Why is every one going around calling Bill Polian a draft genius? Sure he's made some good picks but he's also sported some bad teams and gotten top picks handed to him.

PS I already wrote this once and somehow it got deleted everywhere so I'll try and bring the same intensity. It will be either far superior to the previous version, or a train wreck, now that I'm drunk. So if you read it earlier, it might be worth a re-read

Bill Polian came into Colts power just in time to get the top overall pick in the 98 draft, aka, probably the best pure quarterback in NFL history, Peyton Manning. Sure some may argue that Ryan Leaf was the better option back before it was a sure thing. But I think we can mostly agree we knew Peyton was the better option. So sure give him some credit if you want to, just don't go calling him an all-time great just yet.

The next season Bill put together a team that finished a solid 3-13 leading to the 4th overall pick. With it he decided on Edgerrin James before the draft. He assumed Ricky Williams would be off the board at four and so he talked himself into Edge. In doing to he made the decision to let Marshall Faulk go, whom only went on to set records and win a Super Bowl in St. Louis. So when Ricky fell to Indy and Polian stood ground and took James we were for some reason baffled. You can argue how great a decision it was, and maybe it was. But if your going to sit there and tell me Ricky Williams career wouldn't have been different starting out under Manning than it was under the 'Aints, then you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

That's two thirds of the big three the Colts had at that time. The third was Marvin Harrison whom, was already in place. Don't get me wrong I want to give Mr. Polian credit for taking Manning, James, Wayne when he did, finding something in Freeney, and Mathis, and this past year. But a 'genius' is an absolute exaggeration.

So I'm going to go ahead and forfeit any previous success Polian had in the NFL. But before he joined the Colts nobody thought of him as a 'genius'.

In '98 he was gifted Manning but missed on his other six picks. Unless you count Jerome Pathon, whom he wisely took his second round pick, even though he had a fourth wide receiver career, and even that was thanks to the great Manning.

In '99 he took James, then Mike Peterson, whom was a solid LB but really was just good enough to make an impact on a poor defense. The other five picks aren't worth mentioning, with the exception of punter Hunter Smith, congrats Bill.

'00 Saw him take a career underachiever in Rob Morris at LB in round one and in round two LB Marcus Washington, who was probably remembered better than he was, and yes I'm aware you don't remember him. The other five Colts picks that year? Nobodys.

'01 He took Wayne out of place, obviously that paid off. Then he took Idrees Brashir, whom I remember but that's about it. Five other basic nothings in this draft

'02 Saw something in Freeney earlier than most, then went 0/7.

'03 Hey a fairly good draft for William. Dallas Clark in the first round, Robert Mathis in the fifth, and Cato June in the sixth. Too bad he only has Mathis too show from this one.

'04 Saw, ya I've opened too many years with the word "saw" but fuck off I told you I'm drunk, this is a re-do this is what you get. While I'm at it, here's the drunk bonus you guys deserve. GoDaddy SUCKS. All this time we had been working with a bunch of people that hate money and hate giving out help. Their software is as glitchy as the latest Apple release. Speaking of, last week I believe I updated my iPhone with the latest update. It proceeded to delete 1,100+ songs I had saved on my phone but not my new computer. Thanks Apple I truly appreciate it.

Also, while I'm at it , the check engine light in my car came on the other morning. Tuesday night I parked it in my driveway, no problems. Wednesday morning I come out to my car and it's not on. Red flag goes up since I have an automatic starter. But I think hmm maybe I hit the button and shut it off. I get in my car start it up, check engine light is on. I get to the end of the street, the breaks start making a noise only dinosaurs make. Then I get to work, which it's the last week of the month so it's busy as shit, and finally, it's lunch time, I get a break. Sort of. I get to take my car to the dealership to have my car checked. I drive 15 minutes there, walk in and find out there's two 14 year old chicks working the front desk. I tell them my story and they decide they can't scan my diagnostics until Friday. IT TAKES TEN FUCKING SECONDS. Ok so whatever, I head back to work. Boom pulled over for speeding by a cop in an SUV who turned it lights on 250 yards before I approached him heading in the opposite direction. He couldn't have possibly radared me, yet said I was going 48 in a 30mph zone. Yet he gave me a $100 ticket. In other words, it's the end of the month, let's make quota. I tried to talk to the guy, like a human being and got absolutely zero reaction. When he came up to my car he stood back six feet behind me so I couldn't see him like I live in fucking Oakland. He was a miserable prick handing out a chicken shit ticket. That I won't fight because it's not worth it to take a day off from work and pay $25 to fight it when with my luck he'll show up and I know that I was in fact speeding. But I was going 40-42max, in a place that couldn't have been endangering less people. I broke the law I deserve to pay that $100 fine, but why is this society so filled with assholes/dumb people?

Anyways, '04 haha, Mr. Polian drafted the single most overrated NFL player in my lifetime...Bob Sanders. What a joke he was. For some reason everyone fell in love with him at some point yet, he was clearly a total fraud.

'05 0/10... a true genius.

'06 He took Joey Addai in the first round. Addai was solid for a few years, but ultimately disappointed. He is already a backup running back at best. Outside of Addai, he took Bethea, whom I merely remember. The rest 0/5.

'07 0/9. Unless you count Anthony Gonzalez as a solid first round pick.

'08 Nine picks this year and two sort of hits. Tamme was taken in the 4th round, who has found some life, but in Denver with Manning. Then Garcon in the 6th round who is trying to stay on the field in Washington. In other words, Bill was 0/9 here.

'09 Donald Brown was taken in the first round, yet he's a career backup. Austin Collie has faced injury problems. Then there's Curtis Painter whom, led the Colts to the year before lasts 3-13 record.

'10 Jerry Hughes was taken too high and he has so far made Bill 0/8 in this draft.

'11 He's simply 0/5 in guys that I've heard of, never mind impact players.

'12 Seemingly a great draft. Let me premise this by saying Bill Polian went 0/51 draft picks before being gifted Andrew Luck. If that's the mark of a genius then I'm a moron. Mostly because he put together his second worst team in the NFL with the Colts. He lucked into Andrew Luck, but did make good picks in Fleener, Hilton, Chapman, Ballard, and even perhaps Brazil. But it could also be Luck saving Polians career the way Manning did.

Yes, he has made a few good calls in his career. I'm not sitting here trying to say he's terrible at his job. I'm simply saying he is no 'genius' like ESPN will lead you to believe. No genius would have more first overall picks than Super Bowl championships. Especially when you have perhaps the best pure quarterback in NFL history. You couldn't put a defense around him Bill. You had two first overall picks, which most guys in your position don't get one of. You are no genius. You are a lucky fool, that's all.

mlz
Saturday, March 2, 2013