it is mostly bad.

[Nawzer]

It's funny how everyone becomes a ***** everytime they say something negative about Mario Williams. And the exact opposite happens when someone says something positive about Mario. The fact is that we don't know what's going to happen and the reality is that Mario hasn't shown up big and he hasn't really shown us any hints of greatness. But that doesn't mean he's a bust. Reggie Bush has like what 5 yards the other day on 6 carries? Does that mean he's a bust? Probably not but the point is that no one knows and we'll just have to trust that Kubiak, Casserly, McNair etc. made the right choice.

[Meisterman]

I fast twitched watching the first 2 plays of the Colt's game. I got it!

[Second Honeymoon]

Fast-twitch? I think he means quickness...being quick off the snap is as much about preparation and watching game film as anything else at the NFL level.

Here is the deal. Teams are running at his side and using his quickness against him in their schemes. How can this guy say Mario isn't 'fast twitch' and then in the same paragraph infer that opposing teams are using his quickness against him.

The guy is strong. The guy is fast. The guy is quick. He just needs to get the mental game down first and hopefully leaving him at one position will allow him to see how things roll in the NFL. The fact that Mario is a smart guy and seemlingly well-grounded, should help him in this development.

Oh and then the guy belies Mario by pointing out he is moved to DT on passing downs. That is only an indictment of our own DT situation, not Mario's ability to rush the passer. Has Mario been good so far? Not really, nothing special yet. Has he been offered enough time to reasonably expect big numbers? Not yet. Hopefully more to come soon for all of us. Mario deserves more than 2 freaking games before garbage like this is printed in the national media....TSN's writers are pretty spotty anyway...didnt this writer play OL for the Aints back in the day...probably just a bittermen

doug

[Blu]

I'd like to atleast see a spin move, swim move, or some kind of move from Mario... I'm all for him being the face of the DLine, hope things chg this weekend. Go Texans!

[Cjeremy635]

Originally Posted by Second Honeymoon

Fast-twitch? I think he means quickness...being quick off the snap is as much about preparation and watching game film as anything else at the NFL level.

Here is the deal. Teams are running at his side and using his quickness against him in their schemes. How can this guy say Mario isn't 'fast twitch' and then in the same paragraph infer that opposing teams are using his quickness against him.

The guy is strong. The guy is fast. The guy is quick. He just needs to get the mental game down first and hopefully leaving him at one position will allow him to see how things roll in the NFL. The fact that Mario is a smart guy and seemlingly well-grounded, should help him in this development.

Oh and then the guy belies Mario by pointing out he is moved to DT on passing downs. That is only an indictment of our own DT situation, not Mario's ability to rush the passer. Has Mario been good so far? Not really, nothing special yet. Has he been offered enough time to reasonably expect big numbers? Not yet. Hopefully more to come soon for all of us. Mario deserves more than 2 freaking games before garbage like this is printed in the national media....TSN's writers are pretty spotty anyway...didnt this writer play OL for the Aints back in the day...probably just a bittermen

doug

I agree with you here 100%. They say that pro ball is 80%mental and 20% physical. I would guess that to be true because the physical abilities of most of the NFL are in the same field, it's the mental aspect of the game that seperates the elite from the average. I don't expect him to get the mental part down until he gets comfortable with the NFL in general and then he will settle down and perform the way we expected him to when we drafted him.

[Cjeremy635]

Originally Posted by Blu

I'd like to atleast see a spin move, swim move, or some kind of move from Mario... I'm all for him being the face of the DLine, hope things chg this weekend. Go Texans!

He did have a few against the Colts and I think he was shcoked when they actually worked. Hopefully he will continue to develope those skills where they become natural instinct and then he can reak havoc in the backfield.

[Blu]

Originally Posted by Cjeremy635

He did have a few against the Colts and I think he was shcoked when they actually worked. Hopefully he will continue to develope those skills where they become natural instinct and then he can reak havoc in the backfield.

thanks for clearing that up for me...must of been when I covered my face in anger.

[Porky]

I agree with the article. He doesn't have that suddeness that the great outside rushers have. You can't teach it. You have it, or you don't, and he doesn't. I think that much is painfully obvious.

I think if he is ever truly going to be a major force, he will need to become more of a Reggie White type, who used his overall brute strength and size, in combination with his overall speed and athletism, his great desire and sheer force, to simply manhandle the opposing lineman. Reggie wasn't a fast twitch guy either, and he also took time to develop.

Let's stop making Mario into something he isn't. He will never be Kearse or Freeny. I see him trying to become parts Peppers, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White. Whether he makes it anywhere near that level is very questionable, but those are the types of guys he should be emulating imo.

[Line_Producer]

Fiber type alone is a poor predictor of performance, even among elite endurance athletes. There are many other factors that go into determining athletic success, including mental preparedness, proper nutrition and hydration, getting enough rest, and having appropriate equipment and conditioning.

And theoretically, if Mario does have slow-twitch fibers (which is fine, by the by), GREAT! that means his muscles won't be tired in the 4th quarter. Stoked. And that's what we call spin.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by Porky

Let's stop making Mario into something he isn't. He will never be Kearse or Freeny. I see him trying to become parts Peppers, Bruce Smith, and Reggie White. Whether he makes it anywhere near that level is very questionable, but those are the types of guys he should be emulating imo.

Michael Strahan is who his game will be more like if he ever gets there. I'm not sure if he can be as good a pass rusher though.

[JDizzle]

Kind of hard to tell that without sampling each player's muscle tissue. Besides, you can stimulate Type I and Type II(a, x) muscle fibers using different training methods. Many trainers who train athletes will incorporate a little of everything. Endurance, power, etc.

Anywho, he's just trying to say Mario is a slow poke and then tries to back it up with science, which makes him look stupid.

[The Pencil Neck]

Some of the tests that I believe Mario did really well on at the combine are supposed to tell you if someone has predominately slow or fast twitch fibers in certain parts of your body. Since Mario did well on those tests, he should be primarily fast twitch.

BUT....

The only real way to determine if a particular muscle is fast or slow twitch is to take a biopsy and count the damn fibers. Let's not go that far, kay?

AND...

Just because one of your muscles are primarily fast twitch doesn't mean that all your muscles are. You might have fast twitch quads and slow twitch pecs. So, saying someone is fast or slow twitch is kinda misleading. They might get a good burst from their legs and their hand speed, not so much.

BUT...

Recent studies have shown that there are some fibers that will "switch" depending on your training. Train for explosiveness, your mix starts to tend toward fast twitch. Train for endurance, your mix starts to tend toward slow twitch.

In other words, if you train right, you can improve that first step.

[laredofan]

to me football is football, and Mario is overwhelmed by being the 1st pick and playing in the NFL. He needs to realize that football is football in hs, college and the pro's, and then and only then, he will be the defensive monster he was in college. Every time i see him play, he seem too cautious and affraid to bust some heads. He is a big guy with alot of talent, all he lacks is desire and to be aggresive. Mario need to get over it and play some football the way he used to.

just my opinion.

[Blake]

So this is what it has come to... Fast twitch vs. slow twitch. Im surprised they didnt detect that in the combine

[NFLforher]

Originally Posted by Nawzer

Probably not but the point is that no one knows and we'll just have to trust that Kubiak, Casserly, McNair etc. made the right choice.

I don't trust that they made the right choice.

[Texans_Chick]

Wow, I didn't know that Brian Baldinger was a doctor that did a muscle biopsy of Williams.

Sports writer AND a doctor. Impressive.