My Captain, My Captain.......

Earl Morrall, former Baltimore Colt and John Unitas friend and teammate: "One of my best memories of him," Morrall said, "was after a game when he threw five interception. There were so many writers around John that I almost squeezed out of my own locker. I leaned in between arms and legs, straining to hear him. ' I threw five interceptions today,' he said, 'but we won. I'll be glad to throw five interceptions any day, if we win.' I wanted to cheer". Johnny U.

My Captain, my captain..... The quarterback is mythical. They stand 9 feet tall, 600 pounds, able to knock down buildings with their passes. Immortal, top dog, my captain. I love when all the talk about quarterbacks is brought to the stats argument. Marino would be the best, but that isn't how you weigh a quarterback.

After the Giants defeated the Packers on their way to the Super Bowl:

Michael Strahan: "Thank you for getting me there."

Eli Manning: "Now we have to win you one."

A quarterback has to be the most accountable individual on the field at all times. Everything is his fault even if it isn't. They must play with instinct, a sixth sense. Check off and make changes, they have to know where every player on his offense must be at all times. When they make a mistake, you can't throw your arms up and call out your teammates in clear sight. You do that quietly, then when the cameras and reporters ask you have to suck it up and say, "It was my call. The pass was thrown to the wrong place. I made the mistake." Quarterbacks have to be the leader, the Moses. He has to make you feel that your 11 can beat a whole army, navy, air force, and the Steelers all at once. The greats don't do it with robo-mechanics, they do it with instinct. John Unitas was asked once what the defense did on a certain play, he looked dead into that man's eyes and said "Shoot, I just threw to the open guy." Joe Cool, that was Joe Montana's nickname, not because he liked ice cream. Once (this is a true story) with the game on the line in the Super Bowl against the Bengals, in the huddle before the game winning touchdown, Joe got back to the huddle. Now this is what makes him cool, like a cucumber, instead of yelling and screaming or telling the play, the first thing he did when he got back to the huddle was look over to the endzone stands. Look back at the guys in the huddle and say, "Hey, isn't that John Candy over there?". The game is on the line and all he can do is try to ease the stress and the magnitude of the moment. That is a leader. John Elway, at the tender age of 39, decided to jump head first into two defenders just to get a first down in a Super Bowl. They will do whatever it takes for you to believe. As robotic as Peyton Manning may seem, he still checks off and calls plays he thinks will work when he has to. Great quarterbacks aren't built or grown on trees, they are natural born leaders. When you look at them, they make you feel like anything can be done. Look at what Eli did last post-season, you think the Giants didn't believe in him? They are the franchise, my captain. 9 times out of 10 you aren't winning the big game without them. Check back tomorrow for my football picks, and I promise I won't be a homer and pick the Giants to win it all just because they are my team. I will have solid reasons for my picks. Something tells me that the quarterback play will have alot to do with my picks.

"Do you need anything? How can I help? What can I do?

Johnny U