Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 2 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: Maybe Leaf has actually seen the abyss and found his rock bottom. As for Cognito, there appears to be a lot of unresolved conflict in his life and displaced anger. His career is winding down, and when it is over, he will have more time to evaluate his behavior. Richie seems to struggle with too much time on his hands and a lack of direction. I’ll pray he figures it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just now, Augie said: Richie seems to struggle with too much time on his hands and a lack of direction. I’ll pray he figures it out. Perhaps...thats not good for anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 6 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: Perhaps...thats not good for anyone. Nope, but far worse for some than others. I promise. (I’m one of the others.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 1 minute ago, Augie said: Nope, but far worse for some than others. I promise. (I’m one of the others.) I can tell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 22 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: I can tell! I’m not as bad as Richie? Is that a compliment? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just now, Augie said: I’m not as bad as Richie? Is that a compliment? ? Yep! You are a stand up guy! How's that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 1 minute ago, Rocket94 said: Yep! You are a stand up guy! How's that! Well, on the occasions where I do stand up, I do NOT beat my car with a bat. So I’ve got THAT going for me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 8 minutes ago, Augie said: Well, on the occasions where I do stand up, I do NOT beat my car with a bat. So I’ve got THAT going for me! You are making progress! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just now, Rocket94 said: You are making progress! ? Baby steps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Just now, Augie said: Baby steps! Yes...take it slow...dont be so hard on yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Dirty B Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 I'm not mad about this at all, good for him. It's not like applied for the job and was qualified to do it. However, honest question. I see a lot of people calling him a good guy, and his drug addiction has nothing to do with what I'm about to say. I was young for his last year in college, however, wasn't he generally regarded as an ass? Like I mean just treated people poorly. I feel like that's the narrative I always got about him. I know people change, I just find many people calling him a good guy because I don't recall that being something said much about him ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 3 minutes ago, Ol Dirty B said: I'm not mad about this at all, good for him. It's not like applied for the job and was qualified to do it. However, honest question. I see a lot of people calling him a good guy, and his drug addiction has nothing to do with what I'm about to say. I was young for his last year in college, however, wasn't he generally regarded as an ass? Like I mean just treated people poorly. I feel like that's the narrative I always got about him. I know people change, I just find many people calling him a good guy because I don't recall that being something said much about him ever. He was a complete a** in his younger years based on some internal demons. Got a college gig and blew it by stealing drugs from a player. Ended up entering a random house looking for pills and payed a STEEP price. He was imprisoned for about 2 years. However, there's a 30 for 30(I believe) that documents his struggles as well as his redemption story. He's a big NA/AA guy and came across as extremely genuine in the doc. He could relapse tomorrow for all I know, but the doc definitely changed my opinion of him as a human being. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Dirty B Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 12 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said: He was a complete a** in his younger years based on some internal demons. Got a college gig and blew it by stealing drugs from a player. Ended up entering a random house looking for pills and payed a STEEP price. He was imprisoned for about 2 years. However, there's a 30 for 30(I believe) that documents his struggles as well as his redemption story. He's a big NA/AA guy and came across as extremely genuine in the doc. He could relapse tomorrow for all I know, but the doc definitely changed my opinion of him as a human being. That's good to hear. Like I said, people change and I don't want to call him an ass, because, like I said, people change and grow. I just was surprised about everyone calling him a good guy. I like the 30 for 30s, and I have ESPN+ so I'll have to look for it. I know he has faced some demons and felt feelings I would never wish on anyone. I believe I read somewhere he was suicidal at one point. So I'm happy for anyone to come back from that. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 4 minutes ago, Ol Dirty B said: That's good to hear. Like I said, people change and I don't want to call him an ass, because, like I said, people change and grow. I just was surprised about everyone calling him a good guy. I like the 30 for 30s, and I have ESPN+ so I'll have to look for it. I know he has faced some demons and felt feelings I would never wish on anyone. I believe I read somewhere he was suicidal at one point. So I'm happy for anyone to come back from that. I’ll try to keep this short. People with mental health and addiction issues do not present themselves as the people they actually are. If and when you get that glimpse absent of the affliction/addiction, no matter how briefly, look at the real person. Soak it up and appreciate it forever. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just in Atlanta Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 A lot of people thought this guy was going to be better than Peyton Manning. ESPN the magazine even had an entire edition dedicated to the debate, with some analysts picking "a little bit rock n roll" Leaf and others picking up "a little bit country" Manning. https://splitcoverage.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/manning-vs-leaf-revisited/ His fall from grace was staggering, including addiction, being labeled the No. 1 draft bust ever, being arrested twice for stealing prescription drugs and being arrested again for busting parole. Interestingly, his first game was against Buffalo. From Wikipedia: "The Chargers won the season opener on September 6, 1998, 16–14 over the Buffalo Bills despite mistakes from Leaf such as fumbling his first snap and throwing two interceptions; Buffalo penalties voided two would-be interceptions from Leaf." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Good for him. I hope he makes something out of this. Glad to see he is aware of the great opportunity he has and doesn't seem to be taking it for granted 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopey Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Ray Lewis got a stab at it, so why not Leaf? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve O Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Glad for Ryan. Thought he was going down the same path as Art Schlichter. Actually, he was going down the same path, Ryan just got off of it. Art never did. Was going to provide a link to Art's story but anyone who's interested can just do a search on his name. Currently in jail until 2020. He's a former Bill FWIW, though he never played a game as a Bill. Was cut before the 86 season with the arrival of Jim Kelly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 Leaf was a loser, Disney has pretty much sold out, and is not the Disney of old, and ESPN is laughable...what could go wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 7 hours ago, Steve O said: Glad for Ryan. Thought he was going down the same path as Art Schlichter. Actually, he was going down the same path, Ryan just got off of it. Art never did. Was going to provide a link to Art's story but anyone who's interested can just do a search on his name. Currently in jail until 2020. He's a former Bill FWIW, though he never played a game as a Bill. Was cut before the 86 season with the arrival of Jim Kelly. For sure. I have respect for anyone who works their a** off to get off that downward spiral. It takes courage and fortitude. It's far more difficult to get off that path than to never travel it. Leaf could have easily given up on life, but he didn't. He fought. It doesn't absolve him of fault for his previous transgressions, but it's certainly something to be lauded. If you or a loved one has never experienced addiction/mental health issues, you'll never fully understand. It'd be great to see him continue down the positive, productive path. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misterbluesky Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 I wish him well...hopefully he gets some rock solid ratings this year and will replace Booger McFarland on MNF in 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said: For sure. I have respect for anyone who works their a** off to get off that downward spiral. It takes courage and fortitude. It's far more difficult to get off that path than to never travel it. Leaf could have easily given up on life, but he didn't. He fought. It doesn't absolve him of fault for his previous transgressions, but it's certainly something to be lauded. If you or a loved one has never experienced addiction/mental health issues, you'll never fully understand. It'd be great to see him continue down the positive, productive path. As happy for Leaf as I am, he will now have to prove himself the rest of his life, or the naysayers will have a field day...with I told ya so's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Marv's Neighbor said: Leaf was a loser, Disney has pretty much sold out, and is not the Disney of old, and ESPN is laughable...what could go wrong? ESPN does seem to be sucking wind, but that is no reflection on Leaf. I hope it’s a terrific stepping stone for him. I wish him nothing but the best, it can happen. 9 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: As happy for Leaf as I am, he will now have to prove himself the rest of his life, or the naysayers will have a field day...with I told ya so's. We all have to prove ourselves, every day of our lives. I think that is why we are here. Hopefully he can prove them wrong, because they are certainly out there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, Augie said: ESPN does seem to be sucking wind, but that is no reflection on Leaf. I hope it’s a terrific stepping stone for him. I wish him nothing but the best, it can happen. We all have to prove ourselves, every day of our lives. I think that is why we are here. Yep...you are right. By definition, our existence can any time be a fall from grace. Leaf happens to be on center stage...highly visible and open to scrutiny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: Yep...you are right. By definition, our existence can any time be a fall from grace. Leaf happens to be on center stage...highly visible and open to scrutiny. Like the Olympics, he just may get bonus points for degree of difficulty! He also has the platform to carry an amazing message. THAT is more important than anything he could ever say about football. Fingers crossed for the guy! EDIT: NOT that he has to preach it. Just succeeding is a victory. I wish him well. Edited July 17, 2019 by Augie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, Augie said: Like the Olympics, he just may get bonus points for degree of difficulty! He also has the platform to carry an amazing message. THAT is more important than anything he could ever say about football. Fingers crossed for the guy! EDIT: NOT that he has to preach it. Just succeeding is a victory. I wish him well. l like that...Succeeding is a victory! Finishing is winning! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 32 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: As happy for Leaf as I am, he will now have to prove himself the rest of his life, or the naysayers will have a field day...with I told ya so's. While I agree, he can't give the naysayers or even the supporters a single thought when it comes to his recovery. It's all about Ryan(share the name and the issue). Sorry for veering away from football. Go Bills! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said: While I agree, he can't give the naysayers or even the supporters a single thought when it comes to his recovery. It's all about Ryan(share the name and the issue). Sorry for veering away from football. Go Bills! Actually. his life experience can be a gift and he seems to be channeling it correctly. You are right, we are getting away from football a bit...off season I guess! Edited July 17, 2019 by Rocket94 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopey Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 22 hours ago, Augie said: I’ll try to keep this short. People with mental health and addiction issues do not present themselves as the people they actually are. If and when you get that glimpse absent of the affliction/addiction, no matter how briefly, look at the real person. Soak it up and appreciate it forever. Seen it up close. Amen, dude. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocCityRoller Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 On 7/15/2019 at 12:42 AM, DJB said: I dont see the big deal. Hes cleaned up. Hes an inspiration for those struggling with addiction That is the big deal. He made bad choices, he was humbled, his 'football life' biography was terrific. I'm happy for Ryan Leaf because he turned it around in time. This should be celebrated as a football fan and as a human story. I will look forward to his contributions. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, RocCityRoller said: That is the big deal. He made bad choices, he was humbled, his 'football life' biography was terrific. I'm happy for Ryan Leaf because he turned it around in time. This should be celebrated as a football fan and as a human story. I will look forward to his contributions. It’s never turned around forever. It will be a life long process, and I will continue to pray for him to keep it together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocCityRoller Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Augie said: It’s never turned around forever. It will be a life long process, and I will continue to pray for him to keep it together. You are right Augie. You are %100 right, I know personally as a functional addict. Every day is day 1. Maybe that's a part of why I pull so hard for him. It was a 30 for 30 or NFL Life Biography and I just got a bigger view of the life of Ryan Leaf. Ryan Leaf messed up, he has made some terrible choices in life, but I hope he can do this and be great. Maybe he doesn't deserve the amount of chances he's had. A lot of people can be lifted by a success from him. I'll leave it at that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Toll Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 Better get some popcorn for the incoming white privilege grievance courtesy of Kaepernick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 13 hours ago, Troll Toll said: Better get some popcorn for the incoming white privilege grievance courtesy of Kaepernick. Huh? You'd think Kaepernick was the Bills starting QB based on the insertion of his name into topics that have nothing to do with him. Very odd. It is pretty crazy that Leaf beat us in his first game. I remember it well. RJ had chance after chance and didn't get the job done. Remember it mostly because I was super excited about RJ. "The offensive line sucks." That's a common issue/non issue among QB's who lack pocket awareness. Bledsoe ALWAYS had a terrible offensive line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lafromboise Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 (edited) On 7/15/2019 at 8:57 AM, Rocket94 said: That was his path. He took the necessary journey to find himself. Excellent. Life gets hard on people or people make it hard. That was his path and hes finally realizing. Well what i feel at least. Edited July 18, 2019 by Lafromboise 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 23 minutes ago, Lafromboise said: Excellent. Life gets hard on people or people make it hard. That was his path and hes finally realizing. Well what i feel at least. Yeah...sounds like a cliche, but the older that I get, I believe there is a lot of truth to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 On 7/15/2019 at 6:55 AM, Gugny said: You said you don't see the big deal, followed by exactly why it's a big deal. The No. 2 overall NFL draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 worked for the Pac-12 Network last season and has been co-hosting a show on SiriusXM's Pac-12 channel. The 43-year-old Leaf, a native of Montana, said he reached out to former players who had made the transition to television, such as Joel Klatt, Brady Quinn and Kirk Herbstreit, and they allowed him to shadow them on assignments. Leaf credited Fox NFL reporter Jay Glazer for supporting and mentoring him as he attempted to enter the business; Steve Cohen, vice president of sports programming at SiriusXM, for building a show around him; and ESPN coordinating producer for college football Ed Placey for guiding him through the process with the all-sports network. Leaf shadowed ESPN's Greg McElroy, another former college quarterback who has been a hit on television, when McElroy called the Washington State-USC game in Los Angeles last season. That led to an audition in March. As you well laid out he was hired because he demonstrated in a number of settings that he was good behind the mike. ESPN wasn't going to hire him out of altruism. They hired him because they believed that he was going to be an asset to their company. They are always looking for talent in a highly competitive business that is known for a lot of staffing movement. I never thought that he would turn around his life because he faltered so many times. He was a prime candidate to have a tragic ending because he was so gripped by his addiction. This is a wonderful and uplifting story that should give hope to so many people who are battling their own demons. What is also very inspiring about his success are the generous and supportive people who helped him along the way. He couldn't have done it by himself. As you stated this is a wonderful story. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 3 hours ago, Lafromboise said: Excellent. Life gets hard on people or people make it hard. That was his path and hes finally realizing. Well what i feel at least. That’s a great quote. I think a guy like Leaf gets a lot more chances to turn it around than a “normal” person though. But props to him anyways. another athlete liek this is Chris Herren. I encourage people to check out his document on ESPN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 38 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said: That’s a great quote. I think a guy like Leaf gets a lot more chances to turn it around than a “normal” person though. But props to him anyways. another athlete liek this is Chris Herren. I encourage people to check out his document on ESPN. My son texted me when this was on a few days ago. It’s amazing stuff. Real life stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirAndrew Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 21 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said: That’s a great quote. I think a guy like Leaf gets a lot more chances to turn it around than a “normal” person though. But props to him anyways. another athlete liek this is Chris Herren. I encourage people to check out his document on ESPN. I agree, and I hope he does well with this opportunity. However, the average felon most certainly is rarely offered a well paying professional career opportunity, regardless of qualifications. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts