Indignant over another Pro Bowl snub,Washington Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher stepped out of character and vented his frustration, calling himself "the Susan Lucci of the NFL" and deeming his career "Hall of Fame worthy."
I understand they can take only two middle linebackers, but to have it happen year after year after year after year after year. I'm an eight-time alternate. I'm the Susan Lucci of the NFL.
"I don't know if it was because I wasn't a first-round draft pick, I don't do some kind of dance when I make a 10-yard tackle, I don't go out and get arrested," Fletcher said. "I believe in playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. You line up each and every week, each and every play, and you go out and get the job done.
"You look at my body of work and I've done that for 11 years, but because I'm not going out causing a lot of controversy, holding a private meeting with the coordinator saying this, this and this, causing a lot of strife on my team, I don't garner a lot of attention."
Fletcher is the leading tackler in the NFL this decade and has never missed a game in his 11-year career, even persevering through a severely sprained foot earlier this season. He is widely considered the MVP of the Redskins, the anchor to a defense ranked fourth in the league.
But it is rare to hear him brag about himself or stray from the politically correct party line when addressing reporters.
"My career has been Hall of Fame worthy," Fletcher said. "But some coaches and some players get caught up in the hype reading the newspapers or listening to some national TV game as opposed to watching the game with no sound. ... I put myself up against anybody playing the position, anybody."
Though solid throughout his career, Fletcher has never been able to place himself among his position's elite. San Francisco's Patrick Willis and Carolina's Jon Beason were the NFC selections for inside linebacker this year in voting among fans, coaches and players, and it would be hard to argue with either choice.
WOW, I am proud that he voiced his mind. I really didn't expect this type of outburst, but he is right. He has been a Pro-Bowl caliber player for nearly a decade now. He deserves to be there more than Patrick Willis. Do you think the outburst could have something to with the fact that the team is in a free-fall?
No doubt in my mind that if we were 9-5 or better he'd be in there, maybe even starting. Just the way the cards played out i guess. On the bright side at least Mike Sellers made it. Maybe next year will be Fletcher's year.
Well, a lot of things he's said are right - the idea that the decade's leading tackler has never made the Pro Bowl is absurd. And it is true the media far to often rewards outlandish behavior. The fact that he's largely played for losing football teams hasn't helped either.
With that being said, the Pro Bowl has always been a joke, so it's silly to get so worked up over it. And while he certainly doesn't deserve to be the eighth alternate, its not like Willis or Benson are slouches.
I agree that fletcher has impressed me.
and he does each week get to the place and deliver tackles. as far as blitzing and getting ints. I can't say, I don't know but he does attack the line of scrimmage and run very well. and looks great in form as a tackler. some players seem to be very dependable yet not fancy......
I believe that he will see great things as a redskins for the remander of his career.
I love watching and waiting to see what the hecks going on.
god blessed us with # 59 ... go skins
REDSKINS FOOTBALL RULES
He needs to talk. He should be pissed. And he is HOF worthy. Stack his numbers against Ray Lewis' and they are pretty close, and Lewis has played 13 years, Fletcher only 11. Its ridiculous that hes not in the pro bowl. On ESPN he said that if people watched the game without sound they wouldn't have to hear some of the hype around other players and would notice that he is one of the leagues best. I love how he said how he should celebrate after he tackles someone after a 10 yard gain and maybe he would be in there. Thats my least favorite thing about the NFL, celebrating like you did it all by yourself. Fletcher is truly a team player and deserves to be in the Pro Bowl and eventually the HOF. Hes going to be like Art Monk.
Rightfully so. He deserves to be on the Pro Bowl team...however Willis and Beason are both beasts. By the way, he did notice that Urlacher didn't make it either. Greenway played solid also.
So, I respect London being angry 'cause he is a class act...but it's just a tough position to get the nod at. It's pretty deep throughout the NFC. Besides Urlacher and Greenway, Bradie James has played great and Gerald Hayes (Arizona) had a good year.
His point isn't isolated to THIS YEAR, though...it's his career. I don't think ANYONE can say that Fletcher deserves to NEVER have had a free trip to Hawaii. THAT is his gripe. And deservedly so.
...any given Sunday....
RIP #21 Sean Taylor. You will be loved and adored by Redskins fans forever!!!!!
GSPODS:
The National Anthem sucks.
What a useless piece of propagandist rhetoric that is.
Fletcher's one of the greats of the game. To say otherwise is simply to ignore fact and show you don't know the game. On the other hand, the pro bowl has been PR garbage for years. He's totally right in thinking that he'd have made it a lot of times if he behaved like a prima donna. His stats would be better too. Ray Lewis used to get credit for tackles for just being there-- ask Ed Reed, another all-time great who's never gotten his due (in spite of pro-bowl and other honors.
bottom line fletcher is a butt kicker and if I could use better words I would, week in and week out throughout his entire career he has been flying around and to watch him work to the football and to show his guts as a DEFENSIVE player is great, I hope that stays in a redskins uniform for along time. it is fun to see him deliver punishment to opposing runners.
I love watching and waiting to see what the hecks going on.
god blessed us with # 59 ... go skins
REDSKINS FOOTBALL RULES
When a great player plays in mediocre teams most his better years, they hardly get noticed. The Bills and Skins have amounted to very little over his career. He should have made it as a SB Champion with the Rams though.
It is unfair, ridiculous and stupid. But it is what it is.
Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!
