Have you guys ever seen the movie End
of Watch? You should, it’s a really good flick. Today marks the end of The
Redding Report’s own watch, although our ending won’t be nearly as bloody and
heart-wrenching. Remember at the beginning of the preseason when I predicted
that Terelle Pryor would overtake Matt Flynn to be the Raider’s starter and
even made up my own verb for it? You don’t, huh? Well, luckily you can read the
first and second installments of this thrilling trilogy right now. So why are
we here? Well, because I was right, of course! And if you’re asking yourself “Is
this guy really going to point out every one of his predictions that comes
true?” (you may recall my detailed accounts of why Miami would win a third NBA
title being exactly right) then the answer is yes. As a freelance sports
writer, and that’s a capital FREE, I’ve got to enjoy these small victories.
Yesterday evening, when it was
announced that Pryor would be starting this Sunday against the Colts, my main
theory as to why he would win the job was proven to be correct. The Raider
Nation is firmly supporting Pryor. I was at my friend’s house at the time, he
and his father die-hard Raiders fans, and their reactions told me all I need to
know. Hope has been returned to the Black Hole, my friends. Now we just have to
hope that Pryor can really play, because we all know what happens when a
quarterback isn’t exactly what Oakland thought he might be.
But what of Matt Flynn? Two seasons
in a row a starting job was “his to lose”, as we say in this business, and he
lost it. So what’s next? Will he swallow his pride and happily back-up Terrelle
Pryor this season? Maybe he’ll take a year hiatus? Well all I know is, if I’m a
NFL coach with a young QB on my roster, I’m doing everything I can to get Matt
Flynn on my team. Why? Isn’t it obvious? A competition with Matt Flynn will
bring out the best in any young signal caller. Maybe the final push Cam Newton
needs is to have Flynn placed ahead of him on the depth chart. Call me crazy, but results don’t lie, and
right now Flynn is 2 for 2. Maybe he should just retire altogether and become a
quarterback guru; he’s already got a pretty good resume.
Don’t worry; I’m done patting myself
on the back (for now!!). Here’s something of actual significance: the NFL
season starts on Thursday. No, seriously. Football is back, it’s really here. The
Broncos and Ravens will kick off the greatest five months of the year at Mile
High Stadium because the Orioles wish baseball was still America’s most popularsport. Oh, and somebody give Matt Flynn’s number to Tebow. He may be an NFL
quarterback yet. If you also want to pat me on the back, the comments section
is the place to be. Don’t forget to let me know how you’ll be enjoying the game
this Thursday!
No comments:
Post a Comment