PDA

View Full Version : Champ Bailey interview



ChampSB3233
04-08-2009, 07:59 PM
Talked with Sam Adams, formerly of the Rocky Mountain News, on lots of things Broncos.

http://www.indenvertimes.com/2009/04/08/champ-bailey-opens-up/

slim
04-08-2009, 08:01 PM
Here is the article...


Here’s change you might find hard to believe in when it comes to Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey.

Bailey is entering his 11th NFL season. The eight-time Pro Bowler will be playing for his sixth coach and eighth defensive coordinator.

Actually, it’s nine defensive coordinators if you count Mike Nolan.
Nolan was named the Broncos’ defensive coordinator shortly after Josh McDaniels was hired as coach in January. He was Bailey’s first defensive coordinator in 1999, when both were with the Washington Redskins.

“I tell you what man, I have thought about that,” Bailey told me. “Guys talk about it all the time. Think about some guys that have been here four or five years like D.J. Williams. He’s been here five years with the same head coach. He’s had a couple of different defensive coordinators, but he’s had that stability at the top.

“And I’m like man, you just don’t know how good you’ve got it. I had four or five (coaches) when I was in Washington.”

In case you need names with the numbers, Bailey’s coaches in Washington were Norv Turner, Terry Robiskie (interim), Marty Schottenheimer and Steve Spurrier. He was traded after Joe Gibbs was named coach in 2004.

Bailey’s defensive coordinators at Washington were Nolan, Ray Rhodes, Kurt Schottenheimer, Marvin Lewis and George Edwards.
The Broncos have had three defensive coordinators since Bailey’s arrival –- Larry Coyer, Jim Bates and Bob Slowik -– under Mike Shanahan.

Six coaches and eight men coaching defense. How many Hall of
Fame-caliber football players have endured this much coaching turnover? With so much change, you might expect a volcanic explosion from a high-profile veteran such as Bailey.

But he maintains his cool and rolls with the flow of change while fighting the hunger pangs for wins. The Broncos have been to the playoffs twice since Bailey arrived in a trade for running back Clinton Portis. For his career, Bailey has been to the postseason three times.

Denver’s appearance in the 2005 season AFC Championship Game is as close as he has come to a Super Bowl. If the result of changes equals more wins, Bailey’s willing to accept more of them.

“I wished we could have worked it out with Mike (Shanahan), but obviously it didn’t,” Bailey said. “If (Pat Bowlen) thinks it’s necessary, I’m all for it. I’ve been through it and I know how to adjust.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m frustrated because I want to win. I’m on the back end of my career. I don’t feel like I’m going to play 10 more years. I hope I do, but … there’s no telling when this thing is going to be over.

“I’ve been ready to win since I got into the league. It’s been 11 years now.”

You’re not going to get Bailey’s attention with promises. He’s not a guy who needs the front office to dangle visions of hope in front of his eyes. With Bailey, it’s that old saying, “Action speaks louder than words.”

“My thing is, I like to see results,” he said. “You can talk all you want, but unless I see this thing coming together physically … It all looks good in the classroom, but when we get out there on the field, it’s about doing the right things -– putting pressure on the quarterbacks, covering the heck out of people.

“I don’t get caught up in what you say about how things are going to be. Everybody predicts pretty weather. If it gets bad, we’ve got to get out of it. We’ll figure it out as we go, but right now, it’s just wait-and-see.”

Bailey turns 31 in June. In two weeks, his new coach turns 33. With McDaniels, Bailey is looking at the Gatorade cooler as half-full instead of half-empty.

“I’ll let you give me reasons not to believe in you,” Bailey said. “I know one thing -– you can’t win if you don’t believe in the head coach. Automatically, I’m going to try to buy into his system.

“He hasn’t given me any reason not to up to this point. He comes in, demands respect, discipline and he’s always real sharp about everything he talks about. He gets into the meeting room and demands that attention. Guys can really understand where he’s coming from.

“I have no reason to doubt that he can win here. It’s all about getting it done now.”

That’s not to say McDaniels didn’t catch Bailey’s attention during the soap opera that led to the Broncos trading quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.

“That’s how the league is,” Bailey said. “He tutored Matt Cassel from the ground up, pretty much. They won 11 games last year, so I can understand where he’s coming from. At the same time, you do have a Pro Bowl quarterback, a great talent, one of the best in the league.

“But this league is all about guys getting their guys. When you get a new head coach, they don’t keep the same (assistant) head coaches around. They get their own guys.

“The same goes for players. It’s a business and it’s like that. I mean, I can compare Jay Cutler’s situation to when I got traded. He’s coming off one Pro Bowl season. I came off four, and I got traded. Really, when I look at it, I could have gotten mad about it. But I never was (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder’s guy. He didn’t draft me -– Charley Casserly drafted me.

“So, I know how this thing goes and I wish people would understand that it’s a business. You can’t get your ego caught up in this thing.”

There’s one thing that catches you about being around Bailey, and that is he’s not a guy with an ego. He’s the cover cornerback supreme who, at a shade above 190 pounds, will come up and drop the hammer on a 240-pound running back if necessary. It’s not about ego for Bailey.

But Bailey realizes there are whispers growing louder that he’s no longer the best cornerback in the NFL. He’s coming off a season in which he missed seven games because of a severe groin injury. He suffered an elbow injury in the regular-season finale.

All that, and Father Time is running a fly pattern in his direction.

“You can’t help but hear it all the time,” Bailey said. “It’s really about how I evaluate myself. I know I can be the best out there.

“I think about Deion Sanders when he came to Washington. Going into his 11th season (1999), people were questioning him. He got released after his 11th season and wound up in Washington (in 2000). That’s when I made my first Pro Bowl. It was weird, not hearing his name mentioned among the best. In his 10th season, he was great. In his 11th season, he was just OK. He retired after his 12th season.

“My thing is, I have a lot of pride. But I don’t have so much that I’m not going to accept change in my game and my body. If I lose a step physically, I’m going to enhance my game mentally. I’ll figure out a way to make up for losing that step, one way or another.

“But I’m not worried about it. It’s one of those things that’s going to happen. The greatest of the greatest go down and try to keep playing. They’re not the same, but they’re still effective. Whether it’s my 13th, 14th or 20th season, I’m going to keep on fighting.”

The Broncos are a long ways from being set, roster-wise, for the start of training camp. The draft is later this month. The possibilities still are open for major trades and free-agent signings. In other words, there still is more change ahead for Bailey to ponder before the start of the regular season in September.

“I’m ready to get this bitter taste out of my mouth,” Bailey said. “I hated the way the season ended last year.”

Tempus Fugit
04-08-2009, 08:08 PM
Jay Cutler, meet Champ Bailey:


“That’s how the league is,” Bailey said. “He tutored Matt Cassel from the ground up, pretty much. They won 11 games last year, so I can understand where he’s coming from. At the same time, you do have a Pro Bowl quarterback, a great talent, one of the best in the league.

“But this league is all about guys getting their guys. When you get a new head coach, they don’t keep the same (assistant) head coaches around. They get their own guys.

“The same goes for players. It’s a business and it’s like that. I mean, I can compare Jay Cutler’s situation to when I got traded. He’s coming off one Pro Bowl season. I came off four, and I got traded. Really, when I look at it, I could have gotten mad about it. But I never was (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder’s guy. He didn’t draft me -– Charley Casserly drafted me.

“So, I know how this thing goes and I wish people would understand that it’s a business. You can’t get your ego caught up in this thing.”

http://toole.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/bus6-731855.jpg

Man, that's gotta hurt.

silkamilkamonico
04-08-2009, 08:16 PM
Jay Cutler, meet Champ Bailey:




Meh, what does Champ Bailey know?

/sarcasm

jrelway
04-08-2009, 09:08 PM
lets get the man some help up front so he can tally up them INT's like the days of old. i love champ.

getlynched47
04-08-2009, 09:09 PM
Deep down...i bet Champ's thinking, "Oh shit, I hope Nolan can fix this mess of a defense."

MOtorboat
04-08-2009, 09:15 PM
Deep down...i bet Champ's thinking, "Oh shit, I hope Nolan can fix this mess of a defense."

LOL...nothing like reading into a clear statement just to support your own, misguided opinions, is there?

getlynched47
04-08-2009, 09:21 PM
LOL...nothing like reading into a clear statement just to support your own, misguided opinions, is there?

what the hell is wrong with you?

Champ has been part of a defense that has allowed over 400 points in a season for back-to-back NFL seasons. I bet he wants that stuff to get fixed.

This has nothing to do with the Josh McDaniels thing :rolleyes:
My comment was not an attack, but what I feel Champ is probably thinking.

MOtorboat
04-08-2009, 09:23 PM
what the hell is wrong with you?

Yeah, well, I'm not the one who claims that Cutler never made a trade request. So spare me if I think you're crazy.

getlynched47
04-08-2009, 09:32 PM
Yeah, well, I'm not the one who claims that Cutler never made a trade request. So spare me if I think you're crazy.

I'm not the one who claims that Cutler never made a trade request either :coffee:

http://techbuddha.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/vader-fail.jpg

Broncos Mtnman
04-08-2009, 10:16 PM
Deep down...i bet Champ's thinking, "Oh shit, I hope Nolan can fix this mess of a defense."

Especially since when Nolan was in DC, he coached the team from being ranked 16th in his first year to 30th in his third (and there were only 30 teams back then).

Yep, Champ knows first hand how pathetic Nolan CAN be.

:coffee:

Ravage!!!
04-08-2009, 11:00 PM
I find it odd that Champ is 'comparing' it to his trade. Wasn't he holding out for some HUGE HUGE bucks at the time in Washington? yeah he was coming off 4 pro-bowls, but they didn't just up and trade him out of the blue. He, too, was making a DECISION to be traded away by his demands.

Not the same situation one bit.

horsepig
04-08-2009, 11:02 PM
Geeze Mntman, I hope you're wrong. I wasn't exactly elated when McKid announced Nolan. I'm just hoping for some agressive schemes and go-for-it attitude from our defense.

Broncolingus
04-08-2009, 11:07 PM
“That’s how the league is,” Bailey said. “He tutored Matt Cassel from the ground up, pretty much. They won 11 games last year, so I can understand where he’s coming from. At the same time, you do have a Pro Bowl quarterback, a great talent, one of the best in the league.

“But this league is all about guys getting their guys. When you get a new head coach, they don’t keep the same (assistant) head coaches around. They get their own guys.

“The same goes for players. It’s a business and it’s like that. I mean, I can compare Jay Cutler’s situation to when I got traded. He’s coming off one Pro Bowl season. I came off four, and I got traded. Really, when I look at it, I could have gotten mad about it. But I never was (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder’s guy. He didn’t draft me -– Charley Casserly drafted me.

“So, I know how this thing goes and I wish people would understand that it’s a business. You can’t get your ego caught up in this thing.”

I kinda like the shot he takes at ole Cutlery...

Especially that it's coming from a consummate pro who has ALWAYS played putting team first and personal attitude...well, NEVER personal attitude or 'feelings' from what I've seen whilst he's been a Bronco.

Superchop 7
04-08-2009, 11:23 PM
He can coach em......just can't pick em.

KCL
04-08-2009, 11:27 PM
I kinda like the shot he takes at ole Cutlery...

Especially that it's coming from a consummate pro who has ALWAYS played putting team first and personal attitude...well, NEVER personal attitude or 'feelings' from what I've seen whilst he's been a Bronco.

The 2 are on entirely two different maturity levels.

Broncolingus
04-08-2009, 11:29 PM
The 2 are on entirely two different maturity levels.

Yeah!

Denver27og
04-09-2009, 12:05 AM
champ is way too respectful and professional to say how he really feels about the new coach...in his head hes thinking "punk bich white boy done traded away our franchise qb!!!" "cant trust that fool"

bullis26
04-09-2009, 01:51 AM
Especially since when Nolan was in DC, he coached the team from being ranked 16th in his first year to 30th in his third (and there were only 30 teams back then).

Yep, Champ knows first hand how pathetic Nolan CAN be.

:coffee:

wow one time he does bad with a defense, how about the ravens or the 49ers forget about them

honz
04-09-2009, 01:52 AM
champ is way too respectful and professional to say how he really feels about the new coach...in his head hes thinking "punk bich white boy done traded away our franchise qb!!!" "cant trust that fool"

Just like he is too respectful and professional to throw Jay under the bus? Oh wait...

Dirk
04-09-2009, 06:01 AM
Especially since when Nolan was in DC, he coached the team from being ranked 16th in his first year to 30th in his third (and there were only 30 teams back then).

Yep, Champ knows first hand how pathetic Nolan CAN be.

:coffee:

Experience and the players "buy-in" of the system means a lot. How did Bellicheat do in Cleveland? :confused:

Dirk
04-09-2009, 06:03 AM
Champ is awesome. Not only is he a great player on the field he is smart and mature. You have to love that kind of player on your team no matter what position they are in. It brings a spoken and unspoken leadership quality around the other players.


Too bad it didn't rub off on Cutty.

Elevation inc
04-09-2009, 06:08 AM
Especially since when Nolan was in DC, he coached the team from being ranked 16th in his first year to 30th in his third (and there were only 30 teams back then).

Yep, Champ knows first hand how pathetic Nolan CAN be.

:coffee:


Champ also knows that anything better than the defense we fielded the last 2 years is good, nolan at least has some success as a d-cordinator, slowik...well he was a consistent failure at all stops including here.

just looking at that simple fact..... we upgraded, simply because of the fact nolan has had success as a d-cordinator in his career. Not every stop can be excellent or succesful, otherwise there would be no coaching changes ever.....

nthngd2say
04-09-2009, 08:25 AM
I find it odd that Champ is 'comparing' it to his trade. Wasn't he holding out for some HUGE HUGE bucks at the time in Washington? yeah he was coming off 4 pro-bowls, but they didn't just up and trade him out of the blue. He, too, was making a DECISION to be traded away by his demands.

Not the same situation one bit.

IIRC, the Portis-Bailey trade was initiated because Portis wanted his contract upgraded after the 2nd yr - which Shanny refused to do. Bailey's contract was up, the Skins franchised him, and he was coming off 4 straight Pro Bowls. Bailey was due a new contract and after straight 4 Pro Bowls he had earned a big pay day. I also recall the Skins immediately signing Portis to a monster contract so I don't think they couldn't pay Champ - they wanted a stud RB more than a stud DB.
I can only assume, but I believe Champ comparing the two trades was that he was a 4 time Pro Bowler and was traded because he wasn't Snyder's guy and Cutler was a Pro Bowl player who wasn't part of the new regime.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/7133179
Bailey was franchised and given permission to talk to other teams as the sides were reportedly far apart in contract talks. Portis was given a new 8yr $50.5 million contract and Bailey a 7yr $63 million contract IIRC.