“America’s Quarterback” No. 25
July 4th, 2015
Influential.
Rare is it for a rookie quarterback to be thought of as one of the 100 most influential people in the NFL.
Then again, if a nobody like Rachel Nichols is in the same list, then Joe guesses a rookie quarterback very well should be.
(It is starting to dawn on Joe that northeastern sportswriters, who pretty much live in a cultural cocoon and the rare times they venture from their nests to travel to flyover country do nothing but whine and cry about humidity, sure put a whole lot of inflated stock on fellow sportswriters from the same region. Joe has yet to meet any NFL type who feels the need to check Nichols’ Twitter feed to gauge which way northeastern sportswriters’ wind (ahem) is blowing to determine what move they should or shouldn’t make. Then again, most NFL people that run the football side of teams don’t hang on sailboats off the coast of Nantucket spooning lobster bisque or sipping six-year old bottles of French imported chardonnay in the Hamptons at sunset this time of year. Would anyone outside of Washington, D.C. have heard of Nichols if not for her stepmother-in-law, Diane Sawyer? Don’t tell Joe that Sawyer, a heavy hitter for Disney-owned ABC News, didn’t make overtures to help her stepdaughter get a gig with Disney-partner BSPN. Hell, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and prickly Pete Prisco wield more influence in NFL circles than Nichols, c’mon! Joe’s willing to bet Megyn Kelly has more influence than Nichols. Geez.)
In this same list, a countdown of sorts featured on theMMQB.com, Joe noticed that “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston, is ranked in the top-25. In fact, Winston is listed at No. 25. A rookie quarterback, no less, writes Emily Kaplan.
25. Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The No. 1 overall pick will always battle against outsized expectations. But Jameis Winston will face more scrutiny than any rookie in recent history. His exceptional talent may only be outweighed by the baggage that accompanied his arrival in Tampa. By now, America is well-versed in Winston’s tumultuous college career, both on and off the field. His rookie season could diverge one of two ways: Winston could demonstrate poise and maturity, show flashes of on-field greatness (besides his physical abilities, teams gushed about Winston’s game acumen through the draft process) and lift a franchise desperate for a return to respectability. With All-Pro-caliber receivers in Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, Winston’s debut could be as impressive as Andrew Luck’s in 2012 or Matt Ryan’s in 2008. Or, Winston could fumble yet again. One more off-the-field incident could spell the end of his tenure as a franchise quarterback. And his coach (Lovie Smith), general manager (Jason Licht) and offensive coordinator (Dirk Koetter) could be collateral damage. So, Famous Jameis, which is it going to be?
Now this is what a stud quarterback can do for a franchise: He can lift a team out of the ashes and make a franchise relevant again; restore pride in a fan base that too often has watched its beloved Bucs play with “Kick Me” signs taped to their backsides.
When is the last time the Bucs, a 2-14 mess, have had this much run in the national press? The Bucs haven’t been this relevant since Chucky was here, or perhaps since the lone year the Bucs made a playoff run with Raheem Morris in 2010.
July 4th, 2015 at 8:54 am
IMO………..that writer is stupid for writing it in the first place
NO ROOKIE QB should be mentioned in “TOP” of anything yet because they haven’t done anything yet in the NFL.
July 4th, 2015 at 9:05 am
Yeah really, most pro football talking types act as if the Bucs are irrelevant and always a part of the never were has been losers on the NFL’s bottom side. That has to change starting this upcoming season. The team and fans are tired of being overlooked and dismissed as laughable pretenders.
July 4th, 2015 at 9:15 am
The Buccaneers will stop wearing the ‘Kick Me’ sign when they start doing the kicking… on the field. Having players listed in the top of the league just makes it worse when they do not produce with that talent.
I would rather have 53 ‘nobodies’ and end the season with the Lombardi traveling down Bayshore Blvd.
July 4th, 2015 at 11:40 am
The time of salvation is near. Praise Jameis!
July 4th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
theMMQB.com has committed the logical fallacies of the “False Dilemma”. This when only two choices are presented yet more exist, or a spectrum of possible choices exists between two extremes. False dilemmas are usually characterized by “either this or that” language, but can also be characterized by omissions of choices.
July 4th, 2015 at 1:55 pm
Buccfan37 those same NFL types had to have felt the same way about the Patriots before the emergence of Tom Brady,man what a difference one individual can make to an entire organization.
July 4th, 2015 at 10:35 pm
There are so many haters who can not wait to see Jameis fail. When was the last time you have seen a rookie sports figure so demonized? Jameis Winston is the perfect example of today’s professional sports personalities with character issues. With Jameis people have this intense wrath were they loath him. That is what makes him influential. Those who want him to fail and those who want him to succeed. He is the saviour for fans of a franchise plagued by horrendous draft choices, coach and GM turnaround with losing results year after year. How this year plays out is yet to be determined. One thing is for sue, everyone is watching.
July 5th, 2015 at 8:21 am
Hey bucsdabest why is it hate to expect Mr. Winston to prove what he can do in the NFL before making a top 100 NFL player list? I believe Mr. Winston is capable of being top 20 player, but not before he has ever played a single meaningful snap as a NFL qb. This is just more SSDD about “America’s QB” who has yet to play one snap in any NFL game.
Yeah I’ve read a few posters here and other blogs that hate on Mr. Winston, I’m from Missouri “America’s Show me state”
July 5th, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Joe you seem pretty butt-hurt about Nichols being on that list. You’ve mentioned it countless times over the last few weeks.
Haven’t you been telling us all summer long how every outlet puts out these lists, and they are a dime a dozen (AKA meaningless)?
Who cares man? Get over it. Did she do something personally to you?
July 5th, 2015 at 5:21 pm
Not sure what “butt-hurt” means but it’s outrageous and when Joe sees something outrageous, he’s going to point it out.