Thread: In Need Of Repair

That article on Duante from SI.com was right on. Finally someone from the national media is calling Duante out!

"Vikaholic" wrote:

That article on Duante from SI.com was right on. Finally someone from the national media is calling Duante out!

It helps to post the link to the article or the story if it isn't copywrite protected so others can read it.

If you need assistance, drop me a PM & I'll be glad to help.

Here's the story for those interested;

[size=18px]In need of repair[/size]

Culpepper has a lot to recover from -- on and off field

Posted: Wednesday April 5, 2006 11:39AM; Updated: Wednesday April 5, 2006 1:07PM

Let's get something straight right from the start: Daunte Culpepper's image problems didn't end with a favorable court ruling in Minneapolis on Tuesday. He can't hide behind that good fortune -- a Hennepin County judge decided that he had nothing to do with the Minnesota Vikings' Love Boat scandal last fall -- and he can only bask so long in the adulation of Miami Dolphins fans who can't wait to see him playing quarterback for their team this season. Eventually, Culpepper will face reality. He's simply inflicted too much damage on his once sterling reputation for it all to disappear.

The main problem I have with Culpepper is how immature he has suddenly become over the last few months. First he wants a raise after a lousy year. Then he e-mails his way off the Vikings while offering a litany of explanations that still make no sense. And once he lands with his new team, he can't even show up for his own press conference (although I'll grant that the Dolphins' media-controlling head coach Nick Saban certainly orchestrated that move). To put this in perspective, Culpepper has become so mystifying in his behavior that his alleged involvement with that soiree on Lake Minnetonka practically became a secondary issue outside of the state of Minnesota.

The bigger questions surrounding Culpepper involve his ability to return to the elite status he once held in the NFL. This isn't just about the three ligaments he shredded in his right knee last fall. It's about a quarterback who now looks more like a whiner instead of a winner, a big-time star who ran out of town at the first hint of trouble. It may be hard for all those Dolphins fans to see that side of this story, but I'm sure the Vikings faithful would fill them in if they're willing to listen. They saw Culpepper's star plummet as if it were weighted down with 60-pound dumbbells, all within a matter of months. To say he's going to rebound quickly just because he's Daunte Culpepper doesn't cut it for me anymore.

The first thing I want to know is whether Culpepper will be playing when the season begins. The only prognosis I've heard so far has come from him (he says he'll be ready), and that's just not good enough. Saban has been cautiously optimistic -- at best -- and from what I've heard around the league, Culpepper's knee injury frightened away most suitors from offering up the second-round pick the Dolphins gave Minnesota. The Oakland Raiders, for example, were so concerned about Culpepper's injury that they suspected it could sideline him until midseason. That tells me plenty. When Raiders owner Al Davis is afraid to touch a player with Culpepper's track record -- particularly when Davis had no starting quarterback on his roster at the time -- there must be something seriously wrong.

Even if Culpepper is ready when the season begins, there's no assurance that he's going to pick apart defenses. The last time I watched him play, he looked pretty clueless for a three-time Pro Bowler. Part of his struggles had to do with his favorite target, Randy Moss, moving to Oakland last season. A larger reason was that his old offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, moved on to Miami. And since Linehan just took the job as St. Louis' head coach and Culpepper doesn't have a receiver the caliber of Moss to throw to, I have to wonder if Culpepper will perform as he did in 2005, when he tossed six touchdowns and 12 interceptions before that knee injury ended his year after seven games.

The Dolphins may be keeping Linehan's system in place, but that doesn't mean much. Culpepper had the same advantage in Minnesota last season and it didn't help him there. To make matters worse, Brad Johnson took over that same offense after Culpepper's injury and nearly led Minnesota to the playoffs. When Culpepper started asking for more money earlier this offseason, I'm sure that fact weighed heavily in the Vikings' decision to make him expendable.

And yes, for those who are wondering, I do believe the team's version that this divorce was about money. Outside of wanting a better contract, I can't think of one legitimate reason Culpepper would want out of Minnesota, regardless of what he says about ugly conversations with Vikings management and hurt feelings over the team not getting a playbook to him when he wanted it. I also wonder how Terrell Owens can be widely ripped for demanding a bigger contract one year after he helped the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl while Culpepper faces scant criticism for demanding a bigger contract after the worst season of his career.

This brings me to the issue of Culpepper's leadership. He just hasn't shown much lately. Aside from doing one exclusive interview with ESPN, he's refused to face tough questions about this offseason from any other media outlets. This is a problem, because Culpepper brought this drama to the public's eye through his frequent e-mails in the first place. If he wants to play spin doctor, he needs to accept that the media won't let this stuff die just because he has shut down his computer. In short, he needs to become the stand-up guy he used to be.

For example, Culpepper may not have done anything wrong on that cruise, but he still was out partying when his team was 1-3. He may have been unhappy with his contract, but it now looks like he was unwilling to face the challenge of being a franchise quarterback in a town that had gotten down on him. Seriously, if Culpepper wants to say it was hard to stay in Minnesota, he should talk to Joey Harrington, Tim Couch or Kyle Boller. They can tell him what it really feels like to be unwanted.

The bottom line is that it's too early to start pardoning Culpepper for everything that has happened and it's too risky to start projecting immediate success on him in Miami. The Dolphins will want to move forward and so will he, but I'll remain stuck on his recent past until I hear and see different. I will give Culpepper credit for this: He had the brains to avoid embarrassing himself on that boat back in October. As for everything else, we'll see how it plays out, because Culpepper should be working on more than his right knee over the coming months. He should be rehabbing his entire image.

In need of repair

i think he's reached his pinnacle... he's maxed out... flash in the pan.... etc, etc... i'm glad he's gone

He can be a great QB when hes "rolling" but he gets gunshy really quick for a Probowl player. How many times have we fallen behind and he just tries to force things or he gets sacked trying to run alittle extra and fummbles. Too me his numbers really got padded by Moss, I'm not sure he ever really had to learn to read a D. If he couldn't find someone open quick he just Ran or put one up deep for Moss. 80% of the time Moss could come down with a jump ball. But looking at him last year he looked lost you could almost hear the gears turning while he checked down his receivers. It didn't help the way our line played either. Wish him luck but I do think it was time to send him off.

I've said it all along, his downside outweighs his upside. Then again I liked Ferrotte

"chilifoot" wrote:

i think he's reached his pinnacle... he's maxed out... flash in the pan.... etc, etc... i'm glad he's gone

^5

Well he should be able to focus much more on football down in South Beach, because the watersports, women, and weather shouldn't distract him as much down there as it did here.

"DarrinNelsonguy" wrote:

Well he should be able to focus much more on football down in South Beach, because the watersports, women, and weather shouldn't distract him as much down there as it did here.

Dude...your sick! :razz:

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

"DarrinNelsonguy" wrote:

Well he should be able to focus much more on football down in South Beach, because the watersports, women, and weather shouldn't distract him as much down there as it did here.

Dude...your sick! :razz:

I think the Cajun 'tude is wearing off on me! lol

I think he will mature and become an elite QB under Saban. All he needs is some direction and discipline. That was something Tice could not provide last season. We all know how well he did under Linehan's eye. With weapons like Chambers and McMichael and a strong running game, I expect Dante to have a really good career with the Dolphins