What makes a Great quarterback?

Something that annoys me in the NFL is how everyone gets excited when a QB does something like throwing 4 TDs in a game or 400 yards and they're ready to anoint him a "great QB".  Brett Favre is great and all, but I sure didn't think he was going to have great success the rest of this season in NY just because he threw 6 TDs against the Cardinals.  In my view, the following QBs are good, no doubt, but overrated because they put up gaudy numbers but you can never be sure what you'll get in crunch time:

Tony Romo - I'm not exactly breaking this story, the guy has something like 10 straight games with an interception, and have we ever seen an elite QB who is so bad with handling snaps??  Maybe that's on the center in Dallas, I dunno, but what good is Romo 30 td season if he can't get it done when it counts...Having said that, the Cowboys just found out exactly why they have catapulted to elite standing in the past 2-3 seasons, it's all about Romo.  A sick surrounding cast yes, but they really did strike gold with him.  Brad Johnson was really terrible.

Jay Cutler - Maybe he'll prove me wrong on MNF tonight, but as they say being a big guy can be a curse cause you stay in the pocket too long thinking you can withstand any hit, Cutler's big arm is a curse because he thinks he can make virtually ANY throw.  If he makes 85% of those throws that no other QB in the game could make, that's impressive from a physical standpoint, but that other 15% is going to equate to interceptions.  So he can toss for 4 TDs in a game but make a bonehead play in the 4th quarter because he thinks he's superman, much like Tony Romo (Admittedly, a fair amount of the time these guys DO pull off the spectacular late-game play, which is why they get so much praise.  But all of that seems really unimportant when they make a stupid throw in crunch time).

Drew Brees - OK, this is a bit of a stretch, because he's considered the best QB in the game right now by many accounts.  BUT, like I said, gaudy stats really don't mean shit.  I lived in N.O. so I saw a lot of Brees and he can light it up a lot but he's no Tom Brady in the clutch.  I'm not saying he chokes or anything, but it seems like no one else is pointing out that that is the one aspect of his game that is weak.  Although, it can be hard to come through in the clutch again and again, and again, and again once more when you're defense can't stop anyone.

OK, on the flip side, here are good QBs that won't always put up huge stats, but if I had the ball in the final 4 minutes of a game down by 1 score, these are the QBs I would want right now:

Trent Edwards - He's doing an amazing job of "managing the game" this season.  I am only now starting to become a believer in the Bills, probably the 2nd best team in the AFC behind the Titans.  He doesn't make stupid throws very often

Jason Campbell - I am obviously very biased here (I'm wearing his jersey right now), but you can't argue with leading your team to a 5-2 record with ZERO interceptions and ZERO fumbles lost.  OK, so he's been leaning heavily on the defense and Portis, this year's MVP thus far, HOWEVER, the reason I include him on this list of the best is cause if Portis was getting utterly shut down and the defense wasn't getting it done (not bloody likely) then with some real confidence the team could say to Campbell "ok, YOU need to win this for us".  I wouldn't necessarily say the same of Kerry Collins, although he's had pretty much the exact same formula for success this season, and with far less talented receivers.

SIDE NOTE: I'm sick of hearing about the resurgence of Jeff Garcia.  He's got guts and all that, but a big gaffe is just waiting to happen.  

And I might as well throw Eli Manning in with the GOOD list.  Don't need to say much, we all know about that crazy bastard.

2 Minutes: Roy Williams Trade

When I first heard about this, as a Redskins fan I was worried.  Then it sort of sunk in that it was really not neccesarily the smartest thing to do for Jerry Jones.  This trade has the potential to be good, but also to blow the **** up in his face.  He did give up quite a bit.  Not to mention the confusion of having two Roy Williams on the same team, that's crazy.  I still get a little bit confused with Marcus Washington on the Skins who has the same name as the city he plays for.  But in conclusion, one thing keeps me happy even if this trade does work out well: the Redskins are no longer the wacky circus act of the NFL making non-sensical trades just for the headlines.  That "honor" belongs to the Cowboys now.  We'll stick to old fashion building by the draft thank you very much. (Although the Skins couldn't draft a good WR if their lives depended on it...) that's 3 minutes

2 Minutes: Who would you rather have on your team at the height of his career: T.O., Randy Moss, or Ocho Cinco?

Someone asked me this recently and it was surprisingly easy to  answer (for myself anyway).  Of the three, Moss is the only one without a huge ego.  He's arrogant, sure, but he's a shy guy pretty much and he's happy if he's winning; the other two are happy if they're winning AND it's all about them.  T.O is obviously out of the question, way too much baggage.  And Ocho Cinco is fun-loving but still makes it all about him, obnoxious.  So between him and Moss, talent-wise Moss obviously trumps him.  Moss has better hands than T.O. for sure too.  There's the issue of Moss not giving 100% always, but that's a danger with all three of them. 

Give Darren Sproles the Ball!!!

You know those fews players in the league that only get to touch the ball a few times a game, but every time they do they make a HUGE play?  And then you ask yourself, "why doesn't the coach give him the ball more??".  I wish I knew...I have one guy in mind right now, he happens to be on my fantasy team, but forget that: Darren Sproles.  Is this guy nasty or what?  Now LT is great and all, but Sproles has really shown explosive play-making ability this year not only in special teams but in the running and passing game as well.  And yet he gets 6 or 7 carries a game MAX, and that's on a generous day.  Maybe this is to keep the status quo: if LT was suddenly splitting carries with "some guy", the Chargers' identity would be in question.  I don't like that.  I like a coach like Jeff Fischer who will bench or play whoever helps get the team a W.  LT can certainly do that, but if Sproles got something like 12-15 touches a game, I think the Chargers would be a much more dangerous team. 

Recap of Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals

2 minutes on a recap of Game 1 of the 2008 NBA finals
You wait over a month and a half for this series to come. The best vs. the best. But then you realize when it's all over, you only have baseball, golf, and tennis for the summer. And then it makes you sad.

By HighTimeForCrime

at the end of the game, when the minutes were counting down, we all saw who stepped up...no one. seriously, it's like both team was trying to give it away. and you could see that the lakers were resting kobe so he could bust out that superhero shit that he does from time to time.



well not this time. and the teams weren't just missing. they were CLANKING off the rim, many with no offensive players around to get the rebound. I expect the last few minutes of game 2 to be more intense than what we saw at the end of game 1.

By DoNoUhOh

For most of the game I was convinced the fourth quarter would be Kobe’s. That he would do what he is completely capable of doing, especially when he hasn’t been scoring big in the first three quarters. Instead Paul Pierce got hurt. And came back. Those must have been some good drugs they shot into that knee. Or else he went down just to inspire upon his return. Whatever it was it was amazing. Paul Pierce stepped up his game, creating the possibility that it is he and not Kevin Garnett who is the true Celtic, the true champion in hiding. Maybe it will be different when the series goes back to LA but I am beginning to doubt whether Boston will lose at home. By the way can we all agree that Rondo should be getting more minutes, House should be the backup and Sam Cassell should just take over coaching duties from Doc?

2008 NBA Finals

I know we been mostly silent since the untimely demise of our boys for life the Washington Bullets. We was mourning. What can I tell you? True fans we are. True believers. But we have been watching, rooting against Queen James with as much passion as we could muster for such a pathetic pansy, rooting for the man the myth the legend Chris Paul and his alley oop, three pointer or bust offense. Alas the season is coming to a close and before it wanders off into history and memory we just had to take a literal couple minutes to chime in on this blast from the past finals matchup.

2 minutes
by HighTimeForCrime
It's the kobe show. He's 29, coming off his first MVP season, and finally has the chance to make a name for himself outside of the Lakers 2001-2003 championships.

I want to give the Celtics some credit, I really do. They've made it to the finals. However rough the ride may have been, they're here. I just don't think they can do it. Lakers in 6. the only x factor for the Celtics is Paul Pierce.

2 minutes on 2008 NBA Finals
by DoNoUhOh

I gotta say it’s a classic matchup. Not my two teams of choice but what can ya do. I was rootin against Kobe but now I’m glad that the doldrums known as the Spurs won’t be here. I hope it goes seven and I hope its exciting. I hope Kobe misses at the buzzer to end the series. I hope KG finally steps up and becomes the man we all want him to be. I hope Rajon Rondo, my main little man, the only Kentucky player I may end up loving turns into the killer I think he can be. I hope a lot of things though and that doesn’t make them come true. Lakers in six. These Celts just don’t have that championship specialness. And I want the winners of a championship to be true champions if you get what I’m saying and maybe you don’t.

Guess Who's Back

Guess who's back
back again
Drink Your Tough Juice is Back
maybe you been wonderin where we been

We been busy baby girls and big daddies
Busy graduatin, gettin jobs and visitin the local liquor store
Wearin those robes, makin those speeches, takin those pictures
takin those shots

But now we back
not quite legit, not quite all growed up
not quite sure what the fuck is goin on
so give us your time, give us your money, give us your fame
Drink Your Tough Juice is Back