86 Burns Redbeards (2-0-0)
65 Black Mouth Curs (0-2-0)
78 Alamo City Spartans (2-0-0)
70 Silver Spooners (0-1-1)
73 Valders Valkyries (2-0-0)
55 Judean Peoples Front (1-1-0)
82 Masonville Marauders (1-1-0)
80 Winston Reverends (0-2-0)
67 Mounds View Meerkats (1-1-0)
37 Greenfield Grizzlies (0-1-1)
Nate asked me what I think about the apparent end of the Tarvaris Jackson Experiment. Well, I think it’s long overdue, I wanted the Vikings to pursue Drew Brees back when San Diego decided to go with Rivers, and that the Vikings should now aggressively pursue signing either Jeff Garcia or Daunte Culpepper. Both quarterbacks, despite their limitations, are much likelier to be effective than Jackson or Gus Frerotte can be, and Garcia probably even knows a fair amount of Childress’s offense due to his time in Philadelphia. That being said, I’ll take Frerotte over Jackson without hesitating.
Jackson’s inability to develop into a serviceable quarterback, combined with the meltdowns of Vince Young and Michael Vick, demonstrate what anyone with a serious interest in the NFL knew all along; the supposed “reinvention” of the quarterback position was nothing more than a politically correct, media-driven attempt to support black quarterbacks. There’s no reason why a black quarterback can’t be as successful as a white one, as Culpepper, McNair, and McNabb have all shown. But those three quarterbacks were successful because they used their athletic ability as a last resort, not something they turned to the second they saw their first receiving option was covered. I suspect the NCAA move to spread offenses bears at least part of the blame for the amazing level of QB incompetence in the NFL.
NFL quarterbacking primarily concerns the art of the read, and the Tarvaris Jackson Experiment appears to show the limits of what one can be accomplished in three seasons with a committed coach, a strong arm, and a serious effort on the part of the quarterback. I quite like T-Jack as a player with physical talent who has really given it his best shot, and with his work ethic he’ll probably make for a reasonable backup. But he simply can’t see the field, read the defense, and find the open receiver in the very small amount of time provided by NFL defenses.
In other news, I’m kind of pleased about the Hochuli incident and not just because I don’t much like this San Diego team. NFL refs should be more inclined to swallow their whistles, as given the fact that perfection isn’t possible, they should referee the games in the full awareness that the game is not about them.
I’ll be shocked if the Vikings do well against the Panthers, as much as I like and admire the courage of Antoine Winfield, who has made two of the best solo tackles I have ever seen in the NFL, I hope they’re not going to let him go solo on Steve Smith. About the only hope for the Purple would appear to be possible overconfidence on Carolina’s part.