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The quarterback position is arguably the most scrutinized position in all of sports. They get more attention than an elite point guard in basketball and an ace in baseball. When they are loved, it is one of the greatest sights you will see, and when they are hated, well, just take a look at last week's NFC Championship as proof of how people can turn on one. There really isn't a position that captures the attention, imagination, and scrutiny as an NFL quarterback.
Last year, ETSF reached out to some of our friends in the blogosphere to come up with The Ultimate List of the ten best quarterbacks in football. We all agreed who was the best, but after that, it got pretty interesting. This year, we couldn't even come to a consensus on that, which goes to show how we all viewed this NFL season.
Big thanks go to Ed, The NFL Chick, The Rev, and Joe Simmons for their opinions, thoughts, and insights into making this year's list what it is. We use this season as the barometer, but previous success can be used as well. It's a reason why you will see certain people ranked higher, and why you'll see some lower. All in all, it makes for terrific discussions all over. Let the games begin...
In the NBA, we are in a golden era of young talent. Point guards are aplenty, there are phenomenal swingmen who are as athletic as they come, and the big men in the league are versatile in their craft.
However, it saddens me to see some of the stars of yesteryear fade to black on some of these horrible teams even though we know that they've still got some juice in them. They need to be unshackled from this oppressive bondage that is horrible basketball teams. Some of these GM's are hanging onto these guys like they are going to really build around them. Do these people think we're stupid? Don't insult my intelligence, you neanderthal.
Please trade these people, immediately.
I never knew a shooting guard could start at power forward in the All-Star Game, until now.
The man I’m speaking of is Amar’e Stoudemire, also known on ETSF as Amar’e “Shooting Guard” Stoudemire. The reason why he has been given that moniker can be seen here, and while it is somewhate “over-the-top,” the fact that he has an extremely realistic shot to start over Kevin Garnett makes my blood boil.
Of course, people will look at stats to justify this baloney, but will conveniently leave out other details (style of play, role in the offense, other responsibilites to the team). It’s even more proof that fans are something else when it comes to voting for the All-Star Game.
A lot of you know about the city of Cincinnati, but let me share some wisdom with you about "The Queen City" and how things get done around here.
In Cincinnati, there is a great museum that anyone who visits this city should visit, it is called the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. For purposes of this conversation, we will refer to it as the locals do as, the Freedom Center. The Freedom Center is a museum based on the history of the Underground Railroad. Its location recognizes the significant role of Cincinnati, where thousands of slaves escaped to freedom by crossing the Ohio River, in the history of the Underground Railroad. The Freedom Center is literally 100 paces away from the river, you know what else is 100 paces from the Freedom Center?
Paul Brown Stadium.
We all know the story of what Harriet Tubman did with the Underground Railroad, bringing captive slaves across that Ohio River, right through Cincinnati and sending them on their way north to start a new life. Those slaves were faced with unyielding work conditions, below market pay, a tyrant of a boss, and a workforce who could not do better for themselves....
The Rooney Rule is a rule, a concept, and a tool that gets as much widespread reaction from fans as there is in sports. Granted, other people care about it as well, but since this is Ed the Sports Fan, this will be looked at through the eyes of a fan.
The rule has been instituted since 2003 now, and it seems like this year, it has been scrutinized more than ever. There is a recent example people point to where some people felt the rule went wrong, and while the rule could use some revising, it is still something that is needed until there is more balance in the coaching ranks.
The definition of the rule is this:
The Rooney Rule, established in 2003, requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operations opportunities.
That much is clear, and if you don’t do it, then you face a heavy fine, and while these owners are billionaires, they don’t want to give away money just to be giving it away.
It doesn't happen often, but yesterday was one of those days where I really wanted to log off of the almighty Twitter machine.
The all out hate, vitriol, angst, and venom spewed by fans...and not just Bears fans, but regular fans who had no dog in the fight, came with the all-out assault on Jay Cutler as the Bears gave the fight for their life against the NFC Champion Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon.
"He quit." - A Bears fan I know and respect via Facebook.
"When the going gets tough, you get like Urban Meyer....you quit." Maurice Jones-Drew via Twitter
"If my knee was hurt or acl/mcl/pcl sprain, I would not be standing up on the sideline. #jaycutler"- Kirk Morrison, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker via Twitter
(As a Jaguars fan, this touched my soul. When in the hell did my Jaguars decide to be so mouthy and pop off about what another team is doing. For once, in the words of The NFL Chick, sit yo ass down and be quiet when grown folks are talking. You are out here embarrassing me in public.)
"Welp, I guess I'll go burn my Cutler jersey now. Wouldn't be caught dead wearing this thing." - Another Bears fan I know and respect via Twitter.
Really? Is this how we're going to react, when your franchise quarterback knee has been mangled, to the point where he can't plant and throw accurately? Come on now, be smarter than that.
We've done this before, but I am putting it out there again so that it is perfectly clear what we are saying on ETSF. The four best quarterbacks in the NFL, in no particular order, are the following:
1. Tom Brady
2. Drew Brees
3. Peyton Manning
4. Ben Roethlisberger
See, I even did it in alphabetical order so that none of you could try and pull my card and say, "HEY MAN! AIN'T NO WAY IN LIFE BREES IS BETTER THAN PEYTON!" Slow your roll there Tonto, I got this covered. Now what kind of list is a "Top 4" list? Clearly, this needs to be at least five. Who's #5? I personally have no idea, but I know a couple of folks who have their eyes set on it, and with this being "Championship Sunday" that spot on the totem pole is officially up for grabs.
Recently, the Duke Blue Devils took an L at the hands of Keith Tolbert’s Florida State Seminoles (something that must have conflicted him, since he’s an FSU grad, but a Duke fan), and judging by the reaction of people who don’t care for Duke, myself included, you would have thought they just got eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Granted, it’s been like this for years, and maybe it’s just a case of not paying much attention before, but it blew my mind of the way Duke is viewed by fans of college basketball.
When it comes to how Duke is viewed at ETSF, there is a healthy dislike for the Blue Devils. This much is already documented. There are fewer joys we get than seeing Duke fail, but there’s still something about the way people go crazy when they lose that makes me scratch my head. The Cameron Crazies, while annoying as all hell, find ways to keep everything in perspective while those of us who don’t care for them have the propensity to blow things out of proportion.
I hate LaMarcus Aldridge.
Of all the people in the world to hate Ed, why in the hell would you hate LaMarcus Aldridge? Well, besides the fact that he went to school at Texas, I've always looked at LaMarcus Aldridge's physical ability as ideal for a power forward in the game of basketball. Dude is 6'11", 250-pounds, and is capable of doing everything you want from your 4. Knock down the jumper, play defense, rebound, and score down low.
The key word in all of that is "capable".
If you hear any of the following from people who haven't said these things all year, beware:
“Man, you trippin’. I’ve liked Aaron Rodgers ever since he was at Cal.”
“Oh man, when everybody else stopped believing in Cutler, I still said he was what that was. I just didn’t say it aloud.”
“Shoot, I knew Mark Sanchez was ready this whole time.”
There would be a line for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but much to the chagrin of The Reverend Paul Revere, I still have yet to meet a bandwagon Steelers fan. Steelers fans are literally everywhere.
Championship Sunday is the culmination of six long months of training camp, preseason, regular season, and the first two weeks of the postseason. Hell, some fans (including me) would say they would rather be at a championship game than at the Super Bowl itself, but that’s another story for another day. As fans, we’re treated to two games, four teams, with the same objective in mind: win their game and make it to D-Town for the Super Bowl.
If Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, the man would be 82 years old. 42 years ago the man was taken away from us at a time where he was at the peak of his superpowers, as things are changing in America and a nation listened when the man spoke about equality and unifying people of color.
In sports, we realize that Dr. King's progress definitively had an overlaying impact on the sports landscape. College teams began recruiting more players of color, more players began playing those "smart positions" on the field, and folks were given an opportunity to be leaders of men, be it the front office, coaching, or otherwise.
Its been said that sports has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to racial equality, but you'd be naive to think that things are great, even in 2011. King understood the power of sports, even though he was not an athlete, he realized that things can change with the power an athlete has or the symbolism that's seen by the games we play.
As a football fan, you can’t ask for much more than what’s in store this weekend. There are times when players say all the generic things; “oh, it’s just another game,” “we’re just going to play as hard as we can,” and things like that, but if you’ve paid attention to what’s happening on the AFC side of the coin, there are words that have been echoed by others this week.
“He’s an ass----. F--- him.”
“I hate them.”
Instead of the regular garb you see players wear, we’ve seen Terrell Suggs rock a custom-made shirt that pays homage to Pittsburgh and what he thinks of the Steelers, and as a fan, this is exactly how I want the games to go. It's great.
Note: Originally this post was about the lost art of rebounding, but once I wrote it, and got to the man who made rebounding cool, that post was scrapped and in its place is an ode to the greatest rebounder of my lifetime and one of the most dominant power forwards who ever lived.
Around these parts, we like to pay homage to the legends of the game. There are times when a legend is clear (Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Manny Ramirez, Pedro), and there are times when we get called out for making someone a legend too soon (Cliff Lee, LeBron, Gilbert Arenas). The thing that makes this so good is we can define what a legend is for us.
However, there’s a man who is a legend that simply should not be debated, and he attained his status by being the greatest rebounder in my lifetime, one of the most wily defenders, and easily one of the main players who lived up to the IDGAF Philosophy more than any athlete who has ever lived. That man is none other than The Worm, Dennis Rodman.
This was the Facebook status update on Monday night that triggered today's article...
"Question for the fellas, would you prefer to have sex or watch the national championship between Oregon and Auburn?"
Now, I read this and really didn't think anything of it, didn't even bother to conceptualize it. However, when I started to read the responses on this young lady's facebook wall I was immediately taken aback by the amount of herb-ism and lameitude exhibited by the fellas.
"Man, the game can wait. Let's get it in."
"DVR the game, let's rock."
"Time to make some magic happen, Cam Newton sucks anyway."
I understand that this young lady is a nice looking, and maybe some of the fellas were trying to appeal to her senses...but there was no way in life I was going to sit here and let this ride.
Anytime you step on the basketball court, you’re likely to see some things that a player wears for stability, to ease pain, or just to accessorize. As with anything you do in life, you wanna look good doing it, and that holds for cats when they hoop. Whether it’s in the NBA, college, high school, or even playing pick-up ball, there’s no distinction when it comes to outer appearance and players. It’s just the way it is.
When I played competitively, wearing a sleeveless shirt under your jersey was the thing. Black socks were also becoming pretty big, too, and even though Michigan was the first team I remember doing it, black socks became even more popular when the Bulls brought them out for the playoffs. You couldn’t just have black socks, though; you had to get the ones with the NBA logo on them; they had to have the Jerry West silhouette, and if they didn’t, then Nike ones were acceptable, but that was it.
You also had wristbands and even armbands on the food chain, albeit a little lower. Headbands also were prominent, but it was 2001 when something came along that truly changed the game, and of course, leave it to the most culturally influential athlete this side of Michael Jordan to bring it to the surface: the arm sleeve, introduced by The Iconic Allen Iverson.
The 2011 BCS National Championship is officially upon us, and all of the storylines have been written. The controversial superstar quarterback with the million dollar smile and the body of LeBron James (Cam Newton), there's the rugrat speedster tailback from Oregon who runs as fast as the changes in Oregon's uniforms (LaMichael James), and the two mastermind head coaches who's diabolical schemes will come to fruition in about 12 hours. (Chizik & Kelly)
However, the same man who finished #1 in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency ahead of Mr. Andrew Luck has gotten nary a word of spotlight in the media. Darron Thomas might be the most important player in the national championship tonight, and no one is talking about the man. That ends today.
As a young child I fondly remember the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills.
For starters, they were the livest team ever on Tecmo Super Bowl. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, James Lofton, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley, Cornelius Thomas, etc. I mean, they were unfair. For some other more obvious reasons, I also remember the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills because for four consecutive years they "attended" the Super Bowl. We all remember the skull-drugging escapades that the Bills were on the wrong side of. We remember "Wide Right". We remember Thurman Thomas losing his helmet. We remember the Cowboys putting a 35-piece on 'em.
However...that Buffalo Bills team was still one of the greatest collections of talent I've ever seen to this day, and it made me think about some of the greatest teams that never was as we enter the 2011 NFL Playoffs.
To say the NBA slam dunk contest is dead would be disrespectful. It wasn’t that long ago when Dwight Howard captured the imagination of basketball fans all over the world by jumping a zillion feet in the air, changing from Clark Kent to Superman, and catching lobs from Jameer Nelson. We all remember the feeling we had when the man was in flight and being thankful that he was a part of the most influential event of All-Star weekend.
We remember Howard for his thoughts and reasons for being in the Dunk Contest not once, not twice, but three times. When Howard said his victory was for all the big guys from Dunk Contests past, we remembered seeing Shawn Kemp robbed and Larry Johnson jobbed.
He didn’t let being robbed in his first dunk contest deter him; the young man came back the next year, and made sure no one could steal his joy or derail his path to victory, and you know what? It made us respect Dwight Howard as a showman, a dunker, and as a budding legend during the weekend. Hell, like I said earlier, it wasn’t that long ago.
Usually, I don't encourage you to leave the spacious and luxurious ETSF establishment. However, if you go to ESPN.com, just take a look at how many of the top stories are referring to head coaches. Go ahead; look...
(waiting...waiting...waiting...)
Okay, you peeped that? As of 7:22 am on Wednesday, January 5th, five of the top ten stories on the Worldwide Leader were about head coaches. Hiring, firing, or sheer speculation, it doesn't matter. It's up there for the world to see. In the age of influence where fans, boosters, bloggers, and the media will flip-flop on your team as much as John Kerry does on the campaign trail, you must have a leader of men to take these young men to glory, a tactician engineer against a vast arsenal of attacks and defenses versus your regiment, and a man who can be oblivious to the peanut gallery.
The thing that makes ETSF tick is we speak as fans. Sure, we take pride in understanding the game and delivering stories in a thoughtful and educated manner, but when it’s all said and done, we are fans of the game. We’re not experts; we didn’t go to school to learn how to do this. We’re just some cats who love the game, the culture, and plenty of what sports encompasses.
People don’t come here for recaps; they don’t come here for stats. Besides, there are plenty of other sites who do that way better than us. However, what we will do, as I said in the beginning, is speak as fans. We’ll call fans the most misunderstood species in the world. We’ll also call them out for stupidity or their sensitivity. Today is another example; another conundrum that fans face: being fans of players of teams you absolutely hate.
Note: To avoid any confusion, the idea isn’t to root for the team of the player you love. We covered that in August when we discussed the trials of fans and possibly being labeled a bandwagoner. Instead, it’s just accepting the fact they are a part of a team you hate, loathe, and despise.
In football you hear cliches all the time, "you've got to lay it on the line" and "leave it all on the field" and "he gave 110%" and so on and so forth. I can go all day with the cliches, its kinda fun actually.
Anyway, from what we've seen from Troy Polamalu and Kenny Masenda's stunt-double, Ed Reed, has been unreal. Truth be told, those cliches we speak of are embodied by the work that #43 and #20 put in on the football field on a consistent basis. Watching both of them play this past Sunday made me realize that Troy and Ed remind me of an X-Men character I've always been fond of.
I think they are both descendants of Nightcrawler, one of the greatest X-Men characters who ever lived.
