"I think it would make the team a lot better, if they were that type of coaches," Thomas said after completing his charity golf tournament in his hometown, part of a weekend of events aimed at helping area youth. "It would definitely change the atmosphere of the team. You look at other coaches, who seem like they really get into the players' place.
"I look at the coach from Pittsburgh [Mike Tomlin], he seems like he's a real passionate coach. He's really into his players, joking around with them. I think he's a great motivator, also. Other coaches around the league, I've seen them get passionate. Philly is just a little different. It's more businesslike, you know? Like, 'I expect you to do it, and that's it.' ''
Tra Thomas on the Eagles coaches' "business-like" approach.
8 months ago
JasonB
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Sad but true
There is no loyalty in Philly. No country for old Eagles.
by Route36 on Mar 14, 2009 10:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yes, passionate like you Tra
Which is why you signed with Jacksonville, because of the passion. These guys break me up.
Anybody who watches that clip of Andy Reid in the locker room after the playoff win over the Giants cannot tell me he doesn’t coach the team up.
by DK Jr. on Mar 14, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If he wants passion
then join a Pop Warner league. Anyway, we have enough passion. He needs to clean the sand out of his vagina.
"In a couple of weeks or a month, I'll be excited about this team," Dawkins said. "I've got to get used to saying that -- I'm a Bronco." Then he paused. "I'll tell you one thing -- I'll always be an Eagle."
by exitfare on Mar 14, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
aww poor baby!
Sorry, I don’t buy it. Being a professional player is STILL a job. You do what your boss says and you do it well. I don’t go around and say “My boss isn’t super passionate and full of emotion”(he’s not), and complain my job is too ‘biz’ oriented.
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
by Joe_D on Mar 14, 2009 11:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t know what you do Joe_D, how important is emotion and passion at your job? You (and by that I mean everyone who is taking offense to this quotation even though we loved this guy for 11 years have no real context here) have to realize that football players play the game with emotion. I’m sure most of us work hard, but playing football is different so stop comparing your jobs to Tre’s cause they are different.
www.okupy.com
by royboy on Mar 14, 2009 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
B.S.
If he needs extrinsic motivation at this point in his career, maybe he shouldn’t be playing anymore. Football isn’t about rah-rah bullshit and players/coaches screaming to get a player pumped.
by ralphd58 on Mar 14, 2009 11:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
What a dope...no wonder the eagles let him go..
I like how thomas picks the team that won the most recent super bowl as his example. Somehow I dont see Bill Belichick “getting jiggy wit” all the players and getting on their level and doing somersaults everytime they make a play. Hows that worked out for them ?
TRA…you get paid MILLIONS to play a LITTLE KIDS GAME ! . If that alone doesnt motivate you than go work at friggin mcdonalds and see how many of your bosses “get on your level”. Dope.
by Gdog2009 on Mar 14, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Bill doesn't get jiggy w/ it....
But he did sing Dead or Alive w/ Bon Jovi in tandem :) look it up - it’s hilarious!
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!
by Joe_D on Mar 14, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
as someone who lives in new england
Bill Bellichek doesnt NEED to get passionate…He just frowns and his players start jumping…hes got that whole team rigged military style
DMAC ...now THATS my quarterback man!!!
by northern eagle on Mar 14, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow… if you need some kind of extra motivation, that’s sad.
"I tried to run him over but Eli had his big boy pads on and he kind of stopped me from getting in the end zone. The next time I’ll try to jump over his head.’’ - Asante Samuel
by foos05 on Mar 14, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
JJ is almost a concensus favorite among Birds fans. BDawk would say how he would always jump on people and throw around FBombs. Why do you think that is? Maybe because he is passionate.
You guys crack me up. Someone who has been in the locker room for 11 years says all of this and ya’ll laugh at him and try and talk junk about him. That’s sad. Tra isn’t allowed to state is preferences? Yes, he would know 100000times more than we would know about the NFL and our coaches.
All of you jokers just love to defend the FO, couldn’t it be possible that our coaches are stale? Not according to you fools.
BleedingAndyReidNation Represent!!!!
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 1:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
agreed
JJ is almost a concensus favorite among Birds fans. BDawk would say how he would always jump on people and throw around FBombs. Why do you think that is? Maybe because he is passionate.
There are two parts to coaching. The first is Xs and Os. The other is motivating players and getting the most out of them. This is where Reid has fallen short in a lot of ways. It gets more complicated when you are a GM and a coach.
As for the argument that Belichick does not worry about this, check out the Pat’s roster the last couple years and watch how they always pick up veteran players to lead the team. These guys hold people accountable and motivate players. Belichick is smart enough to make sure that a motivating source is in the locker room every season. The Eagles never bring in these types of players and cut ties with leaders on a yearly basis.
If you believe that everyone getting paid to be a pro athlete should always give it his or her all, that’s fine, but not realistic. If you got paid $2 MM to do your job every year, wouldn’t your performance still be affected by your boss?
I know this is a tangent but check this link out (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060303). It’s about the importance of coaching in the NBA, but there are some parts that can be related to football as well.
www.okupy.com
by royboy on Mar 14, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
Wow, I am suprised your not another one of the sheep around this site.
I am not always right or I mess up on grammer but I still think some of these guys are LOCO when it comes to Reid and Co.
These guys don’t have anything to worry about at all. So after 11 years plus all his FSU days it could be possible the Tra needs something other than a 300G paycheck to get him going. What is so crazt about that?
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you have to wonder if this is out of frustration though, a lot of times players feel they were wronged and speak out (see: Shaq). I think Tra Thomas is a little hurt that the Eagles didn’t try harder to sign him and this is his way of getting them back.
People are motivated differently. Some guys needed the yelling and screaming in the locker room others like myself could motivate ourselves, I listened to music. If he needed a different type of motivation he should have worked that out with the coaches and teammates.
"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"
by Whodie126 on Mar 14, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It could be a possiblitiy. That isn’t a crazy assumption by any means.
I would be upset If I were him too.
When I played, I didn’t like screaming and all that different junk and most of us would listen to our head phones as well. But, I can tell you when I was in 9th grade we were playing another undefeated team like us and we came out flat in the first half. Coach A flipped out like the Tazmanian devil at the half and it really helped us a lot. We came back from 14 down and took the lead, but we lost with 8 secs left but his passion really jumpstarted our team.
I have been saying this for a while though, maybe a new assistant coach or something like that. Nothing drastic or crazy but something different might help.
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All of you jokers just love to defend the FO, couldn’t it be possible that our coaches are stale? Not according to you fools.
I don’t know. Look at some of the coaches who are “player’s coaches”. They do real well at first but at some point the luster wears off. I think the big dollars of today make it much harder for coaches to motivate players and for players to motivate themselves.
But at the end of the day I think it really is the player’s responsibility to be motivated, regardless of who is the coach.
by MRPH on Mar 14, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
dallas's coach is a players coach
wade… yup look at em now
knowshon... Knowshon... KNOWSHON!!!!
by anuj on Mar 14, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He is a idiot to boot.
I didn’t say being a players coach was the answer.
Tra Thomas said the business like approach the Eagles coaches use isn’t helping and if they change he thinks it would make the team more successful.
I agree.
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wasn’t that guy from the Saints and Rams(Jim Hasslett) a players coach? I’ve heard he was and he didn’t fair to well in his career so far.
Listen, I didn’t say that being a players coach was the solution. I am saying that a good balance of coaching personalities and switching it up might help.
Tra effin Thomas just said that!!!!!!!!!!!
So, when you say that players should only be responsible for their selves I disagree. 50 Million can soften the hardest of men.
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So, when you say that players should only be responsible for their selves I disagree. 50 Million can soften the hardest of men.
It has to come from within. You’ll never get me to back off that statement.
by MRPH on Mar 14, 2009 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great motivators get the most out of people including athletes.
www.okupy.com
by royboy on Mar 14, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
coaches have been succesful in both the player’s coach role and the drill seargant role. both approaches have their pros and cons. In the end you’re either a good coach or you’re not regardless of your approach. the good ones are succesful and the bad ones aren’t.
as far as the current topic at hand, I dont take any issues with Tra Thomas’ comments. an 11 year veteran is allowed to say whats on his mind. I dont know if I agree with him fully but there is a point to be made. as much as professional sports are a business, they are very different from your typical 9-5 job. emotions are very much a part of the game. One of the main reasons the Phillies won the world series was because Charley Manuel (the definition of a players coach) was able to bring out the very best in his players by working with each of their individual personalities and creating a very cohesive, close locker room. I know it’s a different sport/circumstances but there is still something to be taken from that.
by njh3293 on Mar 14, 2009 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wooden’s books are really awesome I think. Great read if you haven’t already taken the time to look them over.
Great post.
Do you think that comment makes it seem that he respected Reid? That’s why I think there should be a collection of different personalities on the sideline just like there are in the locker room.
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
All of you jokers just love to defend the FO, couldn’t it be possible that our coaches are stale? Not according to you fools.
I could care less about the FO. Im just saying the guy should be motivated enough because hes playing a GAME for a living…a kids GAME !
He has no idea what its like to have a real job…so yeah he deserves to catch crap.
As far as the Eagles FO is concerned…they blew it letting go of Dawk, so far have not signed anyone really worthwhile…(maybe andrews) and have not given mcnabb enough wapons to win. But Tra still said something dopey.
by Gdog2009 on Mar 14, 2009 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well if you like it or not Reid and Co have a big effect on our team.
You seem to love and miss Dawk, everyone knows he was a bonofide leader on the field, you should be concerned about leadership on this team. Coaches or players, there still needs to be someone taking the lead, emotionally and intellectually.
by topcat6 on Mar 14, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i don’t get why everyone is calling him a baby. he’s not complaining or anything… he’s just describing the eagle’s business-like aproach. relax. an 11-year vereran is allowed to state his opinion.
by awd777 on Mar 14, 2009 1:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Threadjack
Anyone see that Donte Stallworth apparently killed someone in a hit and run?
by doubleh on Mar 14, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
it wasn’t a hit and run… if he cooperated with the police and agreed to blood testing, i think it indicates he didn’t run anywhere.
by awd777 on Mar 14, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.
by MRPH on Mar 14, 2009 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
My bad on the hit and run part. Too many sports things going on today and I saw the article and was kind of freaked out by it—don’t know why I thought he left the scene and then came back. Hope he didn’t have anything in his system, because that would be very bad legally no matter if the person was jaywalking or not.
by doubleh on Mar 14, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i don't mind him saying this.
someone asked him a question and he responded…enough said. he doesn’t play here anymore so it doesn’t matter. the guy just expressed his opinion. he was great while he was here and he was here long enough to judge how the inner workings go. i don’t hold it against him….for some reason i just got the funny idea that he’s not saying what he really means. he is probably holding back information regarding the philadephia eagles actually being ran by some sort of arcane artificial intelligence. maybe i’ve just been playing too much fallout 3. i don’t know.
by snowhill82 on Mar 14, 2009 4:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I have to object to him saying this
Do you really need incentive? How about this try living on what so many others are. For just 1 year try living between that 40,000-lets make it 90,000 per year. You need incentive? I’ll give him he worked hard, trained hard, said his prayers, took his vitamins. whatever…but come on, he’s just lashing out.
by Wyoming Eagles Fan on Mar 14, 2009 5:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
There is no "right" answer
Players Coach? Drill sargent X’s and O’s guy?? In all honesty, it doesn’t matter one bit, each can get the most out of his players if they RESPECT the coach and buy in to his program. Was Wooden a players coach? No, he was a tactician. He was uber-successful. Was Auerbach a player’s coach? No, he was addicted to work ethic, he was successful. Was Vermeil a Players coach? Yep, you bet, and he was very successful. How about Cowher? My point, if you haven’t already figured it out, is that there is no “right answer” for the type of coach who breeds success. The only common denominator is that the players RESPECT the coach, and buy into his program. Hell, Avery Johnson got fired from the Mavericks after winning coach of the year in 2006 and compiling a 194-70 record (0.735 winning percentage) BECAUSE the players lost respect for him and his system.
Y’all shouldn’t even worry about Tra, the only things that matters is whether they current players still have respect in Johnson and Reid.
"Dig In....Hit Hard"
by TexasLax on Mar 14, 2009 8:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
What Tra is Bitter About
In case you didn’t know, Tra Thomas was the vocal leader on the offense, like Dawkins (and Trotter) were on the defense.
In the pre-game gathering of the offense where they were psyching themselves up, if you ever saw it in NFL Films Game of the Week or similar shows, it was Tra Thomas in the middle of the huddle psyching up the offense, telling them how they need to go out and dominate, etc.
When Joe Banner said that insanity is doing the same over and over again and expecting different results, I think he was referring to the two pre-McNabb/Reid era leaders who are now gone – Thomas and Dawkins.
Now that they are gone, things will be different. Lets see what happens.
by Andrew B on Mar 15, 2009 11:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't know if that is what Banner meant ...
but that is definitely an intriguing thought.
"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"
by Whodie126 on Mar 15, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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