If Albert Haynesworth is the worst team player in town, who are some of the Best Team Players?
Jun 16, 2010 - Editor's Note: Ken Meringolo does a D.C. Power Rankings piece every week called "D.C. Rank and File." You can view previous edition here.
Albert Haynesworth is killing me. I had five other possible lists that I could have done this week, but when news started making its way up here that he was iffy for Wednesday's mandatory session I was simply enraged. Then he releases a statement that he is not going to come at all and he wants to be traded?
I have a hard time conceiving of another individual with such a perfect blend of ignorance, fatness and apathy, mixed with a complete disconnect from the world around him (Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin don't count). How do you justify not reporting to work after cashing a $21 million check? I feel like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman when the dog told him he had just eaten a whole wheel of cheese and pooped in the refrigerator. I am simply amazed. Except in this analogy, the wheel of cheese represents the hearts and minds of his teammates and the refrigerator represents my face. Thanks, Albert.
1) Make Albert walk down Main Street in Detroit and Flint, Mich., so he can look into the eyes of all the hard-working folks who just want the chance to work but can't because of the flailing auto industry
2) When he finally shows up, put him on kickoff and punt coverage.
3) Replace his mouthguard with a pacifier
4) Sign him to an extension worth $200 million and promise him he can call plays on offense and defense.
5) Absolutely nothing ... just keep letting Haynesworth and his agent mastermind what has turned into one of the dumbest PR campaigns ever. How do they expect anyone to take them seriously from this point forward? These two make BP's CEO look like a genius. Does anyone think Haynesworth is in any kind of shape to play football right now? Thanks to the magic of SB Nation DC, I am able to translate Haynesworth's latest statement:
"Due to the fact that I am a whiny b****, I am going to stay home for the summer and continue my pursuit of morbid obesity. To all of my teammates, I don't care about you or your hard work and I certainly don't care that you are busting your humps to get ready for the upcoming season. If I am physically able to do more than complain and deny paternity claims made by strippers, I might show up to camp later this summer. But don't expect too much from me since I am going to be asked to take on multiple blockers in order to free up other players along the line to make plays--as opposed to last year when I was asked to take on multiple blockers in order to free up other players along the line to make plays."
Just amazing.
I could drop a Top 5 list of things I would do for $21 million, but SB Nation would not print it.
So Albert is a horrific team player. Enough of him ... what about the guys in town that are great team players? This week's list does take a higher-profile view of the "team player" concept. It just so happens we have at least a handful of players in D.C. that are both productive as well as good team guys. Here are the players I think of when I think "Team Player."
All he has done in his three seasons playing for the Capitals is increase his goals, assists and +/- totals each year. He doesn't complain about playing time, and he always seems to be giving maximum effort -- even if it looks so effortless. His teammates respect him, his opponents respect him and hockey fans know him to be one of the key cogs to the Capitals' success.
The reigning Gold Glove winner is a quiet, unassuming presence on the up-and-coming Nationals. He is the face of the franchise and one of the rising stars in the Major Leagues. In baseball, it is hard to really pinpoint what makes a good "team player", but with Zimmerman, you get wisdom beyond his years and maturity beyond his peers.
The man who has been at or near the top in tackles in the NFL over the last decade anchors the Washington defense and leads the entire team by example. He was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2009 and stands as a very tangible opposite to the me-first attitude of players like Haynesworth.
So I am 2-for-2 on including Alexander Ovechkin in these lists. But look at what he brings to the table. He is the best player on the team and at times it seems like nobody is playing with more energy and passion than the Big O. Since putting the "C" on his chest, Ovechkin has embraced the leadership that is expected of the captain. His teammates look to him to pick them up when they need it, and they are seldom let down.
I left this spot for a lesser profile player who embodies what it really means to be a team guy. Lorenzo does whatever coaches ask and that has included stints at defensive line, offensive guard, tight end and linebacker. You never hear him complain about what scheme the team is running and how that affects his ability to perform. Instead, he adapts his game to better suit the team. What a novel concept!
The absence of any Wizards in this week's ranking should come as no surprise. Here's hoping John Wall cares more about making his team and teammates better than anything else. This list was hard to make because there are so many middle- and lower-tier players on our favorite teams that are deserving of being on this list. With that in mind, stay tuned to next week's rankings, as I figure out a way to shine a light on those players.
10 comments
Comments
Ovie
If there’s any player that is the poster boy for hard-work and leading by example…it’s Ovie. The guy flat out never takes a day off and he makes everyone better around him. It’s good to see him partying in Turkey…well-deserved for the daily hard-work he puts in.
Hogs Haven. On Twitter. And Facebook.
by Kevin Ewoldt on Jun 16, 2010 11:46 AM EDT reply actions
Thank you for making my morning.
That said, I have to disagree with a few of these. There is no denying that London Fletcher is definitely a team player; however, his self-promotion after Pro Bowl snubs would drop him from the Top 5 in my opinion. It reeks of “me-first”, even if he is deserving.
Also, I’d drop Ovie from the list and replace him with Brooks Laich, and then I’d move Brooksie to the top spot. Ovie is a team player in that he works hard in games and practices, plays physical, produces, and is a leader, but a few things stick out to me that should drop him from the Top 5:
-He takes very long shifts, which hurt himself and the team
-He doesn’t block shots
-He hasn’t quite harnessed his physicality, putting himself and his team in bad situations when he commits major penalties and gets suspended
Brooks Laich kills penalties, uses his body, scores goals, plays on the power play, backchecks, changes tires, blocks shots, sticks up for his teammates, and is generally willing to do anything asked of him for the benefit of the team, whether it is lining up on the second, third, or fourth line, or playing center, left wing, or defense. He’d be my No. 1. (And if JC17 were still wearing burgundy and gold, he’d be No. 2.)
1. Laich
2. Zimmerman
3. Alexander
4. Backstrom
129847. Albert Haynesworth
by Alex Reed on Jun 16, 2010 12:08 PM EDT reply actions
I'd put Fletcher first, personally
But this is cool.
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by Mike Prada on Jun 16, 2010 12:10 PM EDT reply actions
Dearest Kenneth ...
The guy stops on the side of the road and changes a fan’s tire after having just been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs and you can’t find room on your list of team players for Brooks Laich?!?
You’re dead to me.
by Homer McFanboy on Jun 16, 2010 1:21 PM EDT reply actions
But I already had two Caps!
Plus, technically, the person who had the flat tire was not a teammate….
Damn…Can’t believe I left off Brooks.
by Ken Meringolo on Jun 16, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
As Alex Reed said…
If you guys think Brooks Laich should be at least given a “honourable mention” now that it’s maybe too late to change it, rec this post. :)
"Maybe subconsciously [Jason Kendall] feels the need to throw the ball in the outfield since he can’t hit it there." - AJaha25 on Kendall leading the Royals in errors
by ehr.hoff on Jun 17, 2010 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I might even put Hammer on here instead of Zim
Hammer started out as a bench player last year because we were spending time enabling Dukes and Kearns. He didn’t raise a peep. He just took his PH opportunities and eventually hit his way to respectability. Quiet guy, model citizen and worthy of consideration on a list like this that can bring a little more fame to some of the quiet citizens of our teams.
I am noticing a lack of Wizards here, though. Hmmmmm.
Perhaps Greg Munroe instead?
Cool Hand Lannan has carried the mail in anonymity for two years. He'll carry the mail for at least two more! Give the man some defense and he'll give you the world. MOAR GROUNDERZ! MOAR DOUBLE PLAYZ!
by souldrummer on Jun 16, 2010 9:33 PM EDT reply actions
One more thing to mention about Backstrom, he gets migraines, often times during games and he plays through them as much as possible, so much so that he hasn’t missed a single game since he joined the Caps.
LET'S GO CAPS!!!
by Elliotte on Jun 17, 2010 7:05 AM EDT reply actions
Brooksy or Professor Bradley for a spot
Here’s why:
Ovie, while supremely awesome and deserving of every accolade he gets, is our number one player and the team captain for a reason. However, as pointed out above, he does have his faults, too. No one, and certainly not I, is trying to say that Ovie isn’t great.
However, Brooks and Brads deserve accolades too – both gentlemen bring their game all the time, are charismatic, and quietly lead the team in the same way Backstrom does. They’re dependable. They give up their bodies freely (Brads’ on-ice blood donations are legendary in and of themselves). Both men had great years scoring. Brooks even played with the grille of a shopping cart on his face after taking a puck to it in practice (ladies, including myself, went into cardiac arrest after reading about that – but we’re all okay now that his pretty mug isn’t scarred for life)…I dare any other player to do that. And let’s not overlook Brads’ OT GWG a couple of years ago, going against the conventional wisdom of Bruce Boudreau.
These are men that teams get behind, respect, and play for. These are players that fans adore and follow.
by Hey.Bumper on Jun 17, 2010 3:15 PM EDT reply actions
Taken for granted?
Ovechkin is a perfectly acceptable and very deserving candidate for the 3 spot. Brads and Laich are very deserving of the love, but sometimes their value gets exorbitantly praised imo. Laich is the type of player who has to work his butt off day in and day out, hit, block shots, and sacrifice himself to keep his spot in the NHL and make the type of money he does.
I think people take for granted what all Ovechkin brings to this team that other top snipers and point getters around the NHL do not. What other sniper leads his team in hits? What other sniper also has to be the muscle for his team? Brads and Laich are not targeted all game by the other teams best players and pest, they do not get blamed for the series loss to Montreal (even though they provided absolutely no secondary scoring), and the amount of blocked shots they have over Ovechkin is tiny when taken over a full season. The selflessness that Ovechkin shows for his body to help his team win games is enough by itself to show that he is a worthy team player.
Brads and Laich are great heart and soul guys, but they bring to the table what is necessary of them to stay in the NHL; Ovechkin brings to the table more than what is expected of him. I am not trying to denigrate Laich or Brads, but I am trying to point out that sometimes people tend to take for granted what all Ovechkin brings to the team that he doesn’t have to outside of offense. I have no problem with those qualities being recognized as those of a team player.
by passerby on Jun 17, 2010 7:47 PM EDT reply actions
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