Crabtree? Really?
by Campeador on Aug 8, 2009 8:41 PM CDT
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Are some of us really starting to believe the negative rumors surrounding Michael Crabtree? I thought Coach Leach was crystal clear when he told The San Jose Mercury News:
“No, there’s no diva in him,” Leach said. “He’s too shy to do that.”
"I’ve seen Michael Crabtree run from the spotlight more than I’ve seen him chase the spotlight."
Here’s another quote from Coach Leach that maybe you haven’t seen. It’s an answer to a question about the relationship between Graham Harrell and Crabtree from The New York Times:
“I think they’ve cultivated it a lot just by working together over and over and play after play and year after year. One gets to expecting the ball. The other gets to looking to get him the ball. The other thing in our offense is we give the receiver a certain amount of leeway to adjust his route without breaking the integrity of the play. Michael Crabtree is as good as utilizing space as anybody I’ve dealt with. I guess what I’m saying is coupled with the leeway that we try to give a guy in our scheme, he’s just a master of utilizing it, building on it, maximizing it and all the rest. He finds a little crease of space. If he’s got to stretch the field, he’s going to stretch the field. If he’s got to hold the flat, he’s going to hold the flat. He’s really got a good sense of finding just that little bit space of where he can make the play without busting a route. Graham’s got a really good feel as defenses flow and do this or that. It’s kind of all that. I’m very rambling. To cut out the clutter, I think they work together a lot. I think offensively, we coach and encourage ways to utilize space without breaking the integrity of the route. Michael Crabtree is as good at utilizing as anybody I’ve dealt with.”
“They have this huge mutual respect. They’re very connected. They’re both literally at each other’s disposal anytime the other needs anything. They know how valuable they are to each other. They run in a little different groups. Part of it is because Graham is older than Michael. It’s nothing to see the two of them coming together and talking as they’re going onto or coming off the field. They definitely are two people that recognize their roles on the team as a whole, but then also they’re a value individually to each other. Graham is significantly more outgoing than Michael. Michael is kind of shy and kind of quiet. There’s usually kind of a crowd around Graham. He’s not flashy, but he’s one of those guys that typically has people around him. People tend to follow him. Michael’s got a little bit of loner in him.”
Crabtree is the real deal.
All I’m asking is that we show him some support.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Double-T Nation's writers or editors.
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I seriously doubt my mom would call me a jerk, but people outside of my family very likely do. Whether it’s true or not the perception that Crab is a diva is out there. It’s on him to disprove it at this point. Perception is the reality of the perceived. Hoping for the best with him.
No disrespect toward your Mom but that’s a poor analogy. The fact of the matter is that all the evidence supports Crabtree-the shy, hard working team player not Crabtree-The Diva.
I’ll say that in college, yes, you are right. The evidence pointed to him being solid. But since the Cotton Bowl, reports seem to disagree with that. I’m sure some of those reports are erroneous, but I also think some are probably right. Again, I hope he does well and all this talk will be forgotten.
I actually think I had a good analogy, but that’s neither here nor there.
Coach Leach doesn’t mince words
Michael Crabtree was with Tech 3 years. If there was anything negative to say about him, we’d have heard about it long ago.
I don’t know your Mom, but it’s safe to assume she’s a little more tactful than Coach Leach.
Yeah
Check out his ‘Diva’ behavior here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0OYBmkN5Q&feature=related
What a show-off…
I had the highest regard for Michael when he was at Tech. I heard about his work ethic and dedication, but you never know whether to believe what you hear nowadays. But what I didn’t hear were any stories to make me doubt what his coach and team members were saying. And what I saw was a kid that didn’t show off every chance he got and he didn’t talk about me, me, me when the microphones were on like so many kids do.
Since the end of last season I’ve started seeing things I’d never seen before. Has he changed? All of us do as we grow up. When I was his age, I seriously doubt that I could have resisted all the temptations of fame and glory. And huge money.
Has he fallen under the influence of guys like his cousin and Prime Time? Neither of those guys has ever shown much in the way of class, at least not what we used to call class in my day. Huge egos and bravado, flashy clothes and cars, that’s what those guys are all about. There’s a kernel of truth in that old saying “You’re known by the company you keep.”
So for me the jury is out at this point. He’s running with a different crowd and acting in different ways. The deal with the holdout is in large part business, so I’m not going to throw him under the bus just for that. But when you add the rest…….. I’m going to have to wait and see.
That's all I'm asking
Let’s not trash talk him on this thread or anywhere else. Let’s just wait and see.
Would labeling the way he and everyone involved with him is handling his contract negotiations absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing be considered trash talking?
Tom, you make a valid point
And I agree. It has been absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing.
What I’m saying is let’s not conclude that the reason for this debacle is because Michael Crabtree is a Diva. There’s nothing to support that (except maybe some Al Davis supporters/49er haters).
Don't get me wrong
I totally agree with you that he’s not a diva. That’s just not who he is. In fact, he’s very shy and quiet for the most part. Anyone who is remotely close to Tech football knows that. I thought when you said “Crabtree is the real deal, let’s show him some support” I thought you meant toward how his contract negotiations were going. But I have to admit, this whole contract deal is really providing some strong supporting evidence toward the claim that he IS a diva.
He's been silent
I do think his silence is not helping, but at the same time, it also provides a buffer and the agent can be the “bad guy” in all this. We all heard the stories of him and Graham working hard and doing drills during their spare time. Crabtree is a player, and a hard worker. I know that once this is all over, he’s gonna get in their and contribute.
he will be a solid contributor
just probably not this season…. a rookie can’t miss all of his first camp, and the mini-camp due to injury, and expect to have any chemistry with the quarterback. the way he and harrell worked tirelessly to have that bond, that time will soon be lost… at least for this season..
Good point, the Niners have not found their QB of the future yet...
But, I still feel Crabtree could have had a nice 40-50 reception season this year. That will be terribly difficult now.
He’ll catch some flack this year simply because he won’t produce huge numbers. Rookie WRs almost never have a big impact in the receiving game, but people assume that all first rounders should start and have an impact right away. Sometimes it happens for a WR, but not often.
And it’s not like the 49ers are starved at the position. They are pretty good there without Crab, so he wouldn’t likely be their number one or even number two option this season.
Now, to me, next year is where we start to see if he’s as good as advertised as a pro. Barring injury, he’d have had a full offseason of workouts, OTAs, mini camps, and training camp to get the round peg into the round hole. And let’s not forget they don’t exactly have Peyton Manning back there throwing the ball.
by Tech92 on Aug 9, 2009 10:51 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Where's there's smoke.....maybe.
I think this hurts Crab, Tech and ulitmately us fans. He’s one of the players on the cover of this years’ NCCA Football, XBOX I believe, in a Tech uniform no less. This seems great, more exposure for us. But to hold out for more money than a WR who was drafted ahead of him simply because he was PROJECTED to go as the #1 WR is a whole new level of idiocracy. His focus should revolve around getting his a$$ on the field and proving that Oakland made a mistake, not crying about an extra million or 2. He didn’t participate in ANY preseason drills so falling a spot or even 2-3 is understandable. I was hoping he would get into the system in SF so Singletary could get his hands on him to keep him grounded. Y’all aren’t going to like this, but the ONLY potential excuse is that Crabs knows his talent will not translate well into the NFL so he’s milking it for all he can, while he can. He has great hands, makes great catches in traffic, but he’s slow and his route running ability is suspect. Ultimately time will tell, but as we speak, he’s not getting any better in terms of being a #1 wide out in the NFL. Some will call it being a diva, some business. I call it senseless greed being fostered by those around him who aren’t looking a few years into the future.
but he’s slow and his route running ability is suspect
I agreed with everything you said wholeheartedly until I read this.
When I say he’s slow….obviously he can smoke any of us. But he doesn’t have elite NFL caliber wheels. I would never take DHB over Crabtree. I’m glad Al Davis is smokin’ whatever he’s smokin’. But I also think that if Crabs does pan out, best case scenario is that he’s a Cris Carter type receiver, i.e. good possession receiver, will catch balls over the middle in traffic with hands of gold, etc, which can land one in the HOF. Crabs is not going to blow past NFL corners a-la Randy Moss, Joey Galloway in the old days, etc. He’s not tall, he’s not big and yes, his route running ability on an NFL level is suspect. I’m saying the people around him should be smart enough to realize that given his injury, surgery and lack of preseason expose on where is his physically, there are enough question marks surrounding him to raise concerns if you’re an NFL team trying to decide upon your #1 draft pick. I mean let’s face it, there have been countless athletes that DOMINATED on the NCAA level that simply didn’t pan out in the bigs. I personally think Crabs can have a good (not great, but good) career in the NFL, but again, he’s not getting better as we speak. I know he’s a kid and surrounded by less than ideal advisers but at some point he has to decide to get on the field, get his millions, and get on with his career. I mean he has an opportunity to take a lackluster passing game in SF and utilize his 2 time Biletnikoff skills to really, I mean really, make a world of difference in terms of his value as a receiver. Imagine if he came in as a rookie and at least put SF in the middle of the pack or upper third of the league in terms of a passing game. That’s when you try to bargain for your skill set and have an idea of how you compare to the guys actually playing at that level. For now, he and those around him are only hurting him and his future. At this point, I’m not at all convinced that things will be OK in his future. He’s proven he’s the best player to ever wear a Red Raider uni and he’s proven that he’s the best receiver in the NCAA. But he’s done nothing to prove that his past results will guarantee future performance to the tune of bickering over a couple million before he’s ever played a down. I hope this doesn’t come off like I’m not a Crabtree fan. I proudly boast his autograph on a Tech helmet in my study. I guess I’m justifiably disappointed and ready to see him on Sundays. I’m ready to see him on Monday Night Football with him in the lower box screen. “Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech”. Not that the Niners will get MNF in the near future, but I digress. Sorry for the rambling.
Macklin
is holding out, too. How come NO ONE is saying anything about THAT? H-Bay signed because he knows he really lucked out, going a whole round earlier than HE even expected. Crabs may be pushing it a bit, but I feel reason will step in and he will be ready to go very soon. The season is still a week away, all Mike needs to get acquainted with the SF offense. After all, their OC is not Leach or Walsh or Siefert. I don’t like the holdout, but Crabs will be fine. Don’t let the media hype get you riled. Will he be able to snag 40-50 passes this year? Who knows. But he will play and the NFL will be his playground, just like every other level at which he has played. So, just chill. He will be OK.
TTpilk
Crabtrees is a higher profile player....
But you want to see the heat really turn up on Crabman? Wait till he’s the last draft pick to be holding out. That’s when the press will really turn ugly.
Crabs will be special...
just let this play out. It’s a whole new league of play with contracts and lawyers everywhere. He no more a diva than any player entering the NFL. Personally, I think this kid is awesome and the best player Tech has ever fielded. He’s young and will make mistakes but in the end he will be a huge player on Sunday. I agree he needs to be on the field now but lets just wait and see how this thing plays out.
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