THE PESSIMIST: Leftwich Was Unwanted Goods

April 18th, 2009
leftwich1

Funny how the Bucs best quarterbacks are considered second-rate goods

How about that Bucs fan club with a growing membership.

To qualify, you must be an aging quarterback who couldn’t start for any other team. Immobile? No problem. Injury prone? You’re in. Just plain horrendous on film? No worries.

Meet the newest member: Byron Leftwich. He replaces Jeff Garcia and will battle with fellow pocket statue and club president Brian Griese.

Yes, Luke McCown is in the club. But he’ll need to tear his ACL again and add to his 1-6 career record as a starter to be considered for an executive position.

Welcome to the state of the Bucs quarterbacks. 

THE PESSIMIST remembers going to school and getting percentile grades on standardized tests. You know, 90th percentile is great, 70th percentile is decent, and 20th percentile means you’re a blockhead moron.  

The Bucs QB corps is definitely in the 10th percentile of the NFL. You’re a liar if you say otherwise. … Though perhaps it’s not quite that bad, especially when you compare it to, say, the Bucs’ defensive line.

THE PESSIMIST just can’t let go of the fact that no other team in the NFL wanted Byron Leftwich to compete for its starting QB job. NONE. Not even the 0-16 Lions or the Jets with their trifecta of stiffs.

Leftwich: “Hey agent, put it out there that I want to go where I can compete for a starting job. Tell them I’ve got a Super Bowl ring, experience and I’m healthy as horse.”

Agent: “Only the Bucs called to say you could compete. That’s it. It’s April. I think we should call them back.”

Of course, Leftwich and his agent fell in love with Tampa Bay and sported a boner at the thought of coming here and competing for the starting job, he told the St. Pete Times. What other options did he have?

“I was told from day one they want me to come in and compete and that’s the only way you want it,” Leftwich told the Times. “You don’t want anything given to you. Once you have an opportunity to compete, I can live with any scenario at that point. It’s all I can ask for. You want to go out there and know you’ve earned it.

THE PESSIMIST isn’t one for hope and prayer when it comes to the success of a quarterback. That mindset is better kept in church and in the White House.

THE PESSIMIST just wants to see the Bucs trot out a QB who impresses somebody not on Bucs’ the coaching staff. As a fan, that’s not too much to ask.

5 Responses to “THE PESSIMIST: Leftwich Was Unwanted Goods”

  1. Mr Lucky Says:

    Mr Pessimist I look at it this way – Signing Byron was done just to shut up the TV morons who kept talking about Josh Freeman. Do I expect Byron to start in Tampa? Only if Luke goes down and Johnson has the “runs”

  2. crease22 Says:

    Raheem “The Bad” Dream. You never know. That’s why they play the games. Miracles happen

  3. MTM Says:

    Mr. P the Bucs always get there man. When it comes to a player that no other team wants. That’s how they roll. The Bucs can pull has beens and never was players with the best of them.

    It hard not to agree with a lot of those statements. Who was beating down “Sandwiche’s” door? His couch. Maybe a buffet line.

    ” Sandwich” will make a great back up. As long as. Luke’s injury consists of him getting an eyelash stuck in his eye. And comes out for one play.

    God help us if “Sandwich” has to become a full time starter.

  4. Jagsfan Says:

    Jags fan living in Sarasota here folks. You should all be happy to have Leftwich if he’s really healthy. He’s a good player. You could do a lot worse and if Derrick Wards runs the ball and Winslow and Bryant play weill you should have a good offense. He’s really not a fat guy MTM.

  5. MTM Says:

    Jagsfan you are on the wrong site. Leftwich had he window but it is shut now.