Pay for what you get
March 19th, 2008, 9:55 am · Post a Comment · posted by patrickdonohue
For once, I’ve gotta give the Atlanta Falcons some credit. When they dealt egomaniac problem child cornerback DeAngelo Hall to the Oakland Raiders, they got the best of both worlds. Not only did they get the Raiders 2nd round pick (the 2nd pick in the second round), they sent Hall to dwell in the quagmire that is the Raiders franchise under Al Davis.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz said it best on his blog yesterday when he wrote:
“When Hall gets his money, it will sooth his ego for a time. The problem is, he’s a great player on a good team but a divisive player on a bad team. He will alienate teammates and drive his coach and owner crazy (although in the Raiders’ case, he probably can’t do Al Davis any further harm). It is unfortunate that the Falcons have to say goodbye to their best player. The problem is, Hall’s not a leader. He is immature, egomaniacal and petulant. The ego part isn’t unusual for a great cornerback. But the other aspects of his personality make him a bad fit for the Falcons, Raiders or any bad or rebuilding team.”
My problem with DeAngelo Hall has always been that he think he’s a much better player than he actually is. He is as flashy, attention-starved, and loud as Deion Sanders with about half the talent. It’s hard to argue that the Falcons are better off without a player of Hall’s ability but as they try to rebuild this franchise, they just might be.
