Randall Paul Jenkins, Esq. » Blog Archive

So the journalistic sub-genre of sports has been all a buzz this season about the San Diego Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers. I am a proud supporter of “The Fourth” and of course am a huge Bolts fan, so it wouldn’t be shocking to learn that I sport the powder blue 17 on most Sunday’s. Granted this has led to a bit of a heated debate once or twice between my brother-in-law and I, as he loved Drew Brees (hey who didn’t, some of us have moved on) and thinks (like all the media) Rivers runs his mouth a bit too much.

Gregg Doyel wrote a fantastic piece about Rivers over at CBS Sportsline which I highly recommend reading. Doyel knows Rivers a bit more than the casual columnist as he covered Rivers college days at NC State.

Rivers’ honesty refreshing, but many don’t want to hear it

“This is one of the more fun guys in the NFL. He’s everything we say we want in a professional athlete. He talks to the media and says what’s on his mind. He shows unscripted emotion on the field. He pumps his fist and flaps his gums. He’s a professional football player, and you can tell how much fun he’s having.

And so we bitch and we gripe. Why? Because Rivers isn’t like everybody else. Never mind that we’ve already bitched and griped about athletes who are boring and talk in clichés and act aloof and seem to be playing for nothing more than a paycheck. Like Eli Manning. Never mind that we resent those guys for making football look like a miserable burden.

Here comes Philip Rivers, and he has some nerve — he’s nothing like those guys! Who does he think he is?” …

… “Philip Rivers isn’t like any of them. You know who he’s like? He’s kind of like us.”

This really couldn’t describe any more perfectly why I root for the guy. After he got drafted by the Chargers I started to hear some of the stories about his intensity and passion for the game, along with the fact that in 4 starting years he was the MVP of 5 bowl games, and you sort of got the feeling that this guy just loves football. When he steps out on the field he is the ultimate competitor and pours every ounce of everything he has into the game. Sure sometimes this backfires and he gets too pumped up and he throws a ball 4 feet over a WR’s head, sure the guy is still young and has a lot left to prove.

Rivers acts exactly the way I did when I played sports; talking all the way, stirring the rivalry and competition, loving every minute on the field. It’s perhaps why I relate so well to the guy, and why I find it so shocking that other sports fans don’t realise this guy is playing the exact same way they would. The truly refreshing thing about Rivers is that when it’s all over on the field, the switch turns off, and it stays there until the next time he steps out in competition.

Popularity: 62% [?]

Share and Enjoy: