A few months ago, the NFL held its annual meat market and the best young players were divied up between the franchises.
The big story of the first round was the free fall experienced by ambiguously straight Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn.
Hyped all season as a top prospect due to his connection to Charlie Weis, Quinn was avoided like the plague in the first half of round one. As he plummeted, his beard and he tried desperately to appear unworried and unshocked.
And then, in an act of compassion, the Cleveland Browns chose the jilted QB with the 22d pick.
Quinn finally was able to exhale and expressed his joy at being chosen by the Browns. Quickly, childhood photos of Quinn wearing a Browns' uniform were plastered on the TV screen. And Quinn allowed the impression that this was a lifetime dream of his to be proliferated.
But now, Quinn is holding out. Unwilling to sign his contract for what a 22 pick would expect as the fair market value.
One would have expected that a player that fell so far so quickly would happily take a contract and hastily make his way to camp in an effort to prove detractors wrong and to win the starting job.
But no, Quinn and his representation are too busy trying to justify why he, as a 22 pick, deserves top 10 money.
He has already missed mini-camps and the first 6 practices of training camp.
Perhaps the most telling fact in all this is that Quinn's agent, Tom Condon, has already reached contract agreements for all his other first round players.
Hopefully, the Browns learned a lesson in all this.
They saw pictures of a boy in Browns' uniform with a dream. A boy who, despite initial prognostications by draft "experts", was not highly thought of by most teams in the league. But the Browns chose to look beyond Quinn's slumping value and give the young man a chance.
In return, their plans for this season must be put on hold. Held hostage by the greed and inflated self worth of a man who should be nothing but thankful for the chance to play.
Elsewhere in the NFL, number one draft pick Jamarcus Russell continues his negotiations with the Raiders in his quest for fair and acceptable compensation. We wish Russell success in his quest for equality of contract.
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58 comments:
so it's cool that russell holds out, but not quinn?
you are demented.
It's understandable on both Quinn's and Russell's part, considering that if the Dolphins followed suit, he would be getting top ten money.
Both are trying to hammer out details on guaranteed bonus money, and its only right to do in a sport where contracts can be voided at the drop of a hat.
"considering that if the Dolphins followed suit"
what does that mean????
you mean, Quinn should be compensated as if he had been taken by the dolphins??? even tho they DIDN'T WANT him??
the guy was taken 22d. pay him as the 22d pick.
It seems painfully obvious that Brady Quinn would jump at the chance to play for $15/hour if the franchise were called the Cleveland Whites.
"ambiguously straight"?
"beard"?
Classy,on so many levels.When did this become a fucking gossip column?
I submit that it is the godhead who hates the Brownies; Quinn and Congdon are merely the vessels of His will.
That's got to be it, because there's no anywhere near logical reason for Quinn to demand top 10 money.
"Classy,on so many levels.When did this become a fucking gossip column? "
Sir, we are sorry if we offended your sexuality.
Additionally, we have been accused of many things. Not one of which has ever been being classy.
Maybe it's always been a gossip column and you just never noticed?
"Sir, we are sorry if we offended your sexuality."
wait...mr. poindexter is gay?
wow, i mean...i still respect him. but wow. i just never would have thought...
Come on,NOIS,you can do better than that rejoinder.If that's as good as you can insult with time to think,you must be a little slow witted face-to-face.
It's just that I thought something calling itself Nation of Islam Sportsblog would be more broadminded given Minister Farrakhans somewhat unusual fetish.
"I thought something calling itself Nation of Islam Sportsblog would be more broadminded given Minister Farrakhans somewhat unusual fetish."
and YOU call nois slow witted?
"Come on,NOIS,you can do better than that rejoinder."
Sir, honestly, we can only do as well as the comments we are given to respond to. You don't add much depth or humor or anything to the conversation.
Not trying to be rude.
Just honest.
Apparently you haven't heard,brother t.I read it on the Aryan Nation Sportsblog.
NOIS,of course you weren't trying to be rude,just as I wasn't when I called you slow-witted.Hey,if we aren't honest,what do we have left?
I got no problem slamming Quinn for his prima donna attitude,but casting aspersions on the sexuality of a 21 or 22 year old kid says more about your prejudices than Quinn.How does it differ from what you're slamming the press for doing in covering Bonds?
"How does it differ from what you're slamming the press for doing in covering Bonds?"
Sir, you seem like a clever chap...how bout you tell us how it differs.
"Apparently you haven't heard,brother t.I read it on the Aryan Nation Sportsblog."
ummm, yah. Ok.
i have no clue what you are referencing, but that isn't a surprise.
You infer that the 'prejudiced' media takes a harsher and more suspicious stance on Bonds' potential steroid use because he is black.
Yet you attack Brady Quinn's contract negotiations and decide that it is okay to mock his appearance by stating that he is "ambiguously straight".
Hypocrisy floods and ruins a blog that could have otherwise provided insightful commentary on important issues.
Sir, I submit that not only does Mr. Russell deserve "first pick money" but also "first pick money, if the first pick had been a white QB from Notre Dame." Let us not suffer the illusion that the two are one in the same.
As for Mr. Quinn, I believe that his hold-out is racist in nature. While his agent bases his absence on the delusional belief that his client is a top-ten talent, what he really means is that since last year's 22nd pick was a man of color (Nebraska's Manny Lawson) any attempt to pay him like the 22nd-best player would be an insult to his race.
NOIS,even though you're seeming less and less like a clever type of fella',how 'bout you doin' your own thinkin'?
brother t,I'm sure your cluelessness comes as no surprise to those that know you.However,someone should have told you it's nothing to be proud of.
And speaking of clues,MHZ,get one.What Quinn's agent 'really means' is that his client is a quarterback in a quarterback's league.Last years #22 was a linebacker-from NC State,not Nebraska.Moron.
"mock his appearance by stating that he is 'ambiguously straight'"
Sir, since you are new to NOISb, you may not be accustomed to a blog that only deals in facts. NOISb, I believe, was not mocking Master Quinn's appearance. Rather, he was stating the obvious based off of us bad haircut, poor suit, questionable companion, and being on the verge of tears when he was not initially picked.
Sir, the facts can be cold and hard to deal with, but embrace them.
"NOIS,even though you're seeming less and less like a clever type of fella',how 'bout you doin' your own thinkin'?"
nois, why do the retards with no wit and no insight always choose to come here and make fools of themselves???
and, lately, they have less and less to actually say or debate about....
"Yet you attack Brady Quinn's contract negotiations and decide that it is okay to mock his appearance by stating that he is "ambiguously straight"."
Sir, we don't mock his appearance.
We mock his sexuality.
"Hypocrisy floods and ruins a blog that could have otherwise provided insightful commentary on important issues."
...and you lack of ability to properly process this blog ruins what might have been an otherwise worthwhile comment...
I fail to see what Quinn's alleged sexuality has to do with his holdout.
"I fail to see what Quinn's alleged sexuality has to do with his holdout."
Sir, we fail to see why you would be attempting to connect his sexuality with his hold out.
But we do agree that his sexuality is alleged.
"We mock his sexuality."
So the people fighting for racial equality are also openly homophobic.
But why mock the man's sexuality? In an attempt to expose the fact that his squeaky-clean image in the MSM is inaccurate? I'm just confused I suppose.
"So the people fighting for racial equality are also openly homophobic. "
Sir, homophobic?
What does that even mean?
Mocking Brady Quinn because he is fruity means we are afraid of homosexuals?
Stop.
We demand that you stop reading this blog, or get a tutor to explain things to you.
You are a victim of your own preconceptions.
"I'm just confused I suppose."
Sir, agreed.
We can end this particular discussion on the correctness of this statement.
You need to provide your chorus with a songbook,NOIS-martin apparently doesn't understand what the hell you were trying to say.
"Retards"-quite the witty and insightful ad hominem(I'll wait while you look it up),HenryVIII(Roman numerals-you'd have learned about them if you stayed in school).You seem to confuse drive-by for debate.That's sure surprising,considering the double-digit IQs attracted to the echo chamber here.By the way,was that you I saw pointing and laughing at competitors at the Special Olympics?
Which brings us back to Quinn and NOIS mocking his sexuality.You and your sycophants(we'll wait again while you look it up,HenryVII)like to whine to each other about real and percieved racism in every corner of sport and society yet fail to understand when you engage in the same prejudicial behaviour.When you abandon the moral highground,your own fight becomes less noble.
"society yet fail to understand when you engage in the same prejudicial behaviour."
Sir, what is prejudicial about pointing out the fact that many have pondered Quinn's sexual orientation?
You engage in an onslaught of "ad hominen" attacks...and when other commentors fling them back at you, you act defensive and pretend that what you have said has been worthwhile and based on some sort of fact?
You pretend that the plight of Negroes in America are connected in some way shape or form to the sexual proclivity of a football quarterback?
Don't lecture us about moral highground when you yourself aren't even standing at sea level.
We do find it amusing that you, in your desperate attempt to defend your inferior offerings, would label those that agree with us as sycophants.
As if you and your mainstream and white based view of the world is in some jeopardy of not being heard. As if you have some original thought in your infected mind.
Please, let us not pretend you are anything more than a sheep. A pod completely formed and developed by the mainstream white media.
You attack our description of Quinn for one reason and one reason only.
Anyone with a modicum of common sense and reasonable intellectual capacity would find no reason to try to pretend that commenting on the light-stepping QB in anyway detracts from the righteous presentation of ideas and issues relating to the Negro in sports and in America.
The only possible reason to connect the two would be to hopelessly to inflict damage to the stering reputation of the source.
We see your racist effort to mitigate our struggle. To degrade our righteous position. To try to create indignation aimed at questioning our righteous authority.
Be warned. Your empty efforts to erode our integrity, stature, substance and righteousness will fall short.
If you choose to attack us. At least attack us from the front.
To do it from behind....well, that's just a bit too Quinn-like.
Allahu Akhbar.
Cool-I got the incensed Black Nationalist lecture 101.However,for all the scripted rhetoric,no substance.
Reread the comments,Jethro-other than asking when this became a gossip column,my so-called 'ad hominem' attacks came after you alluded to my sexuality or your minions rushed to your defense and called me names rather than challenging my premise(except,of course,for MHZ,but that really was a moronic comment.
By your own declaration,you weren't 'pointing out' what 'many have pondered'(nice dodge,by the way-don't accept any personal responsibility for spreading rumor-attribute it to the anonymous 'many')-you were 'mocking' the 'fruity' Quinn.Be a man-take ownership of your statements.
Your closing statement was clever,but characteristically meaningless-can you point me to this 'front' that I haven't yet found?On the other hand,the passion of your response indicates you take some enjoyment from getting it in the rear.
"Reread the comments,Jethro-other than asking when this became a gossip column"
Sir, right there.
You started with an ad hominen attack insinuating in a negative way that this was a gossip column.
And your nose is in the middle of your face.
What else can we point out to you?
"your minions rushed to your defense and called me names rather than challenging my premise"
premise?
you had no premise.
trying to pretend nois's characterization of quinn (something that A MILLION blogs have mentioned)is related to anything other than an offhand mocking of quinn shows you are a moron.
sorry, that isn't ad hominen.
you ARE a moron. anyone that read your first comment can see that.
ad hominen would be unfounded and factless.
like your comments.
Sorry,Jethro(or maybe I should say Jethros-you have quite a collection of intellectual lighweights here)-spreading 'unfounded and factless' rumour about Quinn's sexual proclivities is gossip.Calling you on it isn't 'ad hominem'.That's a premise.Pointing out the inherent hypocrisy of whining about prejudice while engaging in your own is a premise.Whoever read my first comment to you needs to work on their critical reading skills,malcolm.
So what if 'A MILLION blogs'(still refusing to accept responsibility for what you all think and write by cloaking it in anonymity) have engaged in the same clucking?A giggle fest about someone's supposed gayness is just fucking gossip.Even after all your ducking,bobbing,and weaving.
By the way,about the segue from the bitchy 'Quinn-like' straight to a religious salutation.Personally,a skeptic like myself appreciates the irony(hell,I'd have done something similar if I were trying to satirize),but a more closed minded devotee might think that blasphemed your deity.
"We can end this particular discussion on the correctness of this statement."
Perhaps you did not note my curiosity over why Quinn's sexuality would be mentioned in a post regarding his holdout. Instead of answering my questions, which I assume you hold the answers to, I enter your forum seeking clarification and you dismiss me.
That your question went unanswered wasn't unnoticed,mmurr.As I said,much of the 'content' of NOIS statements consists of ducking,bobbing,and weaving.
Man up,sir.
"spreading 'unfounded and factless' rumour about Quinn's sexual proclivities is gossip"
Sir, what rumors were spread?
we even used the word ambiguous...thereby allowing for the fact that no claim as to his straightness was being made.
"but a more closed minded devotee might think that blasphemed your deity. "
Sir, seriously.
You aren't good at reading peoples' minds, so just stop.
"I enter your forum seeking clarification and you dismiss me."
Sir, you aren't seeking clarification.
If you were seeking clarification you'd have accepted the answers already given.
You are trying to make an issue out of something that isn't an issue.
We make posts.
Some people comprehend them.
Others (you and your friend poindexter) spend hours of futility trying to pick them apart.
But, in your quest to pick them apart...you reveal to everyone but yourself that you don't even understand the initial post.
Yet, you continue to rage and debate...furthering your foolish appearance. Until you get offended when oblige your type by acknowledging your foolishness.
If you don't want to be treated as a fool. Don't act like one.
Simple.
"Man up,sir."
Sir, what exactly are we to "man up" to?
You disagree with everything we say.
How is "manning up" even at play here?
You interject into our actual words YOUR take on what our thought process is.....but you don't understand our thought process.
How can we debate with you when you aren't even debating the meaning of our posts?
See our dilemma?
I would hardly call my emotions anything close to rage, but if you are trying to incite me to rage by using words such as "foolish" and "futility" I am sorry to say you have failed. I am not trying to make an issue out of anything; more to the point, I was trying to better understand your stance on this issue. I had been under the (mistaken) impression that this area of your blog was more conversational, an area where clarification could be sought without someone trying to make the confused feel foolish. I was apparently incorrect, and I will remember that in the future. I have not spent hours trying to pick apart your post, nor do I care if you make fun of someone who is a bit less macho than the average NFL player. I was simply curious how A led to B, why Quinn's sexuality mattered in a post regarding his holdout, and was wondering what led to that connection. I assumed you would have a cogent answer. I assumed incorrectly, it would seem.
Earlier you scolded another commenter not to attempt to read another's mind. I respectfully ask that you keep that in mind when reading my posts.
"I was simply curious how A led to B, why Quinn's sexuality mattered in a post regarding his holdout, and was wondering what led to that connection. I assumed you would have a cogent answer. I assumed incorrectly, it would seem."
Sir, we addressed this earlier.
YOU are the one that MADE the connection. YOU are the on that made it matter.
We never said, "quinn's sexuality is a factor in the hold out".
Did we?
If we had described Quinn as being "a dark haired" QB, would you be assaulting us with these same questions? Peppering us with things like "what does having dark hair have to do with Quinn holding out"? "Why does Quinn's brunette-ness matter in a post about his hold out"...
We doubt you'd have asked those questions.
We doubt you'd even connect us mentioning he is a brunette with having anything to do with his hold out.
Would you?
Yet, you try to connect our mentioning him being straight with the hold out.
Clearly, you have a problem with us point this out.
Why?
I submit that it was you who, by inserting the phrase "ambiguously straight" and later referring to Quinn's "beard" brought on this discussion. By inserting these phrases in your post, you clearly wish for the reader to infer questions about Quinn's sexuality. Does Quinn's preference matter? I think not. But you're the one who wrote the original post (which I just re-read, incidentally) so I imagined that you could enlighten me as to why it mattered. You're the one who wrote the words, so tell me why it matters.
"You're the one who wrote the words, so tell me why it matters."
Sir, funny, you waste 8 comment posts demanding we answer your questions and accusing us of avoiding them.
We ask you one, and you don't bother with it...
Again, would it have mattered if we described him as being a brunette? Would you have asked all these questions demanding to know if there was some signifance in describing him as a brunette in a post about his hold out?
Man up.
"Man up. "
nois, this joker isn't gonna answer, because he knows that if he answers honestly, it proves YOUR point.
don't expect a simple yes or know answer from this clown.
"Does Quinn's preference matter? I think not."
hey fruitcake...if you don't think quinn's preference matters...then why on earth do you care why NOIS put it in the post?
maybe he put it there because it DOESN'T matter....or maybe he put it in there because he knew an anal retentive pc cop like you would come along and shit his pants over it...maybe you are giving nois exactly the reaction he hoped to illicit from some of the less insightful readers here...probably.
hey mmurr....nice poodle on your back.
at least you don't even try to be ambiguous about your sexuality.
happy pride day...whenever it is.
Actually,I find myself in agreement with much of what you say,NOIS,but you still havn't explained what your fucking point was other than spreading gossip and innuendo,taking a cheap shot at an outgroup(ironically so,considering most of the posts I've read here address societies treatment of a different outgroup) and provoking some giggles from the amen choir(but frankly,the bar's kinda low with this crew-don't take their approbation as any stamp of quality).
But you bootlickers keep pretending you have insight('maybe he put it in there because it DOESN'T matter...'-now there's a mind destined for great things.Is it challenging keeping the orders straight at the driveup window,steven a?).Every organ grinder needs a monkey or two.One of yours even comes with their own banana hammock.As for me,I got mine to keep dancing long after he announced he would 'end this particular discussion'.
"Sir, funny, you waste 8 comment posts..." False. I believe this will be my 5th on this subject.
"Again, would it have mattered if we described him as being a brunette? Would you have asked all these questions demanding to know if there was some signifance in describing him as a brunette in a post about his hold out?" I doubt it, since a mere picture of Quinn would prove the fact that he is a brunette. It might be insignificant and perhaps I would have noted it, but I can't be sure. His sexuality, however, cannot be proven by any picture (that I've seen, anyways) and can only be surmised about.
To address al sharptons banana hammock's comment: "don't expect a simple yes or know answer from this clown," sorry to disapoint you, sir.
To address dave the wave's comment: "hey mmurr....nice poodle on your back.
at least you don't even try to be ambiguous about your sexuality.
happy pride day...whenever it is." I doubt ownership of a poodle indicates sexual preference in any way, shape or form. Besides, I thought the level of discourse on this board was above that of the high school lunch room.
NOIS, I'm not the one who told you to "man up" in the first place, so I'm not sure why you're telling me to. Previously you asked me: "Clearly, you have a problem with us point this out.
Why? " There you go again trying to read someone's mind. I don't have a problem with it at all, I was just curious why it was mentioned. I answered your question about Quinn being brunette. I don't expect (nor did I ever mean to demand) one from you regarding my earlier inquiries given today's debacle (my fault in retrospect). I hope we can understand each other better in the future, as today was a colossal waste of time.
",I got mine to keep dancing long after he announced he would 'end this particular discussion'. "
Sir, really?
I got mine to dance by bringing up Quinn's sexuality in the first place.
Had mine dancing before yours even noticed the music was playin'...
"His sexuality, however, cannot be proven by any picture (that I've seen, anyways) and can only be surmised about."
Sir, HAHA.
Looks like al was right on point, after all.
That is no answer whatsoever.
There was no pic, so your point is of zero relevence. It's moot.
Again, IF we had said the brunette QB...would you be bitching?
Al, what do you think, will he answer with a simple yes or no...or will we get another scenario which doesn't apply?
"I hope we can understand each other better in the future, as today was a colossal waste of time. "
you just summed up your life, poodle boy.
"Again, IF we had said the brunette QB...would you be bitching?"
NO! Direct enough?
Dave the wave: "you just summed up your life, poodle boy"
You have to admit that this is a frivolous conversation that has completely strayed from the point of NOIS' original post, for which I apologized. If you're implying that my life is a colossal waste of time, well, we're both spending some significant time on a sports blog message board today. So what does that say about us? I'm a teacher/coach on summer vacation and waiting for football season to start. What's your excuse? As for the poodle boy comment, well, I really like my poodle.
"I'm a teacher/coach on summer vacation and waiting for football season to start. "
what do you coach? powder puff ball....fruit.
Everybody knows Quinn is a Fag!
Dude is a complete Bitch!
It's no secret.
Dave the Wave, I've noticed that most of your posts involve some type of insult within them. Why is this? And are you calling me a fruit simply because I have a poodle? I can't think of much else that you know about me. Very clever, by the way, the powder puff comment. I like what you did there, making me seem less masculine than a varsity football coach by insinuating my dog reflects or affects my sexuality. I get it.
It's been some time since I've read something this overtly racist. Quite the message of tolerance and equality. I guess the idea of equality amongst all people must not have made the final cut of the Quran. Thank you for confirming the stereotype of Racist Islam. This will be the last time I read your nonsense.
"It's been some time since I've read something this overtly racist."
Sir, overtly racist?
Espousing our opinion that it is foolish of Quinn to hold out as a 22d pick is racist??
Interesting outlook.
"This will be the last time I read your nonsense. "
i'm sure you hurt nois' feelings.
don't worry nois, some people prefer to wallow in ignorance.
Don't forget the possibility that the Browns only took Quinn in the 1st round as a favor from Romeo Crennel to Charlie Weis, former cohorts in New England. Quinn would have been a 2nd round guy if not for Cleveland.
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