THIS ARTICLE claims that Reggie Bush will assume a larger leadership role this season with the Saints. I'm taking a "I'll believe it when I see it" approach to that one. I like Reggie. I think he's smart, genuinely nice, hard working and loaded with talent. I also think he's currently over-hyped and has a little too much of the Hollywood lifestyle. Bush is a media darling and he's also a player that's had 2 seasons cut short due to knee injuries. A running back with chronic knee issues is a very bad thing. With the endorsement deals, the contract, the exposure, and the reality star girlfriend, Bush has A LOT of distractions. With that kind of exposure, it's going to be hard for Reggie to live up to his expectations on the field. So far he has under produced in 2 seasons with the Saints. For him to earn the respect of his teammates as a true"leader", Bush will need to first and foremost let his performance speak for him. Once his production is in line with his popularity, THEN he'll be able to be fully respected as a leader. That's not to say he isn't already respected in the locker room, but there is inevitably some guys that are jealous of his status and I'm sure some of the veterans are waiting for him toi prove himself (Brees, for example, has visibly shown his frustrations with Reggie on the field). I'm not saying Reggie can't clear this hurdle, because he's clearly talented enough, but he's going to need to show he's a star on the football field (instead of the red carpet) before I buy this "increased leadership role" talk. Until then, he's a very very good role player on the team that needs to improve his versatility.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saints Nation: Reggie Bush ready to be a leader?
THIS ARTICLE claims that Reggie Bush will assume a larger leadership role this season with the Saints. I'm taking a "I'll believe it when I see it" approach to that one. I like Reggie. I think he's smart, genuinely nice, hard working and loaded with talent. I also think he's currently over-hyped and has a little too much of the Hollywood lifestyle. Bush is a media darling and he's also a player that's had 2 seasons cut short due to knee injuries. A running back with chronic knee issues is a very bad thing. With the endorsement deals, the contract, the exposure, and the reality star girlfriend, Bush has A LOT of distractions. With that kind of exposure, it's going to be hard for Reggie to live up to his expectations on the field. So far he has under produced in 2 seasons with the Saints. For him to earn the respect of his teammates as a true"leader", Bush will need to first and foremost let his performance speak for him. Once his production is in line with his popularity, THEN he'll be able to be fully respected as a leader. That's not to say he isn't already respected in the locker room, but there is inevitably some guys that are jealous of his status and I'm sure some of the veterans are waiting for him toi prove himself (Brees, for example, has visibly shown his frustrations with Reggie on the field). I'm not saying Reggie can't clear this hurdle, because he's clearly talented enough, but he's going to need to show he's a star on the football field (instead of the red carpet) before I buy this "increased leadership role" talk. Until then, he's a very very good role player on the team that needs to improve his versatility.
