It’s just too easy to pick (ha…like that) on Joel Stave. It is literally amazing that he is a Division I quarterback (would he really start at UW-Whitewater?)…and how bad are the other quarterbacks on Wisconsin’s roster, if Stave is still the starter (that fact scares me more for the future of the program). After Stave’s dismal performance against Iowa (C.J. Beathard was no better) last Saturday, it is clear the yips are back…although one would argue Stave was never really good enough to even have the yips.
So, last weekend, while my wife was out of town, I hunkered down and watched HOURS of football…it was totally amazing and very disheartening…all at the same time. After watching the college game on Saturday and the pro game on Sunday, it suddenly dawned on me…what happened to all the good quarterbacks? It didn’t matter if I was watching the college game or the pro game, the quarterback play made some of those games nearly unwatchable and frankly, laughable. It became so bad, that my friends and I started calling all of the bad quarterback play…Stave.
We had C.J. Stave (Iowa), Tyrone and Jerrod Stave (Texas), Greyson and Brice Stave (Georgia), DeShone Stave (Notre Dame), Deshaun Stave (Clemson), Aqua Stave (Tannehill), Smoking Jay Stave (Cuntler), Jameis Stave (Winston), Sam Stave (Bradford), Colin Stave (Kaeperdick), Matt Stave (Stafford)…the list could literally go on all day. While I thank the Lord EVERY SINGLE DAY that the Packers have had a Hall of Fame quarterback for the last 21 years…I am very concerned that once Rodgers’ career is over, that the Packers will be stuck with a Stave…just like the Badgers have (for the last 3 years)!
So, how does football go about fixing this problem? Because let’s face it…people will stop watching this game (I know I will) if the best that teams and organizations can turn out is a Stave. Does the problem start at the lowest of levels (Pop Warner), is it a high school problem, is it a college problem, it is an NFL problem? Are athletes just not smart enough to play quarterback? Are defensive schemes so good that quarterbacking has simply become too hard? Or, am I just being too critical of the quarterback position? I’m not sure on the last question, but I don’t think the NFL is doing it’s part…by throwing gobs of money at unproven quarterbacks.
Case in point…Aqua Stave (otherwise known as Ryan Tannehill). This offseason, Tannehill signed a 6-year, 96-million dollar contract…the guy has a career record of 24-28! And then this week…a report came out that Tannehill gets upset at practice, when the practice squad players intercept his passes! It became such a problem, that at times, former head coach Joe Philbin (fired this week, in part, because Tannehill has been a bust) told the practice players to take it easy on Tannehill…you literally CANNOT make this stuff up! Meanwhile, in New England, Tom Brady PAYS the practice squad players when they intercept his passes! Hmm…
So maybe that’s the answer…players are just too fragile to play the quarterback position nowadays. The good news for the Aqua Stave’s of the world is that at least being a quarterback has brought them one thing…
A trophy wife…
not a bad pick¡