Thread: A long but interesting article: "Understanding Brandon Marshall"

Amazing read, great article. It's real rare that a journalist acutally tries this hard anymore; or that they are allowed that type of access. Thanks for the find.

worthless football stat of the night; no chicago wr has had 100 rec's....Marshall has the last 3 years 1 of 4 in nfl history. If he can keep his life in order, and those bounderies set he's going to make a great addition to Chicago on and off the field.

I've seen some comments that the author came off aggressive or being a jerk....but Marshall knew the guy was trying to dig into his past and this is what great writers do, they keep digging and digging and digging. Maybe he could have gone about it better, or maybe he could have shown Marhsall some of what his article was going to look like.

I think some of the specific questions; like what does he remember about the fight in the car was out of line and Marshall brought up a valid point, but the overall article was REALLY well done. It reminded me a lot of the WP book that just came out last year.

I think Marshall was hoping to direct the article from his past to his current. And I think he did his best job to direct it but the journalist wasn't interested; and that was the journalists biggest mistake. He couldn't see the amazing article he could have written by getting to know Marshal and who he is now. And then after that he might have been able to get into that deeper story. That was his real injustice to Marshal.

It was still an amazingly well written piece, he didn't try and destroy anyone in the family, merely stated the facts and then wrote what he could about how it correlated to Marshal's life.

http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/bears...4&feedID=10330


By Ryan Thomas
CSNChicago.com

Will Brandon Marshall ever be understood? After constant run-ins with the law, troubled by his behavioral conduct off the field, the promising young superstar was given another chance by the Chicago Bears this off-season.
Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder that evokes impulsive behavior and emotional instability, Marshall is working rather hard to repair his often scrutinized image.

After six seasons of mishaps, Marshall appears to be working towards a clean state. One of the first steps taken on a long journey to recovery was an invitation into his Florida residence, made to Chicago Tribune reporter, Jared S. Hopkins.
"Depending on your outlook, Marshall is either a brooding basket case prone to finding trouble or a terrific yet misunderstood athlete who needs proper guidance," says Hopkins.

Many look to Marshall's upbringing as a possible source for his many struggles. Since the age of three, Marshall has seen examples of domestic violence through the actions of his father, who was also a spectacular high school football athlete, troubled off the field. But Marshall is not one to make excuses. He prefers to salvage the relationship he has with his father, and move towards a more progressive direction.

“That’s not productive to the healing processes for my father and my relationship,” Marshall said in the Tribune article. “And that’s more important than a good story and people understanding me.”

While Marshall allowed for Hopkins to stay at his residence for a few days and observe the way he interacts with his wife, and lives on a daily basis, he did not answer any personal questions. The former Pro Bowl receiver has taken a stance where he would like to have his present actions judged, as opposed to the perception of his dim past.
"I want you to observe me for who I am," Marshall said. "There is a perception out there that is unfair, and there really is another side that I think will help your story."

With that said, Bears fans are expecting a productive season on the field from Marshall.
But, what are they in-store for off the field?



Nice summerization for those that didn't want to read 6 pages on Marshal.
BTW I was not one that liked this trade originally. I'm not a fan of the Diva WR, but the more I've heard from him(he and his wife after the last instance said no more bars) and read about him(this article) I really am glad we signed him; his on field talent could never be questioned but his off the field life left a lot to be desired. Seems like he really has grown up a lot in the past few years/mo's. And knows his boundries a lot better now.