Brooks not the answer for New Orleans
By By Josh Taylor/sports writer
October 5, 2003
Survivor' clichs are extremely overused in our society.
That being said, It's time to vote New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks off the island, or should I say out of the Dome.
The Saints have pretty much settled on Brooks as their franchise quarterback, one of the worst choices the Saints have made in their history. Now that's a bold statement.
As part of the new crop of running quarterbacks, Brooks is seen as an asset to the Saints. This is simply not true. I am not criticizing Brooks based on his athletic ability, rather on his leadership ability.
How many of you sat and suffered through the Saints' ridiculous performance against the Indianapolis Colts last week? Did you happen to notice Brooks on the sidelines late in the game?
There the Saints were, down by over three touchdowns to a familiar rival. Where is Aaron Brooks? The cameras often caught glimpses of Brooks on the sidelines smiling, laughing, and cutting up with his buddies. This is not a leader.
Quite honestly, losing a game of ping-pong is enough to put me in a bad mood. I call that a competitive spirit. I don't even like it when my wife wins control over the television remote. Well, that may be a stretch, but you get my point.
A leader is someone who controls the emotions and focus of a team. What kind of message does it send to everyone on that team when Brooks is laughing and smiling during one of the Saints worst performances in decades?
You never saw Joe Montana or Archie Manning smiling during a losing battle. And I can guarantee you that Archie fought a lot of losing battles. I can also guarantee you that you will never see Michael Vick like this. I don't think I have seen Donovan McNabb smile all season.
The Saints have a decent defense, a pretty good receiving squad, and an outstanding running back. What they really need is a quarterback. They need a leader.
ESPN in fantasyland
I realize that you are all probably tired of hearing about Rush Limbaugh and his outstanding performance on ESPN Game Day. There's no use in beating a dead horse, so I will skip the rant on Limbaugh's ignorance.
Honestly, I couldn't care less one way or the other about the guy. What really bugs me is that he was there in the first place.
ESPN claimed to have added Limbaugh to their Sunday morning lineup as the average Joe football fan. That's kind of like adding Bill Gates to my fantasy football league as just another player.
I consider myself a pretty average American NFL fan. I don't think that Limbaugh is anything remotely like me, or anyone else I know.
I seriously doubt that Limbaugh mows his own grass, worries about getting out of debt, drinks beer out of a plastic cup, or changes the oil in his car. What idiot at ESPN really thought that Limbaugh represented the common man?
Note to ESPN, next time you need a representative for us commoners, I've got a student at MCC that would fit the bill. He would also be a lot more entertaining, even though he is an Ohio State fan.
Game Of The Week
It's time.
The Denver Broncos head to Kansas City today for a battle that has been building all season. These are two of the best teams in the league so far this season.
This week is also reunion week in the NFL. The ageless Emmitt Smith makes his return to Dallas in a Cardinals uniform. Let's hope that the Cowboys fans don't all break down in mass hysteria.
Tony Dungy returns to the legendary defense he built at Tampa Bay with his current undefeated team, the Indianapolis Colts. My guess is that the Bucs will have a littler better luck than the Saints did versus Indy.
Also, Mike Holmgren returns to Green Bay, the place he won a Super Bowl, with a strangely powerful Seahawks team.
Steve Mariucci brings his Lions to San Francisco. The best we can hope for is Terrell Owens signing Mariucci's forehead with a Sharpie.
