Phillip Lindsay breaks out classic cliches, as Broncos circle the wagons
Sep 25, 2019, 6:40 PM | Updated: 6:42 pm
When a team is winless, they’ll do almost anything to right the ship. So it came as no surprise on Wednesday when the Broncos, mired in an 0-3 start to the season, went with the always reliable “us against the world” mentality in an attempt to keep everyone in the locker room on the same page.
Leading the way was a player who has quickly become the heart and soul of the offense, running back Phillip Lindsay. When meeting with the media, the second-year player dusted off some tried-and-true cliches when talking about his team’s mindset heading into a Week 4 showdown with Jacksonville.
“Only you guys are sitting here not believing in us,” he told the gathered reporters, pointing the finger at who he sees as the naysayers.
Keep in mind, it’s the job of the media to report what’s happening. Their assignment isn’t to “believe” in the team; that’s not part of the gig. So this is a silly notion.
But Lindsay continued, branching out from the writers, talk show hosts and TV personalities who were assembled.
“If you’re a true fan, then you believe in us,” the running back added. “If you’re not, if you’re just a bandwagoner, then you’re going to believe what you want to believe.”
Ah yes, the test of a “true” fan. To some, it requires nothing more than blind allegiance. No matter what the team does, it’s okay, it’s positive and it’s good, because that’s what the organization has decided is best.
This approach leaves no room for being critical. It allows for no second guessing or questioning of decisions. It doesn’t permit anyone who supports to the team to have a dissenting opinion.
By this logic, Broncos fans aren’t supposed to doubt the team, despite back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in more than four decades and an 0-3 start to this season. They should just trust that the 11-24 record posted since the beginning of the 2017 season isn’t a sign of trouble; they need to get in line and accept that the people who posted that dismal mark are still all-knowing and on top of things.
Pay a bunch of money, don’t ever question what’s delivered in return for that investment, and just be happy to be a part of the group. That’s the preferred mindset of dictators, tyrants and people who want to sell customers a subpar product.
But Lindsay didn’t stop there. He saved the best for last.
“If you haven’t played this game, then you just don’t know,” the Broncos leader in combined rushing and receiving yards thus far this season added.
When all else fails, when there isn’t another argument to be made, this is the one players, coaches and front office people go to as a last line of defense. People who haven’t played the game, coached the sport or assembled a team can’t possibly know what it takes to be successful at that task.
Of course, this dismisses the idea that one doesn’t need to know how something is made in order to judge the product. If that was the case, only chefs could complain about a meal, just pilots could dislike a three-bounce landing and no one but virtuosos would be allowed to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to a concert. That’s a ridiculous notion, as is thinking only athletes, coaches and general managers can be critical of a team.
All that said, Lindsay wasn’t totally off base with his comments on Wednesday. He did say one thing that rang true.
“We have a lot of games left, we can still be in the playoffs and we can still make a big run for it,” the budding star added.
Fair enough.
The Broncos are still very much in the race, with 10 of the 16 teams in the AFC sitting at 1-2 or worse. Stringing together a few wins would definitely catapult Denver right into the thick of things.
“When we do it, I don’t want everybody jumping on the bandwagon saying, ‘I told you so,'” Lindsay concluded.
Something tells me he and his Broncos teammates would be just fine with everyone getting back on board if they prove the doubters wrong.
