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#2030200 - 07/28/15 05:43 PM Gimmick or not
edAudit Offline
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#2030213 - 07/28/15 05:57 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
RockChucker, CAMS Offline
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Can't access link, what does it say?
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#2030219 - 07/28/15 06:03 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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The Arizona Cardinals were once a laughingstock on the field, but off it, there was always a progressive bent. The Cardinals in 1978 hired Adele Harris, who was the first black woman executive in the NFL (she was the director of community relations). Three years later, owner Bill Bidwill hired Bob Wallace, the first black person to handle contract talks for an NFL team. Rod Graves and Dennis Green, in 2004, were the first black general manager/head coach tandem in the sport.

Michael Bidwell continued what his father started, being a spark for change, but the coach, Bruce Arians, has been the centrifuge. Arians, in fact, hired Welter as an assistant coach, the announcement coming Monday night, with her believed to be the first woman to hold such a position in the history of the league.

There are three things with this groundbreaking and remarkable move by the Cardinals. First, it's not a shock Arians did this. His staff is an interesting mix of ages and personalities. He is a thinker and tinkerer, the western version of Chip Kelly, except maybe even smarter.

Arians may look gruff, but he is a typical example of "looks can be deceiving." Underneath that exterior is a junior Bill Belichick with highly progressive DNA.

"Coaching is nothing more than teaching," Arians told the team's website. "One thing I have learned from players is, 'How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, man, I'll listen.' I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors."

My guess is Welter will impress because that is what she's done throughout her football career. Just as I predicted she'd be an assistant coach, I think one day she will rise to be a coordinator in the NFL. Then, yes, a head coach. There, I said it.

She is that impressive.

Second, few players will care that Welter is a woman. Oh, sure, there will be some troglodytes. There always are, everywhere. But players on the Cardinals simply won't care. I got a taste of that when I asked one veteran AFC player about the move.

"I don't care if she has xxxxxxxxx or a xxxxxxx," the player said. "Just as long as she can coach. That's all that matters."

"Players will be very respectful," said an NFC player.

Arians said he polled some veteran players and no one had an issue.

Again, you may see an ignorant player tweet, or hear one player say, something incredibly dumb. But what we've seen in sports is that locker rooms, once bastions of sexism, are moving quickly from a less imbecilic environment to a far more open one. Women routinely cover the sport now when once-heroes like Lesley Visser weren't allowed, or warriors like Andrea Kremer had to fight stereotypes and discrimination so others could be treated the same as male writers.

In many ways, great women like Visser, Kremer and Amy Trask—who was the first woman team executive in NFL history—paved the way for Welter. They did the same with Sarah Thomas, who recently became the NFL's first woman official.

"It does not surprise me that the team led by Michael Bidwill and coached by Bruce Arians is the first to do this," Trask wrote to me in an email. "I expect that players will evaluate Jen Welter on the merits and interact with her without regard to gender. Certainly, that was my experience with players."

"The truth is, (Welter) has more playing experience than some of the coaches who coach me now," said the AFC player.

Which brings me to Welter. The impression I got in reading about her and watching her talk about football, as well as my occasional Twitter chats with her, was that she loved football. She wasn't a woman who loved football. She was a human being who loved football. That was it. That was all.

She played running back and special teams in the Indoor Football League. The Cardinals said she is the first woman non-kicker in a professional football league. This year, she coached linebackers and special teams.

Welter has a master's degree in sports psychology and a PhD in psychology. She also played rugby at Boston College. She is more of a total football package than most men in the sport her age.

This isn't a stunt. It's not a gimmick. This also isn't a fad.
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#2030223 - 07/28/15 06:12 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
MyBrainHurts Offline
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"Underneath that exterior is a junior Bill Belichick"

That was an uncalled for slam of Arians.

As far as Welter, I've seen so many women succeed in executive and leadership roles that this doesn't seem all that odd.
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#2030225 - 07/28/15 06:15 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
edAudit Offline
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When someone feels the need to claim it is not a stunt or a gimmick I tend to believe it is.

She may be great but has limited experience as a coach.

Another article claims that she is just an offseason coach on a try out which would make more sense.
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#2030229 - 07/28/15 06:16 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
RockChucker, CAMS Offline
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Thanks Ed.

I agree with the players, "I don't care if she has xxxxxxxxx or a xxxxxxx," the player said. "Just as long as she can coach. That's all that matters."
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#2030230 - 07/28/15 06:17 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
edAudit Offline
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Just for clarity I added the xxxx's and deleted the words
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#2030231 - 07/28/15 06:18 PM Re: Gimmick or not MyBrainHurts
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Originally Posted By MyBrainHurts
"Underneath that exterior is a junior Bill Belichick"

That was an uncalled for slam of Arians.

As far as Welter, I've seen so many women succeed in executive and leadership roles that this doesn't seem all that odd.


Hoodies have been seen in Arizona with the sleeves cut off. laugh (well I could have said footballs have been deflated and the opponents have been filmed)
Last edited by edAudit; 07/28/15 06:19 PM.
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#2030236 - 07/28/15 06:24 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
noelekal Offline
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I'm just grateful I do not follow the NFL.
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#2030239 - 07/28/15 06:29 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
CompliantOkie Offline
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I'm not sure it rises to the level of gimmick but there is certainly a whiff of publicity stunt to this announcement. In the article above it talks about her having a great opportunity through this internship. No where in the headlines does it clarify that she will be assistant coaching the team during an internship. They're hoping people read the headlines, think about how great and progressive the Cardinals are and move on with their day. That's misleading to say the least. Now of course the media writes the headlines but I'm reasonably sure the Cardinals didn't mind in the least. I'm sure they've gotten more publicity from this alone than anything else they've done on or off the field.

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#2030257 - 07/28/15 06:56 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
HappyGilmore Offline
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Quote:
"I don't care if she has xxxxxxxxx or a xxxxxxx," the player said. "Just as long as she can coach. That's all that matters."

"Players will be very respectful," said an NFC player.


well, assuming what is hidden under those Xs is a derogatory description, that seems like anything but respectful...
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#2030260 - 07/28/15 06:57 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
edAudit Offline
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Why yes as a matter of fact there was some reference to body parts but as BOL is family friendly I omitted them.
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#2030396 - 07/29/15 01:23 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
RVFlyboy Offline
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Originally Posted By edAudit
Originally Posted By MyBrainHurts
"Underneath that exterior is a junior Bill Belichick"

That was an uncalled for slam of Arians.

As far as Welter, I've seen so many women succeed in executive and leadership roles that this doesn't seem all that odd.


Hoodies have been seen in Arizona with the sleeves cut off. laugh (well I could have said footballs have been deflated and the opponents have been filmed)
You did say it. To which I'll add, "Yeah, but Super Bowls have not been won."
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#2030406 - 07/29/15 01:34 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
HappyGilmore Offline
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Pulling people out of the ditc...
don't know anything about this lady, but I don't see any NFL team doing this for a gimmick...it's all about wins and losses to these guys, owners included...

gimmicks are scantily clad dancers called "cheerleaders" and shooting t-shirts into the stands with modified potato(e) guns...
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#2030410 - 07/29/15 01:41 PM Re: Gimmick or not HappyGilmore
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Originally Posted By HappyGilmore
don't know anything about this lady, but I don't see any NFL team doing this for a gimmick...it's all about wins and losses to these guys, owners included...

gimmicks are scantily clad dancers called "cheerleaders" and shooting t-shirts into the stands with modified potato(e) guns...


Not sure about the lady either but she was a cornerback and played rugby. Not sure how that relates to linebacker coach.


other recent gimmicks

Tim Tebow to the Jets (was clearly not a good fit)
Tim Tebot to the pats (just a ot at the jets)
Michael Sam (better players were not given the same opportunity)
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#2031305 - 08/03/15 02:40 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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Repeat a lie often enough and it tends to become accepted as truth...(not directed at any particular poster, just thrown out as food for thought...)
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#2031346 - 08/03/15 04:50 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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Not sure I would call Tebow a gimmick, more of a misguided attempt to convert his collegiate success to the pro level. Have to give him some credit for his success in Denver, but he failed miserably elsewhere. He signed with the Eagles, correct?
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#2031352 - 08/03/15 05:10 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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he is now with the eagles they claim that Sanchez is now number two so that would make him three or four. After Denver the Jets did not use him at all even though Sanchez was well Sanchez. I would say that the Pats took him as a dig against the Jets (I would not even render a guess why the would need to)
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#2031353 - 08/03/15 05:22 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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Everyone up here thought signing Tebow was a real head scratcher. There were reports that they wanted him to try some other positions but he only wanted to be a QB.
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#2031354 - 08/03/15 05:33 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
edAudit Offline
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They said the same at Denver and NY.
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#2031355 - 08/03/15 05:34 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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could be that he is just hard of hearing. Prior to signing when they said will you play cornerback he heard QB.
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#2031357 - 08/03/15 05:38 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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Pulling people out of the ditc...
wonder who is going to give up on Tim's dream to make it in the NFL as a QB first...Tim, or the NFL?
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#2031358 - 08/03/15 05:41 PM Re: Gimmick or not edAudit
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if they change the Point after he may see some time (if the eagles score a TD this year)
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