Crabby About Crabtree

Man, it's sure nice to have the NFL back in action, but not-so-nice that former Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is pulling a diva act when he hasn't even earned one stripe as a real pro!

Yes, Diva act. Didn't participate in OTA drills in the off-season--as he recovered from off-season foot surgery. But he has now missed the first 8-days of regular training camp. And, one of his "advisors", a cousin named David Wells, says Crabtree is ready to sit out the season should the 49ers--who took Crabtree as the 10th-overall draft pick--not meet his contract demands. And, for the last item, "The San Francisco Chronicle" Scott Ostler crowned Crabtree as "The Knucklehead of the Week". And if the crown fits..

Come on, Michael. Get into camp and earn your spurs, rook. You haven't caught a pass in "The League" yet, you slipped from being a sure-fire top-3 pick all the way to 10th--even the lowly Raiders passed on you to take Darius Heyward-Bey out of Maryland--but is still demanding top-5 money. Uh, hate to tell you, Mr. Crabtree, but the only thing you've proven thus far is that you need to put the muzzle on at least one member of your posse, and it's not your agent.

Come on, Michael. Get into camp, prove that you're healthy and that you can take a hit, bond with your teammates, show your coach Mike Singletary that you can take the heat of the NFL while negotiating your deal and build yourself some leverage. But that seems to be something that the "diva" personality just either doesn't get or just refuses to get. Wide receivers are the NFL's divas (do the names Owens, Ochocinco, and Keyshawn come to mind?).

Look, I know it's becoming pretty common practice for top rookies to hold out. Even the great Emmitt Smith held out on the Cowboys for 48-days back in 1990--and he turned out more than okay. But there were never any questions about Smith's durability coming into the NFL. With Crabtree, there are. He wasn't the same after he rolled an ankle versus Baylor late last season--thus, the off-season foot surgery. And, with a renowned tough guy as his future head coach in Mr. Singletary, holding out doesn't exactly make Mike sport those intense eyes he was known for as the centerpiece of those Bears "Monsters of the Midway" teams.

So, come on, Michael. Sit on your agent to get this deal done, and muzzle your cousin. Or else they're going to create a name-plate for the back of your jersey that says "Crabby"--which will be your disposition for playing catch-up for every day you're not earning your spurs as an NFL player.