The Sandlot

Whats up kiddies. Yeah, little dry spell here. Part lazy, part nothing to write about.

Darrell's Subs is finally off the schnide after dropping the first 2 games of the season. My victory in the fantasy league is a done deal this week as my team finally did what i drafted them to do: score fucking points.

Keeping on the theme of football, the Bills once again showed just how bad they can be. Just when i thought things weren't gonna be half bad.

This weeks tough guy award goes to QB Chris Simms of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Guy played part of the game after rupturing his spleen. Even lead his team on a go-ahead scoring drive late in the 4th quarter. Had surgery immediatly after the game, prolly be out 4-6 weeks they say.

Next allow me to quote the "Sports Guy," Bill Simmons (who writes columns for espn):
This about running QB's. I really couldnt have written this any better myself.

That rattled the crowd. Finally, Rob from Manhattan Beach stood up and
said, "I don't understand ... this guy was the best fantasy QB alive two years
ago. He made the Pro Bowl in 2003 and 2004 and threw for a combined 8,200 yards, 64 TDs and just 22 interceptions, plus he ran for more than 800 yards and six TDs. And he's not even 30 yet. How can somebody just lose it like that unless
drugs were involved, or a crippling car accident or something? It doesn't seem
possible."

I was prepared for this question.

My response: Running QBs are like professional wrestlers and porn stars. In other words, it's such a taxing profession on so many levels, and you end up taking such a pounding, there's only a five- or six-year shelf life before things turn sour. Think about it. The same variable that made guys like Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Kordell Stewart, Jeff Garcia, Aaron Brooks, Steve McNair and Culpepper successful was the one that killed their longevity: Namely, defenses always had to pay attention to their scrambling (which opened up more passing options downfield), but by scrambling 6-7 times per game to keep defenses honest, they subjected themselves to more punishment than the average QB. As they neared their 30s and their bodies started to break down, they realized they couldn't scramble as much anymore, and so did their coaching staffs, which led to two major problems: First, defenses realized it as well (removing their advantage downfield), and second, they were trying to become something they weren't (efficient passers who remained in the pocket). Taking away that scrambling threat was almost like removing Pedro Martinez's slider AND his changeup in 2001, then expecting him to adjust and win 20 games every season.

Look at those aforementioned QBs again. Cunningham had four good seasons, peaked as a runner in '91 (118 carries, 942 yards, 11 TDs), blew out his knee the following season and was never the same. Kordell started for five up-and-down seasons, peaked as a runner in 2002 (96 carries, 537 yards, five TDs), and within four years, he was out of football. Garcia made three straight Pro Bowls, averaging 72 carries and four TDs during those seasons, and now he's a backup in Philly. Brooks carried the ball 80 times in his first full season (2001), remained a running "threat" for the next 2-3 seasons (even though the stats didn't reflect it), tried to become more of a pocket QB, and now he's on his way out of the league. McNair had a longer run of seven seasons in Tennessee, peaking as a runner in '97 (101 carries, 674 yards, 8 TDs) before his body broke down in 2003 (now he's starting for Baltimore and looks terrible). Culpepper had a five-season run, peaked as a runner in 2002 (105 carries, 609 yards, 10 TD's), and within three seasons, he was a complete mess. Only Young excelled for a prolonged stretch: Seven straight Pro Bowl seasons before concussions did him in. (By the way, notice how these running QBs keep getting hurt?)

As Young's career evolved, he picked his spots with scrambling and became more of a pocket QB, something Donovan McNabb is mastering now and Michael Vick can't seem to grasp at all; he's even going the other way and running MORE. The thing is, you can't keep scrambling in the 21st century, not with 350-pound behemoths flying around and smelling blood every time a QB leaves his pocket. Mark Brunell (80 carries in his second full season) realized this almost immediately, that's one of the reasons he's still playing. McNabb realized it, too. Vick is still in denial. And Culpepper realized it too late.