Though I Hate To Disagree With Dick Vermeil..


...We'd All Be Happier If Larry Kept The Diapers ON

Considering that Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil is almost as famous for bawling at the drop of the hat as he is for his success in Philly and St. Louis, it's pretty amazing that he'd label one of his players a crybaby.

Larry Johnson, a first-round draft pick out of Penn State, might be pressed into action Sunday against Houston if Holmes is still hobbled by a sore ankle. He has expressed his unhappiness over not playing, and on Wednesday, dismissed the suggestion that Vermeil was trying to motivate him with comments made in his weekly news conference.

"I don't need no motivation," Johnson said. "If I need motivation, I'll talk to my father. I don't need another grown man telling me I need to take the diapers off.

"That's not how I've been raised, and I don't need no motivation from anybody. I'm self-motivated because my father taught me to be that way."

Johnson has played sparingly behind Holmes, even dropping to third team behind Derrick Blaylock. His father, Larry Johnson Sr., is defensive line coach at Penn State.

"I don't really listen to that kind of stuff," the younger Johnson said of Vermeil's comments. "If the man can't say something in my face, that's how I feel. It don't mean nothing to me."

Vermeil has criticized Johnson in the past for his casual approach toward preparation, and made the remark when asked about the possibility of Holmes missing Sunday's game.

Vermeil, whose 0-2 team has already been beset by distractions and injuries, said the remark "just popped into my scrambled head."

Posted: Wed - September 22, 2004 at 11:06 PM      

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