View Full Version : Dick Vermeil The Journalist (part 2)

The Bad Guy
06-19-2001, 04:26 PM
Here is the second part of the article. It was to long to put it in one post.

The Power of Choice

The greatest power we have is the power of choice. Regardless of the environment you came out of, the situation you find yourself in, each of us has the power to determine what we allow to enter our mind in the formation of an attitude. If you start making the right choices you start correcting the things you've done wrong. Here are the choices players face when they strive to be champions:

The power to decide who is important to you. Some players have already made a choice in the choosing of a mate and that's one powerful choice. You have a choice in determining if your teammates are important to you, too.

The power to decide what is important to you. I know a lot of people who never exercise that choice. They just talk about it. It sounds good. When you really know what is important to you then you need to start making the right choices and get it done.

The power to align priorities. When you do that you come to understand what I mean when I say "the main thing is the main thing."

The powerful to make a commitment. It's like a New Year's resolution. I'm going to do this the rest of the year, but then it's forgotten soon after it's made. When you truly make a commitment you must stay with it and get it done.

The power to change an attitude. We all have to take attitude adjustments from time to time.

The power to care about the details of your assignments. You care enough about your contribution to the team. You're not late for meetings, airplanes, weight training because you care. That's the best way to demonstrate it.

The power to be unselfish It's not wrong to think a lot of yourself, but it's wrong to think a lot about yourself when you're trying to build a football team. I have a sign in the locker room that reads "selfish people all wrapped up in themselves make a very small package."

The power to pull together. You need more than one guy on the offense, one guy on the defense and one guy on the special teams to be your leaders.

The power to be an example. Some guys on this team have already stepped up and been examples and I've leaned on them for their leadership. They don't even know it but they've made a tremendous contribution to their teammates already. The power to do the right things right. A lot of people try to do things right, but it's doing the right things right that make a difference.

The power to believe. Before you become a world champion you have to believe you're becoming one. The Ravens started believing last year and when they started believing it became infectious.

The power to be self-disciplined. That's probably one of the most critical for us right now. When that self-discipline comes from you and not the coach - "discipline yourselves and others won't have to" is one of the signs in our locker room - it means so much more. People on this team right now have overcome some problems through self-discipline. You're showing strength when you do that.

The power to assume responsibility for your own performance. I made a mistake. I shouldn't have done that. I screwed up. You have to stand up and assume responsibility for your own performance. We all have to do that on and off the field.

The power to trust and be trusted. If you've been raised in an atmosphere where you couldn't trust, it's tough for you to learn to trust. But once you do, what a gift you receive. When you trust you listen. When you start listening to other people who have experienced more and been around more it helps you.

The power to undergo adversity and overcome it. That's when you understand people, when they've undergone adversity and come back from it. If you've gone through adversity, survived it, remained together and not blamed others and stayed with the plan, it will make you a stronger and better person for it. We're going to have to handle some adversity this year. We're going to use it as a tool to get better. There are some guys who won't be able to handle it. It wasn't me, they'll say. I should have been in the Pro Bowl, but I'm playing on a lousy football team, they'll grumble. The coach screwed up the game. Those guys are in every locker room, but not long in this one.

You can go on and on but the fact that you have the power of choice itself is what's most important. Anytime you're tempted or in any kind of situation, a champion will execute the power of choice and it will have a positive affect on him not just for the moment but for the rest of his life.


When you go about building a team you look for commitment from its players. The first sign I put up in our locker room and in the Rams locker room was: SHARE THE COMMITMENT. Get everybody to truly share what we've got to do. None of us can do it by ourselves. If you can make that commitment it will be the most beneficial thing you can do this year and every year.

Talent, performance, motivation, attitude, and the power to choose. Put them all together with a commitment to one another and you have the building blocks of a champion. (June 19, 2001)

06-19-2001, 04:42 PM
Very wise words. I very well may print and frame this piece because it truly does apply to whatever you are striving to do well.

If DV can hammer this stuff into these guys' heads without talking them to death and before they shutdown (I do that to my g/f all the time), we have the potential to really gel this year. Teams that gel have proven over and over that they are superior as a TEAM than teams with better individual athletes nearly every sunday.

06-19-2001, 04:56 PM
I agree Kphobia.

Many may look down on the fact that Vermeil is 67 but those 67 years bring alot of wisdom with them. And he certainly seems to be a young 67 years old.

I'm not down on bringing in Vermeil at all. What burns my butt is that we have a new offensive minded staff thats going to be here for awhile and we have no young QB to mold into the Chiefs QBOTF.

~really wanted a new young gun with for the new staff to mold

06-19-2001, 05:33 PM

What an outstanding line. A person could use this single thought as a philosophy to live by.

Clint in Wichita
06-19-2001, 05:37 PM
Can any of you imagine Gunther trying to write such an article? I can't.

It sounds like DV already knows how to fix what ails this team if they'll just listen.

06-19-2001, 06:28 PM
Gunther would have used a whole box of 64 to write that one.

Chiefs Pantalones
06-19-2001, 07:25 PM
Maybe you should read this article and use it as advice to get you to the big game.


ps. that, and get rid of your stubborness while your at it!:p

06-19-2001, 07:30 PM
At least when MS was here, we went into every season thinking this could be the year. No, he didn't get us to the big dance, but at least we had a shot. I wish him nothing but success in DC, and I hope we meet them in the SB. Probably not this year, but in the next two or three.

06-19-2001, 08:10 PM
I don't want to beat a dead horse here (mainly because this is the dead horse I like beating Johnny P. with), but I never believed that we had a shot at the SB while Marty was HC.

I don't believe that he'll get DC there either.

Chiefs Pantalones
06-19-2001, 08:14 PM

"I don't want to beat a dead horse here (mainly because this is the dead horse I like beating Johnny P. with)"...

Thats why I keep bringing it up too!:D

06-19-2001, 10:35 PM
With Marty, the only thing I knew was that we could chalk up two against the Raiders. Unfortunately I knew Elway would always be there to kick his *** in the end...

06-19-2001, 11:23 PM
My first point will be that team chemistry seemed our problem last year, as much as coaching. So both our weaknesses were mental, not the ability of the players on the field. We should have won AT LEAST the Titans, first Raiders, Niners, and Falcons games....THAT'S 11-5 people, and a decent record. We probably still would have gotten bumped first round last year, but makeing the dance is better than not being asked.....

Second point: Marty did not bring us a super bowl. Ok, fine. Now he's been given TOTAL controol, a truly talented half back, a better than average defense, and an owner who is willing to do whatever to win.

King Carl has been given a two time super bowl coach, a (supposedly) probowl qb, a younger and faster roster, a great friend an man he can respect as his coach, and no stooges....

We will see who held us back, Marty or Carl....Both took over cap strapped and old teams, only one will win a super bowl in the next 5 years.....

Unfortunately, I'm a supporter of both, so it's a no win situation. :mad:

06-20-2001, 08:49 PM
I think you could throw in the PATS game and the 2nd SD game.

That's 13-3.... Pretty scary to think about. :cool: