Joe Thomas Gone fishing

[jconnor99]

Despite a personal e-mail from commissioner Roger Goodell, Joe Thomas rejected the NFL's repeated written and verbal invitations to attend the draft-week festivities in New York. Thomas wants to maintain a years-old tradition in which he spends draft day fishing for coho salmon on Lake Michigan with his dad. The league repeatedly has reached out to Thomas -- who recently signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Under Armour and will be profiled in an upcoming Sports Illustrated issue -- but it has met the same type of resistance as a defensive end going against him. Thomas hasn't budged. Nor will he. Thomas doesn't believe a trip to New York will do anything to enhance his draft status; he could go as high as No. 2 to Detroit or as low as No. 5 to Arizona.
http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10133443

What do you think this says about his character? Sounds good from a personal perspective, but will NFL teams question his dedication?

[Brando19]

I think this is just fine. AJ Hawk didn't attend the NY festivities and he wasn't in NY when he was drafted. He said he's not a big city kind of guy. I guess that's why he loves it in Green Bay! Thomas will be fine. I don't blame him. Family traditions are very important.

[the_idle_threat]

I hope enough teams question his dedication that he falls to the Packers. :D

Naw, I think many people understand that the whole NY Draft show is a circus, and if a guy doesn't want to participate in that, it's his call. I sure as hell wouldn't. Doesn't say a thing about whether he'll show up when it's time to play ball.

[b bulldog]

Old news

[billy_oliver880]

I would rather be fishing too.

[oregonpackfan]

His stance should be taken as a testament of his character. He respects family traditions and does not want to hype himself.

More power to him!

[GrnBay007]

I think it's great!


Geez, I hope they don't have those guys sporting the pimp suits again this year. That was just horrible! So glad Hawk didn't participate in the circus.

[b bulldog]

He is fishing while many other elite prospects are admitting to smoking weed, that a'boy Joe

[packinpatland]

Draft Day in NYC is about as bad as when the Westminster Dog Show is in town.

[Merlin]

I agree that the NFL Draft is nothing more then a dog n' pony show. More power to Thomas for having his priorities in line. He isn't on an NFL team yet and he doesn't have to do all that piss ant bullshit.

[woodbuck27]

Draft Day in NYC is about as bad as when the Westminster Dog Show is in town.

Do you mean. . .shitty ?

[CaliforniaCheez]

I think this is just fine. AJ Hawk didn't attend the NY festivities and he wasn't in NY when he was drafted. He said he's not a big city kind of guy. I guess that's why he loves it in Green Bay! Thomas will be fine. I don't blame him. Family traditions are very important.

Hawk was able to show up in Green Bay on day 2 of the draft also.

I don't really blame the guy. He has to by a nice suit. Sit around with camera lights on him. When called he holds up a Jersey with a #1 on it and is forced to wear a baseball hat indoors with the goofy logo of the team that drafted him. When that is done, some idiot like Suzi Kolber will ask her standard question, "How did it feel when your name was called out?"

Then half an hour later someone will tell him about the lousy circumstances at his new team and the poor players he will be competing with in training camp. He then has to say something nice about the new team.

The local media then will ask him several questions that he knows little about or stupid things like his fingers being too short or his vertical leap.
(Vertical leap of Offensive Linemen is important at gametime)

I think he will enjoy the fishing and not have the phone ringing.

[MJZiggy]

I think he will enjoy the fishing and not have the phone ringing.

They'll call him on his cell. It's the NFL. They'll find a way to let him know who drafted him.

[BooHoo]

I wonder if his cell phone will work if he is a long way from shore in Lake Michigan.