Tim Brown talks straight

Former Oakland wide receiver gives Sam Farmer some astute analysis:

'JaMarcus Russell went from wherever he was to No. 1 because of Notre Dame’s defense,' he said. 'And nobody around here is going to tell me that Notre Dame’s defense is a top-rated defense. If you look at what he did in that game, he went back, he ran around, and, ‘Oh, this is Notre Dame, let me just throw a Hail Mary.’ And his boys kept coming down with the passes. I don’t know how a game like that would promote a guy so far up the ladder, but that’s what happens. This is a hype league, and all this stuff is really about hype, so that doesn’t surprise me.'

 

Sounds about right.

 

So it doesn't have anything to do with the fact he's a quarterback and is enormous, athletic, and can throw the ball a mile and a half?

Edit: But don't get me wrong. Notre Dame has been overrated for years. No doubt about that.

 

............Quinn still sucks though.

 

Actually, Brown has another quote in the story addressing Russell's passing.
Brown says Russell's not a rhythm passer and won't work in a West Coast system.

 

I haven't seen enough of Russell to say whether he's right about him specifically, but generally speaking he's right on in terms of how flawed the draft system. One good game or good workout can mean more than a three or four year body of work on the field. It baffles me.

 

"he went back, he ran around" ?

He didn't have to do much running around that night. He could've read Infinite Jest in the pocket before the ND line ever reached him.

 

Is it too late to draft Jay Cutler?
Thought so.

 

See also: Jeff George, Ryan Leaf.

 

I guess he'll fit right in with the rest of the Raiders, then.

 

Instead of Infinite Jest, he really should just choose to read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and Consider the Lobster in succession, because Wallace's journalism is less pretentious and more accessable than his fiction, and if he wanted to take a break and throw a screen pass or something, it would be easier to pick up where he left off.