Marshall vows to mentor fellow Bears receivers

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

So two good months erases a career filled with bad choices?

I just don't think an off the field bad character guy is someone who should be mentoring anyone on their off the field issues.

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So then the premise of AA, alcoholics helping other alcoholics to get sober, is wrong. HS who bring in speakers who have committed crimes and spent years in prison telling teenagers why they need to walk a different path isn't a good idea. I think I could guide a person with a Bi-Polar disorder around some of it's pitfalls and disasters better than someone who isn't.

Benji the very basis for doing it this way is because those have had problems with drugs or alcohol or spent serious time in prison then straightened out there lives are listened to far better than someone who hasn't.

Teachers, doctors, parents and the like can tell you not to get yourself into trouble but when the recovering drug addict tells his story about what addiction is like and what it does to you or the former criminal paints a picture of what it's like being in a prison kids tend to listen just a little harder. They can't get cocky and say "how would you know" and believe me having had several teenagers myself they do.

These are grown men we're talking about but Marshall telling his story will have a positive impact. Trust me.

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Originally Posted by soulman

I'll disagree with the thought that the best mentors are those who have never screwed up. That may be true of children or teenagers but I don't believe that holds true for adults. I believe we have more admiration for someone who has screwed up and turned their life around than the teacher who was always Mr. Perfect.

It begs the question what type of personality do you prefer? Tim Tebow who seemingly goes through life with a halo on his head and an angel of each arm or Brandon Marshall who learned from his mistakes and is turning what was once a weakness rather than a strength?

Even Jesus preferred to spend his efforts on the sinners of the world not the falsely pious and holy.

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Well Soul...Tim Tebow isn't someone who is falsely pious. He's actually one Christian that isn't embarassed to talk about Jesus and he certainyl walks the walk. In an age where most young guys are made to feel abnormal because they haven't been with a woman, he holds his head up high about his virginity. The whole way he conducts himself and how he deflects the criticism so many want to send his way for all kinds of reasons, more than solidifies him as a great role model for any NFL player. I'd take Tebow over Marshall any day for an NFL role model.

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Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

Well Soul...Tim Tebow isn't someone who is falsely pious. He's actually one Christian that isn't embarassed to talk about Jesus and he certainyl walks the walk. In an age where most young guys are made to feel abnormal because they haven't been with a woman, he holds his head up high about his virginity. The whole way he conducts himself and how he deflects the criticism so many want to send his way for all kinds of reasons, more than solidifies him as a great role model for any NFL player. I'd take Tebow over Marshall any day for an NFL role model.

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That last sentence wasn't about Tebow it was just saying that Jesus believed the sinners were worth saving. It goes to turning one's life around. There's often more value in the reformed than those who never had to be. Biblically speaking St. Paul would probably be a good example of that.

I wasn't labeling Tebow as being falsely pious and I don't want to make this about religion either. I think I'm not getting my point across. So let me emphasize what I meant.

Yes Tebow would be a better role model if we were talking about youth or teens but we're not. We're talking about adults and they're not looking for a role model. If they want good advice on how not to screw up in their personal life and create problems and situations that are difficult to get out of who are they more likely to listen to?

Tim Tebow, who would have no idea of what to say because he's never experienced it personally, or would they more likely listen to the guy whose been there? No offense to Tim Tebow but I would get very little in the way of advice by listening to him. I believe you can be very spiritual without having to wear it emblazoned on you forehead like a sign for all to see or publicly kneeling in prayer. Those are his choices and I grant him that. They just don't do much for me is all.

As an adult I would get, and have gotten far more out of hearing about the pitfalls others and how best to avoid them. That's what I'm trying to say. There's a big difference between being preached to about avoiding trouble and listening to someone whose been there and paid the price for it. I realize this may not be the opinion of all but it's the way it's worked best for me. :drinking61:

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Originally Posted by soulman

That last sentence wasn't about Tebow it was just saying that Jesus believed the sinners were worth saving. It goes to turning one's life around. There's often more value in the reformed than those who never had to be. Biblically speaking St. Paul would probably be a good example of that.

I wasn't labeling Tebow as being falsely pious and I don't want to make this about religion either. I think I'm not getting my point across. So let me emphasize what I meant.

Yes Tebow would be a better role model if we were talking about youth or teens but we're not. We're talking about adults and they're not looking for a role model. If they want good advice on how not to screw up in their personal life and create problems and situations that are difficult to get out of who are they more likely to listen to?

Tim Tebow, who would have no idea of what to say because he's never experienced it personally, or would they more likely listen to the guy whose been there? No offense to Tim Tebow but I would get very little in the way of advice by listening to him. I believe you can be very spiritual without having to wear it emblazoned on you forehead like a sign for all to see or publicly kneeling in prayer. Those are his choices and I grant him that. They just don't do much for me is all.

As an adult I would get, and have gotten far more out of hearing about the pitfalls others and how best to avoid them. That's what I'm trying to say. There's a big difference between being preached to about avoiding trouble and listening to someone whose been there and paid the price for it. I realize this may not be the opinion of all but it's the way it's worked best for me. :drinking61:

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Sorry about that Soul. I thought that was an intended slap on Tebow with that line. And you did communicate your point across. :drinking61: As long as Marshall has put an end to his wayward ways, I'm for him as a role model for our WRs. But if he blows it again, I can't take him seriously anymore. So I really hope he finally has his act together and hopefully he quits hanging out in these clubs. They are just a magnet for trouble for any NFL athlete.

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Originally Posted by BigBadPapaBear

Sorry about that Soul. I thought that was an intended slap on Tebow with that line. And you did communicate your point across. :drinking61: As long as Marshall has put an end to his wayward ways, I'm for him as a role model for our WRs. But if he blows it again, I can't take him seriously anymore. So I really hope he finally has his act together and hopefully he quits hanging out in these clubs. They are just a magnet for trouble for any NFL athlete.

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Brother if he doesn't find a home in Chicago with all he has going for him there his career will be in the toilet. Nobody will ever trust him enough to pay top dollar for him again. Hopefully what T.O. is going through will be a lesson to all of the "diva's".

I believe Marshall is the perfect person to mentor people about off-field issues, but only if, in fact, he has turned his life around. (It seems he has.) My wife is an addictions counselor. she runs AAs and quit-smoking classes etc. I'll tell you one thing, if she wasn't previously a smoker, she would not be able to teach people how to quit. Could you see a smoker trying to quit asking a non-smoker what it's like? How it feels? What do you do when...? It doesn't happen. You have to have been through it to truly be able to help.

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Originally Posted by Shark86x

I believe Marshall is the perfect person to mentor people about off-field issues, but only if, in fact, he has turned his life around. (It seems he has.) My wife is an addictions counselor. she runs AAs and quit-smoking classes etc. I'll tell you one thing, if she wasn't previously a smoker, she would not be able to teach people how to quit. Could you see a smoker trying to quit asking a non-smoker what it's like? How it feels? What do you do when...? It doesn't happen. You have to have been through it to truly be able to help.

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And that was my only point. Until you've been there you can't know what it's like. That's one of the biggest problems involved with treating mental illness. Being treated by doctors who only know what they've read or been taught and what a patient can tell them. Few have any first hand experience with the pain and anguish involved.

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Originally Posted by Shark86x

I believe Marshall is the perfect person to mentor people about off-field issues, but only if, in fact, he has turned his life around. (It seems he has.) My wife is an addictions counselor. she runs AAs and quit-smoking classes etc. I'll tell you one thing, if she wasn't previously a smoker, she would not be able to teach people how to quit. Could you see a smoker trying to quit asking a non-smoker what it's like? How it feels? What do you do when...? It doesn't happen. You have to have been through it to truly be able to help.

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Well its a bit different comparing someone who has certain off field behavioral issues and someone who is addicted to a chemical that your body has dependency on. Sure people like someone they can relate to, but if a non substance abuser knows how to physically break that dependency it doesn't matter if they used or not. What matters is an "effective results producing" technique.