The official Brodie Croyle vs Jay Cutler thread

[Kaylore]

Best thread ever.

[Man-Goblin]

Voltron blew Thundercats away.

[Bronx33]

Voltron blew Thundercats away.



Plllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeaee!!! were talking thunder cats here not hewlett packard 500 mhz talking boat anchors!!

[Man-Goblin]

Plllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeaee!!! were talking thunder cats here not hewlett packard 500 mhz talking boat anchors!!

I also liked Mask, even though it was a blatant rip off of Transformers.

[Garcia Bronco]

Cutler-------------





Eye of thundera, give me sight beyond sight









.................................................. ......................Croyle

[Steve Sewell]

I jumped out of my chair. And the fact that he threw it to my favorite young WR on the roster, Chris Hannon, really got the juices flowing. I was pumped.

Doubtful that caused it...

This was more likely the result of your BF walking into the room.

[Steve Sewell]

Just watching anyone can tell Cutler is way better then Croyle. In just a few more weeks these comparisons will be silly.

I'm not saying Cutler is Manning yet, more just Croyle stinks and Cutler getting better and better.

Who the **** is Brodie Croyle?

[Dagmar]

Doubtful that caused it...

This was more likely the result of your BF walking into the room.

Actually the Pizza Hut guy was at the door with his 10 anchovy and haggis pizzas.

[Bronx33]

Who the **** is Brodie Croyle?


He won the BB gun shooting championships in rainbow city alabama.

[elsid13]

What you guys don't understand is our wide receivers are worn out. We had less on the roster this year than in previous seasons. That means fewer guys running more routes. We were just giving them a little break tonight.

I swear, if we throw the ball like the 2007 Chiefs next week I'll blow a gasket.

WTF are you talking about. How the **** do professional football players get worn in training camp for doing thier jobs????? Are you telling us the off season condition program is so bad in KC that you don't have any fit players?

It not like they ran 8 straight hours without a break or chance to rest during the huddle.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Now that Branden Albert, our stud left tackle is back starting, Croyle is really going to shine. I can't wait!

[MOCRUSH]

An out of position rook is gonna polish that turd exactly how? I don't think giving Fraidy Frail another half step to get the interception off will help his passer rating, the sack hurts him less in that department.

[OABB]

Now that Branden Albert, our stud left tackle is back starting, Croyle is really going to shine. I can't wait!

Lt are important for a qb...


unfortunatley for you, they also need football smarts, accuracy, strength, instinct, leadership, offensive scheme, 10 other players that are above high school level talent, and most importantly, they should be an actual good quarterback to start with.

1 out of 8 is a start.

[gyldenlove]

I love how optimistic Bob is, calling his new guard a left tackle. But hey, don't let the fact that he was the 4th offensive lineman chosen throw you off and that all the others were in fact left tackles.

[sirhcyennek81]

The thread that wont die. There is no Cutler v Croyle debate. Cutler is the better QB with more upside on a team with more talent.

:Broncos:

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Yeah but I still want to celebrate the week or two he has better stats this year. I have confidence it will happen.

[OABB]

Yeah but I still want to celebrate the week or two he has better stats this year. I have confidence it will happen.

well, they can't be any worse.

it's only up from here, bob...

[Kaylore]

I liked this gem from a recent Q & A with Croyle
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/09/04/qa_with_brodie_croyle__94/
Q: Are you excited for your chance to end your winless start streak?

CROYLE: “You guys make a bigger deal out of that that I do. When it happens, it’ll happen. It will be just like any other win. We’re not going to have a big confetti thing or anything. It’ll be fun to win a game, but there won’t be a big party or anything.”

Good to know he's so focused on winning. ::)

And if you read the whole thing he mentions how they dumbed down the offense to a "concept offense".

[gyldenlove]

I liked this gem from a recent Q & A with Croyle
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/09...ie_croyle__94/
Quote:
Q: Are you excited for your chance to end your winless start streak?

CROYLE: “You guys make a bigger deal out of that that I do. When it happens, it’ll happen. It will be just like any other win. We’re not going to have a big confetti thing or anything. It’ll be fun to win a game, but there won’t be a big party or anything.”

Good to know he's so focused on winning.

And if you read the whole thing he mentions how they dumbed down the offense to a "concept offense".

It will be like any other win, eh? how would he know, he has never won before.

I like Bob and his borderline masochistic outlook on life as a Chiefs fan.

[Irish Stout]

Yeah but I still want to celebrate the week or two he has better stats this year. I have confidence it will happen.

I am assuming Bob means better stats than Croyle had last year... he surely cannot be implying that Croyle will have a week or two of better stats than Cutler!?!? :rofl:

I hold that Cutler may have some games where he throws only a modest amount and we run it out a lot. Croyle on the other hand will have to throw a ton every game to try and get their team into it. So in theory its possible that Croyle will have more yards and attempts than Cutler in a game. But the only stat that matters at the end of the day is Ws.

[Florida_Bronco]

Lt are important for a qb...

Too bad their's is a converted guard. LOL

[OABB]

Too bad their's is a converted guard. LOL

well, to be fair, lepsis was a Te and he did well for a while.

although it could have been masked by the rollouts and plummer's ability to scramble..

The problem with the chiefs is, even with max protect and top receiver's croyle is the joey harrington of his era and he will never do anything in this league.

even bob knows it deep down. look how his tune has changed even within this very thread...

[Bob's your Information Minister]

All of you are going to eat crow on Albert. He's really athletic. Doom is toast.

[Beantown Bronco]

All of you are going to eat crow on Albert. He's really athletic.

Just because he can probably outrun your fat @ss doesn't make him athletic.

[OABB]

All of you are going to eat crow on Albert. He's really athletic. Doom is toast.

o.k I will, I like the taste of crow... is there any left over from your croyle plate?

[broncosteven]

The fact that the KFC press has to even ask this question brings endless sunshine into my pitifull life:

Q: Are you excited for your chance to end your winless start streak?

CROYLE: “You guys make a bigger deal out of that that I do. When it happens, it’ll happen. It will be just like any other win. We’re not going to have a big confetti thing or anything. It’ll be fun to win a game, but there won’t be a big party or anything.”

[Los Broncos]

It wont be in week one, thats for sure.

Man KC is really sad.

[Florida_Bronco]

well, to be fair, lepsis was a Te and he did well for a while. Lepsis also spent a year as a backup and started for 5 years at RT before he made the conversion to LT. Albert is trying to do it right out of college...not gonna work.

The problem with the chiefs is, even with max protect and top receiver's croyle is the joey harrington of his era and he will never do anything in this league. Don't insult Joey like that. At least Joey went in the 1st round and has won a game. LOL

even bob knows it deep down. look how his tune has changed even within this very thread...

Bob doesn't know anything. He's just a foreigner who is still trying to learn the game of football.

[Rashomon]

Michael Lombardi had a good note on Croyle today:

"• If I were a Chiefs fan, I would be very worried about quarterback Brodie Croyle after his play this preseason. His longest completion of the summer was for 24 yards and he consistently threw the ball with marginal accuracy on all levels. In fact, often he threw the ball out of bounds on deep throws. For the rebuilding era of the Chiefs to move along quickly and successfully, it will require productive play from their quarterback. Based on the "Summer of Croyle" that is very doubtful."

He saw what everyone else that is not a Chief fan saw: Croyle has no business starting in the NFL.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/michael_lombardi/09/05/franklyfootball/1.html

[Los Broncos]

Wow, that is the hard cold truth.

[Florida_Bronco]

Michael Lombardi had a good note on Croyle today:

"• If I were a Chiefs fan, I would be very worried about quarterback Brodie Croyle after his play this preseason. His longest completion of the summer was for 24 yards and he consistently threw the ball with marginal accuracy on all levels. In fact, often he threw the ball out of bounds on deep throws. For the rebuilding era of the Chiefs to move along quickly and successfully, it will require productive play from their quarterback. Based on the "Summer of Croyle" that is very doubtful."

He saw what everyone else that is not a Chief fan saw: Croyle has no business starting in the NFL.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/michael_lombardi/09/05/franklyfootball/1.html

Kaylore and many others were saying the same thing as well, yet Bobo thinks he is smarter than them.

[azbroncfan]

It's not even worth discussing these two and comparing them. Might as well delete this thread.

[Paladin]

Why delete it? It has 31 pages and 782 posts of nonsense about a QB for the loser mullet team with no real chance for improvement beyond mediocre at best and comparing him to a classy WB with great upside like Cutler. Now, that's entertainment!!!

[OABB]

I never understood why so many people were against this thread.

it is really really great to be honest. it will always be funny because croyle will be out of the league soon and cutler will be a perennial probowl qb...


the other great thing was that it was started by one of the least intellegent football fan trolls the world has ever seen.

bob set himself up to be constantly reminded of what a failure his qb is...


pure comedy gold.

[Br0nc0Buster]

Brodie Croyle isnt even the best quarterback on his own team

It will be interesting to see if they draft a qb with a high draft pick this year
Stafford maybe?

[UltimateHoboW/Shotgun]

Now that Branden Albert, our stud left tackle is back starting, Croyle is really going to shine. I can't wait!

That like saying that prize winning fair rose bush makes that rag weed look good.

[CasinoRoyal]

This shyt is not even worth comparing. lol

[azbroncfan]

Now that Branden Albert, our stud left tackle is back starting, Croyle is really going to shine. I can't wait!

Yeah there is great hope, counting on a rookie LT to be a stud. Way to go so called sports writer. Oh wait your the one who said Croyle was CLEARLY outplaying Huard in camp last year and would be the starter. Couldn't of been farther from the truth.

[rad]

Lepsis also spent a year as a backup and started for 5 years at RT before he made the conversion to LT. Albert is trying to do it right out of college...not gonna work.

Going from TE to LT is gonna be more difficult than going from G to LT.....Not even comparable. Plus Albert played LT some in college, so it's not totally new.

Don't insult Joey like that. At least Joey went in the 1st round and has won a game. LOL

That's a good one. I'm not calling Brodie anything yet, I want to see a full season out of him before I call him anything (if he can make it through a full season). In my opinion, though, at best, he's a mediocre to good qb. Nothing special.


Bob doesn't know anything. He's just a foreigner who is still trying to learn the game of football.

Yeah, I have nothing to say to that.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I no speakee the ingles

[rad]

I no speakee the ingles

Go home...we need you back at the 'Planet.

[Paladin]

Read a line today in Linecom: A pro golfer said that if he were reincarnated, he would want to come back as a sportswriter so he would be asssured of getting a brain that had not been used.....

That sounds about right....

[KCStud]

Also people who think that Albert sucks as a LT, keep in mind his former teammate Eugene Monroe is the ranked in the top 5 best players overall and #1 LT on a lot of scouts boards as of right now

[Florida_Bronco]

Going from TE to LT is gonna be more difficult than going from G to LT.....Not even comparable. Plus Albert played LT some in college, so it's not totally new.

Lepsis didn't go from TE to LT. He went from TE to RT and then LT years later.

That's a good one. I'm not calling Brodie anything yet, I want to see a full season out of him before I call him anything (if he can make it through a full season). In my opinion, though, at best, he's a mediocre to good qb. Nothing special. He hasn't even shown enough to be considered medicore yet.

Yeah, I have nothing to say to that.
Of course not, because it's true. Even your CP buddies know that Bobo is a complete and total joke when it comes to football knowledge and life.

[Bronx33]

Go home...we need you back at the 'Planet.


Well the folks over at the planet are not going to be happy with you.

[rad]

Lepsis didn't go from TE to LT. He went from TE to RT and then LT years later.

Stop splitting hairs, you're being silly.

He hasn't even shown enough to be considered medicore yet.

That's not true. I stated my opinion.


Of course not, because it's true. Even your CP buddies know that Bobo is a complete and total joke when it comes to football knowledge and life.


I can't disagree with that.

[Florida_Bronco]

Stop splitting hairs, you're being silly.

It's not splitting hairs. We're talking 6 years between the time Lepsis was converted to RT and when he was converted to LT.

That's not true. I stated my opinion.

I think most would agree that to be considered even "medicore" you'd have to win a game.

I can't disagree with that.

It's pretty much consensus. ;D

[Killericon]

Here I though this was Cutler vs. Croyle, but I open the thread to see Albert vs. THE SWITCHING POSITIONS BOOGEY-MAN!

I think that both sides, the side that thinks he's gonna make the switch fine, and the side that thinks we won't, will have to wait at least 3 years to find out if they were right.

[rad]

It's not splitting hairs. We're talking 6 years between the time Lepsis was converted to RT and when he was converted to LT.



I think most would agree that to be considered even "medicore" you'd have to win a game.


It's pretty much consensus. ;D

I should have worded that differently I guess, I'm not talking about now. I was referring to his ceiling.

[Bronx33]

A ceiling is a bonus in KC.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Stop calling him Joe Montana II and start calling him Joe Namath II.
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/785351.html

“It’s kind of a good spot to be in. Nobody expects that much from us,” Croyle said. “We’re just going to go out there and win the football game and prove them wrong.”

[ludo21]

haha, Croyle is a comedian too!

I dont expect the Chiefs to win, but if the Pats come out flat they will probably only win by 3 TD's instead of 5

[Bronx33]

Humor is all he got at this point isn't that right herm.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4263/hermedwardssl7.jpg

[Atlas]

He hasn't even shown enough to be considered medicore yet.

.

Yeah I think Crowyell will have to win at least one game in the NFL before you can say he is mediocre.

[TomServo]

G damnit
hate MNf bronco games

[Miss I.]

[QUOTE=Bob's your Information Minister;2067696]Stop calling him Joe Montana II and start calling him Joe Namath II.
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/785351.html




“It’s kind of a good spot to be in. Nobody expects that much from us,” Croyle said. “We’re just going to go out there and win the football game and prove them wrong.”


Well if you are inferring that Croyle is making the same brag as Namath did before winning the Superbowl as an underdog team that's fine as long as he backs it up with an actual win against NE (but I wouldn't hold my breath). I wouldn't personally put him in the company of either QB. All he has in common with Montana is that they both played QB for the Chiefs, but Montana actually won some games with them. When Namath made his statement the Jets were actually winning games with him under center.

[azbroncfan]

Looks like Huard had to come into the game to make the game vs terrible matt cassel to make a game of it.

[Bronx33]

As bob likes to say

(are we done here)

[Bob's your Information Minister]

WEEK 1 - Brodie Croyle throws for 88 yards

Winner - Jay Cutler

[theAPAOps5]

HAHA I appreciate honesty. So what QB do you want drafted this year Bob.

[OABB]

WEEK 1 - Brodie Croyle throws for 88 yards

Winner - Jay Cutler


you are a whore.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

HAHA I appreciate honesty. So what QB do you want drafted this year Bob.

We'll be fine with Huard.

[Bronx33]

Remember that quote folks

[OABB]

We'll be fine with Huard.

so will we.

[broncosteven]

We'll be fine with Huard.

Fine with Huard to guarantee the #1 overall pick in the draft.

[BMF Bronco]

Is the Bobo suicide watch on now that his man crush is hurt?

[azbroncfan]

Is the Bobo suicide watch on now that his man crush is hurt?

I went over and lurked the planet and he is claiming to be a huge Huard fan. Typical flip flop from him.

[BMF Bronco]

shocking

[bap454]

I went over and lurked the planet and he is claiming to be a huge Huard fan. Typical flip flop from him.

does anyone know the forum for the chuggers.... i want to witness the meltdown first hand!

[BroncoMan4ever]

Shouldn't this thread be renamed to something like Croyle vs Leinart? I mean it should be a comparison between players of equal talent and ability, or in these guys cases lack of talent and abilty.

Croyle vs Cutler is the equivalent of putting a quadrapalegic in a one on one game against Kobe

At least in the Croyle vs Leinart scenario, Chiefs fans could brag that at the very least Croyle has become their teams starter, granted he didn't finish today's game, and is still winless, but that is more than Leinart has at the moment.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

I went over and lurked the planet and he is claiming to be a huge Huard fan. Typical flip flop from him.

Not at all. I've been a huge Huard fan since 2006.

[Florida_Bronco]

Yep, so much that you lied about having an inside source with the Chiefs when his injury issue came up awhile back.

[Taco John]

It cracks me up that people were cursing my name for allowing this thread to remain on the main forum. This thread reeks awesome.

[Atlas]

It cracks me up that people were cursing my name for allowing this thread to remain on the main forum. This thread reeks awesome.

Definite ROF thread.

[crazyhorse]

Shouldn't this thread be renamed to something like Croyle vs Leinart? I mean it should be a comparison between players of equal talent and ability, or in these guys cases lack of talent and abilty.

Croyle vs Cutler is the equivalent of putting a quadrapalegic in a one on one game against Kobe

At least in the Croyle vs Leinart scenario, Chiefs fans could brag that at the very least Croyle has become their teams starter, granted he didn't finish today's game, and is still winless, but that is more than Leinart has at the moment.

Cutler = Kobe?

Now, I'm not one of those Chiefs fans who think Croyle is an answer for the Chiefs. So I'm not getting behind the whole Croyle vs. Cutler debate. But I will contend that Cutler = Kobe is every bit as much a stretch as Croyle vs. Cutler. If not more so.

[Atlas]

Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback
By JOE POSNANSKI
The Kansas City Star


In this heartless game, you need a quarterback who can get back up. That’s just a fact. It isn’t fair to blame the quarterback for suffering nasty injuries. It isn’t politically correct. But football isn’t a PC game. Sunday afternoon, the Chiefs were at the New England 5-yard line at the end with a chance to score a touchdown and tie the game, a chance to shock everyone, a chance to stick it in the faces of all those critics who called them the pits, a chance to laugh at all those people who bet the unbeatable New England Patriots to win by more than 15 points.

And the Chiefs’ quarterback of the future, the guy they’re building this whole thing around, the man who needed to be on the field at that key moment — Brodie Croyle — was on the sideline because of a shoulder injury.

In the end, nobody outside Kansas City cared, of course. The Patriots held on, beat the Chiefs 17-10, and the Chiefs showed a few positive signs, the Patriots showed a few cracks, but the only story on anyone’s mind Sunday was that the Patriots’ (and America’s) quarterback Tom Brady hurt his knee.

Some thought it happened on a dirty play by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, some thought it was just bad luck (that was the way I saw it), some suspected Brady would be out for the year, some thought he would be back next week, some figured the Patriots would collapse without him, some thought they would be just fine, back and forth, on and on, forever.

But, to be ruthless about it — football is a ruthless game — that’s the Patriots’ problem. To steal Mel Brooks’ line about the difference between tragedy and comedy: Tragedy is your quarterback getting hurt. Comedy is the other guy’s quarterback getting hurt.

The Chiefs’ quarterback, Brodie Croyle, got hurt. Again. This was the third time in seven starts that Croyle got hurt. Three for seven makes for a lousy injury average.

Thing is, Croyle has spent a lifetime getting hurt on football fields. He blew out his knee in high school. He separated his shoulder and got two ribs busted his sophomore year in college, then blew out his other knee his junior year. Last year, in his first home start, he hurt his back against Oakland and missed the next game. He hurt his hand at Detroit trying to make a tackle and couldn’t finish the game.

In the third quarter on Sunday, New England linebacker Adalius Thomas sacked Brodie and drove his right shoulder hard into the turf. Croyle grabbed for his shoulder immediately. He walked gingerly to the sideline, with his right arm dangling on the side. He threw one pass to test the shoulder and quickly shook his head no. He was done. Backup Damon Huard went into the game, threw a touchdown pass, led the Chiefs to the shadow of overtime and, well, you know the rest.

Now the Chiefs have to face up to something very real: The chosen quarterback, Brodie Croyle, cannot stay healthy. It isn’t his fault — this isn’t a toughness question. Everyone says the guy is as tough as a Ford truck. But the harsh reality is that his body, for whatever reason, cannot stand up to the NFL pounding. And you can’t build a football team around a quarterback who cannot stay on the field.

Maybe he’s just unlucky,” one teammate says.

There’s no maybe about it. Croyle has talent. He has a good arm, and he has a pretty quick release, and he has a presence. That’s what everyone with the Chiefs wants to talk about when discussing Croyle. His abilities. The way he handles the huddle. The throws he can make. That’s great. But those are not the things that get you through in this violent game.

No, what made Brett Favre great wasn’t his arm or his gunslinger attitude, it was that he was able to be there every single week, no matter what kind of pounding he took, no matter how ferociously he was hit, no matter how many times he got blindsided. The same goes for John Elway and Dan Marino and Peyton Manning and, up to Sunday, Tom Brady. The one thing every great quarterback shared is that they started games. And they finished them.

That takes more than toughness, and it takes more than heart. You also need luck, a body that will not break, a mind that can ignore the obvious dangers that are all around.

Here’s a name for you: Greg Cook. Have you heard of him? Bill Walsh, the man who coached Joe Montana, said Greg Cook could have been the greatest quarterback who ever lived. As you know, that did not happen. Cook played one year in the NFL, was chosen Rookie of the Year, but badly hurt his shoulder. He threw only three more passes for the rest of his career. That’s the harshness of the game.

And right now, it looks more and more that Brodie Croyle simply cannot take the NFL pounding. The Chiefs’ young team did show promise Sunday. The defense played a high-energy game, and Turk McBride was often unblockable. The offense looked more organized than the last couple of years, and if Devard Darling could run a little faster or Dwayne Bowe could have made a catch, the game would have gone to overtime.

But in the end, plainly, you need a quarterback you can count on to go anywhere in this league. The Chiefs said they would test Croyle’s shoulder today, see the seriousness of the injury.

“He’s so tough, I’ll bet he will be back sooner than anyone thinks,” Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez says.

Maybe. Nobody questions Croyle’s heart. It’s his shoulder … and knees … and back. In the end, those things matter just as much as the heart.

[Mountain Bronco]

Cutler will be a top 5 qb this year, so while that isn't quite as good as Kobe (top 3) it is a lot closer than Croyle.

[Irish Stout]

Kobe wasn't top 3 or even top 10 in his 2nd season either (and this is Jay's 2nd FULL season)3. Kobe was drafted in 96 and was not a starter (like Jay), but really didn't break out until 1999-2000 season. So at this point you can say Cutler appears to be following a similar trend. But I will give you Cutler will never be going to the Olympics to play for the Dream team... on the other hand Kobe will never make a pro bowl.

The initial Kobe = to parapalegic was never saying that Kobe = Cutler, but rather Cutler is far superior to Croyle, just like Kobe is far superior to the kid in the wheel chair when it comes to playing basketball.

[crazyhorse]

Kobe wasn't top 3 or even top 10 in his 2nd season either (and this is Jay's 2nd FULL season)3. Kobe was drafted in 96 and was not a starter (like Jay), but really didn't break out until 1999-2000 season. So at this point you can say Cutler appears to be following a similar trend. But I will give you Cutler will never be going to the Olympics to play for the Dream team... on the other hand Kobe will never make a pro bowl.

The initial Kobe = to parapalegic was never saying that Kobe = Cutler, but rather Cutler is far superior to Croyle, just like Kobe is far superior to the kid in the wheel chair when it comes to playing basketball.


Perhaps if he had used a basketball player that had never been on a winning basketball team, it would have been more accurate a comparison.

I thought he was implying that Cutler had done something.

[sixtimeseight]

Perhaps if he had used a basketball player that had never been on a winning basketball team, it would have been more accurate a comparison.

I thought he was implying that Cutler had done something.

http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=68262

[dbfan21]

This is pretty cool...Hank Williams Jr giving props to Jay Cutler:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/extramustard/09/08/hank.williams/index.html

Hank Williams Jr.'s dressing room at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood looks exactly like you'd think it would. There's a half empty bottle of Jim Beam, a box of cigars and a few "rowdy" friends, including an attractive blonde that wants to show off her new, um, chest in the hot tub later that night.

After completing the second of back-to-back 12-hour shooting day's for this season of Monday Night Football, Williams practically undresses on his way to the room, taking off his snake skin vest and cowboy hat in favor of a black and yellow "Steel Curtain" T-shirt and a crimson Alabama hat. After he kicks open the door to the dressing room and takes a seat in a director's chair set up in the middle of the room he pushes back his flight back home and invites everyone to join him back at the hotel to celebrate. "I'm going to take care of myself," he says. "The hot tub sounds like a good place to start."

This season marks the 20th anniversary of Williams singing All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night, a song based on his hit, All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight, which he originally sang in 1989 for the 20th anniversary season of Monday Night Football. After playing with an "All-Star Band" the past two seasons, he's returning to his roots this year with a "House Party" theme, complete with everything except for maybe a hot tub. I caught up with Williams in his dressing room to talk about the song that has come to epitomize football on Monday nights for the past two decades.

SI.com: What do you remember about that call you got 20 years ago when you found out Monday Night Football wanted to use one of your songs for the opening of the show?

Williams: Well, my manager at the time called and said, 'You're not going to believe this but brother they want to use your song, All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight, to open Monday Night Football for something like 20 million viewers. They want you to rewrite it but it's going to be the opening of Monday Night Football." Unbelievable. I couldn't believe it. I said, "Are you kidding me?" and he said, "No, I'm not. I'm dead serious and so are they." It was a one year deal and here we are 20 years later.

SI.com: When was the moment you knew that catchphrase "Are You Ready For Some Football" had caught on and this was going to be more than a one year thing?

Williams: It just took off. Everyone was saying it. Next thing I know, I've won four Emmys and opened five Super Bowls, even Al Michaels told me, "That's an American signature." He wasn't even on the show when he told that it was an American signature. It's a permanent part of the entertainment and sports world. About the third or fourth game that first season it was sky rocketing, I was hearing it everywhere. It was unbelievable.

SI.com: The Monday Night Football re-write came five years after All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight was released. Was that even one of your favorite songs? Did you think much of it at the time?

Williams: It was a big hit, sure, but now there's people who don't even know that it was originally All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight but they damn sure know All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night. It opened a lot of doors.

SI.com: You change the lyrics for every game, based on the teams, that's mainly why these shoots are so long. You're recording the openings of all 17 regular season games. Is that challenging or have you gotten used to it by now?

Williams: Oh yeah, I like it. We record one for every game. They'll give me lyrics and I'll usually change a few things. We'll all look at each other and laugh at some of them. Like, "One team has tradition, the other cheesy ...," and I said, "What the [heck] is this?" They're talking about the Packers, of course, and I'll tell them, look, cheesy does not sing real well. Oh yeah, we'll change them all the time. They'll write, "Thunder and lighting and the thunder and the lighting bolt," and I'll say, "Wait a minute, we have too many syllables in five seconds here and, I'll just shorten it down. For example, you can't say, "There's going to be a battle in San Diego tonight." That doesn't sing well. In that situation we'll usually use the stadium name or a nickname like Chi-town, Steel City, Music City, anything. Some of them we'll have to lose a lot of words. They put too many in there.

SI.com: So ESPN will send you the lyrics and you basically change everything?

Williams: Oh yeah, every single time. I'll say, "Look guys, I don't know who wrote this, but this is horrible." I look at some of those lyrics and I say, "America, doesn't know that word." Like when they told me to sing, "latte" in Seattle. I said, "Let me tell you something brother. My people don't know no [crap] about no damn latte. You understand me?" Like my buddies in Kansas City that took about the hood all the time, they don't know what no damn latte is. I said that lines got to go, I'll say Seahawks not latte. They were dying; they said, "Yeah, you're right about that." I don't think Monday Night Football fans have a lot of lattes. They might have a little beer or Colt 45 malt liquor but not lattes.

SI.com: That first Monday Night Football song, how much of lyrics did they write and how much it did you write?

Williams: It was 50/50. They would say what do you think about this and they'd suggest doing that. If you really delve into this thing, I did a song one year called, Monday Night Football Boogie, which Frank, Al and Dan were in and I'd sing, "We're going to make you smile, get rid of your blues, Monday Night Football Boogie for you." That was a song I wrote just for that year they used it. There's quite a discography there if you look back over those 20 years. There were a couple seasons where I didn't even say, "Are you ready for some football?"

SI.com: How has the song and that catch phrase changed your life?

Williams: Well, what this is done has made corporate America and every doorman and every limo driver in this country know me and know that song. When I get out of the car, they know. They give me a smile and say, "Come right on in, my man." Some of them might not even know my name but they'll open up the doors and say, "Hey baby, come right on in." It's been great.

SI.com: When you look back over your 20 years on Monday Night Football, what's been the biggest highlight for you?

Williams: It has to be working those five Super Bowls. Oh, god, yeah, that was something. That would be up there with the biggest moment of my life. You get to meet every player you've ever watched and looked up to. I had Joe Montana come up to me and say, "Oh man, that song pumps me up before I go out there and play." Brett Favre told me the same thing. Older guys like Kenny Stabler and Terry Bradshaw would tell me how much they liked it. Talk about opening some doors. I'm a football fan. I keep up with this stuff so talking to those guys are the highlights.

SI.com: You're a big Steelers and you were there working when they won their last Super Bowl, what was that?

Williams: Are you kidding me? I'm doing the Super Bowl, it's on ABC, it was the Steelers against the Seahawks in Detroit with me and Kid Rock running all around. Talk about a home town ball. I was treated like a king by all the Steeler people. That was a fun one. Old Bill [Cowher] had been waiting a long time for that trophy. That was a real fun one.

SI.com: When you look back at how the show has changed over the years, now it's on ESPN and you're basically the last link the show has from its old days on ABC, is hard to keep track of all the changes?

Williams: If I sat down and watched every single opening, I would see things that I had forgotten. I was watching some the other day and I said, "Oh my god, I forget Little Richard was in that segment or I forgot the President of the United States was in that segment." I've been doing it for song long it's hard to keep track.

SI.com: What about when celebrities say your catchphrase, is that ever surreal for you?

Williams: Yeah, it's interesting. They're not going to do that this year, maybe that's a good thing. I don't want to embarrass anyone but some of them murdered it. I'll say, "What did they get that idiot for?" God that awful. It's different. When I would have my friends from the Chiefs and the Kansas City area call me, and my nickname was Sam and they'd say, "Sam, who in the hell is running that opening? Man, that is bad. You got to rid of that fool." I said, "Look, I don't own ABC, I'm not Mickey Mouse, you think I can just pick up the phone." They'll just shake they're head and say, "Man, that's horrible." We went through our ups and downs.

SI.com: What's your take on the Steelers this year; do you think you'll be seeing them in the Super Bowl again?

Williams: They'll be improved this year, I think. They're not going to be no 8-8 but I don't know if they're going to be in the Super Bowl but they're always going to be competitive. Look at the Giants last year. I've nailed several people about this; there are a couple players on that world championship team from Troy State in Alabama and they couldn't believe me. I told them to watch Osi Umenyiora put Tom Brady on his back and you see how they handled New England. DeMarcus Ware is from Troy State too. These guys, Umenyiora, Lawrence Tynes, Ware, they're Troy State boy and that's where my father met my mother in south Alabama, way down there. The Giants have hard working bunch led by a guy named Manning that from Ole Miss who did pretty good too and I don't mean Archie or Peyton, I'm talking about Eli. That team was about to go 2-3 and they didn't get into the playoffs until the last week. That was an exciting Super Bowl, I loved it. I couldn't believe the Giants were a 4-to-1 underdog, what a stupid line. Boy, that was a good time to go to Vegas. We need another one or two like that.

SI.com: You're wearing an Alabama hat and you like Troy State but do have a college team you follow?

Williams: Well, I liked the old Alabama with Bear Bryant and we've been having our ups and downs the last several years. It was hard. We lost to Louisiana-Monroe last year. It was rough. We're transition as they say. But I like where Nick Saban is taking this team. College ball is exciting. It's fun to watch. Last year little Appalachian State goes into Michigan and knocks them off. Loved it. Knocked them off. We've had some huge upsets the past couple years. You look at USC losing to a 40-point underdog in Stanford. I'm from that SEC region and I love college ball. It's fun seeing those guys develop and then sign a big deal in the NFL. I saw Jay Cutler from little Vanderbilt after he signed his first deal and I said, "This is nice but I want to see you when you sign the next one because this is nice, but this is going to look like Cheerios compared to the next one," and he looked at me wide-eyed and said, "You really think so, Hank?" The next one will be the huge. This is just the appetizer. You're going to get into the filet a little bit later.
SI.com: Finally, the Raiders are one of the teams that open up Monday Night Football but it's their only appearance of the season and we won't be seeing MNF staples like the Chiefs and the Dolphins at all this year. What's your take on these Monday Night regulars now becoming bottom dwellers?

Williams: I'd like to see the Chiefs do better. I'd like to see them turn it around but guys move around so much and I guess it makes it interesting. Unfortunately I guess the Raiders will always be the Raiders. It could only get better, can it get any worse? How could it get worse? They're terrible. I'm sure I'll get some letters for that.

[broncosteven]

Croyle is too fragile to be the Chiefs’ answer at quarterback
By JOE POSNANSKI
The Kansas City Star


In this heartless game, you need a quarterback who can get back up.

Maybe. Nobody questions Croyle’s heart. It’s his shoulder … and knees … and back. In the end, those things matter just as much as the heart.

Everyone knows Tom Terrific is hurt but no one outside of KFC or here knows or cares.

[broncosteven]

At the half:

J. Cutler 12/18 202 1 0

[sixtimeseight]

Loser: The Chiefs and all of their trolls that luckily we probably won't see again until next year.

[broncosteven]

AT 8:18 IN THE 3RD:
J. Cutler 14/20 279 2 0

[TheManeMan]

this thread needs to go to the butt...

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Should I start the Damon Huard vs Jay Cutler thread?

He's our QB for at least 2 weeks, maybe a month.

[Killericon]

Should I start the Damon Huard vs Jay Cutler thread?

He's our QB for at least 2 weeks, maybe a month.

LOL

Help yourself.

[400HZ]

I was just reading through some fantasy stuff on ESPN and came across this gem:

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=TMRpickups2


And that's where many of us Fantasy owners find ourselves this morning. I lost Brady in one league. I lost Nate Burleson in two. I have Fred Taylor in a league and the Jaguars just lost two of their starting offensive lineman; one for the year, one for at least two months. Add injuries to guys I own like Dallas Clark and Darren McFadden, plus I'm in a league where you get points for how bad your quarterbacks are and Brodie Croyle was my first-round pick. It was a rough opening week for me and a lot of owners.