Drew Brees: A True Class Act

"There may be only one name that goes in the record book, but it's all about you guys." Those were a few of the words spoken by Drew Brees, himself after he broke Dan Marino's 27-year old record for most passing yards in a season last night. He thanked everyone including the players, coaches, staff, owners and equipment managers. That alone shows the selflessness of the quarterback who made New Orleans a football town again with the Super Bowl victory in 2009. From watching his speech in the locker room, one gets the impression of Brees being someone who is a genuinely nice person, a guy who will give credit to everyone and try to take the spotlight off of himself. After all, how many guys would thank the equipment managers and staff workers after breaking a record many considered unbreakable once upon a time?

You could not have asked for a better stage to break the record: Monday Night Football, national TV audience and the hated rival in town with a chance to wrap up the NFC South title. It doesn't get much better than that, especially for Saints fans who suffered through so many lean years prior to just a few years ago when the team made the jump to perennial contender. Brees is a cult hero in New Orleans, one who played a huge role in that transition from an also-ran to a contender. How could one forget the priceless image of Brees holding his son, Baylen following the Super Bowl victory over the Colts? Those are the memories that last a lifetime, not just for Saints fans, but for fans of football in general. People love to hear the feel-good stories, such as the Super Bowl run in 2009 which brought New Orleans out of the sadness that occurred in the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The residents needed someone or something to be passionate about and something that would make them forget the devastation for at least 3 hours each and every Sunday. Drew Brees and the Saints fit that bill perfectly.

The record could not have been broken by a classier guy, someone who will give credit to others and someone who is not afraid to shoulder the blame after a tough loss. Drew Brees defines class in every sense of the word, a guy who loves his teammates like they are family, thanks everyone for giving him the opportunity to break such a record and above all, helps out with charities around the City of New Orleans.

I recommend everybody take a few minutes and watch the speech Brees gives in the locker room following last night's game. It will really show you how Drew Brees is a true class act.

Here is the link to the speech:
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/29504/drew-brees-still-more-to-be-done. 
Copy and paste this link into your address bar.

A Late Entrant in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes?

Just 2 seasons ago, the Minnesota Vikings looked as if they were in prime position to advance to the Super Bowl and get yet another chance to win that ever-elusive first ring. You know the rest, Brett Favre makes one of the most boneheaded plays in NFL history and the Vikings have been in a slow tailspin ever since. 2010 featured the firing of Brad Childress, numerous injuries to Brett Favre and the roof collapsing on the Metrodome, culminating with a 6-10 overall record. In the offseason, Leslie Frazier was named full-time head coach and Donovan McNabb was acquired to fix the gaping hole at quarterback.

The McNabb experiment turned out to be a disaster, he started just 6 games, was benched in favor of 1st round pick, Christian Ponder and later released. Since he took over, Ponder has shown some promise with 13 touchdowns, but has also thrown 12 picks and some of his throws have made it quite apparent that he may be not quite ready for the starting role just yet. The team as a whole has stumbled to a 2-12 record at this writing which puts them in the mix for a top 5 draft pick in April. There are a number of directions the Vikings could go with a top 5 pick, a receiver to put opposite Percy Harvin, a corner who isn't on IR and isn't old and slow(Antoine Winfield) or someone who does not get arrested for DUI(Chris Cook) or the craziest of all the scenarios, the Vikings slide into the #1 pick and select Andrew Luck. Until last week, the Colts receiving the #1 pick was a foregone conclusion and they still might, but if Indianapolis finds a way to pull another upset and get win #2 coupled with the Vikings losing their final 2 games, it comes down to a coin flip for Luck. The St. Louis Rams, who also currently sit at 2-12 could also end up with the first overall selection, but they would be better off taking a linemen to protect Sam Bradford.

If the Vikings were to end up with the #1 pick, the biggest question is, do they essentially consider the selection of Ponder a waste and choose Andrew Luck? As I mentioned earlier, Ponder has shown flashes of brilliance, but he also has miles to go in terms of development into a legitimate NFL starting QB. Granted, you cannot expect a rookie to step in and immediately lead his team to victories, but is there enough progress being shown for the Vikings to pass on Luck? Personally, I would select Luck simply due to the fact, he is one of the most NFL-ready quarterback prospects we have seen in years. There are those who will argue that Justin Blackmon should be the pick, given his immense talent and the need for a legitimate deep threat to complement a slot receiver like Percy Harvin. Heck, Morris Claiborne, the corner out of LSU could be chosen to shore up the porous secondary that has struggled all season long.

I understand that choosing Luck puts Ponder in a tough spot. However, the guy has shown enough promise where you could trade him to a team in need of a young QB and likely receive a decent amount of talent for him. Look at how the Kevin Kolb trade worked out for the Eagles, landing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd-round pick. There are receivers to be had later on in the draft, as talented as Blackmon is, he is not the be-all, end-all at the position and corner is typically a position with a number of top prospects that can be selected later on in the draft. Luck is widely considered a can't-miss prospect who may be ready to step into the starting job right away. Worst case, Luck sits behind Ponder for a year and learns on the job, getting him ready for success in 2013 and beyond.

This is purely speculation for now, but let's root for the Colts to win at least one of their final two games and then, you never know what could happen.