Gregg Easterbrook

If there is a better writer on football than Gregg Easterbrook, I sure do not know of him/her! You have to check out his Tuesday AM QB. For instance from the past two weeks articles:

From November 30:

• And in other NFL news, this column is 7,665 words. Tuesday Morning Quarterback averages 7,500 words -- not only the longest column in sports but the longest column anywhere, period. And the longest column anywhere appears on NFL.com, not in the New York Review of Books! Even, however, in a 7,665-word column, space constraints prohibit me from discussing all the scoring plays in the Cleveland-Cincinnati game. [actually, my old newsletter used to be longer]
• Stats of the Week No. 4 Carolina has won three straight, Buffalo has won five of its last seven -- and both still have losing records
• Stats of the Week No. 7 Priest Holmes has not played in three weeks, and still has more touchdowns than the entire Washington Redskins.

and on Brett Favre:

TMQ Proposes a Moratorium on Praising Brett Favre

Brett Favre is a fabulous player and a lot of fun to watch. Green Bay is a favorite team of yours truly: Not long ago I wrote in this space, "If TMQ were arriving on Earth aboard an alien starcruiser, after checking out the NFL, I'd pick the Packers as my team to love." But enough, already, with the media worship of Favre. First, he's not a "hero," nor is any professional athlete a hero for accepting millions of dollars to chase a ball. Heroism requires risk and sacrifice in a larger cause; heroism is, for example, volunteering to serve in Afghanistan. Second, while Favre performs very well, he's also benefiting himself in the process, through pay and by acquiring the prominence that brings his endorsement income. There's nothing wrong with earning high income or achieving celebrity, but the media suggestion that Favre is some kind of simple country boy motivated solely by love of sport actually sells him short: He's shown a sophisticated understanding of how to manipulate the modern media. Hagiography of Favre is now excessive, and may even backfire by making people sick of him. Favre is a charming guy who plays football really well. It is enough to say that, and save our hero-worship for those who act in service to others.

From November 23:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7920119

• By endlessly repeating video footage of the juvenile-delinquent behavior of the Indiana Pacers, cable news is making it seem that violent pandemonium is a common occurrence at games. But actually, fighting at American sports events is quite rare.
• In NFL news, Peyton Manning is on a pace to cure cancer, complete the "grand unification" equations of physics and bring peace to the Middle East.
• <>Stats of the Week Tony Dorsett began Sunday ranked fifth on the NFL all-time rushing list and finished Sunday as seventh, passed by Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin on the same day.

• Stats of the Week No. 10 Priest Holmes has not played in two weeks and still has more touchdowns than two entire teams, Washington and Miami.

He also has a book out, which I just got. I will let you know how it is. The basic premise is that times are good and people just do not have a longer range perspective AND like to complain.