You Snooze, You Lose......

[CloakNNNdagger]

and that's exactly what's happening.

From Brian Cushing's blog:

Busy Days

Written by Brian Cushing, Thursday October 15 2009

In my rookie year I’ve found that I really have no time off at all. On Tuesday, my day off, I went to the stadium to work out, then I had treatment, iced my shoulder, iced my knee, got a massage. I went home and got in the hyperbaric chamber for an hour. Then I just hung out watching film of the Cincinnati Bengals, and that was really the only time I had to myself all week.

On a practice day I’m up at 5:15 a.m. just to get started early. I get to the facility and get my treatment, then we have a meeting at 7:15. We practice until about 1:30 or 2 p.m., then more meetings and they send me home after some more treatment. I usually get home around 4:30 every day. Then I like to watch a little game film on my own, they give you a DVD cut up with the things you want to see from the other team.

They let us eat during meetings because they know you have so little time. Guys also fall asleep in meetings all the time, but I sit in the front to make sure that doesn’t happen.
It’s a busy schedule but I know I wouldn’t trade it for anything. To me, I’m doing the best thing in the world. When it gets tough you just have to realize that this is everything you’ve worked for.

Sadly, enough said........

 

[Buffi2]

Is this just a Kubiak thing or does it happen all across the NFL? Or do we know?

 

[Lucky]

Guys also fall asleep in meetings all the time, but I sit in the front to make sure that doesn’t happen.

There will come a time when guys don't fall asleep in meetings that Brian Cushing attends.

No wonder some guys love to play for Gary Kubiak...

 

[TheRealJoker]

I have no idea how people who make millions of dollars a year can fall asleep in meetings with no repercussions. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken a leadership role in kicking some sleeping tail.

 

[buddyboy]

I have no idea how people who make millions of dollars a year can fall asleep in meetings with no repercussions. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken a leadership role in kicking some sleeping tail.

Sure, they get paid millions of dollars, but that doesn't make them above being human. I'm a student, and technically the ONLY thing I have to do is go to class, learn, and do homework. Yet, I still fall asleep during class sometimes. Yeah, they're being paid millions. But being paid millions doesn't mean that you don't get tired.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Sure, they get paid millions of dollars, but that doesn't make them above being human. I'm a student, and technically the ONLY thing I have to do is go to class, learn, and do homework. Yet, I still fall asleep during class sometimes. Yeah, they're being paid millions. But being paid millions doesn't mean that you don't get tired.

I hope you're not flunking like they are.

 

[dc_txtech]

Sure, they get paid millions of dollars, but that doesn't make them above being human. I'm a student, and technically the ONLY thing I have to do is go to class, learn, and do homework. Yet, I still fall asleep during class sometimes. Yeah, they're being paid millions. But being paid millions doesn't mean that you don't get tired.

No offense, but c'mon man. I worked 40+ hours a week while going to night school for most of my college career and I can say that I never fell asleep in class. I wanted to on many occasions and in classes where the professor had obviously phoned it in, I really considered it. Never did it though, I always thought it was lazy and disrespectful.

The best professors I had in school would never have tolerated someone falling asleep in their classroom and it surprises me that this actually goes on under Kubiaks watch or in the NFL at all.

 

[TheRealJoker]

i hope you're not flunking like they are.

+ 1!!!

 

[steelbtexan]

Jimmy Johnson cut John Roper for falling asleep in meetings.

I cant believe Kubes is letting this kind of crap go on.

 

[steelbtexan]

I hope you're not flunking like they are.

Well said

 

[TheRealJoker]

Jimmy Johnson cut John Roper for falling asleep in meetings.

I cant believe Kubes is letting this kind of crap go on.

It looks like Kubes gives "the kids" a little nap time after all their hard work. Probably gives them milk and cookies as well.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

No offense, but c'mon man. I worked 40+ hours a week while going to night school for most of my college career and I can say that I never fell asleep in class. I wanted to on many occasions and in classes where the professor had obviously phoned it in, I really considered it. Never did it though, I always thought it was lazy and disrespectful.

The best professors I had in school would never have tolerated someone falling asleep in their classroom and it surprises me that this actually goes on under Kubiaks watch or in the NFL at all.

Agreed. Finding cures are not that difficult. Someone should take pictures and have them regularly posted in the Chronicle. My guess is that all players quickly would spontaneously find themselves in bed by 9 P.M and sitting on tacks, if need be, to avoid somnolence during classroom activities.

 

[NitroGSXR]

No offense, but c'mon man. I worked 40+ hours a week while going to night school for most of my college career and I can say that I never fell asleep in class. I wanted to on many occasions and in classes where the professor had obviously phoned it in, I really considered it. Never did it though, I always thought it was lazy and disrespectful.

The best professors I had in school would never have tolerated someone falling asleep in their classroom and it surprises me that this actually goes on under Kubiaks watch or in the NFL at all.

Same here. I worked through school and I worked nights. Never slept a wink and did not miss very many classes.

 

[steelbtexan]

It looks like Kubes gives "the kids" a little nap time after all their hard work. Probably gives them milk and cookies as well.

This is why Kubes will be Former Houston Texans head coach GARY KUBIAK.

I have been a big Kubes supporter but if this kind of stuff is going on he needs to be fired ASAP.

You cant win if the players dont respect you.

It's obvious Kubes has lost the players respect.

 

[AcresHomesTexan]

Sure, they get paid millions of dollars, but that doesn't make them above being human. I'm a student, and technically the ONLY thing I have to do is go to class, learn, and do homework. Yet, I still fall asleep during class sometimes. Yeah, they're being paid millions. But being paid millions doesn't mean that you don't get tired.

I was thinking something along those lines a someone who teaches you jerks (nice word) who fall asleep in class. Way too may people assume that money essentailly changes their sense of who they are. Most of the people who are disciplined are that way making $7.00 an hour or 7 million dollars. Money does not matter as much as most of you think that it does.

 

[GP]

Well, Bob McNair has a rep for possessing the nicest and bestest NFL facilities.

So it figures that each player's chair in the meeting rooms is probably a huge recliner with a built-in massage system.

Attitude reflect leadership, and the leadership at the top is casual and folksy.

Hell, Bob probably takes some of them fishing and lets them operate his model trains.

 

[GuerillaBlack]

Hell, Bob probably takes some of them fishing and lets them operate his model trains.

Really wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

[Lauren]

Sure, they get paid millions of dollars, but that doesn't make them above being human. I'm a student, and technically the ONLY thing I have to do is go to class, learn, and do homework. Yet, I still fall asleep during class sometimes. Yeah, they're being paid millions. But being paid millions doesn't mean that you don't get tired.

College class? Infinitely different from a team meeting. Or a work meeting for that matter.

If I were to fall asleep in a meeting I would have had my ass handed to me in seven different ways, and that's if I was allowed to keep my job. Not to mention I made what these NFL dudes probably find in their couch cushions any given week.

 

[silvrhand]

On a practice day I’m up at 5:15 a.m. just to get started early. I get to the facility and get my treatment, then we have a meeting at 7:15. We practice until about 1:30 or 2 p.m., then more meetings and they send me home after some more treatment. I usually get home around 4:30 every day. Then I like to watch a little game film on my own, they give you a DVD cut up with the things you want to see from the other team.

How many of you work 12-4 hours a day 6 days a week, that's exactly the schedule they are on. I doubt this is bad as it sounds as after lunch when watching film in a dark room I would bet it's not an easy thing to stay awake. We only get a glimpse I'm sure someone comes over and wakes them.

I doubt it's common, but hell I could be completely wrong.

 

[TheIronDuke]

So it figures that each player's chair in the meeting rooms is probably a huge recliner with a built-in massage system.

This is a pic of the dline meeting room I took last season after the Bengals game. Hardly comfy.

 

[Texan JBZ]

You guys are completely oblivious. This happens on every team in the league all the time and has been happening for some time now. I have a friend of mine that played with the Bucs. He said Warren Sapp would sleep in every meeting they had. It usually happens with veteran players and not the younger guys. The thing that happens is that when the meeting starts, you're usually discussing the gameplan and different formations and blitzes and yada yada yada. Then after that you usually watch film of both practice sessions and game film of the other team. This is when Mr. Sandman usually wants to pay you a little visit. The room is dark and comfortable, and the film session is boring as hell. Perfect situation for a catnap. I never fell asleep in any of my position meetings, but it was hard some days. We did have guys that fell asleep in meetings all the time though.

Also, to the guy who said he falls to sleep in class-wake your ass up and stop wasting your money! You pay good ass money to that instructor and to that university. Get as much out of your investment as you can. If you're going to sleep in class, just stay at home. You're wasting your time and being disrepectful towards your professor. Just my two cents.

 

[Norg]

they pactrice everyday ????? even on Friday and sat ????

 

[TexansFanatic]

There will come a time when guys don't fall asleep in meetings that Brian Cushing attends.

That rings true to me. There will come a day when Cushing is no longer a rookie and will feel like he can call a teammate out and it will be acceptable. It can't happen too soon for my taste.

 

[ChampionTexan]

Soft, Sleepy and Apathetic is no way to go through life son!
(And for the record, I think this is being way overreacted to.)​

 

[Marcus]

Are we grasping at straws and making a big ta-do about nothing?

Hey, the team is losing, it's our right. I guess.

 

[steelbtexan]

That rings true to me. There will come a day when Cushing is no longer a rookie and will feel like he can call a teammate out and it will be acceptable. It can't happen too soon for my taste.

Counting the days until this happens.

 

[Malloy]

I remember than when serving in the military here in DK we were told to sit on our hands or stand up when we had classes indoors.

After the first couple of bloody noses, people started to stand

This stuff is no biggie for me, physical exercise, food, then sitting down in a dark room... I would be sleeping too...

 

[ObsiWan]

Are we grasping at straws and making a big ta-do about nothing?

Hey, the team is losing, it's our right. I guess.

I vote yes.
Those who think this is a first in the history of the NFL are delusional.

And as far as we know - or as Cushing knows for that matter - everyone who snoozes during meetings might just find his weekly paycheck a little light because he got fined.

 

[Marcus]

I remember than when serving in the military here in DK we were told to sit on our hands or stand up when we had classes indoors.

After the first couple of bloody noses, people started to stand

This stuff is no biggie for me, physical exercise, food, then sitting down in a dark room... I would be sleeping too...

I say anyone who has never suffered a case of SHBS - Sleepy Head-Bobbing Syndrome - is lying their ass off.

 

[thunderkyss]

This is why Kubes will be Former Houston Texans head coach GARY KUBIAK.

I'm not on the "Fire Kubiak" band-wagon.... but I do agree that progress has been slower than I anticipated..... kinda. I expected to be a winning franchise in our 4th year, and the 4th year isn't over yet.

But yes, this may explain why progress has been slow. You would think this would not be allowed in an organization that says it wants to go to the Super Bowl, especially with the results we've seen for the last 5 weeks.

That said.... I've been in supervision before... & with "unions" & other red-tape, sometimes you've got to feed the employee rope.

 

[JDizzle]

I actually just fell asleep in this thread. True story.

 

[Hardcore Texan]

In my tech school in the Air Force and in classes in basic it was HARD not to fall asleep because they work you so hard. You were instructed that if you started feeling sleepy to get up and go to the back of the room and stand during the class. I had to do this a few times. Falling asleep was much, much worse if you got caught.

 

[Texan_Bill]

Hard work beats
talent when talent
doesn't work hard

 

[threeputtsam]

Kubiak would be better off shortening the meetings and keeping the players alert. If players are sleeping in meetings, there's a good chance they'll be sleep walking during games. Look and sound familiar? Kubiak should have all the players in the meeting room run sprints and gassers when one of them is caught sleeping.

 

[El Tejano]

In my tech school in the Air Force and in classes in basic it was HARD not to fall asleep because they work you so hard. You were instructed that if you started feeling sleepy to get up and go to the back of the room and stand during the class. I had to do this a few times. Falling asleep was much, much worse if you got caught.

Oh man I remember all of that. Even during boot they taught us that. There would always be like 6-7 guys standing up.

P.S. What's your 6 word reporting statement?

 

[GP]

Kubiak would be better off shortening the meetings and keeping the players alert. If players are sleeping in meetings, there's a good chance they'll be sleep walking during games. Look and sound familiar? Kubiak should have all the players in the meeting room run sprints and gassers when one of them is caught sleeping.

I am wondering if maybe this team is having TOO many meetings, and TOO much time just sitting through speeches and instruction by coaches.

The Texas Rangers, in the offseason, did away with the L-shaped protective screen for pitchers during batting practice. Nolan Ryan started making them throw live pitches to batters. The result was the pitchers stayed out on the mound 4 or 5 times MORE in length of time as compared to when they were just throwing behind the screen. Pitchers started working on their stuff, and batters started trying to identify pitches and figure how to hit the pitches that have been pestering them.

In short: Live bullets. Competition. Action. Sharpening your sword.

If Kubiak is running this team to the point where guys are consistently sleeping, and only the bright-eyed rookies are paying attention, then cut the meetings and hit the field. Switch stuff up. Have meetings earlier, and practice later (when the day has worn down and you're getting mentally tired).

This team has exhibited a glacial pace at everything: Figuring out that Bulman and DelJuan Robinson just might be playing better, consistently, than TJ and Okoye. Starting games late and spotting teams a lot of points, before finally coming alive and then having to pull off a comeback in the 4th. Letting Richard Smith stay as long as he was permitted to stay.

There's no telling how much time and energy and focus is being lost by the things they do behind the scenes all week. The guys who are falling asleep might have a point.

Despite the improvement in offensive production, which is attributed to Kubiak and Schaub and the role playing by the rest of our offense, there's not much going for Kubiak to think that this is the guy who has a killer instinct and can win a title or two.

I loathe this team one day, and have hope for it the next. (sigh)....

It's hard to be an agent for change, like Cushing might think he's trying to be, when time wears you down. It's easy to go in, at the start, and fire all your guns at once. But what happens when you figure out that you can't affect change in a large organization? My education has taught me that it takes more than one Cushing to affect change in THAT sort of environment. Every effort you make is undercut by 21,000 other little miserable aspects about the dysfunctional organization.

This team is the poster child for dysfunctional teams: Looks good on the outside (much like a well-dressed kid who makes good grades) but torn apart on the inside (disillusioned kid who hates his family).

 

[Hardcore Texan]

Oh man I remember all of that. Even during boot they taught us that. There would always be like 6-7 guys standing up.

P.S. What's your 6 word reporting statement?

You just brought back a lot of memories with that... ones I thought I had blocked out. "Sir, Airman xxxxxxx reports as ordered."

 

[badboy]

Let's be serious here. A cheap rug from WalMart and a one hour sleepy time nap would make a world of difference. Has anyone seen my sippy cup? Oh wait, I left it next to my binky.

 

[Dr2bKay]

No offense, but c'mon man. I worked 40+ hours a week while going to night school for most of my college career and I can say that I never fell asleep in class. I wanted to on many occasions and in classes where the professor had obviously phoned it in, I really considered it. Never did it though, I always thought it was lazy and disrespectful.

The best professors I had in school would never have tolerated someone falling asleep in their classroom and it surprises me that this actually goes on under Kubiaks watch or in the NFL at all.

I only had one of my college students attempt to fall asleep during my lectures...I politely tapped them on the shoulder and told them to go home....I agree it is very rude and disrespectful to sleep during a meeting.

 

[El Tejano]

You just brought back a lot of memories with that... ones I thought I had blocked out. "Sir, Airman xxxxxxx reports as ordered."

Correct!!!! You will never be able to block that out!!! I remember saying my prayers at night and starting with that statement out of habit. It was washed into my mind.

 

[jppaul]

I only had one of my college students attempt to fall asleep during my lectures...I politely tapped them on the shoulder and told them to go home....I agree it is very rude and disrespectful to sleep during a meeting.

Next time duct tape his or her head to the desk...

 

[TimeKiller]

One of my middle school teachers would slap the bottom of the desk of whoever had their head down...pretty hard too, some people were tempted to call it abuse. I just called it hilarious.

In drum corps we would wake up with the sun, group stretch, unload the equipment truck, practice until lunch, eat for an hour, practice until we had to reload the truck, drive to wherever the show was, unload again, warm up and play the show, load the truck again and by that time it was 10pm. Usually were on the move 16 or so hours a day and really only slept about 6, if you could fall asleep right away on a moving charter bus. I'm not saying the activity was as tough as football, I'm saying it was a hell of an activity and it's not like you could sleep with 110 horns and a drumline blasting at you. My first day back I slept for 18 hours straight, not even taking any Nyquil or anything.

 

[El Tejano]

If you look at all the things that Cushing was doing, let's add that to the list of the things most of the vets have to do. Plus, let's also add all the appearances they have to make during the day in between practices to schools, news programs, radio programs. Driving back and forth all day and then coming in to a nice air conditioned darkened room. Yeah, you all would stay awake every day.

Let's not take for granted that Cushing laid in a hyperbaric chamber for an hour. Think he didn't dose off in there?

 

[SheTexan]

Hummmm! All this time I've been blaming Kubiak for not having his team prepared! MY BAD!! As the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink", applies here. Seems like some of our guys just don't to win bad enough! Complacence should not be toterated on any level!!! All the blame cannot fall on Kubaik if this is happening. Where's his coaches? They should be in those rooms slapping those guys silly if they fall asleep. A HUGE fine should be issued to anyone who snoozes!!

BTW: Where I work it's grounds for immediate termination, NO second chances!

 

[mussop]

Hummmm! All this time I've been blaming Kubiak for not having his team prepared! MY BAD!! As the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink", applies here. Seems like some of our guys just don't to win bad enough! Complacence should not be toterated on any level!!! All the blame cannot fall on Kubaik if this is happening. Where's his coaches? They should be in those rooms slapping those guys silly if they fall asleep. A HUGE fine should be issued to anyone who snoozes!!

BTW: Where I work it's grounds for immediate termination, NO second chances!

WHY NOT? He is the head coach. He has control over this if he sees fit. Ultimatly it is he who is responsible. This is just more proof we need a sterner hand running this team.

 

[Double Barrel]

For all of you who thinks this happens everywhere all the time, honestly ask yourself if think players fall asleep on team meetings led by Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, etc.

I think y'all are assuming way too much.

But I do agree in some regards. This happens all the time...on mediocre teams.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

I'm not LAZY, I'm MOTIVATIONALLY CHALLENGED. Luckily, no one will notice...........I fit nicely right in with the the rest of this organization.

 

[HoustonFrog]

I'm not saying this happens BUT what can happen is early in a coaches tenure, the talent level isn't up to snuff and you are trying to win to justify a contract so you let things slide. So instead of doing something like Del Rio did with Sims-Walker last week and suspending a player a game for missing a meeting, you let then walk so you can have your best talent on the field. Then when you get some talent you have already set a standard that ends up haunting you. Just a guess. I know Jimmy Johnson and the guys DB mentioned wouldn't put up with this crap.

 

[Marcus]

I think y'all are assuming way too much.

I totally agree.

 

[Texan_Bill]

In my tech school in the Air Force and in classes in basic it was HARD not to fall asleep because they work you so hard. You were instructed that if you started feeling sleepy to get up and go to the back of the room and stand during the class. I had to do this a few times. Falling asleep was much, much worse if you got caught.

Same thing in the Army.


I stood a lot.