Kelly Washington talks Patriots

[Box_O_Rocks]

K. Washington looking to make his mark -- baltimoresun.com

K. Washington looking to make his mark

By Keny Murray
Baltimore Sun reporter
8:10 PM EDT, August 19, 2009
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Washington says the player the Ravens are getting is the newly molded pro he became in New England, not the inconsistent youth taken in the third round of the 2003 draft by the Bengals.

Free from the Bengals, Washington experienced the NFL's version of culture shock when he signed with the Patriots in 2007.
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"When I went to New England, everything was different. I changed my whole mind set. That's how an organization is supposed to be run. There's professionals there, there's veterans there, there's leadership there. And I was thankful to be a part of that."
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What Bengals coach Marvin Lewis couldn't teach him about preparing for the NFL, the Patriots' Bill Belichick did.

"In New England I learned to become a professional," said Washington, who played at Sherando High in Stephens City, Va. "I learned a lot, as far as how to come to work every single day, how to handle myself and how to take care of my body. That's what they teach you there."
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He said he's hearing the same things from Ravens coach John Harbaugh that he heard from Belichick: work each day with the purpose of getting better, forget yesterday, take care of your body. "You can't make the club in the [ice] tank," Washington said. "You can't make the club in the training room."

 

[PushnPencils]

Great find Box.

Nice article. I actually hoped we would have held on to Washington. He was a great ST player for us.

Great to hear BB got his head straight and he'll have an extended career in the league.

 

[Gwedd]

Thanks for finding that. Good post!

Great Teams and Great Coaches make the entire league better.

I hope Washington has a great career, although not when playing against New England...

 

[patchick]

Contemplate: Marvin Lewis is entering his 7th year as head coach of the Bengals.

He has delivered exactly one winning season. He has presided over every kind of dysfunction. He commands no respect from his players. How does he keep that job???

 

[Kontradiction]

Contemplate: Marvin Lewis is entering his 7th year as head coach of the Bengals.

He has delivered exactly one winning season. He has presided over every kind of dysfunction. He commands no respect from his players. How does he keep that job???

The horror show called the Bengals starts from upper management down. If the upper management was good then Marvin Lewis probably doesn't even get hired as head coach, much less hold the position for seven years while delivering said one winning season.

We as Pats fans should recognize how lucky we are to have an owner who is still really a fan at heart. Kraft actually cares for and about this team much in the same way that you or I would if we had his financial assets and owned the team. If that makes sense.

 

[PushnPencils]

Contemplate: Marvin Lewis is entering his 7th year as head coach of the Bengals.

He has delivered exactly one winning season. He has presided over every kind of dysfunction. He commands no respect from his players. How does he keep that job???

The numerous seasons we endured under mediocre ownership/management should answer that question for you.

I recall during my earliest days of watching the Pats and other teams.

I'd say jeez I wish we were like the Steelers, or the Redskins or the Niners.

Looking back, other than the Steelers, the other two teams fell into the trap we were in.

Bad ownership...bad coaching. Unfortunately for the Bengals, it seems like a perpetual problem.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Contemplate: Marvin Lewis is entering his 7th year as head coach of the Bengals.

He has delivered exactly one winning season. He has presided over every kind of dysfunction. He commands no respect from his players. How does he keep that job???

Lerner is making money with a minimum effort, Lewis is no impediment to that goal.

 

[patchick]

The horror show called the Bengals starts from upper management down.

The numerous seasons we endured under mediocre ownership/management should answer that question for you.

...

Bad ownership...bad coaching. Unfortunately for the Bengals, it seems like a perpetual problem.

All true, but the usual blueprint for lousy, apathetic ownership is to shift the blame by firing the coach every few years.

You lose a lot, the fans get surly. So you fire that bum of a coach who caused all the trouble and bring in a young (read: cheaper) guy with a lot of energy. The fans get all excited for a while, you sit back for the next few seasons polishing your putting and updating your Facebook profile. Rinse and repeat.

Marvin's expensive, and the fans are past surly at this point (blackouts expected this season). Why not pull the trigger?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Marvin's expensive, and the fans are past surly at this point (blackouts expected this season). Why not pull the trigger?

Because Marvin is a fine lightening rod for Lerner.

 

[Deus Irae]

Lewis was viewed as a successful defensive coordinator. He's taken the Bengals to the 'heights' of 11-5, which is the one and only time that the Bengals have recorded double digit wins since the 12 win 1988 season. Add to the equation the fact that the Bengals are cheap, throw in the 'sensitivity' that Lewis being black adds to things, and you have a bad head coach who's been able to keep his job.

While I would think that another lousy season this year would be the end for Lewis, I expect that the Bengals will have a bounce back season if Palmer can stay healthy. The question to me is about just how much 'bounce' that gets, and whether it's enough to save Lewis' job.

For the sake of Bengals fans everywhere, I hope not.

 

[patchick]

Because Marvin is a fine lightening rod for Lerner.

Apparently not fine enough, since we're all here bashing Lerner!

 

[PushnPencils]

All true, but the usual blueprint for lousy, apathetic ownership is to shift the blame by firing the coach every few years.

You lose a lot, the fans get surly. So you fire that bum of a coach who caused all the trouble and bring in a young (read: cheaper) guy with a lot of energy. The fans get all excited for a while, you sit back for the next few seasons polishing your putting and updating your Facebook profile. Rinse and repeat.

Marvin's expensive, and the fans are past surly at this point (blackouts expected this season). Why not pull the trigger?

At this point, he might axe him during the season.....draw a little publicity for himself. Use that time in the limelight to let the fans know he's in control, on top of the problem....things are gonna change...yadda yadda yadda.

 

[BelichickFan]

Lewis coaches the Bengals, Lerner owns the Browns.

 

[patchick]

Lewis coaches the Bengals, Lerner owns the Browns.

That lousy bum! He's ruined two teams!

:snob:

(OK, where you see "Lerner" above please read "Brown.")

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Apparently not fine enough, since we're all here bashing Lerner!

We are all here bashing Lewis, Lerner is is catching some deflection.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Lewis coaches the Bengals, Lerner owns the Browns.

Same difference, different teams.

 

[PushnPencils]

We are all here bashing Lewis, Lerner is is catching some deflection.

Art Modell's a bastard too......guilty via prior geography!

 

[patchick]

Art Modell's a bastard too......guilty via prior geography!

I like your equal-opportunity Ohio bashing. Anyone have a few choice words for Jim Tressel?

 

[shmessy]

We as Pats fans should recognize how lucky we are to have an owner who is still really a fan at heart. Kraft actually cares for and about this team much in the same way that you or I would if we had his financial assets and owned the team. If that makes sense.

That's not the whole criteria. Dan Snyder is a huge fan of his team also.

Intelligence, wisdom, and class play a role in successful NFL ownership too.

 

[PushnPencils]

I like your equal-opportunity Ohio bashing. Anyone have a few choice words for Jim Tressel?

As a New Englander....college football as all college sports are a waste of precious time.

Tressel is dead to me. Let me know when Paul Brown hires him as the Bengal's new HC.

Edit: Mike Brown. Paul's busy decomposing at the moment.