A Word On Criticism
By Aaron Nagler on May 17, 2009 with 21 Comments
A lot of reaction, both positive and, mostly, negative to my post regarding Kampman. I’m not surprised. What does surpise me is how many people miss the fact that I think Kampman is a hell of a football player. Indeed, he’s one of my favorite players on the Packers’ roster. That doesn’t make him a better pass rusher.
People have taken me to task for setting my sights on the Packers’ better players, such as Kampman and Rodgers. These folks can’t seem to understand how I could possibly feel it necessary to take on what they perceive as players who are ‘not part of the problem’, as it were. This is misguided thinking. Just because a player is good, or even great, doesn’t mean there aren’t areas of his game that can’t improve. There’s a great interview with Mike Holmgren somewhere in NFL Films, I think it’s during Holmgren’s Heroes, where he tells a story of one of his first years in San Francisco as Offensive Coordinator for the 49ers under Bill Walsh. The quarterbacks and receivers are running a passing drill and Holmgren thinks it’s going well, until Bill Walsh explodes on him, saying something to the effect of: “Mike! I want the ball one foot out in front of the receiver! Not on his numbers, not behind him, right out in front of him, every time!” Holmgren thinks this is ridiculous, as Montana had been doing mostly just that the entire drill. After practice, Holmgren goes to talk to Walsh about it, thinking Walsh has some unrealistic expectations. Walsh, in effect acknowledges the fact that the quarterback won’t throw a perfect ball every single time, but that doesn’t stop him from demanding perfection.The point is not to obtain perfection but to never settle for anything less than the attempt to reach it.
One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Samuel Beckett, who wrote:
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.
I can’t tell you how much that quote means to me. In a sense, we’re always failing, each of us, in some way, every single day of our lives. That shouldn’t stop us from trying again and failing better. And that goes for NFL players and the bloggers who write about them as well. 
Filed Under: Aaron Kampman • Cheesehead TV
Well put. I’m trying and failing to eliminate this hangover.
Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
Vince Lombardi
Aaron, I have always found you to be one of the most insightful and articulate writers on the Packers when your opinions agree with mine.
Oh, BTW, I got the same reaction when I wrote my Kampman article. There’s no hate involved. If you read my original article, I have personal reasons why I hold Kampman in higher regard than most players along the line.
He is a great guy. Personally, I think it has less to do with his play on the field as it does with a) the Packers getting max value for him before he is a UFA; and b) giving a good guy the best opportunity to finish his career in a scheme he excels in.
“…one of the most insightful and articulate writers on the Packers when your opinions agree with mine”
And when they don’t…?
i think the treatment guys like kampman get in green bay is wonderful – it’s great to see fans who appreciate a guy who works his tail off to get ahead. it reminds me of the way packer fans treated kgb – and i’m pleased because he was a good guy who hustled every chance he had, like kampman. it’s nice not to be a part of the new york fans (rooting for ny teams), because all they do is bitch or boast, depending on the most recent event.
all that said… i think aaron’s point is a good one — he is not a GREAT pass rusher. he had a breakout year in ‘06, and his production has declined in every category since. that’s because of one of the main difference between great and above-average players: great players do what they want regardless of how well-known their abilities are, above-average players suffer when more attention is paid to them by opposing teams.
if kampman had the physical tools and talent of a marquee pass-rusher, he would be unstoppable. but he doesn’t. he has the body and talent of aaron kampman, and his work-ethic and attitude have elevated him to admirable status.
If I don’t agree with your analysis you give me the opportunity to tell you why. We probably still don’t agree, but we have each had our say. That’s what an intelligent blog is supposed to do.
If I wanted to call everyone who doesn’t agree with me a parental fornicator, I would comment over at JSOnline. What a cesspool of vapid brain cells.
As much as I like and respect Kampman your analysis is correct.
‘cesspool of vapid brain cells.’
SECOND!
Likes this. (thumbs up symbol)
Somehow this thread reminded me of this, over at Youtube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiaPNlR5A4I
This is great, from Lombardi over at NFP:
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Abraham Lincoln’s Road to the White House
Failed in business in 1831
Defeated for Legislature in 1832
Second failure in business 1833
Suffered nervous breakdown in 1836
Defeated for Speaker in 1838
Defeated for Elector in 1840
Defeated for Congress in 1843
Defeated for Congress in 1848
Defeated for Senate in 1855
Defeated for Vice President in 1856
Defeated for Senate in 1858
Elected President in 1860
I like to read your opinions aaron, that’s why I gotcha on twitter. I just think the Kampman post is question begging…arguing from a position that you have purported to have proven…i.e. that Kampman is somehow over rated…Show me where there is this ubiquitous storehouse of ratings measurement…
Absent that your post is a shit stirring post, which is your perogative, but you should not be surprised by the response.
I don’t know how someone can be over rated when I can’t see the ratings and neither can you…He is right up there over the last 5 years with pretty much anyone else…that in a defense that has sucked donkey balls by the way. Imagine what he would do opposite one of the DEs on the Giants or on the same team with Haynesworth…its all relative.
HE is the exact same player as Jared Allen.
I agree completely with your assessment of Kampman. Solid starter, can do good things, and at times has been clutch, but not consistently enough to be great. I am wondering if having both Raji and Pickett in the middle when they go to the 4-3 won’t take some of the O-lines concentration away from Kampman and help free him up a bit.
Ron,
I agree completely about JS-Online. What a waste of a blog-site. I can’t even read the comments any more. They barely even talk about the subject. They spend most of the time bashing each other and waxing philosophic on how TT is the devil and the Packers will go nowhere. This site is much better. Even when there are disagreements, we can keep it somewhat gentlemanly.
bucks – “…you should not be surprised by the response.”
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Second line of this post: “I’m not surprised”
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I’ve been reading more than responding lately and I have no problems with the Kampman post. Aaron sometimes makes me think about things I have not thought about before so those kinds of posts are good in that way. Having said that, Aaron does like to post the occasional “shit stirring” (hat tip to Buck) entry from time to time. But hey, it usually gets discussion going and that discussion tends to be intelligent on this blog so mission accomplished I guess.
“What does surpise me is how many people miss the fact that I think Kampman is a hell of a football player. Indeed, he’s one of my favorite players on the Packers’ roster.”
Saying the statemant “I like him, but”, or “I’m not against him, but” and then completely trashing that person is not an indication by any means that you like the player. It’s just a way of softenizing the otherwise unbearable comment you’re about to make. Much like O.J. saying “I don’t hate my ex-wife, but…”
BTW, I’m not saying you hate Aaron Kampman OR that you are O.J. Simpson, but…
How on earth is saying he’s not a great pass rusher “trashing him”? I love his game, I think he’s a tireless worker and one of the best football players on the team. He is also not a great pass rusher. Those two things are not incompatible.
buckslayernyc said: “HE is the exact same player as Jared Allen.”
THAT’s one heckuva comparison. I had not looked at it that way. Yet, I guess I would tend to agree.
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Two things: 1)Aaron does do a pretty dam(n) good job at this website blogging. I only wish I had the time, away from my job, to invest energy into the research, so our IPB site had a more personal flavor to it. I’m also training myself web design at home, so there ya go…..
2) Not sure I responded to the original post, Aaron. I would, since no one seems to be more focused on Kampman, other than a wide-brush stroke …. I would give Kampman kudos for having stepped up to “be the guy” when no one else seemed to think it was their job to stand out. What did ever happen to that Nick Barnett fella? I mean, seriously – aren’t Linebackers also supposed to provide some attention-getting action out there?
Personally, I think it’s sometimes hard for just one player to be more prolific if no one else in the defense has the ability to gain some rush into the opposing O-Line. Maybe that’s a stoopid comment. I’ll stand by it.
Our Defense was horrid last year. It should not have been just because we lost Jenkins. THAT’s ridiculous, period. I don’t blame Bob Sanders, totally, either. I do put a LOT of the blame on Winston Moss. HIS Linebackers are supposed to be play-makers, yes? What happened there? And, isn’t the other team supposed to plan for such defense? If all they have to prep for is Kampman….. it’s no wonder his play has fallen off.
I don’t say I’m satisfied. I AM, however, more heavily disappointed in the rest of the defense.
I think Aaron is right on in his evaluation of Kampmann. However, in evaluating him dispassionately, he was bound to rub people the wrong way.
Generally speaking, being a Packer fan means having a positive emotional investment in the players and the team. Negativity about players and the team gets loaded on to scapegoats on the margins of the game on the field: coaches, “bad” players (Carroll), refs, or hate-figures like Favre and TO. A confederacy of dunces drags at the heels of the ought-to-be-great-team. Lay the negativity on one of “the beloved” and you catch shit.
Not that it’s going to happen , but i’d trade Kampman for Allen. I don’t think Allen is a hall of famer either, but he’s just a step ahead of Kampman and 2 years younger. Kampman’s trade value could take a big hit if the OLB switch doesn’t work out.
For all that ‘Kampman plays on a terrible defense’ nonsense, Allen led the league in sacks while playing on a terrible Kansas City defense. That didn’t stop him. That’s why MIN gave up as much as they did to get him. No way any team would ever give up those picks and that contract to get Kampman.
Everyone seems to be focused on the Kampman blog. I was more concerned about the consecutive floggings of Collins, Rodgers & then Kampman. Rabid sports fans don’t shy away from the negativity but like to have a more positive outlook interjected to soften the reality of flawed players.
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I mean one’s wife doesn’t list one’s flaws on a daily basis. Every other day with a few positive comments interjected, right ??
Woody, clearly, you don’t live with the Naglers.