NFL Hubris

Wow. NFL Hubris. I'm amazed at the hubris of some individuals in the NFL.

The Hubris of the Year award goes to Brady Quinn. Quinn had a decent career at Notre Dame. There were a couple of concerns about him. First, he has maintained a strong reputation of choking in big games. He lit up the scoreboard on inferior teams, but when he faced big games against tough defenses, he disappeared. Many questioned his arm strength and felt that he might have had success because he was in a good system. He anticipated going really high in the draft but many teams in need of quarterbacking helped didn't choose him. Finally, in the 22nd round, the Browns, his favorite team growing up, drafted him. Nice ending to the story. In the first mini camp Brown's coaches were concerned. It was a bit windy and Quinn's passes were floating around in all different directions. The questions about his arm strength resurfaced.

So, one would presume, Brady Quinn was humbled by his low draft status and initial poor performance with the Browns. One would presume that Brady Quinn would have been the first player in camp working hard to prove his critics wrong and determined to show the world that the rest of the NFL erred in underestimating him.

Ah, but hubris is such a funny thing. Brady Quinn is home, holding out. The Browns are looking to pay him as a 22nd round draft pick (which is was) which would a a lower salary than someone chosen higher (even though all first round quarterbacks make a lot of money.)

But Quinn is holding out. He thus proves several things.

Other teams look justified in passing him by and that in addition to choking in big games and having a suspect arm, he's an imbecile. It's funny how hubris lowers one's IQ.

Then there is Michael Strahan. Now, Stahan has played for my team, the New York Giants and unlike Quinn, Strahan has made his bones in the NFL. Michael Strahan is the single season sack leader in NFL history and has had, most probably, a Hall of Fame career. He also did it in the largest media market in the country. Strahan has been a great player with an outstanding NFL career. Unlike Quinn, Strahan's greatness is not all in his head.

But Michael Strahan is holding out. Michael Strahan is 36 years old and probably entering his final year in the NFL if he doesn't retire now. His contract calls for him to earn $4,000,000.00 this coming year. This works out to a feeble $250,000.00 a game for a defensive end.

Strahan is holding out and proclaiming that the Giants are betraying him by not paying him more.

Strahan is being hit by hubris as well. As great a player as he is, he's only played, at best, half of the previous two seasons. He's been injured in both seasons and there are obvious questions if he will be able to play an entire season for the Giants this year. The team, by keeping him, is paying a lot of money for a player who may or may not be able to perform, let alone well, for an entire season. But Michael Strahan wants more. So he's holding out, threatening to retire. The Giants are saying that he's welcome to come back after paying a fine for holding out, and that they want him to come back. But, if he chooses to retire, they are willing to let him and they are going to wish him a great life.

As a Giants fan I see the Giants as a team that is rebuilding. They had three older players who they need to be replacing to move on. Tiki Barber was one and he retired. Amani Toomer, who missed a large portion of last season due to injury, is back, but they drafted a WR to essentially replace him in the next year or two, and then there is Strahan. They will miss the ability of Michael Strahan, but in fairness they have not had him for most of two seasons and will be without his services in the near future anyway.

Michael, your hubris is getting in the way of your common sense. This is the NFL, which stands for Not for Long for older players who think that they are more valuable than they really are. When it's your time to retire, go out with class and not with a blue face because you are holding your breath like a small child who didn't get his way.