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?
20
Jan
2010
Jets fan arrested for chanting “JETS JETS JETS”
By now you may have seen this video from Sunday’s Chargers/Jets playoff game in San Diego, in which a Jets fan is taken down by police and arrested, seemingly just for cheering on his favorite team:
Now, we don’t get to see exactly what happens right before the cops get there, but it doesn’t seem like he did anything to warrant getting tackled like that. Hell, even the Chargers fans sitting in the area are defending the guy!
I was waiting for some more of the actual story to come out before posting this clip, and in today’s NY Post, the Jets fan in the video, Bill Carroll, finally speaks up.
17
Jan
2010
Nate Kaeding forgets how to kick, Jets stun Chargers (video)
Nate Kaeding misses his third FG attempt of the day. The Chargers lost by 3. You do the math. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi via ESPN.com)
The New York Jets shocked the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17-14 to advance in the AFC Playoffs today. The Jets scored two 4th quarter touchdowns to pull away down the stretch, but the big story of the game was Chargers Pro Bowl K Nate Kaeding, who missed 3 Field Goal attempts that would have won the game for San Diego. Normally one of the most reliable kickers in the league, Kaeding was clearly paid off by NY mobsters to throw the game.
The Chargers seemed to be in control of this defensive struggle for most of the game, but that changed late in the 3rd quarter, when Jets’ super-CB Darrelle Revis made this incredible interception of a Philip Rivers pass intended for Vincent Jackson (Nantz and Simms had no idea what was going on):
10
Jan
2010
VIDEO: LaDanian Tomlinson-Style Electric Glide
Ummm … wow. I have no idea why or where this bizarre new dance video from Ladanian Tomlinson came from, but … just wow. I’m speechless.
Seriously, this is the strangest thing I’ve seen in a long time. It’s like a freaky Electric Company video for kids, with the follow-the-bouncing-ball lyrics, 70′s-era special effects and of course, his motley crew of back-up dancers. Can someone explain what the hell is going on here?!?
UPDATE – Apparently this was filmed by Nike a few years ago as part of an LT marketing campaign. In this radio interview, Tomlinson reveals the origins of the LT Style Electric glide.
4
Nov
2009
San Diego loves it when Raiders fans come to town
This commercial from King Stahlman Bail Bonds ran last week in the San Diego area, in anticipation of the Chargers home game on Sunday against the hated Oakland Raiders. And it probably encapsulates how many communities feel when Tom Cable and Raider Nation comes-a-callin’.
22
Sep
2009
Week 2 NFL Highlights – Drunken Lions Fans edition
Every Tuesday here at ReadAndReact, we’ll bring you video clips of the best highlights from the previous weekend’s NFL action. This week, we kick things off with a highlight that comes from the stands rather than the playing field, as we capture Lions fans in their natural state: DRUNK.
Watch as these two fully inebriated ladies make a scene during Sunday’s Lions/Packers game, and ultimately get escorted away by Detroit’s finest:
And now, back to your regularly scheduled in-game highlights.
Kenny Phillips INT off of Jason Witten’s foot:
Ray Lewis stuffs Darren Sproles on 4th and 2
16
Sep
2009
Did the Raiders get hosed by the refs on Monday Night?
The Oakland Raiders put up more of a fight against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night than anyone could have expected, losing 24-20 and forcing the Chargers to mount a last-minute drive to secure the victory.
Earlier the game, an apparent Raiders TD was taken of the board when the refs ruled that rookie WR Louis Murphy did not maintain control of the ball as he went to the ground in the end zone. Now, there’s no way to tell whether or not Oakland would have been able to go on and win the game had the TD stood, but a Raiders fan (clearly with too much time on his hands) made this video of the play, in an effort to prove that Murphy’s catch should have been ruled a completion:
In case you’re curious, here’s the official rule, as it is written:
Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 of the NFL Rule Book (page 51) states that “if a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact with an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”
Definitely a close call, and I can see it going either way. HOWEVER, the play was ruled as a completion on the field, so I’m not sure how the officials (dressed in their best TGI Fridays uniforms) decided to overturn the call via replay. And at the end of the video above, you also see a similar play from the Patriots game from the very same night which was ruled a completion by the officials.
To no one’s surprise, the NFL has issued a statement backing up the reversal. But to fans, this is just further ammunition for the argument that the NFL needs to make their refs full-time employees, and work toward gaining better consistency among officials from game-to-game. Whether or not you agree with this particular call or not, it’s the stark contrast between the different crews that is maddening for teams, coaches and fans alike.
Note to Roger Goodell: pro football is a billion dollar industry, and yet you inexplicably continue to allow games to be determined by part-time employees. In the immortal words of Ochocinco, “Child, please!”
6
Sep
2009
Shawne Merriman arrested for choking Tila Tequila
Merriman allegedly took a shot o' Tequila
Update – Merriman Speaks, no charges files
Shawne Merriman sent a statement to FoxSports.com, denying the allegations against him, and stating that no charges have been filed. From the statement:
“On September 6, 2009 the San Diego Sheriff’s Department responded to a citizen’s complaint that was initiated by Tila Nguyen (aka Tila Tequila). I was taken into custody based upon that complaint. At the time, I was concerned about her welfare given the intoxicated state she appeared to be in and I encouraged her to stay until safe transportation could be provided.
“We would all do our best to help a friend if we considered their actions to be detrimental to their personal safety. I in no way caused any harm to Ms. Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported. She was released and has since returned to Los Angeles, California.
“There have been no charges filed against me.”
_____________________________________________
San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman was arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly choking and restraining his girlfriend (and Myspace/MTV hussy starlet) Tila “Tequila” Nguyen.
From NBC San Diego:
Sheriff’s deputies got the call at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday from a woman who claimed to have been choked and restrained by a male at a home on Sagecrest Drive in Poway.
“Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence,” San Diego County Sheriff’s spokesperson Jan Caldwell said.
The alleged victim signed a citizen’s arrest at the scene.
Merriman’s lawyers denied the allegations, stating that the couple were at the volatile Chargers star’s home, celebrating a birthday with at least 14 other people. They stated that Merriman was trying to prevent the inebriated Nguyen from leaving the party,
We’ll wait for more of the facts to come out before making any judgements here. Clearly we’re just shocked that the seemingly-stable pairing of Merriman and Tequila somehow went south. Shocked I say.
15
Jul
2009
Philip Rivers can’t even throw better than a High School kid
Let’s face it: San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers just seems like a huge douche. Between the on-field trash talking and ever-present cocky smirk, Rivers is one of those people we take great pleasure in watching getting knocked down a peg or two – whether it be on or off the field.
So when Rivers held a youth football camp recently in Alabama, and decided to hold a skills competition with some of the participating High School athletes, we couldn’t have possibly hoped for a better outcome. He got beat by one of the campers.
You got that right. The San Diego Chargers starting QB was outgunned by HS prospect Will Nunn, after Rivers scored a goose egg in the accuracy portion of the competition. And it’s all captured on tape. From KCBS-TV:
For the record, Rivers threw for over 4,000 yds and 34 TDs last season in the NFL. But then he missed a few stationary tires during the off-season and lost a friendly competition to a high schooler, which pretty much renders all of that null and void in our book.
That Eli Manning trade is looking better and better, I tell ya!
25
Jun
2009
Shawne Merriman may actually kill Chad Ochocinco
UPDATED w/Ochocinco’s Video Response to Merriman
Apparently Chad Ochocinco is all hopped up on tough guy juice lately, as he’s been picking fights (via twitter) with all sorts of people this off-season. There’s a whole deeper story here about the impact Twitter is having on society, and athletes in particular … but we’ll save that for another time.
Chad’s latest target was Chargers LB Shawne Merriman … and let’s just say Shawne didn’t take kindly to Chad calling him out [via Shutdown Corner]:
In case you’re curious as to what got Shawne so riled up (aside from his normal regimen of ‘roids), take a look at Ochocinco’s recent twitter posts:
- Somebody please tell Shawne Merriman thats is ass on Dec. 20th, relay the message to the rest of the D, especially Cromartie!!!!child please
- @shawnemerriman damit i didnt stutter, i never held my tongue before, you heard me loud and clear, and we can get in the boxing ring to
- CHILD PLEASE, is the word for the day, Shawne Merriman tryin to stop Ocho Cinco, CHILD PLEASE, better chance at finding Osama!!!
- Headed to the boxing gym, deal with Mr. Merriman when i return, talking about ringing my neck out, yo lights gone be off permenantly!!!!
- Damit people how do i get the camera on my mac book pro to work, its my turn to talk trash
CHILD PLEASE!!! This is fascinating stuff right here, folks. Apparently Chad’s boxing training has inflated his courage a bit, and twitter is giving him a platform to post every unfiltered synapse fired by his tiny, tiny brain. I have a feeling he’s going to get himself into some trouble one of these days … Merriman seems dead serious.
