Lots of people have been pretty hard on Reggie Bush lately for a string of mistakes and ineffectiveness that culminated with last week's botched pitch that cost the Saints a win. Bush probably didn't do a very good job of quelling that fire by disappearing from the public eye, until he explained himself thusly:"It's been tough for me, because nobody in this world has higher expectations than I do for myself. The fact that I have not been as successful as I would have liked to have been early on in my career has been a little tough to deal with," Bush said.If this isn't just lip service then awesome. But Bush's comments didn't keep his teammates from issuing some strong, not-so-thinly-veiled criticisms that should dispel any sugar-coating that things are on the up and up in the Saints locker room.
"So I've really just been trying to stay focused and stay positive, learn from my mistakes, learn from the things that are going to help me later on down the line and just try not to repeat those mistakes. And really, just try to be a leader for the team and help my team win games."
"It takes a lot more than just being talented in this league," Mike Karney said. "You've got to come to work every single day, and you've got to treat this as your job. This is not just something that you show up at and just play football.Drew Brees is slightly more diplomatic.
"This is your job, you do it because you love it. You're not here because you like to do it. You're not here for the money. You're here because of the fact that you love the game. You're here to be the best player you can be. And to do that, it takes a lot of preparation."
Karney also brought up Bush's high profile off the field, saying, "He's living a whole different life than a lot of us in this locker room, and a lot of guys throughout the National Football League. He's got a lot of things on the outside that are pretty distracting.
"Reggie is a great talent. Reggie is one of the best athletes I've ever seen. But that only gets you so far. There are certain fundamentals and there's a certain discipline to playing this game, and that's learned. That's not just something that happens immediately."It seems as if, despite what some Bush-backers claim, Bush's outside obligations are detracting from his work on the field. At least that seems the case to hear Karney tell it. The fact that both Brees and Karney also offered hope for Bush's future leads me to believe that this situation isn't irreparable yet, but Bush will have to change his ways to avoid that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-07-2007 @ 4:30PM
BhigDad said...
No doubt Reggie is not handling his business the way he needs to, but it takes 11 men to win, and it takes 11 men to lose...why is he the only one taking heat for a crappy team...!
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12-07-2007 @ 4:36PM
KARNEY IS INSIGNIFICANT! said...
Don't think anyone outside of the state of Louisiana could recognize Karney in a damn lineup!
Who the hell is he????
FIGHT ON, REGGIE.
Can you imagine if T.O. had said the same thing that Karney said about Reggie about one of his teammates???
You punks would be here talking about how much of a scum he s for talking to the media, regardless of how true his statements may have been!
DOWN RIGHT DISGUSTING!!!
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12-07-2007 @ 10:40PM
GreatR said...
Karney is a player who helps his team, plays hard, practices hard, stays out of trouble and is someone who can be used as a role model for children. He is not a player who got where he is by publicity and hype (like Bush). Read up on the Peter Principle. Reggie has just reached the level(NFL) where he isn't very good. All the crying in the world won't make him better. He runs like a ballarina and fools no one with his jumping around. He consistently misses the hole because he hesitates and by the time he decides to go the hole it is closed. Even the bad NFL teams can stop him..in college he was on a team that dominated everyone, except perhaps Texas, for the years he was lucky enough to be there. Because the offensive line was able to develop and hold holes open for him he was a great college back. He's one of a long line of hyped college players that never excel in the NFL.
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12-08-2007 @ 5:00PM
Jason said...
Karma's a bitch isn't it Reggie? Should have done things the right way in college!
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12-08-2007 @ 12:36PM
fell654 said...
Reggie Bush has been a life saver for the Saints, when did you ever see a commercial with the Saints before Reggie Bush was on the scene. The Saints had there first Sell out Season after being around for forty years because of Reggie Bush, he saved the team from being moved out of New Orleans and for that we are forever grateful. God Bless You Reggie.
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12-19-2007 @ 11:05AM
Cilya said...
Reggie should have stayed in college and learned a little bit more respect for his teammates. from the moment they announced he was going to the NFL, I knew he was going to flop. If he doesnt get his act together he's going to have to go back to college to get a degree and have something to fall back on.
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12-19-2007 @ 11:31AM
chuckrbush2 said...
when duce went down, reggie and the saints went down.
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12-24-2007 @ 10:36AM
lee said...
Reggie is a rich kid who thinks his talent is all he needs. If he listen to what his team mates are stating he'll get here. Its been very sad year as a fan
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