Monday, April 30, 2007

Monday 04/30 A.M. Quickie:
Brady Quinn, Randy Moss, Warriors Mania, More

You'll have to excuse me if I don't think that Brady Quinn was such a terrific acquisition for Cleveland. Please. The bigger story was the way the NFL hid him from draft-day humiliation.

If he's such a gamer, Quinn should have been tough enough to take the scrutiny in the green room, rather than scurrying for the Commissioner's secret sobbing room as he slid down the board.

After all, Quinn was more than happy to take advantage of the original NYC invitation to goose his marketability. However, his fragility in the face of Saturday's pressure is ominous foreshadowing for his NFL career.

(The money question: Is Quinn better than the player the Browns would get with their No. 1 overall pick next year, which could be as high as Top 5? The Cowboys will get to find out.)

However, I WILL join in the chorus that recognizes that the Pats acquiring Randy Moss is the most monumental NFL acquisition of the year – and probably the decade (eclipsing T.O. to the Eagles or Cowboys).

As I heard from several emailers on Sunday: The only question for the upcoming NFL season is which NFC team will be losing to the Patriots in the Super Bowl next February. Totally agreed. (And I'm no Pats fan.)

Early pick for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: Adrian Peterson. (Runners-up, in order: Calvin Johnson, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez)

Early pick for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: Reggie Nelson. (Runners-up, in order: Jamaal Anderson, Darrelle Revis, Marcus Thomas)

Heat swept out of playoffs by Bulls: There will be no "Re-Heat." Ah, well. Can't pick 'em all correctly. Miami looks like a one-hit wonder; Chicago looks like a power for years.

Warriors go up 3-1 on Mavericks: This is the greatest thing that could ever happen to the NBA this season. It's not just an 8-seed on the cusp of beating a 1-seed in a 7-game playoff format for the first time in NBA history; it's that THIS particular 8-seed is so fun to watch, along with such a bunch of crazy-ass backstories.

By the way, the Warriors' celebrity fan is Jessica Alba, trumping any other team's celebrity fan-hottie. Alba makes Eva Longoria look fugly.

(My picking the Heat to repeat as champs – d'oh! – is mitigated by my pick of the Warriors to beat the Mavericks. Go Golden State!)

The Lakers are finished: Down 3-1 heading back to Phoenix for Game 5? It's o-v-a-h. Meanwhile, Steve Nash had a career-high 23 assists. The playoff record is 24. (Who has been the MVP of the first round of the NBA playoffs? Sorry, Steve: It's gotta be Baron Davis.)

Toronto, the "sexy" pick in the NBA East, is on the brink of elimination to a Nets team that has no business being up 3-1, but appears to be motivated for one last run before they dismantle.

Jeter defends Torre, even after the Yankees dropped to 9-14 this spring after yesterday's 7-4 loss to the Red Sox (NY's 5th loss to Boston in 6 games in '07.) Who else remembers the Yankees' 10-15 start two years ago? They rallied from that, but they don't seem to have the same kind of surge in them that that team had.

But should the Boss fire Torre? This start isn't Torre's fault, and I'm not sure if firing the manager won't do more harm than good in this particular case. I wouldn't do it. Yet. If the Boss does fire Torre, I fully expect to see him on ESPN for the rest of the season before taking over Terry Francona's job in Boston on December 1.

(By the way: I'm no Red Sox fan, but I love the new "This is SportsCenter" ad with David Ortiz wearing the Yankees cap. Whoever plays the Red Sox mascot gets an "A" for comedic timing.)

MLB Stud: Troy Tulowitzki, for his unassisted triple play.

Early contender for Sportsman of the Year, if you define it as the most defining person in sports of the year: Kirk Radomski. (What: You thought I'd say "Brady Quinn?")

Final NFL Draft note: Baltimore might be the best place in the NFL for Troy Smith. He can learn under Steve McNair, easily beat out Kyle Boller and have the motivation of the late-round snub.

(Apparently, the Ravens were hot for the slip-sliding Quinn, but couldn't out-maneuver the Browns for him. Instead, they can enjoy the player who beat out Quinn for the Heisman AND keep their 1st-round pick in '08.)

As for the player most often paired with Troy Smith, BCS MVP and Florida QB Chris Leak went undrafted and signed with the Bears, where he will compete behind Florida QB Rex Grossman.

(By the way, Florida led the draft with the most picks: 9. Any guess as to the team that came in second to the Gators? If you said "Ohio State," you get it. If you said "Ohio State...again," you REALLY get it.)

Mr. Irrelevant? Ranzee Robinson, a CB from Alabama, taken by the Lions. Congratulations!

RIP, Josh Hancock. Condolences to family, friends and fans.

-- D.S.

139 comments:

Natsfan74 said...

Wow! You really hate Brady Quinn.

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

1.) Hiding from the media just shows that Quinn is a little whiny bitch. In fact, I bet Quinn was in a Tom Brady jersey and feeding Jaba the Weiss cheeseburgers while crying.

2.) I think I know why teams were passing up on Quinn! The teams saw his girlfriend and thought, "Holy shit...he's drunk! He has the beer goggles on!" He is about to be an NFL quarterback...man, you gotta upgrade. And what is crazy is that she went to Miami University...I think I speak for all graduates of that school in saying that she is a definite minority. Gross.

Sorry...it's Monday...I'm full of hate.

Coach Chip said...

Why should anyone feel bad for Brady Quinn? He's going to be making a ton of cash with a lot less pressure than a top five pick.

He got picked a lot higher than you or I.

Patriots64 said...

Patriots will go undefeated this year, Brady throws over 50 TD's to Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Watson and company.

Big D said...

Wouldn't it be something if the Dolphins tried to draft Quinn, but something got lost in translation and they ended up with Ginn? Damn, if that wouldn't make for a perfect Verizon Wireless commercial, I don't know what would.

Also, some minor gambling advice from a self-proefessed degenerate:

"If New England is any worse than 3-1 Super Bowl favorites by the end of the week, jump on them now."

NA said...

The NFL Commissioner asked him to come into a room with him.

What First round NFLer is going to turn that down? If you want to blame the NFL, that's fine. But when the head of the NFL asks a rookie to come into his private suite during the draft, the rookie goes no questions asked.

It's silly to somehow pin this on Brady Quinn and call him a baby for not sticking it out. What was he going to do say no to Goodell?
Wouldn't that be a bigger story the next day?

kway34 said...

The Browns used their first pick on next year on a QB, they just got him this year. Not a bad move for Savage and Romeo considering both might be gone by draft day next year.

Brian in Oxford said...

Back from Crabtown...

So the Pats get Meriwhether AND Moss? Is Belichick giving a big F-U on the character issue to Goodell? I thought Goodell was a lot less rigid at the podium than Tags ever was.

On the bright side for the Browns, QBs tend to cost more at 3 than at 22. The best point I heard on the radio was that if Weis wasn't giving the sell on Quinn to Romeo at 3, he might slide a while.

Wasn't Torre supposed to get fired at 11-19 a couple of years ago? I don't know...if he could survive that...

I wonder if the Warriors are really just the "spy"....can take out the 1 seed, but everyone else would beat them (homage to Stratego there). And Jessica Alba can't make Longoria look fugly, God already did.

Coach Chip said...

Will Brady Quinn ever get to wear a helmet with decals on it?

Patriots64 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Wow...even I dislike some teams, but I'd never hope for a kid to be left out in front of relentless cameramen for hours while other teams (that have qbs) pass on him...

Mikepcfl said...

I am pretty happy with the Ravens' draft. Early on they got the Offensive linemen they needed. I agree with the conventional wisdom that Troy Smith ended up in the perfect situation. Hopefully, this pick will pay off in a couple years.

But I might be the only one who thinks the Moss signing hurts NE more than it helps them. I thought they were favorites before getting Moss, now less so. They won without me-first receivers all these years.

Now they get a whiny, lazy slacker on the downside of his career. I think this blows up in their faces this year.

Mega said...

As much as an ND hater that I am, I do think Quinn will be a successful NFL QB.

And the comments regarding how good his girfriend looks or doesn't look...who cares? As long as HE thinks she is attractive and HE is happy with her. Who the hell are we to worry about it? Sheesh.

Mega said...

Oh and

GO BULLS!

Bulls in 6 over Detroit. I think this is going to be THE series to watch in the playoffs.

Patriots64 said...

10/7 Browns at the Razor - Brady vs Brady!!! Moss will fly as a Pat!!!

Andy Roberts said...

So let me get this straight, the Ravens picking Troy Smith was BETTER than the Browns picking Quinn????

Dan, I enjoy your blog, but you say some of the mother-fucking stupidest shit I have ever heard in my life. Even Mark May stops short of saying crap like that. Smith will never, EVER, start a game as a pro QB. I'd stake my life on it. I bet he doesn't start a game at any position.

Natsfan74 said...

Randy Moss is the next Corey Dillon -- a disgruntled veteran on the downside of his career with a reputation for selective effort and a me-first attitude.

I wonder how that Corey Dillon thing worked out for them?

NFL players want to win championships. Well, at least most of them do. Randy Moss has his best chance to win a ring in years and this will motivate him to excel. Plus, he is moving into a locker room of team first veterans. It's hard to be me first in that environment.

jhawkjjm said...

I think him being taken out to a private room was a classy move by Goodell. I remember Aaron Rogers sitting there till 24 a few years ago and they would not leave the kid alone. But Quinn still did some interviews as he continued to fall, so give him some credit.

And it was the right pick for Cleveland. By taking Quinn now as opposed to get a top 5 QB pick next year, they save money and will have a QB with a years experience. Remember how great Manning was in his rookie year? (And no I'm not comparing Quinn to Manning) Vince Young's year this year was kind of flukey in how they won some of those games. Leinart and Cutler show what rookie QBs do. That and who's the QBs for next year? Brian Brohm and John David Booty? I'll take Quinn now.

I hope the Yankees fire Torre, it will be the stupidest thing they could do.

Brave Sir Robin said...

I hate Quinn with an undying passion, and while I was giddy with his free fall, I sure don't begrudge him running and hiding.

On the other hand, people need to realize that high picks aren't as great as you would think. They put the team into salary cap hell (see early years of teh Browns) and there's a lot more room for them being "busts." So, the Browns get Quinn cheaper $$$ wise, have a quarterback an extra year (because we would take one next year probably), avoid having to make another expensive pick, and might actually not be in the top 5 anyway.

I don't like Quinn, but I'm ok with this.

Brave Sir Robin said...

And apparently Jhawk posted while I was typing dammit.

chitown italian said...

My favorite event from this past weekend: Win the BCS championship and go straight to not getting drafted.

I guess it's a wait and see with the Bears and Chris Leak. Angelo must be getting kick backs from UF to draft their QB's (Shanoff do you know about thing about the payoffs to Angelo).

Hell, I guess Leak can't be worse than Rick Mirer or Cade McClown.

Lowlife said...

That little jab at OSU was a tad below the belt, Dan. Okay, Florida owns us, but don't be dicks about it. I met far too many nice Florida fans at the Final Four to dislodge the idea that I could hate Florida, so just be thankful that your Florida fans are a lot more respectful than you.

Trey (formerly TF) said...

Dan, what's so amazing about the Warriors fact that they are using the Villanova 4 guard offense to do it.

Who'd guess that would work in the NBA?

Joe(Dayton)

Patriots64 said...

Marshawn Lynch will the primary back for the Bills while Peterson will split carries with Chester Taylor, I would consider him a good bet for Offensive ROY.

Unknown said...

I'm surprised Ohio State had that many drafted. The seniors on the team, overall, weren't impressive.
OSU does, for this year, have the most first round pplayers picked all-time. That counts for something against the johnny-come-lately's from Gainesville.

I was surprised to see you put Anthony Gonzales on the OROY list...but that does make perfect sense. A possession receiver who loves to go across the middle playing with Peyton Manning? Gonzo lands in a perfect spot.

I think the whole green room thing during the draft is dumb anyways. I can do without that part.

Pitching injuries tend to doom teams, so its not surprise that the yankees are in trouble. But it is 'just' April.

Joey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
marcomarco said...

If the Boss does fire Torre, I fully expect to see him on ESPN for the rest of the season before taking over Terry Francona's job in Boston on December 1.

You're crazy. I have all of the respect in the world for Torre, but he would NOT be a good fit in the boston clubhouse.

Furthermore, Francona is the perfect personality/manager/leader for the job. Francona has 2 years left on his contract anyway. Theo's not canning Francona after they win a title.

Joey said...

Dan, the Florida stuff is getting really old. We get it, you are a bandwagon fan.

I'm a big Ohio State fan and Browns fan. I would have loved to have gotten Troy Smith as early as the 4th round. I hate Notre Dame, but even I can see that Quinn has the better future as an NFL QB. I do think Troy Smith ended up in a great situation in Baltimore as much as I hate the Ravens.

Anyone criticizing the Browns must not have watched them at all. Thomas, Quinn, and Wright are exactly the kind of players they needed, guys who can start this year and perform well.

I'm willing to bet that the Browns won't have a top 5 pick next year if their main guys stay healthy.

Anthony Gonzalez is going to fill the Stokely slot receiver role nicely for the Colts. Who are DBs going to guard on that team?

Also, OSU now has the most 1st round picks all time passing USC with their 2 selections.

Jingoist said...

As a lifelong Pats fan, I have to wonder, with Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Reche Caldwell and Wes Welker (also your KR/PR) as your Top 4 WRs, does Troy Brown fit anymore in the Pat's family tree? Who's the #5? I guarantee, within the local media, THAT will be as big a story, if not bigger, than Randy Moss' 1st camp with the Pats.

Don't forget, Troy was still #2 in receptions last year (behind Caldwell).

But this is what the Pats do every year. Bring in about 100 WRs and try them out during camp only to have them inevitably fall into one of the following categories:

1. Release the guy nobody wanted anyway.

2. Release the guy who didn'y play last year due to injury, but they tried him out to see if they catch a sleeper.

3. Leave a 1st or 2nd year Free Agent WR on the practice squad (a la Bam Childress) until someone inevitably gets hurt or benched.

4. The slacker who gets benched and eventually PIP'd or, worse, just left off the active list each week (my money's on Chad Jackson this season).

5. Sign a FA WR, try him out, keep him on the practice squad, release him, sign him, release sign him, release him. This all happens within a 72 hour period. Then Week 8 of the season will roll around and they will re-sign the guy and he'll be starting opposite Troy Brown because Randy Moss has turf toe, Reche "Saucer Eyes" Caldwell has a case of the dropsies, Donte reverts to Donte from New Orleans, and Wes Welker is discovered to really be a disguised Tim Dwight after he let his hair grow 2 inches.

TRUST ME, this will all happen.

And still, at the end of the season, you will look at the stats and see that Troy Brown, again, ranks in the top 3 WR stats on the Pats despite signing a minimum veteran deal, giving his heart and soul on the field, not to mention playing DB/PR/KR as much as he will be a WR. He's a chameleon. Just when you think he's not there, he pops up in 1 of any number of places, always doing something positive when you look back on Monday at the game reel.

Patriots64 said...

Quote form the genuis: Belichick said the acquisition of Moss will not affect the team's plans to bring back free agent Troy Brown, assuming Brown's injured knee returns to health. "I spoke on that a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't changed for me," he said . . .

Johnny Eclectic said...

As a Sox fan, I say this in all sincerity, but I'd rather have Terry Francona as manager than Joe Torre.

This is no knock on Torre, other than his bullpen issues, I think he's an all-time great manager, I just think Francona's a great fit for the Red Sox. I can't see them jettisoning him this winter. His decision making is good, and he throws himself under the bus for his players time and time again, I son't see where Joe Torre would make the Sox a better team.

Unknown said...

I'm glad someone else called Dan on the Torre to coach the Red Sox comment. What the hell kind of logic is that? The Red Sox have the perfect manager for this team - the players love him, they play hard for him - and they won a friggin World Series with him two years ago. There is no way that Theo fires Francona to bring in Torre.

If anything when and if The Boss cans Joe - he'll take the season off and then make his way to one of a handful of teams that underachieves this season and fires their manager - the Red Sox are hanging with Francona for awhile.

verbal97 said...

As I've mentioned a couple of times, Torre's bullpen management this season has been atrocious (and that's me being kind). Even still, it would be a colossal mistake to fire him.

Words of warning to Pats fans..."let's not suck each other's dicks quite yet".

There are a couple people that have said this and I agree, Brady Quinn is BETTER off falling to 22. He'll have less pressure on him, and he goes to Charlie Weis' former colleage.

And who the f*** is Kirk Radomski?

Brian in Oxford said...

I don't think that Torre would go to another team anyways....Doesn't he have a house in Hawai'i? He's in his mid-to-late 60s and really doesn't have anything to prove. The Yanks job came with something to prove for him, because it was his 4th managing job.

Anonymous said...

as a colts fan i cannot beleive this trade wow can we please euthanize al davis wtf a fourth rounder to the best team in the league already. Why.

Oh and i too picked the warriors, hello 67 dollars.

Unknown said...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nba_experts/post/Zero-tolerance;_ylt=Asg4VeLI6yWXeWaHB6tceLu8vLYF?urn=nba,30607

Good blog entry on Agent Zero. Like most NBAers, he espouses the me-first attitude that the NBA loves.

Dan, Good pick on GS over Dallas. I thought you were nuts on that one. However I felt very strongly that NJ was better than Toronto. Only at the end of the year did they have their whole team sort of healthy and they played great down the stretch.

Heat never had a chance. Shaq is getting old and Wade is injured and really not the superstar everyone thinks he is. He is a very good solid player but there are at least 25-30 guys as talented in the NBA.

mbryan06 said...

seriously, shanoff, could you try an objective view for once.

if a UF player projected in the top 5 dropped like Quinn, all you would have written was how dumb teams were to pass on him and how much they'll regret it. (WORST. DRAFT. MISTAKE. EVER.)

Instead of saying how big a pussy Quinn was, your take would be how great Goodell has been as commissioner with the players and what a great move that was for a kid who didn't deserve to be hounded by the cameras.

I realize its "cool" for you to jump on the ND-hating bandwagon (I'm no fan of the Domers and their undeserved BCS appearances either), but seriously try and hide your bias juuust a little.

The Poobah said...

Two things...

Dan, you look like a genius for picking Golden State to upset Dallas. We thought you were insane, and it looks like the Mavs cannot stop Baron Davis. Kudos.

Second, I HATE Notre Dame and HATE HATE Quinn. But gimme a break Dan. You just love to take the extra shot. The big story is how the NFL "hid" him. Didn't he do an interview with Suzy Kolber at about pick 15 or so? What more do you want? People to come by and spit at him? Enough.

And Reggie Nelson as Defensive Rookie of the Year? Ha. That's rich.

Unknown said...

I don't think Randy Moss is that big a deal. He is definitely on the decline. Now maybe the trade will jumpstart his motivation but I don't see it. What happens the first time he thinks he is open and Brady doesn't throw to him? Probably the biggest motivational factor was that he was traded for a 4th rounder. That is the definition of former superstar. Do you think the Raiders would have taken a 4th rounder if any of the other 31 teams in the league offered even a 3rd rounder?

Geoff said...

Golden State hasn't won yet so lets not give pick of the year to Dan quite yet. He isn't redeemed for his stupid Miami winning the title pick unless GS wins one more.

But yeah, watching Quinn drop and drop and drop was the moment of the year. I liked Kornheiser talking about how fans start to feel bad and just pray for someone to pick him to end it... hell no... I was enjoying every moment.

Andy Roberts said...

I will say that I wanted Carolina to draft Nelson once they had traded down. I actually thought that was why they did, and maybe it was, and they just didn't see Jacksonville picking him.

Carolina's last 6 1st-rounders are on the team and still contributing (Morgan, Peppers, Gross, Gamble, T. Davis and Williams), so I place my trust in the Panthers' front office.

Mikepcfl said...

I'm one of those Notre Dame haters as well, but even I felt sorry for Quinn. And I agree with someone yesterday who posted he would have been better off with the girl in the crowd holding the "I want Brady" sign.

Also, even as a Ravens fan, I love Troy Brown as a player. If the Pats are stupid enough not to bring him back because of Moss, I hope the Ravens get him as a #3 WR. Every team needs a player like him to win.

Unknown said...

Brian-

Good to meet you at the O's game on thursday. I was sitting with my bro in the 8th and when they decided to walk Tek to get to Wily Mo I just said to him "No. Bad idea. Just bad." Sure enough he kills one that really didn't look as far on BB2N when I got home. You really don't see many homers land in the visitor's pen at Camden. And I loved your Stratego reference.

Quinn... In my opinion it was a good move because if you work for the Browns what do you care if you waste picks from the future? You aren't likely to be there now are you?

Moss... I'm also on the bandwagon of "what the hell should the Pats winning the SB odds be?" I mean seriously people. 3 to 2? I can't see higher than 5 to 2.

Dan Mega-

Your assertion that the series to watch is in the East is quite humorous. I'm less excited for Bulls/Pistons than I am for Warriors/Mavs.

And if you don't like the Yankees, you will like this article...
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?
columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2853523

Unknown said...

Note: I posted this here during the offseason the day that Torre wasn't fired after the Tigers series last year.

OK, so here's the thing...
Why would George fire Torre?

We all know Torre is a bad manager, but if he was going to be fired for being a bad manager it would have been in the post-2004 ALCS.

BTW, I'm not making up this next thing...

Joe torre once (2 years ago) switched his lineup and had this: Bernie Williiams: CF and Kenny Lofton: DH

Everyone knows that Bernie is as good in center as steven hawking and that lofton is above average. It's not playing lofton over Bernie, if he played Bernie instead nobody would have cared. It was playing both and having Bernie in CF and Lofton DH.

When asked by a reporter what the hell this was about, Torre said "Bernie hits better when he fields"... ummm right.

Torre puts A-rod 8th?!?!? I mean if the guy thinks he stinks and therefore can't hit, drop him to the 8 spot. That'll boost his confidence.

Benching Sheff (righty) game 3 against Rogers (lefty) and Giambi (lefty) game 4 against Bonderman (righty)? I mean that's like some mistake most high school coaches don't make.

The bottom line is that managers don't have to do much (unless you're in the NL and you have to pull that tricky double switch) and what he does have to do he screws up and he has the best players.

So if you don't fire him now what on earth gets this guy fired? Does he have to drive around the parking lot with a world series trophy hanging from his bumper?

Big Blog of Basketball Lists said...

I'm not so sure this is any less pressure for Brady Quinn.

He may have fallen from #3 to #22, but the Browns still had to give up a 1st rounder to get him.

There are a lot of words you can use to describe Browns fans. "Rational" and/or "patient" aren't two that I would choose.

Dan makes a prescient point about Troy Smith (whether Dan intended it this way or not). What if Troy Smith steps in and plays well for the Ravens while Quinn struggles? A local kid gets drafted by your most hated rival and outplays the "savior" you had to trade up for? That might be the final nail in the coffin of the already severely damaged psyche of the average Browns fan.

verbal97 said...

"So if you don't fire him now what on earth gets this guy fired? Does he have to drive around the parking lot with a world series trophy hanging from his bumper?"

hahahahahahaha

Unknown said...

Side Note:

How about Keyshawn Johnson... Whilt kind of a prick he always came across as intellegent, well spoken, and pining for a broadcasting career.

I'd say he's in good shape aftger the draft. He made good opinions, didn't scream over people, and generally sounded better than Steve Young and Chris Berman.

The only question is which tv network signs him in two years. (I believe he said he'd only play in the NFL for 10-12 seasons) We'll see if that's really the case

Richard K. said...

From the draft:

Big Winner: Detroit

They got the best player in the draft and found a QB to develop. Consider the alternative:

Big Loser: Oakland

Think about it this way...instead of Calvin Johnson and Drew Stanton, they got JaMarcus Russell and Zach Miller. Oh, and they don't have any WR targets now.

Bigger Loser: ME!!!

I had Chester Taylor as a keeper in my fantasy league. That sucks.

Big Blog of Basketball Lists said...

Not sure if these have been updated post-draft, but I could find only one sportsbook that I check regularly which is offering future bets on the Super Bowl champ right now.

The Patriots are listed as +405, which estimates to roughly 4:1.

Here is the odds for everyone (not exact, rough estimate based on actual odds... most sportsbooks don't offer the traditional "5:1" kind of bets):

Chargers 7:1
Colts 8:1
Broncos 12:1
Panthers 16:1
Bengals 18:1
Bears 18:1
Saints 20:1
Seahawks 20:1
Jaguars 20:1
Eagles 22:1
Ravens 22:1
Steelers 26:1
Cowboys 28:1
Giants 30:1
49ers 30:1
Cardinals 35:1
Jets 40:1
Titans 40:1
Falcons 40:1
Redskins 40:1
Texans 40:1
Dolphins 45:1
Bucs 45:1
Rams 60:1
Chiefs 60:1
Packers 70:1
Vikings 85:1
Bills 105:1
Lions 105:1
Browns 105:1
Raiders 145:1

Mikepcfl said...

Eric, good point on Keyshawn. I despised him when he came into the league (Just throw me the damn ball!) But I have noticed and also read several times in the past couple seasons that he seems to have matured and become a good teammate. Sometimes, these guys just need to grow up. I actually think Keyshawn did it.

Jingoist said...

While I do like Steve McNair and have always admired the way he plays the game, someone explain to me please how the "Experts" think Smith caught a break dropping to the 5th round because he went to a good offensive system in Baltimore?

Last time I checked, the Pee Wee football team coached by Rick Moranis in "Little Giants" had more offensive prowess than the Ravens. And that's even considering they were improved last year over the previous 3 or 4 years.

I think it's a bit of a stretch, but that's not to say Smith won't do well in Baltimore.

Big Blog of Basketball Lists said...

@eric

I noticed Keyshawn did a good job too. Especially when they put him on the spot and asked him about what the Panthers should do. It's tough to answer that question without either coming off as an asshole to his teammates, or coming off as boring and just trying to say the safe thing.

He managed to give a candid, interesting and intelligent opinion on it.

Mikepcfl said...

This is in no way a defense of Torre as a manager, because it is obvious he is not an in-game genius. But I wanted to address the point of some players hitting better when they field.

It may all be mental, but I know of several players who cant hit worth shit as a DH, but do better when they are playing the field as well. Sheffield is having that problem this year, Delgado was that was in Toronto, and so Williams could have been the same. So in practice, that is not as crazy as it sounds.

ToddTheJackass said...

"Your triumphs mean nothing. You all stink. You can sit on it, and rotate!"

MLB Studs and Duds from yesterday:

Studs:
1. John Maine
2. Fausto Carmona
3. Jamie Moyer
4. Brandon Inge
5. Scott Thorman

Duds:
1. Mike Cameron
2. Paul Maholm
3. Brandon McCarthy
4. Hideki Matsui
5. Johnny Damon

ndyanksfan05 said...

Quinn knew he wouldn't go to the early 20s after miami passed so why should he sit there for no reason...he went to the back (at the request of Goodall) and did several interviews with Suzy despite the fact...you are so full of hate dan that you look like an idiot.

Browns played it perfectly. They got their O-lineman, knew that only a couple teams would even consider a QB and gambled that Quinn would slip a litte. They knew if he got past Miami they could wait for him to go to probably mid 20s, wait on that, trade up for him, only losing a first round pick next year which they would have to use on a QB (booty or brohm?) because they were able to let him fall and they get the QB they wanted at a discount. Great draft by the Browns.

Quinn handled himself pretty f-ing well considering how far he dropped - he never whined about anything and basically said he was obviously disappointed in falling but was very excited to get to go to the browns with what he considers is a future pro-bowler/hall of famer in thomas protecting his blind side. If you look at the browns right now, they might be a pretty dangerous team next year (not a super bowl contender by any means but a possible .500 team).

Travis said...

Comeon Todd....

MLB STUD

Hideki Okajima

2IP 4 K vs Yankees

ToddTheJackass said...

Yeah, I'd love to see the Yankees fire Torre, but that's because I'm a Red Sox fan and I think it'd be a really stupid move on Steinbrenner's part.

The Yankees have struggled in past Aprils before and righted the ship under Torre, no reason to expect that won't change once Mussina is healthy and Wang gets into a groove (and if Phil Hughes can pitch well).

But Dan, people are very correct in pointing out that Torre will not come to the Red Sox. Maybe before Francona got here that would've been true, but people, the players, and I think the management are very happy with Francona. While both teams obviously have inflated payrolls, the respective clubhouses are still very different, and I think Torre works best in that "professionalism first" Yankees dugout, and Francona works better in a more laid back, players' manager-type environment.

But, it's fun to see the Yankees struggling (while it lasts).

Travis said...

I think Moss said it best and I wont go find his word for word quote but it basically was

I have made my money and its in the bank, now I want some rings.

He lowered his 2007 slary from over $9 million to $3 million.

No ones gonna give up over $6 million then go be a complete ass when he could have stayed in Oakland and have been a complete ass for the original price.

ndyanksfan05 said...

Oh and all you people making fun of Quinns GF - I am sure you are all pulling amazingly hot tail (i really really wish I could emphasize sarcasm through internet typing)...he's been with that girl since HS and has NO reputation as cheating on her at ND (i was at school throughout his tenure) so give the guy a break...plus she is not unattractive at all

ndyanksfan05 said...

As a Yankees fan I am worried as hell. I don't think firing Torre will do anything for them (except piss the hell out of a bunch of players). Their pitching is attrocious and needs to be fixed. I don't blame Torre at all for any of the troubles and if you think he is intentionally burning out his bullpen just take a look at how his starters are doing (if you don't want to look it up I'd sum it up by saying TERRIBLE). They can't do anything right in terms of pitching and I don't think its Torre's fault if he gives his bullpen a three run lead and they blow it EVERYTIME. Its killing me.

ToddTheJackass said...

I hate Quinn with a passion. With no knowledge of knowing what he's like in person, or if he's a decent guy, I know in my heart that he's a douchebag (how funny now is all of his pleading to be #1 on ESPN now?). It was fun watching him fall, especially after being given the Golden Boy treatement by ESPN for so long. While he'll unfortunately be pretty decent I think, it was fun while it lasted seeing the sense of entitlement erased off his face for a couple hours.

As per Randy Moss and the Pats, I think the days of old Randy Moss are probably over (in terms of performance), but even if he comes over a la Corey Dillon, maybe at 85% of what he previously was during his prime, he'll still be a major factor. Consider this, the Pats got Randy Moss for a 4th round pick, and Wes Welker for a 2nd rounder...

Michael said...

Call me crazy but this GS ove Mava pick isn't exactly rockey science nor was Dan the first to do it. They beat the Mavs all three times they played in the reg. season and everyone on ethe worldwide leader couldn't stop talking baout how the Mavs might be afraid of them. I don't think this series is over though. We are talking about a team that knows how to win (unless they are playing GS or PHX). They have rattley of 3 ten+ winning streaks this season. They shot themselves in the foot last night by not making 10 of 11 in the stretch before dirk decided to hit those last couple of threes. If they can win the one at golden state for game 6 you are looking at a 7 game Mavs win in what will be one of the great series of this playoffs and the introduction of Baron Davis (and his hobo beard)to the no basketball following community.

After rambling I guess my point is this wouldn't be that huge of an upset to anyone who pays attention to Bball and the series still isn't over
Go Mavs

Michael said...

sorry to not spell check that post BTW

ndyanksfan05 said...

I can't see Randy Moss being the extra help the Patriots need to win a super bowl. He is just another receiver at this point...he is WELL over the hill.

verbal97 said...

by the way, I fully expect the Mavs to comeback and win the series. Didn't any of you learn from Tracy McGrady?

Unknown said...

mikepcfl-

I understand the quasi-psychological issue of hitting better when you field. But at that point in time the statement made no sense. Remember Bernie wasn't a great hitter at the end and he probably wasn't even as good as Lofton.

Also remember that Lofton is about a million times better in the field than Bernie and you will understand the statement better.

ndyanksfan05 said...

Can anyone explain the Ginn pick by the Dolphins? He is fast, but he is not a top ten pick...he wasn't even the best receiver on his team (Gonzalez was much better). I am not saying they should have taken Quinn necessarily but Ginn seems like a poor choice, expecially considering he might not even be ready for camp.

Unknown said...

Apparently I was right.

I know we are going slightly back in time here but I constantly made fun of Big East football this year. Here's a stat for you:

The Big East had the fewest guys drafted this weekend behind even the WAC, as well as having 3 first day picks.

Wow. That's just really pathetic.

Unknown said...

ndyanks-

I know the Ginn pick looks bad, but some were saying he might be the next Devin "Gets 7" Hester, with the added bonus that he could be a better offensive player than Hester is on defense.

Sure this might not pan out the way they want it to, but Quinn was overrated and not worth a 9 pick. If I were the 'Fins I would've traded the pick and gotten a pick (maybe the 22?) to take Quinn. Like trade your 9th pick to the Cowboys for their 22nd and a 5th rounder. You get your QB and another pick.

ndyanksfan05 said...

I'd agree the dolphins should have traded that pick instead of taken Ginn if they were really not interested in Quinn. He is definitely a talent, but he is not a top ten pick. Do you really want to spend all that money and a top pick on a kick returner?

Unknown said...

...Big East

LSU had more guys drafted in the 1st round (4) than the Big East had on the 1st day (3).

Jen said...

@ revscott~ your #2 had me rolling: "I think I know why teams were passing up on Quinn! The teams saw his girlfriend and thought, "Holy shit...he's drunk! He has the beer goggles..."

@ndyanks~ "he's been with that girl since HS and has NO reputation as cheating on her at ND (i was at school throughout his tenure) so give the guy a break...plus she is not unattractive at all"

Just call me a jealous, 30-something, married girl then! LOL

She looks like a stripper to me. I'm with revscott that she does NOT look like the girls from Miami U. There had to be better-looking girls at ND.

Brian in Oxford said...

she's not AJ Hawk's sister, right? that'd be um....weird.

I don't think the Pats expect 90 catches, 1300 yards from Moss. But really....Brady could use some better targets (if Caldwell catches that bunny uncovered on the right sideline....well, you know...)

Are the Pats and Jets becoming the Sox and Yanks of football?

How about the unassisted triple play for a Stud yesterday? Now Tulowitzki is immortalized along with Mickey Morandini, John Valentin, Randy Velarde...and of course, George Burns.

Wasn't there a draft maybe 5-6 years ago where more Dartmouth people got drafted than Ohio Staters? I wouldn't jump up and down too much on the Big East. Musta been all underclassmen going undefeated in bowl games! :)

Mikepcfl said...

Guyinthecorner, I wasnt trying to defend the Williams/Lofton decision specifically. Just a general point that there is a school of thought that some players hit better when they play the field. So in theory, Torre could have had a point. But your points about Williams' hitting/fielding at that point are valid/

Ryan said...

As a Cardinals fan and Rams fan, I really could have cared less about the NFL draft this weekend. I did watch quite a bit, but when I woke up and heard the news about Josh Hancock, that's all I read about yesterday.

RIP.

ToddTheJackass said...

So at what point can we consider the possibility that the Shanoff Curse will apply to Ryan Howard, "the face of baseball?"

Chremdacasi said...

Normally I appreciate your arguments Dan, even if I disagree with them, but this is the best you have for why we should be hating on Brady Quinng?

After all, Quinn was more than happy to take advantage of the original NYC invitation to goose his marketability.

So accepting a chance to boost marketability makes him a villain and as such he needs to stay out there. For crying out loud, you self-promote at least twice as much as Quinn does, and I just accept it as part of the business, what's wrong with him accpeting an invite to NYC? If you think he's a schmoe for self-promoting then back off on the self-promotion yourself (Varsity Dad and T-shirt sales among others), otherwise realize that you and he are the same guy, selling your brand to make as much money as possible.

Unknown said...

Does anyone else think that it is weird that all 13 of the unassisted triple plays in history have been either a 2nd baseman or shortstop catching a line drive stepping on 2nd and tagging a guy from 1st base?

I was part of a triple play in little league. I was playing 1st base and there were runners on 1st and 3rd. I was holding the runner on and guarding the line because we were up 2 in the 9th. There was a line drive above my head that I jumped and caught and stuck out my foot to land on the bag and then I gunned down the guy off 3rd.

What do you think is the next easiest way to get an unassisted triple play.

Paul said...

Hope you like crow, served a la Brown. Too bad the prep time is one year. Besides, your weak analysis of the Brown draft is bound to blow up in your face instant-karma style considering your crass treatment of Quinn.

Unknown said...

I find it completely ridiculous that the Browns took a 15 year old Brady Quinn at the 22 pick. And to think that Marc Bulger didn't go till 168th and Tom Brady didn't go till 119th.

ToddTheJackass said...

What other positions could possibly turn unassisted triple plays?

You have to rule out the OF, since they'd then have to run all the way to the IF to get at least one at a bag, then another via the tag. They'd definitely throw it in at that point.

Catcher or Pitcher are both unlikely, even in the case of a squeeze gone horribly wrong, they'd throw the ball to a base for third out.

3B would be hard since presumably the runner on 2B would have to be in motion with a runner on 3rd, and you'd never do that with less than 2 outs and bases loaded.

1B is really only in position to get 2 outs as well, as you couldn't get all 3 outs at first base.

So middle infield around 2B really is the only place I think it's possible.

Unknown said...

I might believe it was possible for a center fielder. If there was a ball in the triangle (CF, 2B, SS) and the CF calls the other two off and is running in from the outfield. Catches the ball and runs straight through to step on 2nd (because there would be nobody there) and then tag the guy running from 1st. The only problem would be that the guy running from 1st can easily see the CF coming. It would have to be a hit and run.

Mikepcfl said...

re: Quinn's girlfriend. AOL Sports had a link to her college soccer bio. She is much cuter in her soccer bio pic than at the draft on Saturday. She may have just gotten overly made up for the draft. She looks like she is naturally pretty hot.

ToddTheJackass said...

Boy, Buster Olney just made a great point in regards to Torre. Basically saying that firing Torre would definitely hurt (if not kill) the Yankees chances of landing Clemens.

Brian in Oxford said...

I could see a third baseman turning 3, if they had an Ortiz or Bonds-like shift on.

The first basemen who've done it I think were playing back, and after tagging the runner for out 2, sprinted to second to beat the runner there trying to come back.

Mayyyybe, an outfielder could make a diving catch shallow, and get up and catch two runners at second. After all, occasionally outfielders do get unassisted DOUBLE plays like that.

The only triple play I was involved with had something to do with rundowns, I tagged out the last guy trying to dive back to first.

stooncer said...

Man, New England is looking pretty tough to argue against for next season's front runner. The question I have is who will influence Stallworth more; Moss or Brady? The guy is talented, but has a history with attitude vs. performance. If his attitude heads south playing second banana to Moss and Moss' attitude heads south for whatever reason, it could all blow up.

You know, not that I'm wishing or anything.

Unknown said...

Brian-

You missed me. There has never been an unassisted triple play that wasn't a 2nd baseman or shortstop getting a line drive, stepping on 2nd, and tagging a guy coming from first.

Unknown said...

My favorite thing about the triple play was the confusion. Renteria who was off of 1st was so confused that he stood still and didn't attempt to run back to first. Then there was Tulowitzki who was so confused that he threw the ball to first base after he tagged Renteria. Two things here:

How is this play confusing for Renteria? You were on base. A guy hit a ball. It was caught. You run back. Did I miss something?

How is this confusing for Tulowitzki? You tagged Renteria. He's out. There's no such thing as you tagged him and he's not out. Why did you throw the ball to first?

Brian in Oxford said...

Two of the 13 were done by first baseman. Some retrosheet type website should verify that. I think Wambsganss (sp?) was a first baseman for his in the world series.

The process is definitely the same for all 13 (1st and 2nd, ball caught)...

Here's an idea I'd like to see, just for poops and giggles. I'd like to see a team turn 4, on a ground ball back to the pitcher with the bases loaded. 1-2-5-4-3, even though the last throw to first is unnecessary.

Unknown said...

My bad, Brain-

Johnny Neun and George Burns were both 1st basemen.

Unknown said...

When Keyshawn was asked if he thought Jarrett made a mistake by coming out early...and Keyshawn hesitated as if thinking "maybe i should be politically correct....nah, fuck it"...and said that Jarrett made a mistake...ESPN could strike gold with him as an analyst in the future.
It's one thing for a retired guy to make candid comments..but a guy still playing? That's pretty good.
Seemed to like riling Kiper up too.

Unknown said...

Wierd baseball occurences:

10 RBI game: 10
Steal home twice in a game: 11
"Natural" Cycle: 13
Unassisted triple play: 13
4 home run game: 15
4 straight strikeouts in an inning: 16
Perfect game: 17

Brian in Oxford said...

We still need the 4 homer game where it's one of each...solo, 2-run, 3-run, slam.

Has anyone ever reached first on a dropped 3rd strike ("stealing first base") and then stolen 2nd, 3rd, and home?

How about 2 slams in a game? That's only about 12 times or so I think.

Although not as rare, I remember that no-hitters and cycles generally run neck and neck.

If anyone could tell me this, I've wondered for years, what's the most times a home team has answered a score in extra innings? like, re-tying the game in the 10th, 12th, and 15th innings...

Unknown said...

I'm on this Brain...

Unknown said...

Grand slams...
2 in a game is 12 times. We all know that Fernando Tatis was the only one who hit 2 in an inning and Bill Mueller is the only one to hit 1 from each side of the plate. Strange thing though; no center or left fielder has ever done it. Every other position has, yes, including pitcher.

ToddTheJackass said...

Dan, you'd be proud. Gilbert Arenas was announced as the cover boy for NBA Live '08, EA's basketball game.

"It makes my whole rehabbing that much better now," wrote Arenas in his NBA.com blog. "Because while rehabbing, all I'm thinking about is, 'I'm on the cover of Live.'"

After describing the honor as being "better than a Wheaties box," Arenas tipped fans off to when they could expect to see his mug gracing retail shelves, saying "October 1 or 2. Y'all be at them stores."

Matt said...

jeeze dude relax, every freaking question he was asked all day about how he was feeling and what was going through his mind was answered with class.

he held his head high and when kolber was talking all he said was he will just stay positive and even made jokes referring to ordering food because he didnt know how long he wss going to be around.

Why are you not talking crap about Leinhart last year? he was visibally more pissed that Brady was this year, and he didnt wait half as long as Brady did this year.

How would you react of you dreams were being crushed before your eyes? im sure you would just take it with smiles huh? He handled ot with class and that fact that people like you are killing him because he didnt feel like suzy kolber asking him the same stupid questions 2x an houris pathetic. You really needed to see this kid with more humilation and saddness. grow up

Unknown said...

273 Cycles
233* No Hitters

So not quite neck and neck.

*=242 including combined no hitters

DP said...

who wants to wager with me on troy smith and chris leak having better careers than brady queen and ja-dumbass russell? Seriously, in ten years this is going to be one of those Sportscenter specials. Say what you want about skill, sometimes it is the guys who can win the big ones. Now smith lost one of his big ones (BCS) but he also won most of his big ones (Michigan). I just somehow see this happening especially since one has an aging QB (mcnair) ahead of him, and other has sexy rexy in front of him (injury prone).

J. D. said...

What was the deal with Brandon Siler's plummet? He was projected in the 2nd or 3rd, and went to San Diego in the 7th. ESPN & Yahoo! commentators each said something about character issues, but that doesn't make sense. I've followed him since high school, and haven't heard anything (before today) other than he was a good person and a good player. Did something come out in the last couple of days that I missed?

NA said...

Few things:

1. Found this on AOL Fanhouse - If you're wondering, the blond sitting next to Quinn at Radio City Music Hall is his girlfriend, Miami of Ohio soccer player Lindy Slinger.
(Upon 2nd look, this has been mentioned)

2. By far the most unimpressive of the really rare baseball plays in the unassisted triple play. Seems to me that it's mostly a chance thing and doesn't really have to do with anything other than right place right time. Tulowitzki didn't make a great play on the ball, he was right where he should have been.

Brian in Oxford said...

I agree, it's definitely lucky, but still a measurable instant of something pretty cool.

Has anyone ever made the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd outs of the same inning on separate at-bats?

Unknown said...

Brian-

That happens alot. In fact I think that it happened in front of our eyes the other day with the O's vs. Dustin Pedroia.

Unknown said...

Why does everyone hate Quinn?

I am not a ND fan but not really a hater either. Quinn seems like a decent pro prospect from what I have seen. I don't really understand the hate. He is not really responsible for being overhyped by the media.

Anyone have a link to a picture of his girlfriend? Just curious now after all the discussion.

Brian in Oxford said...

no no, I mean offensively. Like the team bats around twice, and you're the only guy who can't get on base.

DP said...

@cycledan

his girlfriend is cute dude. Clearly revscottdemangemd thinks that he can get better in between games of Dungeons and Dragons. There are always haters. The girl is cute. So many losers think they can get any girl they want because of our mysognist society that thinks Axe commercials are reality. Just mark it down us human stupidity.

pv845 said...

I just had a random thought at work about this whole Quinn thing with Dan. I wonder if he will have the same sort of disdain this summer when Joke-im Noah is sitting the the room while the real basketball players are selected ahead of him. Does anyone think that Dan would feel the same way as he does about Quinn.

Unknown said...

From this picture, his girlfriend is really cute:
http://muredhawks.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/slinger_lindy00.html

Brian in Oxford said...

that's a pretty cute picture, the big hair in back notwithstanding.

Unknown said...

Brain-

Im pretty sure that has never happend. I do remember an inning the O's played somewhere in the 1996 era where Tony Tarasco (the guy Jeffrey Maier took the ball from) led off and struck out. Then the next 8 batters consisted of 5 homers (Cal, Chris Hoiles, BJ Surhoff, Rafi, someone who I can't remember), 2 singles, and a walk. Tarasco came up again and grounded into a double play.

Travis said...

The NY Jets dont belong in the same paragraph as the Patriots let alone the same sentence.


John Valentin followed up his unassisted triple play for Boston with a homerun the next half inning.


As someone mentioned, if in a Ortiz, Bonds, Giambi shift a 3B could turn a Unassisted triple play, though I doubt any team employs that shift with a man on second cause heck even Cecil Fielder could steal that third base.

Brian in Oxford said...

Last Thursday Ortiz was up with Dustin Pedroia on third. The shift was definitely on, and Pedroia had a 30 foot lead....coulda been more, too, since Loewen on the mound is a lefty and had his back to him.

I know you don't want to take the bat out of your #3 hitter. But good god, that just SCREAMED for him to steal home.

Andy Roberts said...

@Bluebird

You're pretty funny. Smith better than Quinn or Russell. That's a good one. I laughed out loud for sure. And the rationale of him winning the big ones (with a shit ton of teammates who got drafted ahead of him and were better than he was, BTW) is even funnier.

And when did ESPN ever give Quinn the Golden Boy treatment? Seems to me they spent an awful lot of time tearing Quinn to shreds last year and pumping up the Troy's Myth for Heisman bandwagon. They covered him a lot, but they sure as hell didn't treat him like a golden boy.

Brian in Oxford said...

I think Quinn got followed around a lot on SportsCenter last week...the filming of his EAS commercial. The weekly appearances on Mike and Mike in the morning. I can definitely see how that can come off as being a golden boy.

Travis said...

The difference though is they'd have a shot at Pedroia at home, but with no one even at third base thats more inviting to steal.

Unknown said...

What Pedroia did was with the bases full and 2 out. He tried to make Loewen try to do something stupid by breaking towards home for about 5 steps before Lowen stepped off.

ToddTheJackass said...

ESPN treated Quinn like the Golden Boy in the past few weeks leading up to the draft. He was everywhere on Sportscenter, and they couldn't do a single draft segment it seemed like without somehow mentioning him. I already hated him, but what made his falling so hilarious was his plea that he should go #1. I know that's what you're supposed to say, but he just had a cockiness/sense of entitlement about him that you love to hate.

Also, everyone I've ever known who has hair like he does has been a total douchebag. Even when my girlfriend, who doesn't pay attention to sports, saw him talking on Sportscenter during one of his 79 appearances, she asked, "Who's that guy? He looks like a total asshat".

But I'm an avid hater, so I'm hardly an objective source on this.

Unknown said...

Travis-

The problem would be that unless your third baseman was really slow he would be able to beat a slow guy to third from what is basically shortstop with that shift on.

I'd love to see this happen because the best way would actually be for the pitcher to just break towards third without throwing.

ndyanksfan05 said...

Quinn probably should have told everyone he should be a top twenty pick instead of saying he should go number 1...thats a great mentality going into the draft - who doesn't say they deserve to be/want to go number one in the draft? Calling Quinn out for that is stupid. He promoted himself, just like any other player should/would. He worked his ass of leading up to the draft to be the best possible player he could be and promoted himself to be a marketable talent in the NFL...saying those things are negative is stupid.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else switch off ESPN's coverage of the Draft for NFL Network? Please raise your hand if you did so.

*raises hand*

Natsfan74 said...

Not sure if it is a statistical oddity, but it was fun to watch the Nationals last week in Philadelphia turn 2 double plays on the Ryan Howard shift which went 4-5-3 with the 3rd baseman (Ryan Zimmerman) making the turn at 2nd from the shift position.

ndyanksfan05 said...

It seems like people are trying to make stuff up in order to get shots in at Quinn (see Dan's idiotic rant to begin his blog)...all he did throughout his career was play hard, work hard and stay out of trouble (not to mention get a dual degree with great grades at a very difficult school). But now that he struggled on draft day you see asses like Dan try to kick the guy when he was down by making up shit like "he is a wus for being invited into the commisioners suite during the draft"...its sad and just makes you look petty.

Brian in Oxford said...

Of course, other possibilities with the runner at 3rd are:

a) step off and run towards the base runner

and

b) drill the batter with the pitch...although with bases loaded, not a good idea. Otherwise, it's a dead ball and the runner goes back to 3rd. (common anti-squeeze technique)

I like the idea that it's okay to fake a throw to 3rd base without it being a balk, as a defense against the big lead.

Technically, it's illegal for a runner to try to incite a balk, but yeah, they don't call that.

chitown italian said...

You mean I CAN NOT get with the Right Guard Xtra (RGX) smokin' hot brunette?

Damn it, I just bought a case of that stuff.

ToddTheJackass said...

NDYanks, your opinion of Quinn and mine can more or less be eliminated from any objectivity in this conversation. You're an apologetic homer, and I'm an unabashed hater.

I do wish Dan would chime in more to the comments though, as I'd be curious to know more of his angle on the hatred.

But I will say that for a lot of people, Notre Dame still is in the Duke caliber of teams that everyone loves to hate, because they have so much pull nationally. Notre Dame hasn't had great success in the past few years (they've especially sucked against BC), so the hate has been less so recently. But considering that doesn't go along with Dan's instant history, and Notre Dame isn't a Florida rival, I'm not sure why he hates Brady Quinn so.

ndyanksfan05 said...

I have no problem with not liking Quinn-but attacking him on basely crap like "running for cover" and stuff like that is classless. I have no problem if you think his drop in the draft was warrented...but the shit being said is retarded. The fact that Dan can't figure out anything sports related to argue about Quinn shows a lack of journalistic ability and a complete lack of class.

ndyanksfan05 said...

I thought this was a sports blog - not people magazine - I could give a crap about his hair or girlfriend.

ToddTheJackass said...

I'm not so sure it shows a complete lack of class by Dan (I'll say I laughed everytime I saw Brady Quinn just sitting there in disbelief), but as per journalistic ability, I think with this blog Dan really has transformed himself more from a columnist to a blogger. That seems obvious, given that he used to have a column, now he has a blog; but this format allows him to be a little more loose, give his unedited personal opinions on certain people, etc. It's both good (calling certain people out), and bad (his ridiculous vicarious-homerness to Florida), but I think the format doesn't need to yield itself to "journalistic ability" per se.

But like you NDYanks, I wish we could hear more from Dan of why the hatred is. You know, other than Quinn and Notre Dame usurping then losing in BCS games.

Jen said...

chitown~ I'm dying here at your comment! I saw that commercial so much this weekend (since we watched nothing but ESPN or Noggin-it's not on that channel though HAHA) and I thought to myself: "Ok, this very pretty girl is working these commercials for this stuff that probably smells like skunk pee. I wonder if it's gonna sell?"

ToddTheJackass said...

Wow, just read my last post and that was pretty nonsensical, even for me...

How about this. Dan's blog essentially exists to give his opinions on things. He doesn't break any news, have exclusive interviews, etc. He gives his opinions with his own spin on things.

But really, have you ever met anyone who has hair like Brady Quinn that wasn't a douchebag? I haven't... but I've known lots of people who had hair like that. I grew up in the OC after all...

ToddTheJackass said...

BTW, looks like El Duque is headed to the DL, and Chan Ho Park will start in his place... why not Jorge Sosa, who has been dominant in AAA so far?

By the way, to the Red Sox fans out there, top-prospect Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting a cool .455 through April right now. Get excited!

Matt said...

How can you say "Brady Quinn earned the scorn" what has ever done except be a class act?

Amar said...

"There will be no "Re-Heat." Ah, well. Can't pick 'em all correctly."

Yeah well you can at least pick SOME correctly, dumbass. How about your Toronto over Cleveland pick in the second round? And weren't you SOOOOOOOOOO sure a few years back that LeBron would be a Knick or Net by '08?

Blow me.

Marcus T said...

Dear god, I am coming to the defense of a ND player, but the hatred on Quinn by you is wrong. The media hyped him, and the Dolphins were stupid enough not to take him, which is on them. Not on him. He handled it with class while Suzy grilled him with stupid questions about a bad and uncomfortable situation for him.

As for his girlfriend, I originally thought he could do better and still think he could. But she kind of grew on me. She has this attainable hotness to her. Her smile is nice, and her hair was absolutely gorgeous.

*Hits the ground in the fetal position for the queer bashing I usually take for noticing a girl's hair*

Travis said...

Dun wory Todd were well aware and were already ironing his Sox jersey and preparing to run Coco Crisp outta town late this October :)

Kevin said...

Look, I'm not really worried about Moss *fitting in* to the Patriots' clubhouse. I don't think he's the type of cancer that TO is. But I am worried about his production. I know he hasn't had anyone throwing him the ball in Oakland...but have you seen his numbers the past two years? They're awful, considering his hype. Sometimes, guys just lose a step and they go from being All-Stars to mediocre guys...I think that might have happened to Moss...

Matt said...

@ kevin

i don't think moss has lost a step, the pat's timed him at 4.29 and he's still tall, lanky and sure handed. it's just a matter of whether moss feels like playing. i grew up a minnesota fan and moss used to dog it, he'd know if a play was being run to the other side and flat out dog it during the years the vike's weren't competitive. but people forget, randy used to seal the corner and learned his blocking from cris carter, if randy's motivated he's unguardable

Kurt said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kurt said...

It's NOT okay for Quinn to market himself for the draft, but it IS okay for Dan to market his shitty t-shirt on his poor undeserving son