HarveyWallbangers
08-22-2007, 09:15 PM
In Green Bay, the Turk is Mike McCarthy.
Mike Vandermause column: McCarthy tries to bring dignity to unpleasant duty
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy calls it the worst part of his job.
In the next 10 days, the Packers must trim their roster from 87 players to 53. McCarthy isn’t looking forward to telling 34 players they are no longer wanted in Green Bay.
“It’s really hard,” he admits.
To his credit, McCarthy insists on talking personally to every player that gets cut.
“I think it’s the least you should do as a head coach,” McCarthy said. “I think I have a responsibility to that individual to tell them why. That’s not the easiest thing to do sometimes.
“I think it’s important as a man to tell them the reason why we’re going in another direction.”
Not every team handles it the same way. Linebacker Spencer Havner, who has been fighting for a job with the Packers this year, was released by the Washington Redskins last summer and never received so much as a courtesy exit interview with an assistant coach, front office executive or even the team waterboy.
Havner remembers well who gave him the news. “It was an intern I had never even seen before,” he said.
Maybe it shouldn’t make a difference. No matter who breaks the bad news, a player is still out of a job.
Havner disagrees. “It would have been nice to get some feedback,” he said. “You can’t expect much from some organizations.”
Receiver Calvin Russell, who has also been battling for a job in Green Bay this summer, was cut by the Packers a year ago and had a heart-to-heart discussion in McCarthy’s office.
“I sat down and talked to him,” Russell said. “He asked how I felt about everything.”
Russell admits getting released hurt, but he appreciated the personal touch extended by McCarthy.
“I felt like that really gave me a little more motivation,” Russell said. “They told me all the things they felt like I should work on. All the positives and negatives.”
A few days later, the Packers brought Russell back as a member of the practice squad. Now, Russell’s future remains uncertain because of a glut of receivers on the roster.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world. On Monday, Marviel Underwood was trying to make it as a safety with the Packers. On Tuesday, Underwood was shown the door and newly signed fullback Erryn Cobb was wearing his uniform No. 25.
Last Thursday, receiver Robert Ferguson attended the morning practice and an afternoon meeting, but by evening was no longer on the team.
“That was weird … all of a sudden he was gone,” said guard Adam Stenavich, who will be wondering about his future in the coming days.
Stenavich is housed in the Packers’ auxiliary locker room, which has been dubbed the Green Mile, a reference to the movie about death-row inmates. “This is a spot where all the young guys are,” Stenavich said. “A lot of faces come and go.”
The mood in that room will be unusually tense following Thursday night’s preseason game. “Anyone who cares about getting a spot is kind of on edge,” Stenavich said.
The initial telephone call to a player on the chopping block will come from either director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie or personnel analyst John Schneider.
When McCarthy worked as an assistant coach in other NFL cities, he saw players get pulled out of meetings and told to turn in their playbooks. He doesn’t like that approach.
“You don’t ever want to put a player in an embarrassing situation,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be like that. I think you’ve got to be professional about it.”
Give McCarthy credit for adding some dignity to a cold, hard business.
Mike Vandermause column: McCarthy tries to bring dignity to unpleasant duty
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy calls it the worst part of his job.
In the next 10 days, the Packers must trim their roster from 87 players to 53. McCarthy isn’t looking forward to telling 34 players they are no longer wanted in Green Bay.
“It’s really hard,” he admits.
To his credit, McCarthy insists on talking personally to every player that gets cut.
“I think it’s the least you should do as a head coach,” McCarthy said. “I think I have a responsibility to that individual to tell them why. That’s not the easiest thing to do sometimes.
“I think it’s important as a man to tell them the reason why we’re going in another direction.”
Not every team handles it the same way. Linebacker Spencer Havner, who has been fighting for a job with the Packers this year, was released by the Washington Redskins last summer and never received so much as a courtesy exit interview with an assistant coach, front office executive or even the team waterboy.
Havner remembers well who gave him the news. “It was an intern I had never even seen before,” he said.
Maybe it shouldn’t make a difference. No matter who breaks the bad news, a player is still out of a job.
Havner disagrees. “It would have been nice to get some feedback,” he said. “You can’t expect much from some organizations.”
Receiver Calvin Russell, who has also been battling for a job in Green Bay this summer, was cut by the Packers a year ago and had a heart-to-heart discussion in McCarthy’s office.
“I sat down and talked to him,” Russell said. “He asked how I felt about everything.”
Russell admits getting released hurt, but he appreciated the personal touch extended by McCarthy.
“I felt like that really gave me a little more motivation,” Russell said. “They told me all the things they felt like I should work on. All the positives and negatives.”
A few days later, the Packers brought Russell back as a member of the practice squad. Now, Russell’s future remains uncertain because of a glut of receivers on the roster.
It’s a dog-eat-dog world. On Monday, Marviel Underwood was trying to make it as a safety with the Packers. On Tuesday, Underwood was shown the door and newly signed fullback Erryn Cobb was wearing his uniform No. 25.
Last Thursday, receiver Robert Ferguson attended the morning practice and an afternoon meeting, but by evening was no longer on the team.
“That was weird … all of a sudden he was gone,” said guard Adam Stenavich, who will be wondering about his future in the coming days.
Stenavich is housed in the Packers’ auxiliary locker room, which has been dubbed the Green Mile, a reference to the movie about death-row inmates. “This is a spot where all the young guys are,” Stenavich said. “A lot of faces come and go.”
The mood in that room will be unusually tense following Thursday night’s preseason game. “Anyone who cares about getting a spot is kind of on edge,” Stenavich said.
The initial telephone call to a player on the chopping block will come from either director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie or personnel analyst John Schneider.
When McCarthy worked as an assistant coach in other NFL cities, he saw players get pulled out of meetings and told to turn in their playbooks. He doesn’t like that approach.
“You don’t ever want to put a player in an embarrassing situation,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be like that. I think you’ve got to be professional about it.”
Give McCarthy credit for adding some dignity to a cold, hard business.