Sunday, August 19, 2007

Sunday 08/19 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Brady Quinn: All is forgiven, forgotten? After his stupid holdout, he's back in the good graces of Browns fans after getting into his first exhibition game and leading the team with two 4th quarter TD passes. It's exciting, to be sure, but Browns fans lose any future rights to mock other fans for being bandwagoneers. They earn the label "Flip-Flop of the Year."

More NFL Preseason: Matt Schaub: No, wait: He's good! (9/12 for 108)... Jay Cutler: No, wait: He might not be ready for prime time... Matt Leinart: No, wait: The breakout just might come this year after all... The Bengals Defense: Booed by the home crowd (Drew Brees and the Saints offense picked them apart).

Fantasy Football Injury Watch: Keep an eye on Travis Henry's knee...

Bonds: 760.

CFB AP Top 25: USC is No. 1, of course. Defending champ Florida -- No. 3 in the coaches' poll -- is No. 6, behind LSU, West Virginia, Texas and Michigan, in that order. (Man, that Florida-at-LSU game is already shaping up as a de facto national-championship semifinal.)

(Meanwhile, now that both major preseason polls are out, it reminds me of three ludicrous things: (1) That we put any cred in a poll before a game has been played. (2) That any sport has two recognized and competing standards -- that USA Today and ESPN will rank a team differently than an organization that follows the AP. (3) That the AP, which so high-mindedly yanked itself from the BCS formula because they insisted they didn't want to "make the news" continues to make the news by running and promoting a poll of its own.)

Beckham in NYC draws 66K in his first MLS start: At least MLS will realize that they need to import a European soccer star to the Red Bulls, like, NOW.

White Sox keep Jermaine Dye: 2Y/$22M. Given the rest of their roster, they were smart to make a move to try to win big (again) in a two-year window.

CFB: Notre Dame Watch. Even if ND *is* "rebuilding," as long as they hit that X-win BCS hurdle -- regardless of ranking or actual worthiness -- one of the BCS bowls will pick them, as they always have. (Now, whether ND can actually win 8 games is up for debate. Says here they will: With the usual BCS bowl blowout loss as a reward.)

43-year-old Vinny Testaverde -- the NFL's Julio Franco -- re-signed with the Pats.

-- D.S.

21 comments:

Luke Bell said...

I think most Browns fans already had Brady Quinn in their good graces. Had he missed most of the preseason, maybe they would have turned on him, but the way it played out seemed ok to me (and from what I can tell, to most Browns fans too).

Though it is fitting that Dan gets to be the final judge on all things bandwagon.

CorrND said...

ND has an automatic BCS berth if they finish in the top 8. If they're not, they need 9 wins (and be among the top 14) to be eligible for an at-large spot.

They're not going to reach either of those requirements this year.

Geoff said...

So, it is ludicrous that we put any cred in preseason polls... but based on those polls you are calling Florida vs LSU a defacto national championship semifinal?

Mega said...

The White Sox are done. We're in last place.

Perks said...

Um Dan,

Flip-flop of the year goes to either Mike Vick's buddies or Tim Donaghy if he flips on the NBA refs.

Matt said...

flip flop of the year?!?! what i find hilarious is the only people who made a big deal about the holdout was people like you and espn.

i live in cleveland and myself and everyone i know thought that he wouldn't start right away(rightfully so) and it didn't matter about the holdout.

people wanted him in camp just to see what he had, not so he could start sept9th.

people like you blow things way out of proportion, like his autograph signing "fiasco". what people fail to mention was that he was paid an upfront feel by the company that put on the show, and most of the money was donated to charity. people knew the prices and the rules coming into it. but dont bother mentioning anything like that. just go on a calling him a douchebag.

we are flip flopping fans? you are the very definition of a bandwagon fan

Matt said...

oh and with the autograph event, he didnt get a dime from the people of cleveland paying for the autograph, as everyone thinks.

Matt said...

and another thing...i guess cleveland is the 1st team in the history of sports (professional, college, hs, etc) to be down on their team or "star" player(s) and then have that team/player redeem themselves and then all being forgotten.

sorry for the rant but the more and more i read that 1st paragraph, the more it pisses me off

danwise1856 said...

Dan, please never talk anything about Cleveland fans. Your comments about the Browns being bandwagon fans is ludicrus. They are the most loyal fans in the NFL and were not upset by the holdout.

Get over your hate for all things Cleveland try to be objective

Andy Roberts said...

Dantheman, it has nothing to do with Cleveland, he hates Quinn because he went to Notre Dame.

It is absolutely ridiculous that Brady Quinn is already probably he most hyper-analyzed player in the history of football before he's even played an NFL regular-season game, simply because he was a 4-year starter/Heisman contender/lower-than-expected draft pick from Notre Dame. No rookie holdout has ever caught as much shit as Quinn did, and was there really any reason for it?

Cleveland should start BQ week 1. He's their best quarterback, and if anyone is ready to start week 1 of their rookie year, it's a guy who's already been through the media wringer a billion times over.

Kurt said...

Dan it was a nice try at overshadowing Brady Quinn's performance by making a ridiculous claim that Browns fans are flip flopping on him. How about instead, admit he sent you a nice "fuck you" and went 13-20 for 155 yards and 2 TDs in the 4th quarter. Although that'd be pretending Brady Quinn gave two fucks about some unemployed blogger named Dan Shanoff.

Not A Gunslinger said...

Please explain to me when a holdout is EVER ridiculous in the NFL. Almost every single time I have heard of a player holding out I have always sided with the player. At least he wasn't being a pussy like Elway or Eli and demanding a trade out of town.

frank said...

where did you ever read the AP wanted the BCS to stop using its poll because it didn't want to "make the news?"

i'm pretty sure the line of thinking was that the AP didn't want to be associated (ironically) with such a terrible system for deciding a champion, hence the cease-and-desist order.

http://badgerherald.com/sports/2005/01/17/ap_removes_poll_from.php

Clinton (Indianapolis) said...

Dan,

The Red Bulls already have a European star in Juan Pablo Angel, formerly of Aston Villa.

Anonymous said...

God damn Dan, you are a huge douche bag. I agree with the Cleveland fans here in the comments. Also, when Cutler gets his O line back nitact he will do better. You really just jump on one and off the other all of the time. Mazel Tov fuck face.

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

Dan, the Red Bulls have the second best player in the league, Juan Pablo angel, who is a european/world star. I was at the game at Saturday, and it was an amazazing time, I look forward to many more top tier players making the move ot the MLS

Adam Spangler said...

beaten by two people to the Juan Pablo Angel is on the Red Bulls comment. glad to see it. they could replace Claudio (Captain America) Reyna, though, who is their other Designated Players, and who has been less than stellar when he is even healthy enough to play.

Mevs said...

Dan- Not all Browns fans flip flopped in cheering for Quinn. Some, like myself understand his holdout very much and were in his corner all the way. Many fans have been his corner all along (like Luke Bell said). I know the ones I am peers of here in central Ohio have had Brady's back all the way and truly believe the day he was drafted was the day we took our first step back to a championship run.

Mevs said...

and another thing...i guess cleveland is the 1st team in the history of sports (professional, college, hs, etc) to be down on their team or "star" player(s) and then have that team/player redeem themselves and then all being forgotten.

sorry for the rant but the more and more i read that 1st paragraph, the more it pisses me off


Right though?

Long time reader of DS here, and definitely first time commenting. Had no idea that the comments here were right in line with what I was thinking and posting about. I enjoy DS as a writer and commentator, but the comment about the Browns fans was way off base. I come here to get away from the bias against teams like the Browns and their fans. Like the bullshit that is stewed over at Kissing Suzy Kolber. Usually, this is good, objective commentary, but that paragraph just made me think otherwise. You're better than that DS, you know more than that about sports, or at least I thought/hoped.

Mevs said...

Dan it was a nice try at overshadowing Brady Quinn's performance by making a ridiculous claim that Browns fans are flip flopping on him. How about instead, admit he sent you a nice "fuck you" and went 13-20 for 155 yards and 2 TDs in the 4th quarter. Although that'd be pretending Brady Quinn gave two fucks about some unemployed blogger named Dan Shanoff.

He sent a nice "fuck you" to the dickbacks like the writers at Kissing Suzy Kolber alright. They were waiting for something to pounce on, and they will whenever he makes a wrong step.

All the more reason I want Brady to be a star, then they'll be the ones looking like the fucktards they are, no one mocks a star player. Hope he brings out the egg on their face.