| As an intern for Pro Football Weekly, my job is
one that my friends can only dream about. One of the biggest perks is getting the
opportunity to use the company credentials to attend Chicago Bears home games. Attending
these games does not mean as a regular fan sitting in the nosebleed section. I am actually
a member of the press on these occasions. I sit in the press box, go on the sidelines near
the end of the game, and go into the locker rooms to interview players for a story.
Sunday, I attended the Bears’ game against the Vikings and saw Chicago drop
Minnesota to 0-2 with a 17-10 victory. This was my second trip to Soldier Field as a
member of the media, and just like the first time, I was like a kid in a candy shop with
$1 million.
My story idea for the game was to interview RB Michael Bennett about the progress he
has made since the start of camp as he tries to replace Robert Smith. Once the players
cleared the field, I crowded near the locker-room doors with other members of the media.
Then, as soon as they opened, I rushed in like a horse coming out of the starting gate at
the Kentucky Derby.
The players were getting out of their pads and into the shower. I headed straight for
Bennett since he was the centerpiece of my story. However, I stopped dead in my tracks as
soon as I noticed that Bennett was sitting inside his locker in full pads and helmet
— crying. I did not panic at this point, figuring I’d give him some time and
I’d come back in a bit to talk.
In the meantime, I tried to get some secondary sources for my story. I had been advised
by my editor to stay away from the superstars since they would be swamped, so I first
encountered FB Jim Kleinsasser. He actually gave me a good quote for my incomplete story,
and he probably uttered the only helpful words in the locker room that day.
When I turned around, I realized there was no media swarming around QB Daunte Culpepper
or WR Cris Carter, two major superstars. Due to my lack of experience, I had no idea why.
I first approached Culpepper and kindly asked if I could ask him one question. The
response I got was a first in my journalism career.
"I have nothing to say, and even if I did, you wouldn’t want to hear
it," he said. I wasn’t surprised by these words considering he has to deal with
the bickering of Moss and Carter in each ear like little sixth-graders if he fails to get
them the ball. And that had certainly been the case earlier as the Vikings’ offense
struggled and frustrations boiled over.
I then made my way over to Carter. Since he is a veteran and a leader on the team, I
thought he might talk a bit. Once again, no media was crowded around. This time, I did not
have to ask him to speak, since a veteran reporter did so, leading Carter to say,
"Did you not see what happened out there? Today is not a day to talk to me."
The third superstar of the bunch, Randy Moss, made his way in and out of the locker
room just about as fast as he sprints to the endzone on an 80-yard touchdown. Needless to
say, nobody was even able to ask him anything.
Looking for anyone to talk to me, I encountered ORG Dave Dixon. Not only would he not
answer my question for the story, he would not even answer if I could ask him the
question. He stood there and completely ignored my presence.
All of this was stunning to me in part because it was my first experience like this and
because this team acted like it just lost the Super Bowl. Already worried about having no
story, I made my way over to DT Chris Hovan, who said, "I am warning you to stay away
from me, and you better tell everyone else to do the same."
This was enough to finally get me out of the locker room altogether.
What had I walked into?
"I’ve covered a couple of Vikings games in recent years, and their locker
room did not strike me as a threat to replace Disneyland as the happiest place on
earth," Pro Football Weekly editor-in-chief Ron Pollack told me a couple of days
later.
I cannot believe what had happened. A group of adults were so devastated by a loss they
treated other adults with as much respect as an ant warrants. Clearly, the Vikings think
they are on a pedestal above all others. The Vikings’ locker room is no place for the
timid. Obviously, nobody is happy after a loss, but when I was in junior high, my friends
never acted anywhere near the way Minnesota’s players did.
"After each Vikings game I’ve covered in recent years, I’ve come away
thinking that this is not a particularly happy-go-lucky bunch of guys," Pollack said.
"The thing to remember is that the Vikings won the games I covered. I covered a huge
win for them on the road, and the locker room afterward was unbelievably surly. I covered
an impressive home win of theirs, and the locker room afterward was very surly. On each
occasion, the players seemed to have a real chip on their shoulders. I’m not saying
every guy in the locker room was this way, but an awful lot of guys I spoke to certainly
were. To put it in perspective, most losing locker rooms I’ve been in have seemed
like happier places than the Vikings’ locker room after those wins."
It is no secret why they have such attitudes. For the first time in 14 years they have
started the season 0-2. With a suspect defense, the game plan was for each game to be an
offensive battle. But, their offense has struggled thus far, scoring only 11.5 points per
game through Week Two after averaging 24.8 points during the regular season last year.
"It’ll be interesting to see how the Vikings react to their slow start,"
Pollack said. "It’s one thing to have a chip on your shoulder when you are
winning. That’s probably a pretty effective way to keep from getting overconfident
and lax. I think that was the case for the Vikings after a couple of Minnesota wins I
covered when things were going so well for the team. But for a locker room to be as full
of turmoil as it was after the loss to the Bears, there is potential for real trouble.
That anger can work positively if they circle the wagons quickly, work harder and turn the
season around. But if the losses continue to mount, a locker room that angry can lead to
real problems. (Head coach) Dennis Green really has his hands full."
Right now Green is coaching a team not only in need of some touchdowns and some wins,
but also some manners. |
