Mark Is "Psyched" About Start, If Nobody Else

Here’s why even though Mark Brunnel may well be the best we’ve got right now at QB, I’ll still never like the guy. He’s a totally insufferable brown-noser. Here’s how the story read on Tuesday of this week from Redskin Park.

(AP) The beneficiary of one of the quickest hooks imaginable was full of smiles Tuesday as he relaxed at Redskins Park with his wife and children. It was supposed to be a day off, but the new starting quarterback arrived in the morning to study film and later welcomed children from a local hospital for a tour around the building.

”I am psyched,” Brunell said.

REACT: I don’t want to bash anybody for being hardworking, earnest, and polite. God knows Mark is all of those things. But geez. Could he be any more of a ‘noser than that? Gee, didn’t have time to go to the old folks home and look at pictures of grandkids? Oh well. Next week.

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Here’s the actual numbers on Brunnel vs. Ramsey, courtesy of emailer Steven Downey:

Czabe, look at the following…..

Brunell hasn't thrown 3 td's in any game since week 15 in 2002. Ramsey did it last year (same again)

REACT: All I know, is that Brunnel better play like the wind. Tonite. Next week, and the rest of the year. Much more than just HIS NFL career is resting on it.

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Hey Czabe,

I know you're trying to mount the campaign to air the many grievances we have against Peter King. Well, add this to the steaming pile: On the SI website, King puts out a bunch of NFL picks for week 2 (as if we should give a crap), but his big bold headline is the following -- "Beware of bounce-back games, Look for Week 1 losers to turn it around at home". There are 11 week 1 losers playing at home this week, and he picks 9 OF THE 11 to LOSE AT HOME. Yeah, Pete, that's not quite turning it around in my book. By the way, Mary Beth had three assists in her field hockey tournament against St. Mary's in the Connecticut regionals.

- John Wilder in San Diego

COMMENT: Being wrong is one thing, but not even paying attention to your own crappy advice within the space of a single column is evidence that he doesn't even really consider much of what he writes.

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Remember last week here when I said that Instant Replay in college could well prove problematic over the course of an entire season? Case in point on how imperfect their system is – even worse than the NFL’s.

Saturday in the Michigan State-ND game, State throws an apparent TD to a WR who get flat-out Tidwelled as he comes down in the endzone. The kid is knocked out cold, but the ball is sitting underneath him.

While everyone held their breath hoping he was okay, NBC – curiously – did not show a replay. Finally, the kid gets up, walks off, and RIGHT BEFORE the extra point, they show a replay angle which EMPHATICALLY disproves the catch, but at that point, the XP was already through. Too late.

Now, my question is: do the college replay guys only have what TV feeds them? Because if so, then NBC’s decision to hold the replay (perhaps out of sensitivity to the hurt player) affected the game – and perhaps the outcome. Ironically, the NBC delay HURT Notre Dame.

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The Katrina-Palooza of oddball stories continues...

While the majority of New Orleans police officers performed admirably under the incredibly difficult circumstances wrought by Hurricane Katrina, several British tourists stranded in one of the city's hotels allege that one group of cops asked women for sexual favors in exchange for being rescued.

Mr. Scott said he and his family witnessed both staff at his hotel and guests returning from looting sprees with cell phones, radios and clothes - which they later attempted to sell to the stranded guests.

REACT: Given how much we are hated (even in Britain) by foreigners, I would not be surprised if this tale was greatly embellished. Sort of like the story I gave you last week about helicopters passing up black survivors in favor of lighter skinned ones. Very dubious, but funny, in a sick sort of way, if true.