Greenway, Reisner, Ballard, and Olsen

C

CGHawk

Well-Known Member
So I went to the Vikings Training camp today, rocking my Iowa Hawkeye attire, because honestly, I was only there to see and maybe get an autograph or two from the former Hawkeyes, mainly Greenway.

I went with a few of my friends who are big Vikings fans and from what I understood, Reisner and Olsen are not on the majority of the Viking fan's radars.

MN did draft a TE out of ND and Reisner went undrafted. The TE's were working on some drill that involved route running, turning, finding the ball, and then catching it on the move(Like a cross field pattern that many TE's run).

I can say this with confidence that my bias had nothing to do with who looked the best. Reisner is up in the drill... He runs his route, turns to run across field and the ball is thrown WELL behind him. Reisner somehow manages to reach one hand back while all of his momentum is going the other way in the air and snag the ball with one hand. It was an incredible catch.

My friend, who was trying to tell me Reisner would get cut because of the current TE's the Vikings have, turns to the rest of us and says:

(Him)"Did you guys see that catch?!"

(Me)"Did you see who caught it? Yeah, thats right, it was Reisner.. The Iowa boy. I will put money down that Reisner is better than the ND guy"

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here... but his catch was incredible, and he looked better in the drills than the other TE's all day from what I saw. (Granted Vicente Shianko[Spelling?] was not practicing due to injury)

Anyway, Reisner was looking really impressive.

As for Olsen--He looked to be bigger and stronger than nearly all of the other young O-linemen. Although they didn't really run too many drills that allowed me to see how good he actually was compared to the rest.

The defense practiced on the field further away so I didn't get to see Ballard all that much, but Head Coach Leslie Frazier had some really good things to say about him in a quote they printed on the program.
(He also autographed my hat, which was nice.)

Now for Greenway... I didn't see him do much on the field, since he too was on the further field away from the parts I watched.

The thing that shocked me most however, was his attitude off the field... his interaction with the fans was really quite awful.
I'm not sure if I caught him on a bad day, but from what some of the fans were saying.. he had an attitude yesterday as well.

On 4 separate occasions throughout the day Greenway looked at me and my friends(whom I borrowed some Iowa Jersey's to) and then walked away without a wave/smile/anything.

I waited 3 hours with my friends outside of the locker room facility until practice was over along with other fans who showed up after practice had ended, but we wanted to make sure we got their first... and we were.

A couple big name players come out and they go to the fans side of the barricade to sign autographs and all but one fan rushed them... Me, because while they were rushing over to the other players, I saw Greenway walk out of the facility and I yelled to him "Greenway! Hawkeye Nation representing!" and I waved my Iowa hat and pointed at the tigerhawk logo.

I am still a little baffled by this... but Greenway(about 10 yards away) looks up at me.. cocks his head a little and gives me a blank stare for about 2 or 3 seconds... and then gets on his bike and rides away.

No wave, no smile, nothing but a cold shoulder.
I was the only person there decked out in all Iowa gear that I saw and he was the main reason I went. I really hoped he would walk over and give me an autograph or say hi, since all the other fans were distracted and he wouldn't have to feel obligated to sign 50 autographs... but I would have taken even a wave or a thumbs up and it would have made the 8 hour day well worth it.

I'm not trying to complain, but I was always under the impression that Greenway has been really good and appreciative of his Hawkeye supporters... Has he forgotten where he came from now that he is one of the big men on campus for the Vikings? I mean.. the punter stood out there signing autographs for ANYONE and EVERYONE who wanted them no matter how long it took him... I just felt like Greenway would be a little more friendly to a Hawkeye fan who went for almost the sole reason of seeing him.

I'm just curious if anyone has any insight as to why this might be? Because I have always been a huge fan of him and the way he acted sort of made me lose some respect.
 
Btw, other thoughts on the other parts of the post are welcomed. I am really glad to see so many Iowa players having success at the next level. Gives me a reason to watch football on Sundays.
 
Funny you mention this negative stuff about Greenway. I happened to talk w/ someone today who was also up there, and she had very similar things to say about Greenway. I believe the phrase she mentioned was that he's "really let it go to his head." I was pretty bummed to hear that, and obviously CG your comments unfortunately back it up.
 
CGHawk said:
So I went to the Vikings Training camp today, rocking my Iowa Hawkeye attire, because honestly, I was only there to see and maybe get an autograph or two from the former Hawkeyes, mainly Greenway.

I went with a few of my friends who are big Vikings fans and from what I understood, Reisner and Olsen are not on the majority of the Viking fan's radars.

MN did draft a TE out of ND and Reisner went undrafted. The TE's were working on some drill that involved route running, turning, finding the ball, and then catching it on the move(Like a cross field pattern that many TE's run).

I can say this with confidence that my bias had nothing to do with who looked the best. Reisner is up in the drill... He runs his route, turns to run across field and the ball is thrown WELL behind him. Reisner somehow manages to reach one hand back while all of his momentum is going the other way in the air and snag the ball with one hand. It was an incredible catch.

My friend, who was trying to tell me Reisner would get cut because of the current TE's the Vikings have, turns to the rest of us and says:

(Him)"Did you guys see that catch?!"

(Me)"Did you see who caught it? Yeah, thats right, it was Reisner.. The Iowa boy. I will put money down that Reisner is better than the ND guy"

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here... but his catch was incredible, and he looked better in the drills than the other TE's all day from what I saw. (Granted Vicente Shianko[Spelling?] was not practicing due to injury)

Anyway, Reisner was looking really impressive.

As for Olsen--He looked to be bigger and stronger than nearly all of the other young O-linemen. Although they didn't really run too many drills that allowed me to see how good he actually was compared to the rest.

The defense practiced on the field further away so I didn't get to see Ballard all that much, but Head Coach Leslie Frazier had some really good things to say about him in a quote they printed on the program.
(He also autographed my hat, which was nice.)

Now for Greenway... I didn't see him do much on the field, since he too was on the further field away from the parts I watched.

The thing that shocked me most however, was his attitude off the field... his interaction with the fans was really quite awful.
I'm not sure if I caught him on a bad day, but from what some of the fans were saying.. he had an attitude yesterday as well.

On 4 separate occasions throughout the day Greenway looked at me and my friends(whom I borrowed some Iowa Jersey's to) and then walked away without a wave/smile/anything.

I waited 3 hours with my friends outside of the locker room facility until practice was over along with other fans who showed up after practice had ended, but we wanted to make sure we got their first... and we were.

A couple big name players come out and they go to the fans side of the barricade to sign autographs and all but one fan rushed them... Me, because while they were rushing over to the other players, I saw Greenway walk out of the facility and I yelled to him "Greenway! Hawkeye Nation representing!" and I waved my Iowa hat and pointed at the tigerhawk logo.

I am still a little baffled by this... but Greenway(about 10 yards away) looks up at me.. cocks his head a little and gives me a blank stare for about 2 or 3 seconds... and then gets on his bike and rides away.

No wave, no smile, nothing but a cold shoulder.
I was the only person there decked out in all Iowa gear that I saw and he was the main reason I went. I really hoped he would walk over and give me an autograph or say hi, since all the other fans were distracted and he wouldn't have to feel obligated to sign 50 autographs... but I would have taken even a wave or a thumbs up and it would have made the 8 hour day well worth it.

I'm not trying to complain, but I was always under the impression that Greenway has been really good and appreciative of his Hawkeye supporters... Has he forgotten where he came from now that he is one of the big men on campus for the Vikings? I mean.. the punter stood out there signing autographs for ANYONE and EVERYONE who wanted them no matter how long it took him... I just felt like Greenway would be a little more friendly to a Hawkeye fan who went for almost the sole reason of seeing him.

I'm just curious if anyone has any insight as to why this might be? Because I have always been a huge fan of him and the way he acted sort of made me lose some respect.
Click to expand...

Don't put too much money down; if Rudolph stays healthy he'll be a beast.
 
I guess everyone has bad days and Greenway doesnt owe you anything but if I was in your shoes I wouldve been disappointed with that interaction
 
I would have been disappointed too. If he would have at least nodded or waved, maybe a "go hawks" and I wouldn't have been upset but if he didn't even acknowledge that you existed, its pretty low of him.
 
The ND TE was hurt in October last year, I believe, and didn't play again last season. He might be a little slow to get back to normal, I don't know. I did see a quote where he said he was a little rusty because of the layoff.
 
Bad day, problems at home, something hurting, has his game face on, contract issues, the coach yelled at him? I know there are a number of things that have soured my mood and I am no joy to be around.
 
Holy crap. You mean to tell me a grown man who was at work (and whose job involves getting his butt kicked day in and day out by 300+ lb dudes) didn't bend over backwards for some stranger even after the stranger told him he was a fan of the school where the guy played over 5 years ago? My god. What is this world coming to?

Please tell me you're not a grown man. Please tell me you're like 12 or 13 years old. I thought the Nation had definitively proclaimed that grown men seeking autographs from other grown men are nearly PedoBear level creepy. Lie, if you have to, just restore my faith in humanity.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Holy crap. You mean to tell me a grown man who was at work (and whose job involves getting his butt kicked day in and day out by 300+ lb dudes) didn't bend over backwards for some stranger even after the stranger told him he was a fan of the school where the guy played over 5 years ago? My god. What is this world coming to?

Please tell me you're not a grown man. Please tell me you're like 12 or 13 years old. I thought the Nation had definitively proclaimed that grown men seeking autographs from other grown men are nearly PedoBear level creepy. Lie, if you have to, just restore my faith in humanity.
Click to expand...

For once I agree with you.

Just imagine all the people that you see every day..if you were a celebrity you could be nice to 100 fans but there'll always be someone who walked by you and if they don't think you kissed their butt enough they spread stories that you're a jerk.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Holy crap. You mean to tell me a grown man who was at work (and whose job involves getting his butt kicked day in and day out by 300+ lb dudes) didn't bend over backwards for some stranger even after the stranger told him he was a fan of the school where the guy played over 5 years ago? My god. What is this world coming to?

Please tell me you're not a grown man. Please tell me you're like 12 or 13 years old. I thought the Nation had definitively proclaimed that grown men seeking autographs from other grown men are nearly PedoBear level creepy. Lie, if you have to, just restore my faith in humanity.
Click to expand...


Okeef are you tired of failing yet? Just because I don't post a lot on here... doesn't mean I don't read your pathetic attempts to troll.

Please, have your parents put you to bed and get back into a good sleep routine for when school starts. You are going to be a freshmen in high school this year.

CEE WAHT EYE DIHD THAR?! eL OH EL
Come back when you have something good to say.

On a serious note... I understand that it might get tiring having 2 practices a day and getting paid millions of dollars, but interaction with the fans is part of the job and if interacting with your fans and giving them a wave is too difficult for you to do for millions of dollars... then you probably should just join Okeef in attending an alternative learning center for kids who have trouble reading and comprehending simple text.

AM EYE DO ING THE TROLLOLLING THIN G RITE?!
Okeef, don't play games you can't win bro.
 
gohawkz said:
For once I agree with you.

Just imagine all the people that you see every day..if you were a celebrity you could be nice to 100 fans but there'll always be someone who walked by you and if they don't think you kissed their butt enough they spread stories that you're a jerk.
Click to expand...

I didn't ask him to bend over and take it... I don't know how you treat male athletes when you meet them... but anyway. I was hoping for a wave or maybe something better than a blank stare... and based on what I've heard in the past about Greenway I figured it was strange and was curious about it. But it's not like there was a whole 3/4 of post before that statement. Greenway's attitude was clearly the focal point of the post.

And I never called him a jerk. I even stated I like Greenway. Learn to read before people think you're from Nebraska.
 
I understand both sides of this issue. Greenway is at work and probably doesn't want to be bothered, as do most NFL players. Can't really blame him. Fans should understand and respect that.

However from the fan's perspective, they buy tickets and watch the games of TV. Ticket sales and TV revenue are what makes these NFL players millions each year.

The NFL is where is it right now because of the fans. They pay an awful lot of money to watch games, in person or on TV. NFL players should respect that.

A piece of advice for the OP, if you're a grown man, next time just stand there and cheer. My guess is that if you act like a grown up instead of yelling "Greenway, Hawkeye Nation representing" you have a much better chance at a positive reaction.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Holy crap. You mean to tell me a grown man who was at work (and whose job involves getting his butt kicked day in and day out by 300+ lb dudes) didn't bend over backwards for some stranger even after the stranger told him he was a fan of the school where the guy played over 5 years ago? My god. What is this world coming to?

Please tell me you're not a grown man. Please tell me you're like 12 or 13 years old. I thought the Nation had definitively proclaimed that grown men seeking autographs from other grown men are nearly PedoBear level creepy. Lie, if you have to, just restore my faith in humanity.
Click to expand...

1. You are a *******. Not just from this comment.

2.Players that get paid bank to play ball can wave at a Hawk fan. Its part of the job and not a very hard part.
 
Xerxes said:
I understand both sides of this issue. Greenway is at work and probably doesn't want to be bothered, as do most NFL players. Can't really blame him. Fans should understand and respect that.

However from the fan's perspective, they buy tickets and watch the games of TV. Ticket sales and TV revenue are what makes these NFL players millions each year.

The NFL is where is it right now because of the fans. They pay an awful lot of money to watch games, in person or on TV. NFL players should respect that.

A piece of advice for the OP, if you're a grown man, next time just stand there and cheer. My guess is that if you act like a grown up instead of yelling "Greenway, Hawkeye Nation representing" you have a much better chance at a positive reaction.
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying, but when the man is walking to his bike, I didn't really feel that cheering was appropriate. I'm not mad that he ignored me. I don't know Greenway and I never will. I was just curious as to if this is normal for him, because I was under the impression he was quite fan friendly, and maybe he is. That is why I was asking.

P.S. Maybe my post came across the wrong way to a few of you, but I only intended to ask a question out of curiosity and yeah I'll admit I was disappointed and maybe losing respect for him was the wrong choice of words, but I still like Greenway, just was hoping for a different outcome after 8 hours in the heat. Who wouldn't? There is just no need to jump all over another fan's back for something like that in my opinion.
 
CGHawk said:
Okeef are you tired of failing yet? Just because I don't post a lot on here... doesn't mean I don't read your pathetic attempts to troll.

Please, have your parents put you to bed and get back into a good sleep routine for when school starts. You are going to be a freshmen in high school this year.

CEE WAHT EYE DIHD THAR?! eL OH EL
Come back when you have something good to say.

On a serious note... I understand that it might get tiring having 2 practices a day and getting paid millions of dollars, but interaction with the fans is part of the job and if interacting with your fans and giving them a wave is too difficult for you to do for millions of dollars... then you probably should just join Okeef in attending an alternative learning center for kids who have trouble reading and comprehending simple text.

AM EYE DO ING THE TROLLOLLING THIN G RITE?!
Okeef, don't play games you can't win bro.
Click to expand...

An NFL player's contract with the team is to show up at mini camps, training sessions, team meetings, practices, pressers, other team activities, 4 or 5 preseason games, 16 regular season games and postseason games. It does not involve kissing fans' butts after a grueling practice session, at the mall, at the movies, at Wendy's, etc. If it did, teams would claim breach left and right and get out of their payment obligations for every player who sucks.

I sat at a table right next to Z at Ditka's after a typical Cub loss not long ago. I didn't even notice until a line of proles formed around him. The number of absolutely pathetic creepy proles who wouldn't leave the guy alone for 10 minutes to eat his supper was astonishing. The guy ain't your boy, he doesn't give a crap that you were at the game in 2008 where he struck out Pujols 3 times or the game he pitched at that day, he doesn't want to sign an autograph while his steak is getting cold, he doesn't care that you're from his neighborhood in wherever the hell he's from. My guess is Mr. Greenway is the same. He ain't your boy. He doesn't care that you are a Hawk fan. He doesn't know your name and he doesn't care about you or your Iowa hat one bit. He just wants to get the hell away from you. You're a creepy old guy who thinks you have something in common with a guy who made it big. You don't. You wanted to talk to him, he didn't want to talk to you. If you want his autograph, line up at Vikings day at the mall with the 10,000 other creepy proles and then you will get to tell him that you are a Hawk fan.
 
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