Author: Cellar Dweller

Since many of our actual newspaper columnists do this, I figured it’s good enough for Sportscolumn.com too. So, here goes my initial installment of a potpourri of unrelated sports comments entitled Passing Thoughts.

After watching the Philadelphia Eagles get slaughtered on Monday night, I heard about this new curse of the Super Bowl losers. The last 5, and 6 of 7, losers of the previous season’s Super Bowl have failed to make the playoffs, or even have a .500 record. That puts in perspective the incredible feat achieved by the 1990-93 Buffalo Bills of reaching a record 4 consecutive Super Bowls.

Should an individual player get into the NFL Hall of Fame based mostly on the accomplishments of the TEAM he played on? If we’re talking about running backs, receivers, or defensive players, the history of the NFL’s Hall of Fame answers the question with a resounding no. Backs, receivers, and defensive players must get in on the basis of superior statistics, or tremendous impact. But, why is that standard seemingly ignored when it comes to quarterbacks? Or, rather, some quarterbacks?

Troy Aikman is not a Hall of Fame quarterback. Troy Aikman’s statistics pale in comparison to his peers during his playing era. Many of his numbers even fall short of Hall of Fame quarterbacks who played in less pass happy eras (pre-1980’s). However, Troy Aikman is one of the leading candidates for induction in the NFL’s 2006 Hall of Fame class. Why?

If there is any fan out there who understands the NFL’s quarterback efficiency rating they should probably make them Commissioner. The complex, arcane, over-computerized method used to rate quarterbacks is so flawed and confusing that it makes the BCS look like kindergarten arithmetic. I’m just a fan, I shouldn’t need a PhD in mathematics to determine if my favorite quarterback is statistically efficient.

There needs to be an easily calculable, fair, yet comprehensive system for fans, and announcers, to be able to gauge the effectiveness of quarterbacks. The QB rating system could be as fun and understandable as calculating your favorite baseball player’s batting average, or on base percentage. But until now, it hasn’t been.

Every season there are several teams that make the big leap from mediocrity to Super Bowl contention. In 2004 San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta rose above most prognosticator’s preseason expectations and secured playoff berths by winning their respective divisions. This year will provide similar results for three teams who have long been NFL bottom feeders. Fans in Detroit, Arizona, and Cincinnati will be dizzy with joy flying with their teams into the rarified air of post-season play. Here’s the breakdown by division.