via blog.nola.com

I had a feeling when Gramatica's first field goal attempt was blocked, and then I knew it for sure when he missed the go ahead kick late in the game.

Gramatica's got a bad head.

With all the money spent in the NFL, if I was an owner, I'd have a sports psychologist on staff.  Gramatica needs one.  Desperately.  And the team needs for him to see one.  He needs to get his head on straight, get his confidence back.  Sitting on the bench by himself will not do it.  Telling himself to stop being such a pussy is not going to do it.  Teammates (Weatherford?) giving him a hug and telling him it's ok, he'll make the next one, is not going to do it.

I used to see one.  (Not for sports.)  It's hard.  Your pride takes a real beating.  It hurts.  But it's the best thing hands down I ever did for myself, and for my family.  I recommend it to everyone.  If you go and you don't like the doctor, go to another one.  Some things can't be worked out by yourself or with your loved ones.

The other day I heard an interview on NPR with David Foster Wallace, the novelist who recently offed himself.  He was talking about how when he was a young kid, he was a tennis prodigy.  Very talented.  Except he would think too much about failing and then fail.  Self fulfilling prophecy.  He said the good players, the great players, never think like that.  They see themselves succeeding, making the play.  Never anything else.  His coach told him "Kid, you got a bad head." 

Another example (there are a lot, but this one I remember) is Mark Davis, the relief pitcher for San Diego and later the Kansas City Royals.  I remember the catcher saying on the radio that during warmups, Davis had unhittable stuff.  Then he goes out into the game and can't throw a strike to save his life.  He had a bad head!

Devery could have used one in the past, and maybe he has seen one, he seems to have improved a lot.  You have to keep that stuff quiet or people think you're crazy or something.  If I was blessed with NFL talent and there were millions of dollars at stake, you can be sure I'd have a shrink even if I didn't need one, and I wouldn't care who knew it.

The team needs a sports psychologist for those players who won't go to one on their own.