AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > August > 30 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBy George, they did it!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
For a split-second, I had a silly thought after the Oakland Raiders decided to resurrect Jeff George from the NFL dead.
That silly thought? Why?
Here’s why: Terrell Owens, J.R. Rider, Albert Belle, Maurice Clarett, Dave Kingman, Randy Moss, Latrell Sprewell, Lawrence Phillips, Dennis Rodman, John Rocker, etc.
They rank among the most flawed athletes in history. Then again, they also rank among the most physically talented athletes in history. It’s a combination that has caused more than a few executives in sports to have amnesia before doing something such as signing a Jeff George anyway.
Although George always had that wonderful arm, he couldn’t keep from poisoning locker rooms across the league through his feuds with coaches and others on teams. So, despite George not throwing an NFL pass in five years, the Raiders still gave him a contract.
These things never make sense, but they makes total sense - until the executives involved with these things get burned like their predecessors.
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment | Categories: Quick Hit, Terence Moore
Comments
By Bob in SF
August 30, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this
Dave Kingman??? How did he end up that gallery of jerks T-Mo? Did he cut in front of you in the Cub’s or Mets after-game meal line when you were a hungry young reporter? I remember Kingman being curt with the press but not an out and out cancer like these other guys…
By me
August 30, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this
John Rocker? What is next, O.J. jokes?
By Manweez
August 30, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this
Who cares?
By michael riordan
August 30, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this
He fits in perfectly with the Raiders historic mentality. Has something changed there? They still have the same owner, so I would think not.
But physically, he’s a wuss. He doesn’t take too kind to getting hit, so overall it does not make sense to bring him in. Has he changed, has he been working out, has he seen a psychologist for his overall wussiness? Those are the questions one should ask to see why Oakland would make that move.
Maybe he joined a gang, went through years in the jungle and found himself, or became someone’s “grasshopper” and had a total about face.
If not, he’ll probably be gone the first time someone bumps into him on the way to the showers.
I would say good riddance, but that shipped sailed a long time ago.
By lawton
August 30, 2006 01:56 PM | Link to this
Im a die hard Atlanta fan in all their sports,except hockey, anyway, im a realist. Atlanta is the joke of ALL professional sports because how can they argue about character of a player when its winning that matters. Fans in the Atl cry everyyear after their teams suck, but get amnesia about the fact that those teams refuse to do like Jerry Jones and Steinbrenner. They win at all costs. And the funny thing is this, they have a history of championships. Atlanta hasnt gotten anything but thinks their teams have the right to pick and choose. losers cant pick and choose. poleeasse, thats why they will always be losersville.
By dawgfacedboy
August 30, 2006 02:04 PM | Link to this
I say let him play! There’s nothing better that when these “a holes” get what’s coming to them! Let the out of shape jackass take some snaps! Let somebody on that defense just come up and jack him so hard he’ll wish he’d never come back! Now THAT would be sweet!
By Brian Hunt
August 30, 2006 02:14 PM | Link to this
Amen brother Moore. Preach on!
By Scott
August 30, 2006 02:22 PM | Link to this
Can I ask why there is a column about a QB that we couldnt stand when he was here. He was signed to Oakland let Oakland reporters write about the trash the signed. We have a lot of better thing to write about here in Atlanta than Jeff George. Terrance why dont you find so thing in Atlanta that you are unhappy with and talk badly about it that is what we expect from you.
P.S. YOU Suck as a columnist
By Scott
August 30, 2006 02:25 PM | Link to this
Can I ask why there is a column about a QB that we couldnt stand when he was here. He was signed to Oakland let Oakland reporters write about the trash the signed. We have a lot of better thing to write about here in Atlanta than Jeff George. Terrance why dont you find so thing in Atlanta that you are unhappy with and talk badly about it that is what we expect from you.
P.S. YOU Suck as a columnist
By JayD
August 30, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this
I think it’s SAD when an athlete’s character is questioned, or such ugly names are attached to people simply because of what we see of them on TV or what we read about them (Are Sports Journalists unbiased character judges?) As a former Professional Athlete, I think it’s almost laughable that people can make such judgements based on GAMES. It takes so much more than bad judgment or a badly handled situation, or even several of both to deserve such bad commentary.(Can you honestly blame a guy for complaining about a bad coach(good guy), and a now defunct system that got him flattened every other play?) Everyone should calm down with the name calling and character judging - You don’t know these people! TERENCE MOORE - you should be glad that everyone doesn’t jump to such conclusions (If Jeff George didn’t get along with you - I’d say that just makes him HUMAN!) While I’m not a Jeff George fan, he was blessed with great talent, and I for one am glad to see that talent get another shot - it certainly makes for an interesting story. Good luck Jeff - Make the most of your oportunity. GO FALCONS!
By honest_abe
August 30, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this
i find the blantant hatred towards t. moore laughable. so he’s wrote a few questionable columns, sometimes bringing up the race card. give him flack on THOSE columns. not every single thing he writes! it’s sickening how a lot of people on this blog don’t even read what people write they just come on here to blast people. jayd…the perception about j. george around the league is that he is a horrible character guy. people dont’ want him on their team. he’s a little whiny, me first athlete. in todays world there is so much negative attention on me first athletes ie terrell owens and randy moss, that sometimes people need to realize that selfish athletes can’t be confined to a certain color or class of people. most of todays athletes are pampered and spoiled. some of them don’t take it for granted go out there and bust their butt and for the most part try to be good citizens and teammates.
unfortunately some don’t.
nicely written t.m. i remember jeff george when he was here in atl. i remember all the hype that surrounded him when he came into the league and then when he joined the falcons years later. all anyone could do was talk about his physical attributes but atlanta fans will always remember him as the player who had no heart, who wasn’t a good teammate and overall a bad football player!
By The Man
August 30, 2006 02:58 PM | Link to this
honest_abe is a jacka$$. And he likes men.
By taco slammer
August 30, 2006 04:04 PM | Link to this
The is no way that Jeff George can withstand 16 games. Those defenses are gonna eat him alive. I’d be willing to bet he won’t make it thru 8 games.
By JayD
August 30, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this
“the perception about j. george around the league is that he is a horrible character guy. people dont’ want him on their team” - How do you know what the perception around the league is - unless you’ve been around the league. The fact is you don’t know! That was exactly my point. Whiny, dumb, stupid - just a small sample of the words I hear thrown around on these blogs, by people who have extremely limited access to real information. I don’t mind oppinions - everyone has those - but neither you nor these journalists should pass this stuff off as fact. Like I said earlier, you don’t know these guys - GOOD PLAYER/BAD PLAYER - we can all make judgements about that! GOOD GUY/BAD GUY, SMART GUY/DUMB GUY - unless you know them - you don’t know!
By Phil at Playaz Ball
August 30, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this
Funny how most on that list played in Atlanta at some point.
By honest_abe
August 30, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this
jay d…. you’re right i don’t know j george. but you don’t have to know someone to know that a certain player is not well liked or that he is a bad teammate. you listen to interviews from past teammates along with quotes from coaches and other players around the league. it’s widely known that j. george is everything mentioned above.
a person’s reputation is everything!
perception is reality.
By Anotherdawg
August 30, 2006 07:30 PM | Link to this
Did any of you watch the Columbus Ga little league team the other night? How bout the class and sportmanship of those 12 year-olds? Wouldn’t it be nice if the rest of the world would follow their example?
By Edgar
August 30, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this
Jeff George could have made the NFL use Bret Farve’s name as an after thought when talking about the Falcons of the mid 90s. His quick release would have sports reporters comparing Marino to him instead of the other way around. His accuracy would be the topic of comparisons to Montana and others during that time period. But the self absorption of Jeff George in himself made him useless as teats on a boar hog. What a waste of a phenomenal talent.
By Dawgs2006
August 30, 2006 08:48 PM | Link to this
The 1995 season was fairly entertaining. I think we went 9-7 and went to the playoffs. However, on the last game of the year (Christmas Eve) vs. San Francisco, the Falcons needed a rally from Bobby Hebert to make the playoffs. If San Fran did not knock George out of the game, there would not have been a last second comeback. I think it was Terrance Mathis who scored on a fourth and forever.
By Mike
August 31, 2006 09:55 AM | Link to this
Scott, I couldn’t agree with you more. Just because a player USED to play for an ATL team doesn’t mean we need to keep daily tabs on him. TM, really, who, in ATL, do you really think cares? Besides, this news is three or four days old and you are just now writing about it. You must have had your expense account pulled for auditing and your editor won’t let you travel to find something new to write about. You could have wrote an article on Koenen being the Falcons new kicker, it sure would have been more interesting.
LOL…Bloggers giving journalists ideas about what to write about.
By honest_abe
August 31, 2006 04:56 PM | Link to this
mike i think you are the moron here, along with every single other t. moore basher. i dont’ see how it became so fashionable to bash someone at the ajc. every writer has their fair share of “haters” but the amount of venom spewed at moore on a daily basis has gotten out of hand. mike the whole point of a “quick hit” is not to write an educational piece about the falcons offense, or an in depth analysis about the current state of the SEC. rather it’s jsut a forum to write what is on a journalist’s mind. newsflash. jeff george and the irony of questionable character athletes getting a 2nd chance was on t. moore’s mind. he wrote about it. what’s so wrong about that? it’s the year 2000 buddy…. you need to get out of the stone ages. an article about the kicker? um there’s already a little bit written about him.. and ya i doubt that is something people are really itching to read about. MORON!