Gresham speaks: Maybe he shouldn’t
When I said a couple of weeks ago that OU tight end Jermaine Gresham wasn’t talking to the media, I wasn’t exactly correct. Turns out, Gresham is talking to the media; he just isn’t doing interviews.
Last Friday after an OU practice, a group of reporters, maybe 20 in all, were gathered around Bob Stoops just outside the Switzer Center. The Sooners were filing into their locker room, and Gresham walked by. “A shoutout to Michael Vick,” Gresham yelled at the media. I don’t know how many heard him; I was actually turned in the direction of the players, so I heard it. A couple of seconds later, Gresham yelled again, “A shoutout to Michael Vick.”
The day before, Vick and the Eagles had agreed to a contract, so one of the NFL’s superstars was back in the league after a two-year absence due to a federal investigation, and subsequent conviction and prison term, for dog-fighting.
You can certainly understand why some college football players were Vick fans and are happy he’s back in the league. Heck, I’ve got no problem with Vick being back in the NFL. He served his time. Let him play.
But is Jermaine Gresham just daring NFL scouts to put a red flag by his name? Gresham is an all-world tight end who will go high in the draft. First half of the first round, almost certainly, and maybe about as high as a tight end can go. Tight ends typically don’t go in the draft’s top 10, but Gresham is such a special talent, he could threaten that barrier.
If he’ll stop being his own worst enemy. Gresham was arrested earlier this year for failing to pay a seat-belt fine. No big deal in the American judicial system, but certainly a sign that someone doesn’t take care of business. Then Gresham declares he’s not talking to the media because he didn’t like the way that story was handled — a two-inch story in one column on the front page of The Oklahoman sports page. Now Gresham is marching around yelling support for Vick, which certainly is Gresham’s right but won’t make NFL scouts think they’re dealing with a mature, thoughtful player. Vick is a polarizing figure. Empathy for Vick is not a bad thing. Public celebration for Vick is not a popular move for NFL owners.
The NFL is big business. Big and serious business. Teams spend a lot of money and do a lot of investigation on prospects. If you’re a step slower than the ideal, they mark it down. If you’ve had a few injuries, they mark it down. If you got into trouble in high school, they mark it down. If you show a lack of responsibility, they mark it down. If you show a lack of common sense, they mark it down.
That doesn’t mean teams won’t draft Gresham high. Or even just as high as they would have. But it also doesn’t mean teams will look only at Gresham’s height, weight, speed, hands and skill. Gresham could be costing himself money. If Randy Moss can fall all the way to 19th in the first round, Jermaine Gresham can slip a notch or two.
Someone at OU should have a talk with Gresham and explain the way the world works. Do what you want and blame anyone you want. But do certain things, and you’re only hurting yourself.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
Hey Barry, maybe it would be helpful to Jermaine if you had just ignored him saying that and not put it in print. You’re so worried about what it might do to his NFL career, how about YOU just keep your mouth shut?
Keep your dogs away from Jermaine.
That was my first reaction. Not paying a seat belt violation is a big clue too. Will Jermaine bother to read the play book this year? He obviously knows everything there is to know about just about everything. He must be thinking about law school.
Like it or not, that’s how the NFL rolls. The slightest thing that’s out of line will raise a red flag. Why? Because these teams are spending millions on these players and they are going to analyze, scrutnize, etc. every draft pick, trade, siging, they can, because, well, it’s their money. Any agent would say the same thing to Gresham that Tramel said in his column.
Why not a “shoutout” to Adrian Peterson?
what is Greshams’ connection to Vick? none. not a smart move on his part.
+1 to Chris and Tramel
There are far better roll models than Vick to give a shoutout too. And alot of them are from OU, still playing great and keeping their nose clean.
You know the saying. If it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, quacks like a
duck. It’s a Duck. If you act like Gresham, you’re a Punk, like Vick. Tell him
to keep running his mouth, he’ll reap the response he intended it to. Maybe
he can find a warm place on the pine to watch the game. He was supposed
to be one of the leaders on offense, we were wrong. He’ll make his choice
this season. Punk or Leader?
I know there isnt shit to do in Oklahoma but you’re criticizing Gresham for being happy that Vick was let back in the league? And you’re an idiot if you think his draft stock (hold on, let me stop laughing..ok, im good now) is gonna fall because he gave a shout out to Mike Vick. If you dont like it go buy a NFL team and dont draft him because he happy for Vick…idiot! Too bad for you that you dont own one
Sounds to me like Tramel is hatin on Gresham. Don’t write about him in articles and try to make him out to be a fool just because he refuses to talk to “Daily Disappoint” writers. Go write about something else and get off his back!
Berry, I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t have printed this
comment. If you were truly concerned about Gresham’s
NFL status, maybe you could have just pulled him aside
and had a chat with him? As it is now, there is a most
specious ’seat belt’ charge and a what, ‘Free Michael
Vick’ tick against his name. Jeepers, and from all sources
this is one good kid. A KID, though, and you should quit
finding room in your columns about him.
Hey Tramel, how come the media feels the need to tells us these worthless tidbits all the time? For the most part who cares what a college student says? Did you never say anything stupid while you were in college? Remember these are kids, and if he’s not selling dope or raping somebody, leave him alone. Sounds like you are a bit bitter towards him and have an axe to grind because he won’t talk to you. Give these kids a break until they do something bad that warrants the negative publicity.
Berry, DubC asked if you ever said anything stupid while you were in college. I would answer that by saying, yes, and that youre still doing that. Your blog was nothing more than a shot at Gresham because he’s obviously made your list for some reason or another. While not upholding Vick, I see nothing wrong with what Gresham did. And as far as not paying a seat belt ticket, I wouldn’t pay one either because it is my firm belief that the wearing of a seat belt should be the decision of the individual and not the fedearl government, the state, the county, or the city. I would surmise that the cop who wrote the ticket should have more important things to do that try to find some college kid without a seatbelt. Get real, Berry.
A possible solution here: short of having a football
team/player following a given reporter around, why not
just wire the reporter and then let said team/player review
the tape at the end of every 24-hour period. I wonder how
many comments there would be that the reporter would con-
sider private or that he just would prefer not have cast in
front of the public. And after a week or so of that, I bet
money in any currency that the reporter would have a little
slower trigger finger when it comes to shooting at the player.
Barry Barry Barry…..What the hell was that article you just wrote….I personally think you should have your credentials revoked instead of gresham having to drop in the draft for being a michael vick fan…and im an osu fan…
If you want to read anything of substance about OU or OSU, you have to go to the Tulsa World. Most of the Oklahoman staff is caught up in reporting the peripheral stuff like that comment from Gresham. As many noted, if Tramel were really worried about Gresham’s future NFL status, he would not have printed this story. If not for this knee-jerk response, Berry Tramel would be the only one to have heard it. As a journalist, he should also refrain from using sentence fragments, such as “If he’ll stop being his own worst enemy.”
Man Berry, these guys are throwing you to the wolves. I agree with you about how the little things can add up and it’s a great point of Randy moss falling to 19th. I don’t have anything against Gresham but I do think that the vick subject is a very sensitive one and that collegiate players should leave it alone. Ps I love your segment on the sports animal. Don’t let Jim and al try to push you around!
Hey everyone,Berry’s got the last laugh.He’s got everyone talking about a non-story.Gotta sell those papers.
Hey Berry:
Always liked you and your articles. Will give you allowance for an occasional mistake, please do the same for Jermaine. He’s actually a good Christian fellow and as you said, has the right to support who and what he will! Sometimes we tend to forget these are very young men, even if they are very large of stature.
Again, the whole Michael Vick thing is rather dumb, not like any human was mistreated, though I do love dogs and abhor the idea of the fight to death matches. But he repented and let’s give him the opportunity to show us that he has learned his lesson.
Bottom line, Football icons are human beings in spite of being gifted atheletes who attract a lot of attention from the media. I’m an unknown and if I had walked by while making that same call-out, you would have ignored me completely. This being preseason, one could easily see that you guys are hungry to catch and report anything that can be considered to be sensational or maybe not. IN this case, not. Jermaine’s call-out was Not worth mentioning.
Bo
This a blog post, all you people complaining act like Trammel put this on the front page of the Sports section, get a life…
Wow, talk about over-reaaction/analysis.