Story
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Abysmal'
Mississippi's public-education system may be challenged by chronic generational poverty and woeful underfunding, among other things, but one would be hard-pressed to say the state of education is abysmal in …
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The Art of Engagement
After a day at the pool, Brad Alexander told his girlfriend Ashley Pittman that they had to go pick up a frame from One Blu Wall gallery for his mother. …
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World
Police: Attacks in Spain Are Linked, Took Long Time to Plan
The back-to-back vehicle attacks in Barcelona and a nearby resort had been planned for a long time by an Islamic terrorist cell—and could have been far deadlier had its base …
Entry
Drafting a Quarterback is Crapshoot: Part Two
By bryanflynnThe first part of this story looked at NFL teams drafting quarterbacks from 1998 to 2007. This second one will look at quarterbacks drafted from 2008 to 2015 and some interesting numbers behind these draft picks.
Two quarterbacks were picked in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Matt Ryan, who the Atlanta Falcons selected first overall, is currently in the midst of a solid career. But he hasn’t had postseason success, which downgrades him, in my eyes.
The Baltimore Ravens picked quarterback Joe Flacco in the first round in 2008. He has a Super Bowl win but was able to overcome early struggles as a young player thanks to a dominant defense.
There is no question that Ryan and Flacco are franchise quarterbacks. The other 11 of the 13 quarterbacks drafted in 2008 didn’t amount to much. Chad Henne got some run in Miami, but he wasn’t the answer. Green Bay took Matt Flynn—no relation—in the seventh round, and he became the king at cashing in for performances in meaningless late-season games. Flynn signed big contracts but could never become “the man” when he left the Packers.
Three quarterbacks were drafted in the first round of the 2009 draft. All three have had slightly different careers.
Matthew Stafford, who the Detroit Lions drafted first overall, is a solid starter. He has some gunslinger in him, and the Lions haven’t been able to put things together around him enough to succeed at a high level—but he is a franchise quarterback.
Mark Sanchez, who the New York Jets drafted fifth overall, was supposed to be the answer for the club’s quarterback woes. Instead, Sanchez is known for his butt fumble and moving from New York to the Philadelphia Eagles to the Denver Broncos, where he currently is.
Sanchez had early success behind a great Jets defense but more recently has proved to be stopgap for teams looking for a franchise quarterback or a backup. He could have had success in 2016 with that dominant Denver defense.
Tampa Bay drafted Josh Freeman with the 17th overall pick, and it looked like he was going to become a longtime starter in the league. He had two solid seasons in his first four years, but the wheels came off at the start of the 2013 season, when he couldn’t complete a pass. Tampa Bay released him, and he signed with Minnesota.
Things didn’t go any better for Freeman in Minnesota and he was out of the league except for a guest spot in one game in 2015 for the quarterback injury that plagued Indianapolis Colts.
Eleven total quarterbacks were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, and the rest had limited success. The Colts selected Curtis Painter in the seventh round, and he sat behind Peyton Manning until his neck injury forced him to miss the 2011 season. The Colts turned to Painter and went 2-14 in a disastrous season.
Sam Bradford was …
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Cover
A Fighting Chance?
Oct. 20, 1992. Naked Madonna is all over the dance studio. In one corner, she's straddling a fish. In another, she's kneeling in the surf and leaning against a bike.
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Community Events and Public Meetings
6 p.m., Jackson Touchdown Club Meeting at River Hills Country Club (3600 Ridgewood Road). Members of the athletic organization meet weekly during the football season and have access to meals, …
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Story
Vol. 9, No. 44
<b>The Rose of South Jackson</b>
One of those myths is race. We humans are the only creatures to have a brain accommodating vivid imaginations, and since different groups of us look differently and have developed …
Story
Dealing With It
Being a paraplegic hasn't stopped Chris Waddell from competing. In 1988, Waddell was a rising star on the ski slopes. Then, a skiing accident changed his life, leaving him paralyzed …
Story
Paul DeBoy
Paul DeBoy's first stage was the backyard of his Baltimore, Md., home. His older brother wrote plays that DeBoy would star in, and the two would charge admission when DeBoy …
Story
Megan Voos
Almost eight years ago, Megan Voos found herself at a crossroads. She finished a lengthy term as a youth pastor in the San Francisco Bay area but was unsure of …
Story
[Kamikaze] Do It for Bralynn
Bralynn Jamila Franklin turned 6 months old this past week. And as her mother and I prepare to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, I've found my thoughts have turned more …
Story
How to Fake Being a ‘Real Man'
What does it take to be a real man? The serious answer is probably something about listening to the people around you, being able to patiently explain the infield fly …
Story
A Lesson, With Muscadines
One clear and sunny day in the little community of Browning, just outside Greenwood, Father sent my brothers and me to the fields with a wagon and mule to gather …
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Bryan's Rant
The Madness So Far
This year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached the Sweet Sixteen. We've seen some entertaining games the first weekend, including some surprises no one expected.
Story
Swap Your Clothes, Save Money
You know you have them: shoes, clothes, belts and purses in your closet that you will never wear again. Maybe your favorite standby pair of black pants doesn't fit anymore. …
Story
[Video] Twisted Orchid
When I was working as a maid in Yosemite National Park, a departing guest left a stack of New Yorker magazines. An article in one of them struck me with …
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Art
Don't Judge a Punk by Her Cover
If you met Caroline or Ray Crawford on the street, knowing nothing more of them than the (black) clothes on their backs and (large) tattoos on their arms, you might …
Story
Picture Imperfect: A Review of "Wicker Park," PG-13
The trailer for Paul McGuigan's "Wicker Park" wrongly portrays the film as a thriller, a sort of Generation X "Fatal Attraction." While it certainly has its darker elements (many of …
Story
Jack Stevens
Jack Stevens greets me at the door of his Belhaven Heights triplex from the comfort of his wheelchair, a result of an unfortunate accident three years ago that keeps him …
