Jason Whitlock:NFL Truths
 

9. Speaking of black quarterbacks, New Orleans' Aaron Brooks has followed the lead of Joe Horn and is determined to use the Hurricane Katrina disaster as an excuse for his poor play.

The Saints are about three years too late in benching Brooks. The guy put up some decent numbers but never won an important game. It's a lot easier for the Saints to do radio and TV interviews complaining about Katrina and commissioner Paul Tagliabue's reaction to Katrina than it is for the players to admit that they stunk in 2005 just like they did in '04, '03, '02 and every other year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...hitlock/051215

You know how I feel about AB, but I really get tired of how often national guys talk out of their a$$es. You could say 10 bad things about Brooks that would be true....but to say that he never won an important game when the guy QB'ed the biggest win in franchise history is just bad reporting. Just a little bit of homework before writing your column, Mr Whitlock.

I mean, say his inconsistent play is maddening, say he throws to the check down guy every other play, say he has no 3rd read, say every time he fixes anything something else breaks, say he is the worst interview in the NFL, say that he rarely plays 2 good games in a row, say he's a coach killer. But, this guy chose the one thing that wasn't true. I gotta get me one of them there TV jobs :)

I think he is taking a what have you done for me lately slant. Also, I believe he is one of the guys who feels Brooks just piggy-backed what Blake had started. I mean, for me, the shine has long worn off that one playoff win. Almost 6 years ago now. I would give that one playoff win back if I knew that it would have the positive effects of not allowing Brooks and Haz to stay here long past their welcomes. The following medicority has been torterous, and IMO not really worth it.

Hmmmm....I don't think I would give the win back. That was a joyous day, and me and my boys had a blast.

I see what you're saying, but there is no guarantee that we would have otherwise achieved at a higher level had all things changed that day. Also...on the list of laughable franchises, which we are always on, they can't say "never had a playoff win". That's worth a little something to me.

And I'm not saying that I give AB a pass because of 1 win (I think you know where i stand on that). Just saying that never means never.....and it's not so much AB losing big games that has been the issue. Hell, he's as likely to play well against good teams as he is terrible teams. Look at our defining meltdown a couple of years ago...the pick in the endzone against the Bengals and the loss against the Browns were some of ABs worst moments. We won all the big games that year and lost against all the bad teams.

I was just saying that Whitlock had alot of options to go with in 1 sentence torching AB. He went with something that was not altogether accurate

I don't disagree with you. And I am not criticizing the win itself, which was a very, VERY happy day, although I was still in AIT in the Army when it happened and not able to celebrate it with other Saints fans. I am criticizing the years that one win has cost us afterward. That takes all the shine off of it for me, and like I said, the only way I would give it back is if I knew for sure Haz and Brooks would not be given free passes for years afterwards. If I had to give that back and it meant we didn't cut Blake, didn't cut Delhomme, or didn't cut Bulger, i'll take it. If it meant we didn't draft Sullivan, i'd take it. If it meant we would have been proactive about our linebackers in FA or in the draft, i'll take it. That one win has cost us so much for so long, it's just not the same for me. But I see what you are saying. Like I said though, I would have to KNOW changes would have been made much earlier to wanna give it back. Who knows, we could have had two more by now if not for that one. 8)

If we could just fire up that "hypothetical reality" machine and watch those seasons...kinda like a choose your own adventure book...that would kick ass.

Playoff win or not....I agree with the recent statements that AB should have sat at the end of '02 and given Jake a shot. Haz acted like that would have been the end of the world. Sit the hurt guy...let your backup play and get to the postseason. You can reevaluate both of them in camp.

But we fixed that with signing Bouman....no pressure AB, just chill.

How ironic is it that he finally gets benched so that the worst backup we've had recently gets a shot. It's quite maddening :)

LMAO!!! Choose your own adventure book? They still make those? I haven't seen one of those since I was doing Operation Upgrade over the summer at Jesuit when I was in elementary school. lol

But it is the hypothetical of all hypoetheticals. The ill fated "what if...."

Playoff, Shmayoff.....Who cares about that game anymore? Yes, it was great THEN...I agree with Whodi that the writer is taking a "what have you done for me lately" stance. I'm not saying this writer is know-all, tell-all, but I happen to agree with him. A playoff win that seemed like eons ago is not even longer etched in my mind. For all the time the Saints have been in the NFL and have won only ONE playoff game? It makes me want to shoot myself in the foot between them and the Cubs....I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

My problem with AB hasn't really been the BIG games it's the little ones. Sure he's lost plenty of big games, but he sleepwalks so badly throught the "less" important ones and then has to wake up in the final minutes to try and win that it's frustrating.

Of coarse, you are referring to our lone playoff win. Yes, maybe in Saints' history that is a "big game", but in the NFL grand scheme of things, winning a playoff game is something that is supposed to happen every 5-10 years. Not once in a 39 year span.