Getty ImagesThe sports writer father of Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has ripped one of his son’s teammates, writing on Twitter that Early Doucet doesn’t work hard enough.
“Early Doucet bombed this year he drops to many passes not a dependable No.2. Needs to work harder at his job. He dropped 5 TDs this year,” Larry Fitzgerald Sr. wrote on Twitter.
Fitzgerald Sr. followed up on that with Mike Sando of ESPN.com, saying that he knows his son wanted to work with Doucet during the lockout and that Doucet declined.
“I just know that Larry invited him to come and work out with him this summer and some guys take initiative and do it, some guys don’t,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “But with the lockout, I thought he would have worked on it a little harder. That is me. People criticize me because they think I talk too much. That is just how I see it.”
On Sunday against the Bengals Doucet tripped and fell and missed a huge opportunity as the Cardinals were trying to score late in a game they would lose, 23-16. Fitzgerald Sr. says that’s a common problem for the Cardinals: Other receivers get open thanks to his son drawing double coverage, but those other receivers don’t take advantage of it enough.
“I wasn’t picking on him,” Fitzgerald Sr. said. “I track when he drops the ball in critical situations. They use Larry the way they are going to use him, so they know others are going to be singled [in coverage]. The Ravens game, he dropped one on the goal line. I remember other games. Now that they’re out of the playoffs, I’m putting it out there.”
Fitzgerald Sr. putting it out there could create some awkward conversations for Fitzgerald Jr. in the locker room.
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Fitz Sr. needs to learn the difference between “to” and “too”.
Fitzgerald needs to remember something called journalistic integrity and realize he’s being an unprofessional fool by taking a personal interest in the team that his son plays for. Oh and by the way I’m pretty sure other receivers in the league drop passes as well, in fact Larry has a couple huge drops this year as well but I didn’t see that mentioned…
The truth hurts sometimes. Its also true that if they don’t dig a 17 point hole to climb out of that pass doesn’t even happen.
Dont blame him when hes watched a freak of nature with great hands play his whole life
Wow. And people think that Colt McCoy’s dad is a loudmouth.
Apparently, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. got his nice demeanor from his mother’s side.
I bet he has his son in fantasy football
Larry Sr. my be right, but I’ve read some articles of his where he mailed it in also, just sayin’.
Who names their kid, Early?
Tim Tebow doesn’t drop passes.
Pay attention Early, you should always value the advice from the chief sports columnist from the Upper Midwest Sand and Gravel Quarterly.
I bet Sr. has been running his mouth like this forever. I can imagine when Jr. was playing pee-wee football…Sr. was probably sitting there in the bleachers calling out other parents for their kids not being freaks of nature. #justsayin.
“test2402 says: Dec 26, 2011 1:33 PM
Tim Tebow doesn’t drop passes”
You’re right, he just throws passes into the grass and into the hands of opposing defenses.
Hmmmmmmmm, is he related to Archie some how. Got to meddle in a place he doesn’t need to be……….
Was that Archie?
I wonder what he’d write if one of his teammates was accused of grabbing his kid’s mother by the hair and swinging around to throw her across a room….
Athletes to their fathers S.T.F.U. I guess there’s a reason when they get on camera they always say HI MOM.
1. I think the reason Doucet tripped was becasue the ball was overthrown. I don’t think Fitz wiuld have tripped but I think the ball was uncatchable.
2. Having said that I think Doucet should have made more progress tha he has so far. I suspect being a free agent he may move on to another team next year.
I’m waiting for Archie Manning to tell Sr. to shut his mouth.
Not the first time I’ve heard that an LSU product is lazy. Before I’d draft anybody from their team, I’d look long and hard at the player I’m drafting because laziness seems to be a tag that many of their former players are wearing once they get to the NFL.
Well surely a column in a newspaper or a blog will fix everything that ails the Cards. The fish stinks at the head
“zlmillerkazz says: Dec 26, 2011 1:31 PM
Who names their kid, Early?”
I’m going to say because he was.
Hello conflict of interest! Hey Larry, Sr., zip it, bud!
The guy is a sports journalist and he misuses the word “to” instead of “too”?
He should be fired for that alone, never mind publicly knocking his son’s teammate.
He is who we thought he is!!!
He might be right in what he’s saying, but he’s causing problems for his son
Fitzgerald Sr. is a journalist in name only. If he’s a “journalist” why are the only games he’s ever in an NFL press box for the ones involving the Cardinals?
His newspaper is based in Minneapolis, yet even his latest column – on the Packers-Chiefs – has a Phoenix dateline.
Somehow, Bob Griese found other ways to cover the NFL than sitting and watching Brian Griese’s games every week.
I read an article like this one and it makes me think of one thing and one thing only… “I wonder what Brett Favre is up to today?”
@Scott W. Black
No, you sir need to learn the difference between “to” and “too” because he used it correctly.
No awkward moments in the locker room. Fitz Jr. can just chalk it up to “s*** my dad says”
Another Daddy story. For players that are suppose to be looked at as proffesionals, they sure act as kids letting Daddy stand up for what they are thinking.
To see how to do it right, see Howie Long….
I’ll bet Early’s Mom had a c-section.
fittytuckin | Dec 26, 2011, 11:58 AM PST
@Scott W. Black
No, you sir need to learn the difference between “to” and “too” because he used it correctly.
Scott is referring to the quote, “dropped TOO many passes”.
Next time read the entire tweet, clown.
lookatthefarside says:
Scott is referring to the quote, “dropped TOO many passes”.
———————————————————-
‘Too’ is also correct when used in this context.
Larry Fitzgerald Sr. is a writer and he has a much firmer grip on grammar than you TWO buffoons.
You, sir are the clown.
incredibly unprofessional article and really surprising considering the class act Jr is. It’s one thing to point out Doucet’s drops(not to make an excuse for him but he did have to re-adjust and lost his footing but then again that’s what NFL receivers are paid to do) but to essentially say his son is the reason the rest of the wideout core gets open(although true) doesn’t say scream journalistic integrity.
Mr Fitz Sr just said what everyone already knows, the Cards need a dependable No2 in the worst way
Fitz Jr is awesome! Wish the Bears had him, even if it meant we had to hear from dad. Oh, and hey rook, if Fitz Jr invites you to work out, DO IT!!! Fans, don’t be afraid of an honest opinion.