Let's just get one thing straight before I say anything: Jeremy Shockey is a good NFL Tight End - amongst the best, in fact. Widely considered amongst the top five players at his position, he has both the physicality and the mental toughness associated with an elite weapon in the league, as well as a rapport with fans that most players would consider enviable.
Indeed, so highly is he thought of, that he was rated as the toughest player at his position to bring down in the open field by his fellow professionals last month - which is a worthwhile statistic, if only for the memories of those who can still remember when he was effective. Harsh? Perhaps, but it's worth considering that Shockey's 'pro-bowl' performances never quite correlated with his team's success.
Indeed, despite his production and obvious talent, Shockey has always been a focal point for locker room unrest throughout his career. His pouting on the sidelines is reminiscent of T.O at his very worst, and I needn't detail how much better off the Giants were without him last year, because we all saw for ourselves didn't we? Indeed, two such 'playmakers' - in Shockey and Tiki Barber - were pointed to as a case of addition by subtraction. Removing the two most vocal leaders from the huddle allowed Eli Manning to assume his role as a leader after four years being told how to do his job by those around him.
But I digress, this is not an Eli Manning shaped glory hole.
In the last two weeks, Saints QB Drew Brees has publicly berated his Tight End on the sidelines during a game, and coach Sean Payton has apparently 'read Shockey the riot act' Whatever that means. Whether it involved coach actually reading the 1715 Riot act passed because of the Peterloo massacre, I suppose we'll never know, but of this we can be sure: It probably wasn't positive. At least one source has said that Payton put his own ass on the line to get Shockey to the Saints, and his underwhelming play - combined with bitching and sniping at the organisation - has left Shockey with a mountain to climb if he wishes to remain a Saint long term.
As if that wasn't enough, I pointed out at the Wembley game between the Chargers and Saints that Billy Miller is effectively the starting TE these days, and even Mark Campbell looks more reliable than Shockey in the red zone. There's no guarantee that Shockey will get enough playing time to justify his presence on next year's roster.
And if it were me in charge? I'd dump him, and here's why:
Shockey is a liability. Take an interview he did with ESPN the magazine in September, in which he explained that joining the Saints made sense to him because 'alcohol is the social lubricant of their society'. Pardon me? Did a professional football player really allude to his own reliance on alcohol? But wait, as if that wasn't enough:
"This is what I wanted when I decided to get traded. I mean no one even messes with you at all when you sit down to have some lunch and a few beers."
Jeremy Shockey - ESPN the magazine, 22nd September 2008
Incredible isn't it? To Shockey, drinking is a badge of honour. He prides himself on being a blue collar player who voices his opinions and then unwinds in the same way that you or I may do after work. Well guess what? You or I don't get paid millions to keep our bodies in peak physical condition, and we're DEFINITELY not supposed to be having 'liquid lunches' during the working day. Does Shockey have a problem? I'm not an expert, but if 'quality of nightlife' is one of your primary factors in deciding your next place of work, you probably do need to ask yourself that question.
Despite that, there is one more telling quote from Shockey that sums up the man. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt when he said this, because he missed out on a shot at the Superbowl, and some players never get two chances. On the other hand, I'll allow you to judge for yourself:
"See, I've never had an injury like this before in my life. Look at the scars. That's where a really smart teammate of mine fell into my leg."
Jeremy Shockey
While it's easy to sympathise with a guy who missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime by pure bad luck, it's less easy to sympathise with someone who can't bring himself to accept that injuries happen on a football field, and that sometimes, there is nobody to blame for them. Can he accept that? Does it seem like he has? I personally would say no, and it's been a pattern throughout his career. Remember when the Giants lost to Seattle in 2006, when the Giants were 'outcoached' according to Shockey? Even with a team he has spent less than six months with, he has already publicly called out the Saints medical team for 'misdiagnosing' his sports hernia injury.
As usual, Jeremy Shockey was not to blame - and that's all that matters to Jeremy Shockey. He may not win a Superbowl, but what is perhaps scarier, is that he may never realise how he is his own worst enemy, and that sooner or later, he needs to look himself in the eye and accept that the NFL is quick to move on from any player who is detrimental to team ethic - even one as talented as him.
