Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Matchup 12: Brady Quinn vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka

BRADY QUINN--CREDENTIALS

  • Heisman Trophy finalist
  • Led Notre Dame to back-to-back BCS appearances
  • Stunk up the joint in 2006 when Notre Dame played Michigan, USC and LSU (completed less than 50 percent of his combined passes in those games--outscored by combined 73 points)
  • Notre Dame outscored by combined 41 points in his two BCS games
  • Beneficiary of the ESPN/Notre Dame Hype Machine
  • Labeled by ESPN as a "franchise quarterback" and a top-three draft pick
  • He went 22nd
  • Apparently he and his agent don't realize he went 22nd
  • ESPN turned the 2007 NFL Draft into "The Brady Quinn Show"
  • The baby photos in the Browns uniform during the draft
  • JaMarcus Russell, a fellow quarterback who beat Quinn head-to-head by a score of 41-14, went first in the draft. But the draft was still "The Brady Quinn Show"
  • ESPN badly misjudged his draft position. Then ESPN used that personal error in judgment to label Quinn "The Story of the Draft"
  • Quinn had to be taken out of the NFL Draft Green Room to protect him from ESPN cameras. Many viewers wish they could be protected from ESPN's Brady Quinn hype
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA--CREDENTIALS
  • One of Japanese baseball's best pitchers
  • MVP of the World Baseball Classic
  • Subject of outrageous bidding war between Yankees, Red Sox, and others (not to sign him--to get the RIGHTS to sign him)
  • He is having a very good rookie season with the Red Sox
  • Beneficiary of the ESPN/Scott Boras Client Hype Machine
  • Also known as "Dice-K Mania"
  • The "gyroball" debate
  • His "arrival" in the US similar to David Beckham's in terms of hype
  • His first start in Fenway was treated like the arrival of royalty or the Pope
  • While hyping Dice-K in his first start, ESPN almost missed opposing pitcher Felix Hernandez throwing a one-hitter against the Red Sox
  • His "mix tape" was scheduled to go on sale last month

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