The 2010 Michael Vick for MVP Debate Verdict

November 30, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Loyal Homer.

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How ironic that I am writing about one of the best quarterbacks in football as I watch a Monday Night Football matchup that features two of the worst quarterbacks in football.

The Cardinals and 49ers this season have been a revolving door at the quarterback position, as guys like Matt Leinart, David Carr, Alex Smith, Max Hall, Troy Smith, and Derek Anderson have all at one time or another been tagged as the “starter” for these two franchises. Although it is unlikely that we will hear the names Derek Anderson or Troy Smith brought up in MVP conversations anytime soon, when this season kicked off they probably would have been considered HEAVY favorites over a guy like Michael Vick.

But here we are, week 12 is now in the books, and Michael Vick is performing as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

There is no denying the impact he has had on the field for the Philadelphia Eagles this season. His performance has almost assuredly earned him many accolades already – team MVP, Pro Bowl, and as Loyal Homer suggested, Comeback Player of the Year. But league MVP?

Babe Ruthless, despite an obvious dislike for Michael Vick the man, feels that his successes on the field simply cannot be ignored when discussing the players who are worthy of being named the most valuable. Considering some direct comparisons between Vick and his counterpart, Kevin Kolb, it is nearly impossible to deny just how valuable Vick has been to his team.

Both quarterbacks got an opportunity to face the Washington Redskins this season. For his part, Kolb was 22 of 35 for 201 yards, one TD and one pick, while Vick, just six weeks later, went 20 of 28 for 333 yards, four TDs, no INTs, and added another two rushing TDs just for good measure.

Clearly, Vick is a difference-maker on the field.

But the Washington Redskins’ defense is not the barometer by which MVPs are measured, and even as well as Vick has played in each of his appearances this season, Loyal Homer does not want MVP voters to forget that Vick has essentially been a part-time quarterback.

To Loyal Homer’s point, it is hard to overlook the fact that Vick has finished less than 60 percent of the Eagles’ games so far this season. Vick has been outstanding, but guys like Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, and Arian Foster have been equally outstanding (although maybe not as flashy), and have sustained it over a longer period of time than has Vick.

Philip Rivers, for example, is on pace not only for a career best in passing yards for a season, but realistically could put up an all-time NFL best total for the category, having already thrown for 3,362 yards in only 11 games this season. Vick, meanwhile, comes in more than 1,000 yards fewer than that total at 1,941. There are also four quarterbacks in the NFL currently tied for the league lead with 23 TD passes (Rivers, Eli Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees). Vick has just slightly more than half of that total with 13.

I’m not one to put a lot of stock in statistics, normally, but differences like that are very difficult to disregard when we are discussing the top performers of an entire season, and so I am awarding this verdict to Loyal Homer.

I just do not feel that Vick deserves consideration for the MVP award in 2010. His value to the Eagles may be immense, but he simply did not have to sustain his performance over a long enough time to truly be compared with Rivers, Brady, etc.

In baseball this season Kansas City Royals pitcher Bruce Chen posted a batting average of 1.000. In fact, Chen has been carried that 1.000 since 2006. He only had one at bat in 2010, and has a total of only three at bats in the last four years, but over that time his average has been perfect. Does that make him better than Josh Hamilton, who sustained a .359 average over more than 500 at bats?

I do not in any way mean to diminish Vick’s performance, but who is to say that he would have remained at the top of the QB ratings leaderboard (or any statistical leaderboard) if he played the additional games against the Redskins, 49ers, Falcons, and Titans? Who is to say that Vick would not have failed epically between weeks four and seven? We will never know.

When recognizing the league’s most valuable player, there can be no room for speculation. The winner has to have been DEFINITIVELY the best over the entire season, and Michael Vick simply cannot state a definitive case.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 Michael Vick for MVP Debate

November 28, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Loyal Homer.

Since taking over for an injured Kevin Kolb during week one of the season, Michael Vick has stormed back into the spotlight as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks. Entering into yesterday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, he carried the league’s best quarterback rating at 108.7, and still had not thrown for a single interception all season.

Despite throwing his first interception of the season in a loss against the Bears yesterday, his individual performance over the course of the game remained on par with the rest of his season.

There is little doubt that Vick will be named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad at the end of the season and, assuming he remains healthy, is very likely to lead the Eagles into the post-season as one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

But, does he deserve consideration for the league’s MVP award?

While it is true that Vick has been exceptional when on the field, it is important to note that he has not been on the field all that long. He was not the season’s starter for the Eagles, and after leaving the game early in week four with an injury, he did not return to the field until five weeks later.

So, the question for today’s debate is: To this point in the season, does Michael Vick’s performance earn him consideration for the NFL MVP award?

At this point in the season, I think it is safe to assume that the Philadelphia Eagles may have been a good team WITHOUT Michael Vick at starting quarterback, but WITH him they are one of the best teams in the NFL. And, as Babe Ruthless will argue, his presence makes such an impact on the field that he absolutely MUST be considered for the award, regardless of the fact that he missed a couple games due to an injury.

Meanwhile, Loyal Homer will argue that Vick’s performance, albeit outstanding, must be taken in context. Even if he finishes the season healthy he STILL would have missed a full 25 percent of his team’s games this season when players like Philip Rivers, Arian Foster, and Tom Brady have been equally vital to their teams’ success, and they will have played the ENTIRE season to this point.

Can you be the league’s most valuable player when you did not even play the entire season? We are about to find out.

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The 2010 Michael Vick for MVP Debate… Vick for MVP

November 28, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Loyal Homer.

Michael Vick is a disgusting human being.

He is an epic failure as both an ambassador of his sport and as a role model for the millions of young fans who idolize NFL stars. His life choices rank him somewhere in my book between Saddam Hussein and Charlie Sheen. He has squandered virtually every chance that commissioner Goodell and the league have given him to get his personal life under control. In short, much of his life can be summed up in just two words – vile disappointment.

But, he is also one more thing I forgot to mention. Michael Vick is one heck of a good football player.

He is the single most important player, in respect to determining the overall success of his team, in all of the NFL. Since his days as a starter in Atlanta, Vick’s athletic skills were unquestioned. Although somewhat one dimensional – running his unique version of a one man option play – the fact that he was a freakish athlete was undeniable. But now since his ascendency to the role of starting quarterback in Philly, he has taken his game to a whole other level. He has proven himself as the consummate pocket passer as well as threat to role out and stretch the field on any given play. He is now among the greatest players in the NFL and deserves to be considered for league MVP.

While it is true that Michael Vick did not start the season as Philadelphia’s starter, and he has missed some games due to injury, these facts are really not a detriment to his case. The fact that Vick surpassed Kevin Kolb as the starter in Philly is impressive. The Eagles had enough faith in Kolb to release former six time Pro Bowl QB and face of the franchise Donovan McNabb, and that’s the guy that Vick beat out for the job as starting signal caller.

Since taking the reigns of the team, Vick has led the Eagles to first place in the ultracompetitive NFC East and remained undefeated as a starter until yesterday’s close loss to the Chicago Bears. It is no coincidence, however, that Philadelphia’s previous three losses have seen Vick missing for the majority of the game. That is a pretty obvious indicator of his value to the team.

Just comparing the Kolb led Eagles’ week four performance against the Washington Redskins and Vick’s record setting performance against the same team just six weeks later on Monday Night Football proved that Vick is the difference maker. Kolb struggled mightily against McNabb and company laeding the anemic offense to a total of 12 points. The week ten rematch proved to be an entirely different story. Vick amassed a ridiculous 333 passing yards with four touchdowns and threw in an additional 80 rushing yards and two scores on the ground to boot. Yet, again Vick was the difference. While he can’t post career numbers like these every week, this performance is hard evidence that Michael Vick is definitely one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and should be considered in the same elite company as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Arian Foster for MVP.

Michael Vick is more than just a one hit wonder. Through the first 11 weeks of the season he sits atop the leader board with a crazy 108.7 QB rating. Similarly, he was flawless over that same spell throwing 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Yes, that’s right – ZERO interceptions. He may not have had the same platform as a Tom Brady or a Peyton Manning, but he certainly has done enough to get noticed. He has also caused others to include him in the MVP talk, not to mention the blogosphere buzzing in his favor.

While I may still loath his very being and refuse to buy his reformed animal lover act, I can see that he is one of, if not the best, QB on the field this season. That should be one of the main considerations in the MVP talk.

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Posted by Babe Ruthless

The 2010 Michael Vick for MVP Debate… Too Quick For Vick

November 28, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Rutless.

I’ve certainly been captivated by Michael Vick’s remarkable return to glory. The whole football-watching nation has, in fact. His game against the New York Giants two Sundays ago drew big ratings. It really is an amazing story, and I commend Vick for paying his debt to society and coming back as a better quarterback than he was in his tenure in Atlanta. I find myself somewhat rooting for the guy, and that’s something I said that I would never do again once he essentially left the Falcons out to dry. But, unlike Babe Ruthless and much of America, I’m not going to say that his performance to this point earns him consideration for the MVP award.

With yesterday’s loss, the Eagles still remain tied for the lead in the NFC East at 7-4. In games the artist formerly known as Ron Mexico has started, the Eagles are 5-1. That’s just six games out of a possible 11. I’m pulling out my Texas Instruments calculator and telling you that he has only finished less than 55 percent of his team’s games to this point in the season. Looking solely at that statistic, it’s hard for me to put him into the discussion for MVP at this point.

Yesterday also presented arguably the toughest test for Vick. Chicago traditionally proved to be quite the challenge for Vick. I recall the Bears often providing confusing defensive looks for number seven during his time wearing the red and black. I thought yesterday’s game would be a big test for him, and while he threw for over 300 yards he did much of that when the game was out of hand, and he did in fact throw his first interception of the season. It was a big test was because, despite the resurgence, his games had come against Detroit, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Washington, and the New York Giants. A couple of those are playoff-caliber teams, but he needed a chance to go against another top-notch defense. Chicago entered play yesterday third overall in total defense.

Lost amongst the hoopla over Vick’s “feel good story” are outstanding seasons by other players. Yes, believe it or not, other players really are having great seasons. Philip Rivers, whose Chargers got off to yet another horrible start this season, have been on fire all season as he is on pace to set the record for passing yards in a season, and now his team is coming on strong. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are also having outstanding seasons. Manning is playing with receivers who aren’t recognizable to most fantasy football players. Brady is playing with a guy whose last name is Woodhead who has relied on Brady to help Patriot nation quickly fell in love with him.

I think we all appreciate how far Vick has come… except maybe PETA. But no, he hasn’t played enough to warrant MVP consideration just yet. If you want to give him an award, I have absolutely no problem giving him the Comeback Player of the Year Award. But to give him consideration when he won’t play a full season is too much.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Kevin Kolb Career Debate… Vick’s Not The Answer

September 21, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

With everyone so high on Michael Vick right now it’s tough to imagine he was one of the most despised men in America just a few years ago. His actions caused former fans to burn his jersey and made him the punch line of countless jokes. Yet with two good performances on the books in the 2010 NFL season, everyone seems ready to forgive and forget his antics. I am not be so hasty.

Appearances May Be Deceiving

Contrary to popular belief, Michael Vick still can’t run with the big dogs. What, too soon? Well it’s true. He is completely overrated, and it is an absolute shame that Michael Vick had such a great game Sunday, because now Philly fans will expect outings like that all the time, and there is no way he keeps it up. Seriously, he just can’t do it.

Last Sunday Vick threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Projecting stats like those across the rest of the season Vick would have to throw for 3,976 yards and 28 touchdowns in the remaining 14 games. Those stats are completely implausible for Vick. Those numbers surpass his career bests (2,936 yards in 2002 and 20 passing touchdowns in 2006) by miles. Vick played a ridiculously great game… for Vick. But even that has to be put into context. Michael Vick was playing against the Detroit Lions. You know the same team that has only won two games in the last two seasons. So Vick’s numbers were somewhat inflated. It was one really good week playing a below average team that was getting his first start in years. While he is certainly a more than capable backup, he’s not the long term answer. Just like his Atlanta days, teams will figure him out, and when they do his numbers will come down to Earth… and Philly fans will eat him alive (a fitting punishment if I do say so myself).

You Can’t Teach An Old Dog Beater New Tricks

Expecting Michael Vick to behave is like expecting Kanye West to not be a jerk. It simply isn’t going to happen. Give Vick enough rope and he’s going to hang himself. How many second chances was he given in his Atlanta days before he ended up behind bars? Long before Vick’s dog fighting ring days he was making headlines for stupid actions which jeopardized his future with the team.

First there was the infamous herpes case, where Vick was accused of knowingly giving a sexual partner a sexually transmitted disease that he kept quiet about (Editor’s Note: Also inspiring Sports Geek’s fantasy football team name, Ron Mexico’s Puppy Farm.). And to think he didn’t try to parlay that into an endorsement deal. Then, he made headlines again for surrounding himself with friends that included former drug traffickers. He was even implicated in a scandal involving the theft of a very expensive watch and his posse of world class losers. Despite meetings with team officials about making good decisions for himself and his team, he continued to act irresponsibly. Later, Vick came under scrutiny for connections to drugs in 2007 after trying to sneak drugs past TSA agents in a Florida airport. While these actions may seem like small potatoes in comparison to his piece de résistance – his dog fighting ring – it proves that Vick has a long track record of being a world class loser. Vick’s track record has shown no signs of overcoming his character flaws even after his time in the slammer, so why should Andy Reid trust him to be better when he can’t even throw a birthday party without people getting shot. To trust him with the ball and the future of the Eagles’ organization makes about as much sense as hiring Lindsay Lohan as a motivational speaker.

Kolb is Still the Man

Everyone loves a winner and Vick’s wins have made it hard for fans to remember that he is still just a backup quarterback. Andy Reid is no fool. He was willing to deal Donovan McNabb, within the division no less. because he had faith in his starter – Kevin Kolb. Similarly, there is a reason that Andy Reid was willing to entrust the lesser experienced Kevin Kolb with the starting gig over the more experienced Vick. Clearly Reid likes what he saw in the sporadic playing time Kolb has had over the past few years. There is no doubt that his pocket passing ability will serve him well in Reid’s offense, which is made stronger by the acquisition of guys like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.

There is no controversy here. Vick himself admits he is okay with being Kolb’s backup, so all this hubbub is much ado about nothing. Andy Reid should not just discard all his plans because of one uncharacteristically good start by a backup, and one untimely concussion to his starter (and I’m not alone in this belief).

Taking nothing away from Vick, who is a more than capable backup quarterback and has the potential to be a starter elsewhere in the league, he just isn’t the guy the Eagles need right now. And for that matter, until he proves he is trustworthy (which his birthday blowout proved once again he’s not) he’s a risk for any organization for which he plays. Kolb was made for the Philly offense. The smart money is on the young man with a lot of upside, and both Andy Reid and Michael Vick have to know this.

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Posted by Babe Ruthless

The Kevin Kolb Career Debate… Common Sense, or Kevin Kolb?

September 21, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

I am going to assume that you travel the same way to work every day.

Let’s pretend that one day your normal route is closed due to construction, and you have to take a detour. But you find as you take this detour it is actually a faster route to take. It saves you time and money, and allows you to completely bypass traffic. So when the day comes where your “normal” route is opened back up, do you return to it just because that is what you had said your route to work was? Or do you stick with the new route, which has proven to be more successful today?

Obviously, you would choose the route that has PROVEN to be better, but that seems like a bit of common sense that passed Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid by.

Reid had a PLANNED offense that would rely on Kevin Kolb as the starting quarterback, and a PROVEN offense that has found success behind Michael Vick.

Kevin Kolb has a career passer rating of 67.8. Michael Vick’s passer rating since returning to the NFL is 103.3 (and is 76.8 over his career).

Kolb has played in 13 total NFL games, started only two of them, and has a career record of 1-1. Vick has played in 88 games, starting 68 of them, and has a career record of 38-28-1.

Kolb, over his career, has thrown only 140 passes. Vick has completed more than 140 passes in four out of his six seasons as an NFL starter.

Kolb has thrown for only four touchdowns and seven interceptions in his career. Vick has, in only one and a half games this season, thrown for three touchdowns and zero interceptions (and has 75 TDs and only 52 interceptions in his career).

Kolb is an unproven backup, recently promoted into a starting role simply on prospect and practice performance. Vick is a three-time Pro Bowler with both regular season and post-season success under his belt.

Should I continue? I didn’t think so.

It seems ridiculous that this would even be a question, yet Andy Reid was foolishly risking his own job by insisting that Kevin Kolb remain the starter.

I completely understand that Kevin Kolb is an exciting prospect in the Reid’s eyes. I also respect Reid’s desire to avoid a messy quarterback controversy, and my intention is not to knock Kolb for his limited opportunity, or to imply that he will be a failure in the NFL. But is it really a controversy when there is such a clear one-sided favorite? Reid is actually CREATING the controversy by keeping Vick on the sidelines.

Facts are facts, and the reality for Andy Reid is that he is right now choosing to stick with a quarterback who is essentially no more experienced than rookie Sam Bradford, and who has performed as an average (at best) quarterback when he HAS played… even when he has a guy sitting on the sidelines who has proven that he is ready to not only compete, but actually WIN in the NFL.

So what sense could it possibly make to keep Vick on the sidelines?

Andy Reid made a gutsy call this off-season when he let Donovan McNabb go. That decision immediately put him on the hot seat, especially playing in a city like Philadelphia where the fans demand nothing short of their own versions of success. Although Reid had said he believes Kolb is the future of the Eagles franchise, Michael Vick right now is not only playing better than Kolb, he is playing better than all but the most elite of quarterbacks in the NFL.

That is like turning down a free cut of filet mignon because you heard that the vegan menu might be better for you in the long run.

So far this season, Vick has thrown for 459 yards (the 11th most in the NFL, on a full half less playing time than everyone else on the leaderboard) on 43 completions, for four touchdowns and no picks. He has also rushed for 140 yards.

His 105.5 passer rating so far this season is fourth best in the NFL. There are also only nine quarterbacks with more touchdown passes than Vick, and only one of those nine (Peyton Manning) can also boast no interceptions.

Michael Vick has started the season as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The decision to keep his PROVEN success on the bench, just because some THINK Kevin Kolb will be better, is one that SHOULD cost you your job. Every day that goes by where Reid sticks with Kolb put him one day closer to that inevitability.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The Best Game of THIS Weekend Debate… Lion(s) Share of Questions

September 17, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Sports Geek.

It is only week two of the NFL season and we already have a matchup between two backup quarterbacks.

Unfortunately, that is only the start of the issues facing the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions on Sunday. Both teams find are in the extremely rare situation of entering the second game with MORE questions than were faced on opening weekend.

Let’s start with the Eagles.

For the last decade the Eagles have been led on the field by quarterback Donovan McNabb. In the off-season, though, the team made a strategic decision to look toward the future by trading McNabb to the division rivals Washington Redskins. The young and highly anticipated prospect, Kevin Kolb, was given the keys to the kingdom.

So how did that decision pay off in week one? In less than two quarters of playing time, Kolb struggled under the pressure provided by the Packers defense and he went 5-10 with only 24 passing yards. Then, to make matters worse, he was knocked out of the game with a concussion.

Replacing Kolb, Michael Vick (yeah, THAT Michael Vick) finally got his opportunity to once more lead an NFL offense as THE quarterback, and he never looked back. Even though the Eagles lost the game, Vick looked spectacular playing like he hasn’t missed any time at all since his pre-prison Pro Bowl days. During his time on the field Vick was 16-24 for 175 yards with one touchdown, and he added another 103 rushing yards to the mix… just for some variety.

And with Kolb not passing his concussion test until yesterday (he failed his first try on Wednesday), it looks like Vick will get another shot to prove that he deserves more than just a supporting role in the NFL.

Then, the Lions.

If ever there was a rock bottom in the NFL, the Detroit Lions found it. The Lions went a pathetic 2-30 over the last two seasons and were coming into 2010 with no place to go but up. The team was entering 2010 with some very real expectations for genuine improvement, with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson coming back to lead the offense along with explosive rookie running back, Jahvid Best.

And to the delight of the fans, the Lions showed signs of improvement during the week one matchup with the Chicago Bears. But a controversial call at the end of the game cost the team victory. Like Kolb, Stafford was knocked out of the game, only Stafford’s injury was in his shoulder.

If the news of Stafford’s injury wasn’t bad enough for Lions fans, the name of his doctor surely must be –Dr. James Andrews (although Dr. Andrews stated that Stafford would not need surgery, which had to ease the blow at least a little bit).

So now it is up to Shaun Hill to try and continue leading the development of the Lions’ offense.

Neither of these teams want to start the season off at 0-2, but with so many questions sitting unanswered right now, it is virtually impossible to try and predict a winner.

Will there be a new quarterback controversy in Philadelphia?!

Is Matt Stafford REALLY that valuable to an NFL franchise, and are the Lions REALLY improving?!

Did Calvin Johnson go back and study the fundamentals of completing a reception?!

Will Rocky and Bullwinkle find the missing ingredient for the rocket fuel formula?!

Be with us Sunday for “Eagles Come, Eagles Go,” or “The Goal Lion Stand!”

Editor’s Note: Sigh.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The Most Interesting 2010 NFL Matchup Debate… Will Donavan Receive a Brotherly Love Welcome?

September 6, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Babe Ruthless.

The NFL season starts Thursday night, and I can’t wait! Hopefully, you’ve had your fantasy draft by now and you’re in the mood for an exciting NFL season. There are all kinds of storylines to look at as the season approaches. If you look at the NFL schedule, you’ll see a plethora of “must see” games. However, one game stands out more than all the rest. It is a game that is definitely circled on Loyal Home’s calendar.

On October 3, the Washington Redskins travel to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Obviously this is an important NFC East matchup. But this isn’t just another divisional matchup. This is Donavan McNabb’s initial return to the City of Brotherly Love as a member of the opposing team. Admit it, you’re just a wee bit curious to watch this game!

The big question is how McNabb will be received by those fans who rooted for him (and I use the term “rooted” very loosely) for eleven years. How do you think he will be received? Will he be remembered as the guy who led the Eagles to five NFC championship games, including one Super Bowl appearance? Will he be remembered as a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback? Will he be remembered as the guy who won games despite having guys like Todd Pinkston and James Thrash as wide receivers? Will he be remembered as the guy who made Campbell’s Chunky Soup seem like it would be something worth eating?

Or will Philly fans remember the guy they booed on draft day? Will they remember the guy who possibly threw up in the Super Bowl? Will they remember the guy who couldn’t win the big game? Will they remember the guy who was seemingly hurt quite a bit?

It wasn’t exactly a clean break between McNabb and the Eagles organization. There appears to be a strong connection between McNabb and his former head coach, Andy Reid, but I think that’s where the love ends. The fact that McNabb plays for a division rival only stirs up the passion even more for Eagles fans, even though McNabb has nothing to do with where he was dealt.

Keep in mind Philadelphia is a town that boos Santa Claus and once cheered as a motionless Michael Irvin lying on the ground. I have a feeling that the vast majority of the fans in Philadelphia that October afternoon will be booing #5. In any other town, he would likely get a rousing ovation. But this is Philly. And that’s why I’ll be watching.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The 2010 NFL QB with the Most To Prove Debate… Defining Donovan McNabb’s Legacy

August 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

This is a make or break season for Donovan McNabb. That sounds like a crazy thing to say about a guy whose team has made the playoffs eight of the last ten years and has won a playoff game in seven of those eight seasons. It is not crazy when you realize that McNabb will not be donning the familiar green #5 of the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Instead, he will wear #5 for their hated division rival, the Washington Redskins. It seems curious to rank such a successful player as the NFL quarterback with the most to prove, but from my vantage point as Optimist Prime, I think he is the perfect case study.

In all my years of watching football, I am not sure that I can think of a more polarizing quarterback than McNabb. Even though he has a 10-8 career playoff record, has been to five conference championship games, and one Super Bowl, the general football fan reaction to McNabb’s name is “That is the guy who choked in the Super Bowl” or “That is the guy who can’t win the big one.” Unfortunately, that is a reputation that stays with you until you do win the big one, even though your game may not have changed from before your big win to afterwards. The rap in Philly was always that Westbrook was the real weapon, or that McNabb just rode the coattails of the swarming, blitzing defense. Although the QB position in the NFL generally receives far too much of the credit and blame for a team’s success or failure, McNabb’s Philadelphia situation was more like receiving most of the blame for failure and just a dash of credit for success.

In an interesting contrast, while the general fan reaction is less positive on McNabb, the general media impression of him is quite positive. Tune into an ESPN season preview show and the commentators will generally laud his leadership qualities, his improvisation in the pocket, and his mental fortitude to play through a difficult fan situation in Philadelphia. Read a McNabb column written anywhere other than Philadelphia and you will generally read compliments regarding his graceful handling of the T.O. situation or various personnel move rumors over the years.

In my mind, this contrast between public opinion and media opinion is what makes this season so critical for McNabb’s legacy in the National Football League (in case Ron Jaworski is reading this, I want to make sure I sound out National Football League for the remainder of this post). McNabb’s move to the Skins is arguably the most high profile move of the offseason, and the national media spotlight will be on him. Combining national attention with a Washington fan base that is desperate for winning football after spending the last several months counting days between Strasburg starts and watching the Capitals flame out in the first round of the playoffs, the pressure on him may not have that biting Philly edge, but it will be intense.

The line between saint and sinner for McNabb this year is quite small. He turns 34 in November, and if he posts a couple of mediocre seasons in Washington I think the best case memory that football fans will have of him is that he was football’s Karl Malone. His worst case is that they will ignore his 32,873 career yards and 2.16-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio, and label him a choker who needed a championship defense to be successful.

However, if he has a season where he throws for 3,500 yards and leads the Skins to a playoff berth, he will be lauded locally and praised nationally. The Redskins are not expected to light the league on fire this year. Their success – and the national impression of McNabb – rides on his right arm this season. I cannot think of a quarterback with a greater chance to clarify his legacy in 2010 than Donovan McNabb.

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Posted by Optimist Prime

The Scariest Three Words in Sports Debate… You’ve Been Traded

August 9, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer.

The three scariest words in sports are undoubtedly, “You’ve been traded.”


Yes, I realize that’s more like two words and a contraction, but you get my point. The simple utterance of this phrase has the ability to make or break an entire career. A trade can mean the difference between playing for the Los Angeles Lakers or the Utah Jazz, the New England Patriots or the Detroit Lions, the New York Yankees or the Kansas City Royals.

Every season in every professional sport trades are made, many of them advantageous to the players involved. But that is not always the case. Sometimes up and coming stars are relegated to obscurity. As a lifelong Yankees fan I have watched this happen to plenty of young guys in the farm system. Obviously not every prospect is going to make it, but an untimely trade to the wrong team can be disastrous. A player’s future can be derailed because a new team uses them ineffectively or at the wrong position. Or maybe the new team simply overworks a young star so much that their body breaks down.

Obviously trades can be beneficial. But, they also have the infamous ability to marginalize burgeoning stars and established veterans alike. Nomar Garciaparra is a case study. Nomar was Boston’s answer to Derek Jeter. He was a Red Sox Nation fan favorite if there ever was one. He was a rookie sensation that blossomed into one of the fiercest hitters in the league. He was respected and liked by his teammates. But his career took a dramatic turn for the worse because of a trade.

Once the face of the Boston Red Sox, Nomar’s entire legacy was undermined by a 2004 trade to the Chicago Cubs. He was dealt at the trade deadline in one of the most pivotal seasons in Red Sox history, the year the ended the 86 year drought and finally won another World Series. It was a campaign for the Red Sox that meant so much more to Boston than just winning the most coveted prize in baseball, it was a rebirth. The team finally won, but more importantly, they vanquished the New York Yankees to get there. It must have been an indescribable feeling for the Red Sox, one Nomar Garciaparra would never fully know.

Nomar continued to play, but both his skills and his star power seemed to diminish rapidly. His power numbers fell first, followed by his batting average, health, and, ultimately, playing time. He ended his career less auspiciously than it began, playing in a limited role for the Oakland Athletics. Nomar went from one of the most recognizable faces in baseball to Mr. Mia Ham. His fall from greatness was swift and painful to watch, and it was triggered by a trade.

No one is safe, no matter how iconic they appear to be or how much the media likes them. Donovan McNabb is proof. While he had a wild ride and somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Philadelphia since he was greeted to boos in the 1999 draft, he also went on to take the Eagles to new heights. With McNabb under center Philly made eight playoff appearances – including four consecutive NFC East championships from 2001-2004, five NFC Championship appearances, and a Super Bowl appearance. You would think those kinds of results would keep him safe from criticism and second guessing, but alas, no. McNabb’s fate was a trade within the division to a much less appealing Washington Redskins team.

Although McNabb figures to use this slight as motivation to succeed, he faces immense obstacles. Thus far he has remained optimistic even comparing his relocation at age 33 to John Elway in Denver, when Elway received a new head coach – and a big change – at age 34. But, as ESPN.com writer Matt Mosley points out, “Elway had Terrell Davis at running back and a stable offensive line,” something McNabb doesn’t bring with him to Washington. In fact, he doesn’t even have the young receiving corps of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant that he had back in the City of Brotherly Love, meaning this trade could be the abrupt punctuation on an otherwise impressive career.

Modern sports superstars wield considerably more power in controlling a career than those of the past. Since the advent of free agency, these privileged pros have literally gotten to choose the team of their liking on a semi-regular basis. Contemporary stars may even have an entourage of agents and publicists that work to secure even more career control. These players have their own dedicated staff working around the clock trying to place their client in the most lucrative situation possible–with full no trade clause and 4th year option, of course. But even when athletes land in scenarios they deem unfavorable they can still use a variety of tactics, including everything from holdouts to a highly publicized war of words, and try to get what they want. Unfortunately for players, however, this is not the reality for all professional athletes. Some still live and die by trades.

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Posted by Babe Ruthless

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