wheelman |
09-13-2006 03:05 PM |
Shakney
I applauded them for drafting by need, not "passing on Reggie". We all know Reggie is going to be good, but they didn't need a running back. Their defense was worse than ours last season. It was absolutely atrocious. They needed serious help on that side of the ball. Should they have traded out of the pick? Probably, but we don't know what teams made offers. For all we know, the only trade offers they received could have put them too low to get Mario, Reggie, D'Brick, and Hawk. Speaking of D'Brick, if there is any player that the Texans should be accused of "passing", it's him. Carr was sacked five times on Sunday. That means he has been sacked 73 times in the past 17 games. That o-line is without question the worst in the NFL's history. Reggie Bush can't play left tackle.
About the bust talk, hold off on that until the latter half of the season. Are any of you ready to label A.J. Hawk a bust because he only had five tackles against a run happy Bears offense? I doubt it. One game doesn't determine a career... unless your name is Brian Bosworth.
As far as the "business" part of the pick, winning is the ultimate money maker in the NFL. No other sports can say that. This is not a player driven league like the MLB and NBA. In those sports, a team's star player can be a huge draw because a single person can carry a team to the playoffs. Just look at Clemans and Lebron. A single position player can't do that in the NFL. Football is called the ultimate team sport for a reason. No one player can change the destiny of a team (unless he is a quarterback) no matter how much talent he has.
Hell, the Lions went to the playoffs for the first time in a few years the year after Barry Sanders retired. The team still brought the fans in. Why? They were winning. People that were buying Barry jerseys were suddenly buying Charlie Batch jerseys. But that money eventually disappeared. Why? Because they haven't been to the playoffs since then. And look at all of the college stars they drafted. They had three top ten wide receivers, a quarterback that was the third overall pick, and a first round running back. With all of those former stars they could barely muster a six win season. For that reason, no one goes to their games, and they don't make any money.
Al Davis' motto is "Just win, baby" for a reason. The man has made a fortune off his team by signing seemingly washed up players and winning with them. He's been using that tactic throughout his years of ownership. They win, he makes money. They lose, he doesn't make...as much money. But that is because they are an established franchise. They've won Superbowls.
Now, someone is probably going to say that Reggie's jersey is the best selling in the league. Well, what about other Saints players? How many Saints versiions of Drew Brees' jersey do you see outside of the Louisiana/Mississippi area? Deuce? Joe Horn? Will Smith? His presence isn't helping their jersey sales. How long will Reggie's jersey sell so well? If the team continues to be a losing franchise, and Bush puts up gaudy numbers every year, will he still be as popular? Or will people see him as over-hyped because his team never wins?
I love, L. O. V. E. that we got Reggie, but I refuse to jump to conclusions about Mario Williams. I have no idea what his future holds. I'm no Old Testament Prophet. So I'll just sit back and enjoy the show. If caution and reason make me clueless, then so be it.
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