Barron's absensce irks Martz (more details on his delay)

[AugustaRamFan]

It's not that we don't like Alex, we just don't like his behavior.....

Come on AV - the kid has really stepped on himself. He is getting paid MILLIONS to play football and his agent is getting rich on the deal too. And although we do not know what transpired - his agent may have given him some poor guidance.

You know as well as the rest of us - FIRST IMPRESSIONS are lasting.....if he really wanted to be in camp, he would have been there the same day he signed and at least pressed some flesh. That is all he had to do.....he would have been a fricken hero.

[AvengerRam]

First impressions don't last at all in sports.

I guarantee you, if Barron plays like gangbusters in preseason, wins the starting job, and the Rams offense plays well with him in the lineup, nobody will even remember their "first impression."

[RamsFan16]

Why did we draft this ogar

[AvengerRam]

Why did we draft this ogar

Take your pick:

1. Because RT was a need.
2. Because he was the highest rated O lineman on the board when the Rams selected.
3. Because he was an All-American/Outland Trophy finalist.
4. Because he has freakish size and physical ability that rivals Orlando Pace.
5. Because the Rams Front Office knows more about football than you do.

[tanus]

some of you really need to get off of your high horse.

[Chiledog]

If Barron plays like gangbusters, then everyone's negative first impression of him will quickly fade. However, if he struggles throughout the year, this first impression will be a long-lasting one, and the idiotic things he has done over the past few weeks will continue to haunt him. With all the pressure that a millionare, first-round pick already has on himself to perform and achieve, it's too bad he had to put all this extra pressure on himself. Let's hope he quickly proves all the nay-sayers wrong.
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[Nick]

Why did we draft this ogar

I think it was to try and prevent things like this for the next couple of years.

[adarian_too]

Barron's absence irks Martz
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/11/2005

But all of his luggage - about six bags worth - .

Uh, excuse me. A youngster with "six bags worth"? Sounds like Joan Collin's excuse. If he had said something like his dog ate his plane ticket, I might be more sympathetic. All he needed was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and some flip-flops ...

[Nick]

A youngster with "six bags worth"?

Whenever I moved two minutes across town two summers ago, I had a moving truck filled with stuff. Why is it unbelievable that he had six bags of luggage filled with belongings that he's bringing with him to St. Louis?

[KurtWarner2005MVP]

he'll be there. don't worry. he just needs to learn about the league and how it works.

[RamsFanSam]

I remember last year when Pace was the holdout. It seems like everyone and his dog was all over Pace's backside, saying things like he should be demoted, he should hit the road, etc. Clearly, his agent was the big problem. There were a few calm voices who were clearly not happy campers, who suggested the 'wait and see' approach to the way we acted towards the Big O. This year, he signed early enough to be in camp, and NOBODY is badmouthing Orlando this year. What a difference a year makes...
I'd be willing to bet that if Barron lives up to his hype, most everyone here will forget about this years failure to report by this time next year.

[Nick]

I just find it funny that the uproar is about his not being there, even though the Post-Dispatch reported THAT VERY NIGHT that Barron would likely not be in camp until Sunday. And they said it so matter-of-factly, certainly not making it out to be as big as the AP report does. But suddenly it's now some huge problem that he wasn't there Thursday, and now we've got people who know nothing about Barron talking about how this is some kind of excuse or lie? The whole thing is a joke, and hopefully Barron can silence the laughter by showing why he was worthy of a first round pick.

[RealRam]

Nick, I'll be among the first Rams fans to congratulate Alex Barron when he does well and RESPONDS / CORRESPONDS to the team, even as a rookie.

I don't see anyone here in ClanRam claiming to "know" AB. That is just silly to surmise. Also, it may not be an issue of lying or bringing up excuses as you generalize the comments in this thread to be.

Those of us that have criticized Barron -- specifically for not reporting to camp immediately after coming to terms -- have done so based on professional expectations and personal common sense.

With Orlando Pace the situation was different. He was already a veteran, and a proven Pro Bowler at that. Still, most of us mainly tarnished the agent, not the player. As RamsFanSam says, the agent was the problem.

Absolutely. And again in Barron's impasse, the main character of shame was also a lousy agent, Roosevelt Barnes.


In any event, I steadfastly maintain that it was a personal obligation of Alex Barron to clarify and report his status Wednesday night. It was a mistake of his not to.

:up: I agree with KW2005MVP in making all this a learning experience for the kid, i.e.,

He'll be there. Don't worry. He just needs to learn about the league and how it works.

[Nick]

In any event, I steadfastly maintain that it was a personal obligation of Alex Barron to clarify and report his status Wednesday night. It was a mistake of his not to.

And I maintain that it was also the Rams' obligation to find out Barron's status and inform their coach. Had they done that, Martz probably wouldn't have created a big stir by talking to the media about it, if he knew Barron was delayed.

I just can't understand why the whole thing is on Barron's shoulders. He deserves criticism, but the organization has to take some responsibility as well.

[Tony Soprano]

It's not just that he was late, it's that the RAMs Coaching staff felt he needed a lot of work. They openly questioned his technique and raised questions about him
being able to contribute at all this year.

Then, after being demoted, Barron proceeded to skip Rookie Camp and holdout of training camp.


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