From Gregg Easterbrook's TMQ column on 12/23/08 courtesy of ESPN Page2
by Hans Petersen on Dec 26, 2008 4:14 PM CST
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PrintBreak Somebody Else's Record! Drew Brees played every down against the hapless Lions, on the field and still throwing when the Saints were ahead 42-7 late in the fourth quarter. Brees ended the game needing 402 yards to break Dan Marino's single-season passing yards record. This seems unlikely, since New Orleans closes against the Carolina Panthers, who will be playing to win a first-round bye. (A Cats defeat coupled with an Atlanta victory would give the Falcons the division.) New Orleans fans will want the Saints to go all-out to get Brees the record -- might as well salvage something from the season. But what about Marino? He will feel compelled by protocol to say he wishes Brees luck in breaking the record. TMQ has always felt that record-holders should be honest and say, "Tarnation no, I don't want my record broken." In this case, if Brees succeeds, it will be essentially a stunt, given the finale game has no meaning to the eliminated Saints. Marino's record year came as the Dolphins reached the Super Bowl -- those were all yards the team needed to win pressure games.
Does anyone have any thoughts about his thoughts on Brees breaking the record?
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There is only the Saints. In the end, I want all records for the Saints. And I don’t care how they’re claimed. To hell with any other team, any other player, any writer or fan who doesn’t like it. He who is not with us is against us. Get on the Saints bandwagon or get left behind when the end comes.
Have I made myself plain?
Three years of deteriorating results is enough. Replace Gary Gibbs!
sir, YES, SIR!
"There are no meaningless wins, only fans and sportswriters with meaningless ideas." Saints fan HansDat
by Hans Petersen on Dec 26, 2008 8:21 PM CST up reply actions
What does Easterbrook know about pressure
Brees can only run the plays that are called. Pressure, hell he carries the team week in and week out. And don’t question for a minute Brees’ desire to win. The record is nice, but Brees wants to win first and foremost.
The 2008 season is what it is. Let us go out with at least one high note!
Screw You Easterbrook!
In this case, if Brees succeeds, it will be essentially a stunt, given the finale game has no meaning to the eliminated Saints. Marino’s record year came as the Dolphins reached the Super Bowl — those were all yards the team needed to win pressure games.
WTF!! So all records acheived in seasons where your team doesn’t make the playoffs/championship are stunts? So should we discount most of Marino’s career yards, or Barry Sanders? F-off
Exactly
Pretty arbitrary line Easterbrook draws between what’s meaningful and what’s worthless. After all, the Dolphins got their butts kicked in the Super Bowl by San Francisco. Second place = first loser and all that. No Lombardi, what’s the point, right? Isn’t that what people like to thump their chests about when trying to diminish an accomplishment?
But apparently Easterbrook wants to grade on a curve for Marino, for whatever reason. The line between meaningful and “stunt” is wherever it needs to be, I guess. Nevermind that both of Marino’s starting wideouts were pro bowlers that year, as was his center. They were 16th in the league in rushing. And the Dolphins’ defense that year ranked 7th in points allowed and 12th in takeaways, and featured two more pro bowlers (including THE GREAT Adam Joseph Duhe.)
Seems ass backwards to me to credit Marino for being surrounded by a better team, and penalize Drew because he was unable to carry a far lesser team to the same result. Marino had a LOT more help in 1984, which is why the TEAM made the Super Bowl.
If Easterbook had said that Marino still had the better year, then I don’t think anybody would argue with that. I think that much is clear. But “pressure games?” The Dolphins won a whopping 2 games that year by a margin of <7, against last-place Buffalo and last-place Philadelphia. 9 of their wins were by a margin of 2+ touchdowns.
Pressure games? They cruised all year. They won their division by 5 games. They clinched in November, for crying out loud.
And in the end, what you (SaintBevo) said is exactly right. How can Marino’s be legit and Drew’s be a “stunt”? Marino didn’t bring home a Lombardi that year, so what good did going to the playoffs do?
by Grandmaster Wang on Dec 28, 2008 7:24 AM CST up reply actions
GREAT JOB, 'Master
I was just thinking yesterday, “I wonder how that season actually played out for Marino and the Dolphins?” and began plotting to research that season to see if the facts would support Easterbrook’s generalized and vague statement about pressure games and meaningfulness. The more I read Mr. Easterbrook, the less convinced I become of his “genius”, althought he does make good points in his TMQ column. Thanks!
"There are no meaningless wins, only fans and sportswriters with meaningless ideas." Saints fan HansDat
by Hans Petersen on Dec 28, 2008 9:37 AM CST up reply actions
Marino's division was not very tough like ours was
I don’t think Marinos’s division was as tough as the NFC south this year and Marino’s defense helped him by being pretty good- ours stunk. We can do the yada,yada, yada- in the end a reord is a record.
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