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Were there any issues or antics with LT during his time?

Shockwave : 3/14/2019 11:41 pm
This post on Facebook is really kind of irratafing me. It’s basically stating LT was a coke whore and therefore he was a distraction. Nothing else to back it up other than that.

Now I don’t care who does what (to a point, and what drug obviously) as long as they strong willed don’t let it bring themselves or anyone else down.

I became a giants fan around 1988, but was still really young being airing 10 at that time, it won really didn’t start clicking until around the midway of the 1990 season. By that i time I was already seeing a worn down LT and he wasn’t much in my eyes.

In all theyears reading threads here, tv reports, or anything else. I don’t think I have ever heard anything other than one or two one off comments about him being a distraction or anything else during the time he played.

Everything negative in the public eye about LT seemed to happen after his career was over. Sure he may have been doing things that weren’t kosher during his playing days. But was it making headlines like all these clowns today?


Imagine Odell on on an 8 ball?







Nah he was never a distractions  
chuckydee9 : 3/14/2019 11:59 pm : link
he only got suspended several times for drugs. He also had to goto rehab for the drugs.. He also was acting out by arriving late for meetings, and not participating in conditioning drills in practice... with Bill Parcels at the helm.. He wanted to leave NFL for USFL.. Giants were forced to pay trump 750K because of LT.. He also broke the picket line and which made his teammates and other NFL players very unhappy..
LT was famous for his partying...  
.McL. : 3/15/2019 12:00 am : link
He showed up at games, hungover, and/or drunk, by his own admission.

He infamously got into numerous fights with Belichick because he would sleep through defensive meetings.

However, everybody agreed, that he was the smartest guy on the defense, he knew everybody's assignments. Even if he had been sleeping through half of it, Little Bill would quiz him on stuff and he could always answer the questions, even giving details on other players and their reads, and responsibilities.

Of course, no matter how he was feeling, he always brought it on gameday.

Fact is, that LT wouldn't last in today's NFL. He would get kicked out based on the drug violations. Much of the current NFL policy on drugs was based on Taylor.
Was this meant sarcastically?  
Mad Mike : 3/15/2019 12:07 am : link
*
I am confused...  
Chris in Philly : 3/15/2019 12:10 am : link
by this. By all this.
He also said he never lifted a weight in his life...  
BocaGene : 3/15/2019 12:13 am : link
Don't know if this was true or not, but he the strongest guy I ever saw at the point of attack. He would rag doll anyone.
He wasn’t on social media  
RAIN : 3/15/2019 12:49 am : link
And it was a time when access to the athlete wasn’t anything on the level it is now.

He would have been far worse. Odell is/was emotional..but largely I think his baggage is over blown.
It was a completely different time... apples and oranges.  
shockeyisthebest8056 : 3/15/2019 1:04 am : link
LT did get suspended in '88. I imagine if that happened now it would be covered up the wazoo. However, it didn't hurt that LT was indisputably the best player damn near every time he stepped on the field. When you can do that, even the haters (the few, if any existed at all) can't say much.

With Odell, the Giants lost so much (which was usually the fault of the defense), it was easy/lazy to point fingers at him and assign blame.
LT had a massive  
mattyblue : 3/15/2019 1:18 am : link
amount of problems, I am sure he was a distraction to a certain degree, but doesn’t the media start all the distractions? No one was really reporting on all of LTs issues back then so I think it’s different. Nowadays players every word is discussed by a panel of reporters.
RE: LT had a massive  
exiled : 3/15/2019 5:51 am : link
Quote:
doesn’t the media start all the distractions?.

This.
LT had a reputation for partying, and there was the suspension. But no one really cared. No one really cared about any player’s personal life. It had nothing to do with the game. Sports coverage was just way different, and there was A LOT less of it.

Also, LT never peed like a dog in the end zone or had a sideline relationship of any kind with the kicking net.
RE: RE: LT had a massive  
ajr2456 : 3/15/2019 6:10 am : link
In comment 14338828

Quote:


Also, LT never peed like a dog in the end zone or had a sideline relationship of any kind with the kicking net.


Are you saying those are worse?
Shockwave -  
Diver_Down : 3/15/2019 6:20 am : link
you certainly remember LT's holdout. While he deserved more money, he held out for 45 days talking at the time that he had become disenfranchised with the Giants. That last bit is similar to OBJ's Lil Wayne interview when asked if he wanted to be here. Different time and different coverage. But if LT had said something like that in today's media coverage, the pitchforks would have been out.

Who gives a flying fuck about LT?  
ZogZerg : 3/15/2019 6:25 am : link
People are f-ing ridiculous.

The NFL was entirely different world back then.
Antics?  
GiantEgo : 3/15/2019 6:34 am : link
Like Playing with a broken ankle? Playing with a separated shoulder? Not just playing but playing great...

This is just one of many examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba3akiNi1sA


Or  
Nomad Crow on the Madison : 3/15/2019 6:43 am : link
playing with a torn pectoral muscle against the Saints and dominating the game.
Funny how people justify LT  
Jesse B : 3/15/2019 6:50 am : link
Just because they liked him more personally. Of course he was a distraction but it doesnt matter.

Beckham is also a distraction but it doesnt matter.


Teams don’t lose because a player is “distracting” teams lose Becaue they have aging quarterbacks who can’t rise above their circumstances and inept offenses.

The distraction thing is a media concoction the Giants stink they haven’t had a pass rush in 5 years, Eli hasn’t been above average in just as long, and their line is far from exceptional if those things change they will win more
On the field he was simply the best football  
Bubba : 3/15/2019 7:00 am : link
player I ever saw in my 52 years watching the game.
LT and OBJ aren't comparable.  
an_idol_mind : 3/15/2019 7:01 am : link
First, while OBJ is a great talent, he didn't redefine the game like LT did.

Second, LT in the modern day wouldn't be traded. He would be out of the league. The only reason he didn't get the boot in the 80s was because he had teammates take drug tests for him.
The GOAT vs. The Onehanded Catch?  
trueblueinpw : 3/15/2019 7:06 am : link
Best player in the history of the NFL vs the guy who made a great grab with one hand in a meaningless loss during the regular season? The LT analogy is frought with many pitfalls but to me severely underrates the undeniably great play of LT while also overrating the actually very limited contributions of OBJ.
RE: LT working out. I recall Johnny Parker (strength coach)  
Bubba : 3/15/2019 7:12 am : link
commenting on this. He basically said how can I convince him training would make him a better player when he was already the best.
OBJ is no LT  
Rong5611 : 3/15/2019 7:27 am : link
LT brought it every game....and WON. Even with all his off the field stuff, on Sunday he played his ass off every game. An incredible player.

You'd never see LT pull up on an onside kick because he didn't want to get hit, ever.

OBJ and LT are/were generational talents, but OBJ is no "LT"...
Yes there was  
Motley Two : 3/15/2019 7:32 am : link
But if you wanot to know the real difference between Taylor & OBJ(which I'm guessing is what this thread is about), Taylor you absolutely did not want to give any extra motivation to. Talk shit to him, cheap shot him, try to take him out of the game? He'd kill you. Do those things to OBJ and he would spazz the fuck out and start crying, go to the locker room early and drink some warm milk or some shit.
RE: Yes there was  
ajr2456 : 3/15/2019 7:43 am : link
In comment 14338925 Motley Two said:
Quote:
But if you wanot to know the real difference between Taylor & OBJ(which I'm guessing is what this thread is about), Taylor you absolutely did not want to give any extra motivation to. Talk shit to him, cheap shot him, try to take him out of the game? He'd kill you. Do those things to OBJ and he would spazz the fuck out and start crying, go to the locker room early and drink some warm milk or some shit.


Lol.
It was a different era  
Essex : 3/15/2019 7:51 am : link
Lt might be on the cover of the post for three days straight if he screwed up; he would hide out and the tabloids would go elsewhere (LT was far from the only athlete partying with coke in the 80s). Now, with the 24 hour news cycle and social media, it is a different world and the distractions from off the field stuff is much greater.
I believe LT is a better comparison  
pjcas18 : 3/15/2019 7:53 am : link
to Beckham than Shockey and I made this point in the OBJ vs Shockey Giants ending thread.

No, I don't think Beckham is quite is good relatively speaking as LT was. LT is the best player in NFL history. Beckham is not. However, Beckham is a unique talent IMO and with health on the path to NFL HOF.

However, my point of comparing the two comes with a phrase a Giants official allegedly used in justifying the trade. I am paraphrasing, but it was something to the effect of the positives of Beckham were outweighed by the "energy" it required to "deal with him"

So of course you can compare the teams on-field results and say well LT's Giants won and he was a big part of why so coaches/teams make allowances for a player like that. If those Giants lost (and they did lose. a lot. early) then maybe the tune is different.

Belichick talks about LT often and I love to hear him do it. But I absolutely 100% get the feeling it took a lot of energy to deal with LT. He wouldn't stay awake in meetings, he'd miss meeting, he was drunk or high a lot, and he would not live by the playbook. Not even talking about the shenanigans or suspensions (ordering hookers to opponents hotel rooms - not sure this gets laughed at today). If you ask LT (and people have), it's because he knew how to get to the QB or even scheme better than the coaches. And you know what, Belichick has said they adjusted their schemes and assignments to NOT shoe horn LT into the scheme and allow him to "freelance" more.

LT was a bad person, he broke laws, used drugs, didn't follow orders well, but he was the baddest mother-fucker to ever wear the uniform, so the energy to deal with him was worth it.

The 2019 Giants decided that the energy to deal with Beckham was not.

I do wonder if LT was on the 2019 Giants if he would have lasted as long. Or conversely if Beckham was on the 1986 Giants if he would have worn out his welcome?

the NFL is so different now with the traditional media, drug policy, off-field policy, social media, etc. I'm not sure LT gets a pass today.

Anyway, NOT comparing the two on-field, mostly how the team decided to deal with the energy it took to keep them happy/around.
Something else  
trueblueinpw : 3/15/2019 8:21 am : link
I’ll be the first to admit, if OBJ were having the same sort of impact as LT had, I’d be than happy to still have OBJ on the team. Something in Colin’s article (posted in another thread) is that the Giants May have noticed that OBJ didn’t seem quite as good running away from guys after his injury. What might be most difficult to see now, especially for OBJ fans, is that the Giants probably made this trade more on the merits of talent than character. We shall see if either matter in Cleveland. The point that LT makes is that if you’re the greatest player ever in the NFL you’re gonna get a lot leeway in terms of charecter and legal deficits.
No  
mdthedream : 3/15/2019 8:44 am : link
LT was a lot better than both. LT won football games. He held out one year and showed up for game time and was a beast against the Eagles.
RE: He also said he never lifted a weight in his life...  
Coach Red Beaulieu : 3/15/2019 9:04 am : link
In comment 14338727 BocaGene said:
Quote:
Don't know if this was true or not, but he the strongest guy I ever saw at the point of attack. He would rag doll anyone.

LT was an absolute maniac containing runs and getting TFLs. Must have been terrifying if you're a FB and you see insane LT lunging at your ankles and tackling the RB.
RE: Something else  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 3/15/2019 9:13 am : link
In comment 14339050 trueblueinpw said:
Quote:
I’ll be the first to admit, if OBJ were having the same sort of impact as LT had, I’d be than happy to still have OBJ on the team. Something in Colin’s article (posted in another thread) is that the Giants May have noticed that OBJ didn’t seem quite as good running away from guys after his injury. What might be most difficult to see now, especially for OBJ fans, is that the Giants probably made this trade more on the merits of talent than character. We shall see if either matter in Cleveland. The point that LT makes is that if you’re the greatest player ever in the NFL you’re gonna get a lot leeway in terms of charecter and legal deficits.


He wasn't utilized the same way this past season. They just didn't have him run slants and go for the home run.

I don't know how you cannot see that OBJ was our LT of offense. He's only going to crush the majority of the receiving records out there, and that's with him missing games. He's up there with Jerry Rice!
Also LT improvised on Defense  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 3/15/2019 9:17 am : link
and got away with it because he was so good. That's quite selfish.

I have never heard of OBJ not doing what he was supposed to on the field. He never ad-libbed.

He also didn't retire with fuel in the tank to just go do drugs.

If you can put up with a drug abuser, you can put up with the very small shit that OBJ did. Fans overreacting to this shit is what got the situation to this point.
Remember that time LT made believe he was a dog pissing?  
x meadowlander : 3/15/2019 9:20 am : link
Yeah, LT had plenty of problems - mostly drug related, but he never embarrassed me as a fan until after he was out of the league.

Beckham's spear of Coleman was the first of many.

Like Shockey, I tolerated Odell for what he did on the field - I believe he is the most talented wideout ever to play the game, and like Shockey, I'm not that upset that he's gone.
Shockwave  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 3/15/2019 9:27 am : link
The simplest way to explain the difference is this:

LT's refuge was the football field. Once he was on the field, he was all about dominating the game and beating the shit out of his opponent.

His demons visited him when he was off the field.

I think you are correct in that had LT been around today, the Giants would have been in a far, far, far more difficult position PR wise. They used to sweep a lot of this stuff under the rug. (Hell, they were still doing this in the 1990s with other players... remember Christian Peter the Girlfriend Beater?)

The best explanation of the Odell saga is what I've seen from jtgiants, Colin from GBNDR, and Paul Schwartz... that is, Odell's act just got too taxing and exhausting for the organization. And unlike LT, Odell's teams were not winning.
There is a very simple formula in the NFL  
arniefez : 3/15/2019 9:28 am : link
T = T. Talent ='s tolerance. The tolerance for one of the two greatest football players who ever lived (Jim Brown being the other) was much higher than the tolerance for a top 5 WR who has started to have injury issues. A very simple formula.
We held our breath on LT  
section125 : 3/15/2019 9:29 am : link
every year after 1986 hoping he would not get suspended. It was well known he had a drug problem.

But LT was a true professional on the field. Never did crazy stuff on the field or sidelines.

With all the stuff about OBJ, only the dog pissing thing got me angry. Well the IV thing was dumb also - I don't like drinking water? WTF is that. The kicking net series of episodes made me laugh. I'm sure he kept it up for ESPN highlights - a bit narcissistic?
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