Voice of the Fan, first day of Training Camp

[Double Barrel]

All I know is that TJ is a FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK. That, in itself, should be reserved for highly talented players that know how to keep themselves in shape and self-motivate.

When multiple coaches are required to publicly dog a player - especially a first round pick - something is not right.

aj's perspective/insight/opinion/speculation/whatever only confirms the fact that TJ is not living up to his potential, talent, or status as a first rounder, IMO.

It is pathetic that TJ requires extra motivation from coaches, and it is extremely pathetic that he comes in fat, out-of-shape, and without the will to be the best on his own.

It sounds like our coaches are having to take the time to baby-sit. I'm sorry if I expect more from a first round pick in the NFL.

 

[Coach C.]

TC I dont mean to jump on you cause you know you are slowly becoming my girl(in a homegirl kinda way), but AJ is right on about TJ. The guy is lazy out there and lethargic. He needs to get in gear or he will have a new address real soon. I said it earlier on the boards and got many bad remark toward me, but the guy is fat and not nearly as explosive as he should be. Legitimately he is really a 270lb guy with just extra added on to play DT. Not saying that he cannot be good, but he will need to get the stick out of his posterior and get his mind right to truly help this team and get some PT.

 

[jerek]

All I know is that TJ is a FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK. That, in itself, should be reserved for highly talented players that know how to keep themselves in shape and self-motivate.

When multiple coaches are required to publicly dog a player - especially a first round pick - something is not right.

aj's perspective/insight/opinion/speculation/whatever only confirms the fact that TJ is not living up to his potential, talent, or status as a first rounder, IMO.

It is pathetic that TJ requires extra motivation from coaches, and it is extremely pathetic that he comes in fat, out-of-shape, and without the will to be the best on his own.

It sounds like our coaches are having to take the time to baby-sit. I'm sorry if I expect more from a first round pick in the NFL.

That's my take and honestly has been so for months now; was just disappointed to see that he showed up to camp for the Kubiak Era in the same condition. I never liked the TJ pick because he had a rep for those same things at FSU and questions of his off-field personality aside, I was never convinced he would be a major contributor and especially at the cost of passing on Derrick Johnson. I'm not writing him off yet because he's still young and IMO this new coaching staff and specifically Carm (not going to try to spell his name and too lazy to look it up) just might be just the guy to raise his level of play. Travis Johnson is a Texan and as such I wholeheartedly root for his success.

And not to dog you, Texans Chick, but like aj., I have to call it like I see it. In my comparatively short 26 years on this earth I've made it a point to study people, and I'm good at picking up on and interpreting behavioral nuances that most people miss; let alone my direct observations of his play and the things I hear from team sources. I can be wrong, just doesn't happen all too often. Same goes for my comments re: Seth Wand, who got abused in practice today.

I sincerely like your writing and I've grown to appreciate it much more during my time on this board, so I hope my negativity in regards to different players doesn't come across as personal; I'm just reporting on what I see and hear.

 

[nunusguy]

TJ is crazy wearing long sleeves , that wouldd make anyone sluggish . If we were in a low humidity climate then wearing long sleaves would cool you off once you were saturated with sweat . This would happen because the sweat would evaporate cooling you down . Being that its 90% humidity ... he might as well be wearing saran wrap .

Are you sure that's an accurate description of how that process works ?
If you notice most of the Hispanic landscape guys, they've got long sleeves,
even sweat shirts, in this summertime heat and humidy. And nobody has the
kind if stamina they have working outstide here in the Houston elements.

 

[TexansLucky13]

TJ is crazy wearing long sleeves , that wouldd make anyone sluggish . If we were in a low humidity climate then wearing long sleaves would cool you off once you were saturated with sweat . This would happen because the sweat would evaporate cooling you down . Being that its 90% humidity ... he might as well be wearing saran wrap .

Kubiak was wearing a sweater, but I guess he wasn't on the field sweating.

 

[aj.]

Carm (not going to try to spell his name and too lazy to look it up)

Bob Karmelowicz, aka Mickey.

He was teaching his ass off today. Today's quote was "Every time you put your hand on the ground, you sign your name." Followed by motivational bits like "what do you want your peers to say about you when you're not around?" "You want them to say, we're playing the Texans - no big deal?" I wish I could translate better - with the voice.

It seemed like an entirely new dynamic to see them in pads and hearing the pads cracking. They were in shells for the Friday and Saturday morning sessions.

 

[Coach C.]

Just a sidenote I would love for Karm, Riley, and Hoke to have their own radio show it would be better than anything on 610 except for Texans Games.

 

[jerek]

Bob Karmelowicz, aka Mickey.

Good call. My Karmelowicz instructional quote of the day: "It's like that Busta Rhymes song ... 'put your hands where my eyes can see'" ... Dude cracks me up.

 

[aj.]

Good call. My Karmelowicz quote of the day: "It's like that Busta Rhymes song ... 'put your hands where my eyes can see'" ... Dude cracks me up.

Or "John Chick!" "What the *%#@&%$#$ are you looking at the ground for, (during a rush drill) there's nothing down there! *%#@&%$#" Keep your *%#@&%$# head up!!! *%#@&%$#

Some of us were joking after practice that that was the reason they moved practice to Field 3, to keep the kids from hearing all that.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Whatever TC.

While I'm not a utopian dreamer, I am a football fan - have been for a good while - and I'm going to continue to watch football and football players, and talk about football and football players, like football fans do. I'm not going to wait for the quote sheets to be handed out by media relations before I say and write what I feel, what I see, and what I sense.

The only thing I'd like to ask is that you exercise equal opportunity criticism of fans on this message board who dare to say anything negative about the Texans, even if it might be - god forbid - speculative.

I'd like you to PM me if you have a problem with what I post so we can handle this offline and not continue to waste megabytes of space, and waste people's time on things that aren't related to important stuff like training camp news, etc.

Look, AJ, and everyone.

I am not trying to berate anyone, and especially AJ in particular, someone whose opinion and writing, I very much enjoy reading and someone I enjoy talking with. I don't have a problem with anyone. Life is too short and precious to be busted up about something that is fun.

And yes, I often take the role of questioning opinions on the MB both positive and negative about players, coaches, schemes, whatever. Often threads become exercises in group think.

Sometimes a lot of the things said on the message board are so ridiculous that if I questioned everything here that didn't seem to have any factual basis, I'd spend more time here than I already do. I've questioned AJ before and tons of others. Just because I want to try to figure out what the deal is.

I respect AJs opinions of stuff, and just wanted to know what they were based on.

I was just wanting to know what he was basing his observation that TJ looked "lifeless, sluggish and unmotivated?" That was it.

The fact that he is not reacting when coaches are chewing on him could be that he is hot or focused or serious or taking correction or dreaming about food, or lifeless, sluggish and unmotivated. It just seemed like a pretty harsh interpretation of stuff based on the observation of some poor drills and not reacting to getting chewed on. I wanted to know if there was more to that.

Really I don't want to make this a deal. Saying stuff over the internet is always up for misinterpretation of tone and intent and meaning, and I'm cool with everyone.




P.S. BTW, being a Utopian Dreamer shouldn't be seen as a bad thing. Just in the worst of the worst of last year, in the most empty of a big stadium, when I wouldn't have anyone sitting around me for rows, watching some really miserable product, all I could think of is how fine it would be for the stadium to be packed. Packed with fans cheering for the team.

And the team actually looking and performing like a real NFL team. That it would be fun to watch the team. Not just watching them to see glimpses of development and lots of regression. But to ENJOY watching something that was working. And picturing what the playoffs would look like. And being a part of that.

I went to the Big 12 championship and it was just amazing to see so many people cheering the team, so loud, all wearing the colors and just thinking I am so ready to see the Texans succeed. Reliant has been loud for the Texans in the past, but I'm talking about destroying the other team loud, being a great team loud.

And just thinking of how difficult that would be for them to get there. It is so much easier to fail in the NFL than to succeed.

So, in the midst of knowing what the reality is, and how hard and sometimes ugly it can be and immersing myself in it, the thing that keeps me going is the the dream of better times. That someday it is going to happen, and I will have had the privilege of seeing it from the beginning.

So yeah, last season made me self-identify as "Utopian Dreamer." You can interpret that as being rah rah, cheerleader, Miss Merry Sunshine, self-delusional, naive or any number of things but that is not where it comes from. It comes from wanting the team to succeed so badly that I wish I could put on gear myself and hit somebody. Real football.

The team isn't ready, but I sure am ready for the season to start.

 

[TwinSisters]

Or "John Chick!" "What the *%#@&%$#$ are you looking at the ground for, (during a rush drill) there's nothing down there! *%#@&%$#" Keep your *%#@&%$# head up!!! *%#@&%$#

Some of us were joking after practice that that was the reason they moved practice to Field 3, to keep the kids from hearing all that.

That's what I am talking about... get those church mice stirred up and moving around a bit.

 

[Honoring Earl 34]

Are you sure that's an accurate description of how that process works ?
If you notice most of the Hispanic landscape guys, they've got long sleeves,
even sweat shirts, in this summertime heat and humidy. And nobody has the
kind if stamina they have working outstide here in the Houston elements.

Yeah , all those 320 lb hispanic landscape guys with helmets . We're not talking about guys who work in the heat everyday and weigh in at 140 . We 're talking about a guy that seems to need all the help he can get . Just for giggles and grins go get a pushmower and try mowing half the yard in long sleeves and half with short sleeves .

 

[MorKnolle]

Bob Karmelowicz, aka Mickey.

He was teaching his ass off today. Today's quote was "Every time you put your hand on the ground, you sign your name." Followed by motivational bits like "what do you want your peers to say about you when you're not around?" "You want them to say, we're playing the Texans - no big deal?" I wish I could translate better - with the voice.

It seemed like an entirely new dynamic to see them in pads and hearing the pads cracking. They were in shells for the Friday and Saturday morning sessions.

Karm is always very entertaining to listen to if you're within earshot. The DLine seems to be our best group so far, and Karm is frequently spending individual time with Mario in between plays and drills, working on showing him some tricks and improving his technique. Peek has looked good, Babin has looked surprisingly good thusfar, Weaver has looked very nice, it looks like our DLine is in good hands between Karmelowicz and Richard Smith.

 

[Meloy]

You know what? If the central figure in this thread had simply said to himself, "Hey, Travis, you are a 1st round pick getting 1st round money. Last year sucked. You can blame coaching, karma, 3-4 versus 4-3 in college, or what ever. Look Trav, the new coaches want you to succeed. The new scheme should benefit you. Take your meds, eat better, lose the weight and keep it off and you should be ok." If he just goes about things like he was trying to convince that 2006 was going to be his year,IMO this thread would never have appeared. I think some of us are just concerned that a high pick may have been wasted. All of us want this young man to be successful. I hope he wants it as bad as I want it for him.

 

[Marshall'sLaw]

You know what? If the central figure in this thread had simply said to himself, "Hey, Travis, you are a 1st round pick getting 1st round money. Last year sucked. You can blame coaching, karma, 3-4 versus 4-3 in college, or what ever. Look Trav, the new coaches want you to succeed. The new scheme should benefit you. Take your meds, eat better, lose the weight and keep it off and you should be ok." If he just goes about things like he was trying to convince that 2006 was going to be his year,IMO this thread would never have appeared. I think some of us are just concerned that a high pick may have been wasted. All of us want this young man to be successful. I hope he wants it as bad as I want it for him.

Havent our last three first round picks been on DE Babin T Johnson Mario Williams Hopefully the third time is a charm.

 

[HOU-TEX]

Havent our last three first round picks been on DE Babin T Johnson Mario Williams Hopefully the third time is a charm.

Are you saying the first two are busts? I think not. I agree Babin has been average at best but far from bust. Having said that, this year's going to be an outstanding year for him, watch. As far as TJ, he's only in his second year. He can't be determined a bust yet. He'll be OK.