"That Person" Versus "The Player"

--Posted By BountyBowl--

Really liked Reuben Frank's Shawn Andrews piece from the weekend, in which he took special care to note the language that Andy Reid used to reference the Eagles' mercurial offensive lineman:

“Winston Justice is doing a good job, so right now Winston Justice is the guy,” Reid said. “That’s how I look at it until that person gets back in there.”

That person would be Andrews.

“I’m headed in the right direction,” he said before practice Saturday. “Right now, I’m day to day. It’s definitely getting better. It’s headed in the right direction. … I’m going to push this thing and see what happens and see if it holds up. I’m so ready to get back. It’s really killing me to not be out there. … It definitely eats at me.”

But Reid’s patience definitely seems to be wearing thin with Andrews, who has played just one full game in the last 20 months.

Asked if there was anything to be encouraged about, Reid said, “His spirits are good, so that’s a start.”

You know Andy Reid must be more than a little bit frustrated with Andrews if he's using this kind of language to describe him to reporters.  I mean, this is a man who repeatedly defended L.J. Smith with a straight face. 

One also can't help but note the parallels to the way Bill Parcells refused to use T.O.'s name when he coached him in Dallas, referring to Owens instead as "The player."   Without putting too fine a point on it, this was not acknowledged to be an affectionate gesture from Parcells, nor would one argue that Big Red means it in a terribly generous way either. 

Good to know that it isn't just the fans who are losing patience with the Big Kid.  Andy Reid & Co. have coddled him, they've signed his brother and his roommate, and now they're trying a little tough love.  Yup, that's pretty much the complete depth chart of motivational strategies right there.