Vic Carucci on Griese's Second Chance

[ckparrothead]

Another gem from NFL.CoM

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6409048

It doesn't have any real new info but its definitely a good editorial, makes a good pro-Griese case I think. Here's some of what I felt were the more powerful points for his Griese-apologist argument...

Elway was -- is and always will be -- a larger-than-life figure for Bronco fans. His success, as measured by statistics and won-loss records, set enough of an impossible standard for his successor. Add to that the incredible excitement he generated with the way he played, all of the scrambling that turned nothing into something, all of those comebacks, all of the last-minute heroics, and you have a Rocky Mountain-high climb destined for failure.

Griese's time in Denver had some promising moments, but for the most part it was filled with frustration. Some of it was his own, but a good deal of it was felt by others -- fans, teammates, coaches -- who kept looking for a spark, anything that would allow them to feel as confident as they did when Elway took the field. Even if they did come to grips with the fact that Griese wasn't Elway (and many of them couldn't) they still needed to see something special, something that at least made him worthy to play the same position that his predecessor had turned into a royal throne. And consciously or subconsciously, Griese tried to deliver. He tried to make the big plays, even the ones that weren't there to make. He tried to perform at a level that would convince everyone around him that he could get the Broncos back to Super Bowl contention. He tried to make his coach, Mike Shanahan, who did the most to help guide Elway to greatness, believe that Griese, too, could be molded into an elite talent.

What Griese must try to avoid, of course, is being caught up in his father's Dolphin legacy. It won't be easy -- he has had his share of issues with having a last name and playing a position synonymous with the most successful era in the history of the Dolphins franchise. Dan Marino's name might be all over the club and league record books, but Bob Griese is the quarterback with the Super Bowl rings.

Click to read more...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6409048

 

[ckparrothead]

Carucci's on a roll. He just wrote another about Griese's signing with Miami.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6420682

Wannstedt knows what's coming. He doesn't care. At least, he says he doesn't care. But even if moments come when, deep down inside he begins to feel the slightest irritation over the endless talk about Fiedler vs. Griese, Wannstedt can take comfort in the fact he has done the right thing.

Adding Junior Seau, Sammy Knight and Jeff Zgonina to the defense will help, if only to make an already strong unit even better. But having Griese could help more. As a backup or a starter, he offers hope that the Dolphins' quarterback situation is significantly improved. His greatest shortcoming in Denver was trying too hard to be the next John Elway rather than focusing on being the best quarterback he could be. Perhaps a change of scenery and the fact that the greatest heat will be directed at Fiedler will do wonders for Griese's psyche and it will show in his performance.

He said all of the right things during a news conference Monday. He did his part to try and put to rest all of the talk of whether he should be starting instead of Fiedler. "This team does not need a controversy; it needs consistency," Griese said. "Hopefully, that's what I'll bring. I'm going to support Jay in any way I can, and I think Jay will play well and have a good year. In case something happens, I'm here so that what happened last year doesn't happen again." For Wannstedt, that was worth all of the headaches he has created for himself.

That last bit there, the quote by Griese, was also what I considered the most prime cut of beef from Griese's press conference. What DrAstroZoom called "the most telling quote" except he quoted a different statement. I thought that this was Griese's "most telling quote"

Read on..
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6420682