Spots Guy Goodnes

Column is good as always and the he has a great Theisman/MaGuire impression. But this bit is really true:

Remember when Baltimore won the Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer? That was the year when everyone collectively decided, You don't need a good quarterback to win a championship ... heck, you don't even need a QB with a full head of hair! As long as Generic QB could make some plays and avoid killer turnovers, your team had a chance. At least, that's what we thought.

Well, five years have passed. And I'm here to tell you something: You need a good quarterback to win a championship.

Dilfer's brief, Joshua Jackson-like apex for the Ravens turned out to be deceiving. That was a goofy season in the National Football League. Many contenders from 1996-2000 sacrificed their long-term cap flexibility for a short-term fix, shelling out crippling bonuses without fully realizing the ramifications. That opened the door for the '00 Ravens and the '01 Pats, unequivocally the two least talented champions of the past 20 years. In particular, New England's title was astounding if you examine its team statistics and personnel at the time; in David Halberstam's upcoming book, he even quotes Bill Belichick as screaming on the sideline at the end of the Rams' game, "Can you believe we won the f***ing Super Bowl with this team?"

But here's the other thing: Trent Dilfer is better than you think. Did you know he made the Pro Bowl in 1997 and even won a playoff game? Did you know his postseason record is 5-1? As he showed during Baltimore's Super Bowl season, he's a big guy who can throw deep, absorb a pounding and keep his team in games. Now he's one of the few reliable veteran QBs in the league. Maybe he won't carry an offense, but you can certainly compete with him. And you know what? Half the teams in the league would kill to have him.

Two things, A) Fuck yea Dilfer! Whoo hoo! B) He's right about the Ravens and the Pats, both those teams weren't that good. The first thing I said after the Pats won their first SB was "These guys will not be in the playoffs next year." And they weren't. Then they built their team better, Brady got better, and they just went nuts. Anyway, good shit.