| Sometimes dogs bark to express
anger. Sometimes dogs bark when they sense something is wrong. Sometimes they bark for
attention and sometimes for no reason at all. As Tampa Bay opened training camp earlier
this week, a dog was on the edge of his leash and naturally barking up a storm. Bucs DT
Warren Sapp was upset. He thought teammate Keyshawn Johnson did the team wrong by not
appearing at voluntary workout sessions in the offseason. By drawing attention to
Johnson’s absence, Sapp did not help the team. He did not help Johnson, who spent the
offseason training at his home in Los Angeles and tending to his extensive business
interests. All Sapp did was draw attention to himself.
As a five-time Pro Bowl selection, Sapp has earned the right to voice his opinion in
the Bucs’ locker room. Teammates look up to him. He has been a staple of the
Bucs’ defense, a dominant force on the defensive line, rising to the occasion in big
games and setting the tone for a hard-hitting D.
However, for all of Sapp’s greatness on the field, he can be a ball of negative
energy off it, taking shots at teammates all too often. Make no mistake, there is a
hint of truth in Sapp’s criticism of Johnson, who could make a huge impact on the
team by living in Tampa year-round. He could show young receivers the meaning of hard
work, develop camaraderie with his teammates and develop a rhythm with his quarterbacks.
Bucs head coach Jon Gruden placed several recruiting calls to Johnson and encouraged
him to appear at offseason activities. The Bucs have changed quarterbacks, changed
coordinators, changed systems, everything but change the way No. 19 comes to work,
according to Sapp. Still, Johnson did not show up in Tampa except for minicamps. Surely
something needed to be said.
So Sapp turned the opening of training camp into the Jerry Springer show, ripping
Johnson for being uncommitted and failing to score more than one touchdown last season.
Never mind that Johnson led the NFC with 106 receptions and reported to camp this
summer in peak physical condition at 215 pounds. His lack of commitment was not at the
heart of Sapp’s gripe. It did not create this sideshow.
Sapp could have talked to Johnson privately or asked his teammates to call Johnson and
encourage him to spend time in Tampa. He certainly could have chosen other ways to
encourage Johnson to stay. Everyone knows the best way to deal with a problem is to go
directly to the source.
Instead, Sapp vented to the media, telling the world how much of a slacker he thinks
Johnson is — a classic case of one person putting another person down to gratify his
own ego. To Johnson’s credit, when pressed about Sapp’s comments, he refused to
enter the fray, deferring the question to his head coach.
As noted leadership expert John Maxwell said, "When a hawk is attacked by crows,
he does not counterattack. Instead, he soars higher and higher in ever widening circles
until the pest leaves him alone. Circle above your adversaries rather than battle with
them. If your positive attitude has any effect on negative people, it will be because of
your example, not your defensiveness. So rise above them. It really is hard to soar like
an eagle if you identify with turkeys."
The turkey (Sapp) should concentrate on his own game after registering just six sacks
last season, his lowest total since his rookie year.
It is Johnson’s decision not to uproot his 6-year-old daughter, Maia, and
4-year-old son, Keyshawn Jr., from their familiar surroundings in Los Angeles. It is
Johnson’s decision to invest his wealth wisely, opening restaurants in the California
and Tampa areas and creating jobs in a downtrodden economy. It is Johnson’s decision
to spend his summer giving back to the community — providing assistance to local
charities, spending time with less privileged children and giving rookies advice as a
speaker at the 2002 NFL Rookie Symposium.
Fame is fleeting, and football is a game that’s often short-lived. Johnson’s
single-minded focus to excel on the field led him to being the first overall draft pick in
1996. When his playing career is over, his business interests will be the sole support for
his family and allow him to make a smooth transition to life outside the lines. Johnson
has earned the right to spend his offseason how he chooses, even if the big dog keeps
barking at him. |
