Nobody Knows Anything
On my way into work Wednesday,
“Mike & Mike in the Morning” talked about a blog post from the Minnesota
Star Tribune where the writer questions if the Vikings beating the Washington
Redskins on Christmas Eve was the costliest win in its team history (http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/140734193.html).
The theory being a loss in that game would give them the highly coveted 2nd
overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, a pick that many expect to be Robert
Griffin III, the QB from Baylor. I am glad I didn’t hear their responses so I
can offer my unbiased perspective on it (especially since Herm Edwards (www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMk5sMHj58I) was a guest host).
For those of you who don’t know
what I am talking about (aka, my girlfriend), the top two picks in the 2012 NFL
Draft should be Stanford QB Andrew Luck and RGIII (what the cool kids call
Robert Griffin III). Luck is described as can’t miss while RGIII has been the
hottest prospect of the year. RGIII started out as a blip on the NFL radar. He
began the college season on fire and saved his best performances for the end of
the year, on his way to the Heisman Trophy. With a great arm, his media savviness,
and his well documented speed (he tried out for the U.S. Olympic team in the
400m hurdles), he is now viewed as a can’t miss player and a man who could be
taken ahead of Luck.
The St. Louis Rams hold the 2nd
pick this year. While they don’t need a QB, they know other teams do and are
drooling over RGIII. Since it is a seller’s market, many are predicting a huge
windfall if the Rams trade the pick (multiple high round draft picks the next
two years and possibly players.) The Minnesota writer was saying if the
Vikings, who drafted their QB of the future in 2011, lose that game to the
Redskins, they’d have the opportunity to turn that 2nd pick into the
chance to rebuild a struggling franchise.
In theory, that works. The
Vikings finished 3-13 last season and were officially eliminated from playoff
contention before Thanksgiving. However, communism worked as well in theory. To
suggest the Vikings should have tanked a game is beyond ludicrous. Not many
people have a chance to play in the NFL. There is no way any of the 53 players
who played against the Redskins that day would have let up for the good of the
franchise moving forward. First off, if you are labeled a quitter, your playing
career is over. A rapist or a murderer can play in the NFL. A quitter cannot.
Second, your fans expect the best. How could you expect fans to spend money on
the team if they know you can tank? Fans hate losing, but can put up with it
(to a degree) if the effort is there.
Right now, Griffin III is all
that and a bag of chips. Who knows what will happen before the April draft. In
order for the proposed trade bounty to happen, RGIII needs to stay in the
spotlight positively and teams need to be in competition for that spot. If
RGIII has a bad pro day, the trade package can disappear. If teams are able to
dig up unflattering info on him, the hype could be gone. If teams decide not to
pursue RGIII (go after a free agent QB, draft another QB later on, wait until
next year to address the position, etc.), trade leverage goes out the window.
There needs to be at least two teams fighting for the 2nd pick to
create the king’s ransom. If not, the seller’s market flips into a buyer’s
market.
Last, draft picks are the
ultimate lottery ticket. Mel Kiper Jr. may proclaim himself a draft expert, but
that’s bullshit. Despite all the research done by teams or specialists, there
is no guarantee on how a player can turn out. In 1998, some teams preferred
Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning. In 1999, the Cleveland Browns made Tim Couch
their top pick. In 2000, six teams drafted QBs not named Tom Brady. In
hindsight, those teams would be fucking idiots. High or multiple draft picks
doesn’t mean automatic success down the road. While draft preparation goes a
long way, luck (the noun, not the player) is definitely required.
I understand what the writer was
trying to convey. He was dreaming of the 2004 trade, which turned a grumpy Eli
Manning into three Pro Bowlers for the San Diego Super Chargers, for his
beloved Vikings. However, it is absolutely absurd to look down at a team for
winning a game. You don’t want to overlook karma. Just like you don’t want to
piss off a blackjack dealer, you don’t want to piss off the karma gods. They do
not reward the unjust. I am sure if they would have tanked the game, their
highly anticipated trade haul would have been made up of busts, the injured,
and/or homosexuals. Things happen for a reason. One faithful night last March,
Henny decided to enjoy the unseasonable warmth to enjoy his ham sandwich dinner
in an alley way. He wasn’t looking for a handy, but it came to him anyway and
he was now aware of the barter system. Chalk that up to karma sonnnnnnnnnnnn.
-Written by Marcus Boyd
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