5
Jul
2010
JaMarcus Russell Arrested for Sippin on Sizzurp
Is it me or does JaMarcus look slimmer in this mug shot? (Image: Press-Register)
In his continuing quest to be the biggest NFL draft bust of all time, former Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was arrested today in Mobile, Alabama for possession of a controlled substance – namely codine syrup. Russell, the 2001 #1 overall draft pick, was released by the Raiders in May, and is seemingly intent on continuing his downward spiral toward oblivion.
For those of you unfamiliar with hip-hop culture, codine syrup is the main ingredient in a drug cocktail known as “Purple Drank”, syrup or sizzurp, which has been popularized in the music of the Three 6 Mafia and Lil’ Wayne, among others. ESPN’s Outside the Lines recently did a feature on the rise of the sizzurp in sports:
Russell was released on $2500 bail, and will appear in court on Wednesday, July 7th. And somewhere, Ryan Leaf and Todd Marinovich are high-fiving.
Now enjoy this educational music video from the Three 6 Mafia (after the jump):
7
May
2010
Is JaMarcus Russell the #1 Draft Bust of All Time?
Has Jamarcus Russell failed badly enough to make him the biggest flop in league history? (Original photoshop/hack job by ArtieFufkin)
When news broke that the Raiders released former #1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell yesterday, the sports blogosphere collectively wondered weather Russell had claimed the throne as the biggest draft bust in the history of the NFL. And while it would be easy to place the Rotund Raider at the top of the list, we’re not going to hand him the crown just yet.
Until now, the general consensus has been that Ryan Leaf – the #2 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1998 - is the biggest draft bust of all-time. For our money, it’s Tony Mandarich, who the Packers selected with the #2 overall pick in 1989 (you can read our previous pieces on Mandarich here and here). But most people seem to think it’s Leaf, and since both he and Russell are QB’s, it makes things much easier for the purpose of this conversation.
The guys at Shutdown Corner put together a nice statistical comparison between the two quarterbacks, and while both players were godawful, the numbers paint Russell in a more favorable light:
So based on these figures alone, Leaf has the edge (for being worse, that is … 14 TDs vs 36 INTs?!? Ouch.) And when you take into account Leaf’s locker-room outbursts and the fact that he was universally hated by his teammates, Russell doesn’t really even come close to eclipsing the train wreck that was Ryan Leaf.
For us, the question of how big a draft bust someone is always comes down to one main thing: expectations. Sports Illustrated took a look back at the pre-draft hype on JaMarcus Russell from 2007, which includes some incredible gems from some of the draft’s top prognosticators, including Mel Kiper:
JaMarcus Russell is going to immediately energize that fanbase, that football team — on the practice field, in that locker room. Three years from now you could be looking at a guy that’s certainly one of the elite top five quarterbacks in this league. …You’re talking about a 2-3 year period once he’s under center. Look out because the skill level that he has is certainly John Elway-like.”
Way to go Mel. Good call. But he wasn’t alone … at the time, Todd McShay, Terry Bradshaw, and a slew of other “experts” were all drooling over Russell’s physical skill set.
Let's face it, we all saw this one coming
But while everyone seemed to agree that Russell’s physical skills warranted a roll of the dice, there were plenty of questions about his mental state of mind from the beginning. In the linked SI article, Peter King and Gil Brandt were among those who expressed serious doubts as to whether or not JaMarcus had the desire & work ethic to be a top-level NFL quarterback.
When Russell – who was the best QB in a weak draft class for the position – went to the Raiders, it seemed like a bust made in heaven. After all, Al Davis has made a living out of spending draft picks on physical specimens with questionable heads. And with Lane Kiffin taking over at the helm (if temporarily) for Art Shell, the Oakland organization was entering a dysfunctional heyday in 2007. We all knew how this story was going to play out, didn’t we?
27
Mar
2010
JaMarcus Russell weighs in at 290 pounds!
I used to think this photo was altered for comedic effect ... now I'm not so sure
Adam Schefter is reporting that QB JaMarcus Russell reported to the Oakland Raiders facilities yesterday, tipping the scales at 290 lbs. Apparently this is part of Al Davis’ new and exciting plan to have Russell run the Wildcat offense from the Left Tackle position. Schefter tweets:
Two people reported that Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell returned to Oakland and tipped the scales at 290 pounds. At least he was under 3 bills.
This news comes in stark contrast to earlier reports that the former #1 overall pick was working hard to transform his body, and was said to be in much better shape this year. Russell, who at 6′-6″ was listed at 260lbs on last year’s roster, was by many accounts pushing 300 during the season. And if this latest report is true, it appears that Russell is doing everything he can to solidify his place in history as the NFL’s biggest all-time draft bust.
Way to go, JaMarcus. Nevermind that $68 million you’re being paid. Whatever you do, don’t drive past that In-N-Out on your way home and hit the gym for a few hours.
11
Nov
2009
ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards
Yep, it’s that time of year again! Time for bloggers and sportswriters across the land to create meaningless mid-season NFL awards lists!
And who are we to buck the system? If nothing else, this exercise allows us to take a step back to examine the first 9 weeks of action, and heap accolades on those whose performances have set them apart from the pack thus far (in either a good or not-so-good way).
So without further adieu, here they are, the inaugural ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards:
Why yes, the crow does taste fine. Thanks for asking (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
MVP: Brett Favre, MIN - As much as we hate to admit it, the old man has been the difference maker in Minnesota, and is the main reason they’re sitting atop the NFC central. So far. It’s mainly about the attitude he brings, and the belief the rest of his teammates now have in their chances. But so far, Favre has put up excellent numbers (16TDs vs 3 INTs), and shows no signs of slowing down. But then, we were saying the same thing about Favre and the Jets at this point last year. We’ll see how the arm holds up come week 16.
Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels/Mike Nolan, DEN – in a total shocker to everyone in the league, McDaniels has come into Denver and changed the team culture in record time, leading the team out to a fast 6-0 start. And Nolan’s defense – currently 3rd in the NFL in Total Yds/Gm, and 1st in defensive touchdowns (8 so far) – has been the main reason for their success.
Still pointing at us (Photo: C. Schneider/AP)
Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees, NO – I’m taking Brees over Peyton Manning here, mainly because we’ve come to expect this sort of ruthless efficiency from Peyton, but Brees seems to have entered a new stratosphere in 2009. He’s playing about as well as you can at the position (106 QB Rating), and has the Saints leading the NFL in total offense.
Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper, NO – With a league-leading 7 interceptions (3 of them returned for TDs!), Sharper has changed the attitude of the Saints defense, and helped turn them into a force. Is it scary that a Saint is getting the award for both offense and defense? Yes, and it’s why I like the Saints to go all the way this year.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin, MIN – One of the most exciting offensive playmakers to come along in a while, Harvin is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. With 5 TDs in 8 games – 3 via reception and 2 via KO return – Harvin has challenged the Vikings coaching staff to develop more ways to get the ball into his hands.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jairus Byrd, BUF - The first-year DB has been a ball-hawking machine, with multiple interceptions in 3 consecutive games! With 7 interceptions so far, Byrd is tied for the NFL lead, and is on pace for 14 this season, which would tie an NFL record.
Continue reading after the jump for more RnR Mid-Season Awards
