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It's not every day you get to see two quarterbacks duel it out in the first game of the season. A game was played last night that could very well set the pace for the season. Indianapolis and New England battled it out in the wake of a hurricane to play in the warm mist. Less than 50 miles outside of Boston, Brady and Manning fought hard, each giving solid performances. Both players seemed to be relatively equal, well, from a non-stats-ridden point of view, which is usually the only one I look out from.
So with all this talk about how great these QBs are, what about the others in the league? We have Brett Farve in his last season and guaranteed to shine (well, by me), Matt Hasselback being a fantasy-football favorite and a pro-bowler last year, Jeff Garcia with a powerful arm and an equally powerful new team, Rich Gannon solid and healthy, with a back up of Kerry Collins. (That Raider QB team has got to be one of the most powerful in the pros.)
Almost every team has a standout quarterback, and this is setting up for most games to be a quarterback showdown. The QB sports for the 2005 NFL Pro Bowl could easily be filled by any of the quarterbacks mentioned here, or possibly by some that aren't.
If this is the case, that all these quarterbacks are incredibly talented and ready to go toe-to-toe this year, then what is going to decide who is the best? Is it who goes to the super bowl, who wins it, or something else?
There are other qualities that have nothing to do with the QB's aim. How good of a leader is the quarterback, how is his communication with his teammates, is he well spoken off the field, is he a role model.
These soft skills are ones to be recognized. Sure, we could easily focus on how good his foot speed is, his play under pressure, his communication skills, his vision and ability to read the defense and see the field. We'll be watching this all season.
What I ask is for others to start paying attention and being gratuitous to players that are ones you want your siblings to see and your children to grow up idolizing. That saying, Ònice guys finish lastÓ (is a cry-baby way for guys to say they don't get any attention from girls) is untrue in all aspects of life, or so I think. Sure, these players that are unsportsmanlike in every sense of the word might be great athletes for a few years, make a lot of money, and pull a lot of chicks. But when is comes down to a lifetime, those few years matter very little. It is time to recognize players that are worth the attention, the glory, and the idolizing from kids.
Lets pay attention to the marvelous career and incredible leader Farve is, and watch him play every game with heart and continue his record of straight starts throughout this season. Lets root for the underdogs, like Rivers or any other one of these newly signed rookies with a lot to prove. Lets root for Tom Brady and Michael Vick, two incredible athletes with a great amount of success thus far. Lets hope they keep up their level of play and motivate their teams to produce more stand out players that play hard and with heart. Why root for guys that get arrested, do drugs, and talk down on other teammates or players? Break away from your ideologies of athleticism and refocus that energy on ideologies of a fulfilling life, then find players that can mirror that image.
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