NBC Asks an Incredibly Dumb Question
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by Editoratlegendofcecilioguante
You can also check out this story at my blog, The Legend of Cecilio Guante, here.
Granted, it's the preseason for everyone. But I've got to call out NBC for their halftime topics during last night's preseason affair between the Giants and Ravens.
When they first teased the spot, I honestly thought there might be something wrong with the TV. It read: "Is Eli Manning an Elite Quarterback?" In retrospect, I suppose the sheer ridiculousness of such a statement forced me to stick around and listen to Tiki, Collinsworth and Costas pontificate on this "debatable" hypothesis. So, in that regard, kudos to the network.
Now, I won't go overboard on this, as I very much understand that nobody was actually declaring this as a statement of fact and NBC was merely trying to create some sort of manufactured form of entertainment before Jared Lorenzen (aka " The Pillsbury Throwboy ") took the field to start the second half at M&T. Yet, the mere insinuation that this question even approaches an issue worthy of serious discussion is somewhat laughable.
So, it got me to thinking. Just how much of a bust is Elisha at this point in his career? He may not be deserving of The Incredible Bust stature but is the title of "worst #1 overall QB in the last 20 years" within reach? Unfortunately, Tim Couch, who's latest comeback attempt appears to be coming to an end, has that honor pretty well wrapped up. But take a look at the history of NFL #1 picks and peruse the signal callers for the last couple decades. Who else is or has been worse than Eli?
Maybe, you can throw out David Carr. But consider Carr's actually got a higher career passer rating and that his TD/INT ratio can be somewhat attributed to the fact that he was running for his life about half of every game plus the potent offensive weopans he's had in the backfield over the past few seasons (see Wali Lundy, Samkon Gado and friends), and you've at least got something worth debating. Alex Smith is still a work in progress, albeit, and there are a few others, but Eli's up there and boasts potential to really make his mark in flop history.
And then there's always that "we traded four picks to get this guy" consideration that puts this question in a whole 'nother light. I was reminded of this during the telecast last night and this article really drove the point home. In reality, when the Giants traded for Manning, the Chargers return was Phillip Rivers (Pro Bowler), kicker Nate Keading (Pro Bowler), Shawn Merriman (aruably one of the most dominant defensive players in the league) and tackle Roman Oben.
Michael David Smith over at AOL Fanhouse is ready to call Eli Manning a bust if he has another lackluster season in '07, and I'd have to agree. In fact, he might be a first ballot bust hall-of-famer if he doesn't.
As my dad often says, sometimes the genes run out. I guess time will tell, but I'm of the mind that they already have
