Most times, Michael Rosenberg, a scribe for Sports Illustrated, pens semi-interesting pieces. He can be humorous, occasionally insightful, offer up some of the usual SI version of irony here and there, and even objective. Imagine that.
His latest piece on Matthew Stafford, quarterback of the Detroit Lions, was not one of those times.
In their "best" issue, SI, hence Rosenberg, got positively warm, cuddly, even soppy gooshy over the Motown QB.
Incredibly, as though it's some sort of given, Rosenberg claimed Stafford has earned the NFL's biggest contract ever. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Newton's third law of motion dictates that for every force there must be an equal and opposing force. Nobody seriously disputes that. For every up, there has to be a down. Not counting politics, for every good there must be an evil. The world of sumo wrestling and weight watchers aside -- for every fat there must be a skinny. And like that.
Hence, if a quarterback is going to be praised when his team succeeds (wins), he has to take the hit when they lose. Unfortunately, in today's politically correct and Pollyannish world, there are those such as Rosenberg that continue to praise the proverbial half full glass while ignoring that it's also half empty as well.
Rosenberg continues down the primrose path by suggesting Stafford has put up gaudy passing stats over his career in spite of the Lions never having a decent running game to complement it. This is folly. The truth of the matter is -- Stafford puts up those numbers because the organization has been so deficient in that regard. In other words, he has no choice but to throw the ball so much. Pass enough, especially with a former receiver like Calvin "Megatron" Johnson at his disposal for so many years, and the yardage will add up. Matthew and the Lions' default play always seemed to be, when in doubt, heave it in the general direction of Calvin. And a lot of times it worked. Pity poor Johnson took such a predictable beating along the way. It's little wonder he walked out during the "prime" of his career, ala Barry Sanders a couple decades before, with enough money to be comfortable forever after and his mind and body still intact. They both realized the Lions weren't going anywhere any year soon, so why stick around and take more punishment?
Yes, we get it. Stafford has a strong throwing arm, his wife Kelly loves and stands by him, and according to Rosenberg, he was the most likely kid to be able to break windows heaving balls from across the street while running on wet leaves. Please Michael, you're killing us with the gooshy stuff.
But let's get real and look at hard stats.
Over his career, now in its ninth year, Matthew Stafford has compiled a 57-62 regular season record. In his previous eight seasons, he's led the Lions to exactly three playoff games, all on the road -- and lost them all. So he has an overall record of 57-65, and hasn't even found a way to get the Lions a single home date in the playoffs, let alone win a playoff game. After eight years, he's eight games under .500 and yet to win a playoff game.
So tell me one more time how dear Matthew has EARNED the right to be the NFL's highest paid player. Good grief, there's likely a dozen teams around the league he couldn't even START for.
People like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, and even Eli Manning have been there, done that when it comes to Super Bowls. They've earned it over the years.
Stafford's still floundering about in Detroit, putting up big passing stats, while the team is mediocre at best. Is that all his fault? No. But should he take the hit for being an overall losing QB after almost nine seasons? Of course.
One of the dumbest things yours truly ever saw or heard of was Stafford, a free agent waiting to happen, re-upping with the Lions. In effect, he got enough guaranteed money so the next few generations of Staffords -- if he and dear Kelly ever decide to have kids -- a matter of contention according to Rosenberg -- will be financially secure, and then some. She wanted to breed, while he still feels a loyalty to deliver to the Ford clan -- go figure. What's that? Dear K popped out twins? SURPRISE pops. You be a daddy these days whether you like it or not.
Had Stafford opted for the open market, no doubt several, but not all teams would have been interested in his services. He would have gotten a bazillion bucks one way or the other. The way Dak Prescott is tanking in his sophomore year in Dallas, the Georgia Peach might have even attracted serious attention -- and bucks -- from Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. BTW, his home town.
But no, he decided to sign his football life away to the people that have owned a franchise since the Kennedy presidential administration, screwed it up every which way since with a parade of clown coaches and equally incompetent front office personnel, draft choices galore that have gone bust, and now have a 90+ year old widow and her merry (elderly) daughters in charge. Good luck winning with THAT.
Ain't gonna happen.
No doubt Michael Rosenberg will trot off to his next article, on his next jock, where he can mix a few more metaphors, offer up a tad of feeble humor, and no matter what -- praise somebody to the heavens. Such is the agenda of most scribes and talking heads these days.
But they always forget about Newton and his laws.
For every hero there has to be a bum.
Congrats to Matthew Stafford getting uber-bucks from the Lions and continuing to pass for so many yards. A hero.
But when it comes to results, his whole body of work over the years suggests he's little more than an over-hyped bum.
The stats don't lie......
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