ESPN Insults Our Pain

ESPN.com's front page article today is about one of my personal favorite subjects. The absolute ineptness of Raiders Quarterback and 2007 number 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell. The article, written by ESPN senior writer Greg Garber, details Russell outstanding senior year at LSU, followed by an exceptional pro day, and then the Raiders - in typical Al Davis fashion - reaching about 100 picks too far for him in the draft. Garber goes on to describe how Russell played behind never-was Luke McCown and has-been Daunte Culpepper in his rookie year, had a respectable sophomore effort (read: he wasn't awful) and is now in the process of a crash-and-burn of epic proportions this season.

Now this is all well and good. I enjoy reading about the failings of that high school program they have up in Oakland as much as the next guy, but there is a fatal flaw in Garber's analysis. HE'S COMPARING JAMARCUS RUSSELL TO RYAN LEAF. I'm flabbergasted here. How can a respectable ESPN writer - one who has been with the company since 1991 - even attempt to make this comparison? We get it, both guys were raw talent coming out of college and didn't live up to expectations. But Leaf is so much more! Ryan Leaf gave the Chargers hope, then ripped out our hearts and showed them to us! Russell is in a slump. Leaf destroyed the Chargers franchise for the next four years. Russell's biggest crimes are being a little chubby and not wanting to practice. You know what Garber, how 'bout you call me when Russell at least curses out a reporter or two?

So please Greg Garber, next time you want to criticize a young quarterback, don't do it at the expense of the city that lost Peyton Manning to a coin toss. We've been through too much.

JaMarcus Russell: A work in regress [ESPN.com]