John Clayton

[duus]

Perhaps a meaningless thread, but I simply cannot take it any longer. He calls in on the local sports show a couple times per week and throws out this garbage about how the Steelers will always get things going again. That's fine. Whatever. But what gets me is how he continues to throw out these little digs against other teams that give the Steelers trouble.

Case in point ...

Just a few moments ago, he began talking about Philip Rivers and the Chargers. Finishing his discussion about how Rivers is now a great QB in the AFC for years to come, he says, "It'll be Rivers, Roethlisburger, and Manning next year and years to come."

Oh really? Notice anything there? Includes Roethlisburger, yet leaves out Palmer and Brady. This is not the first time with this guy. Trust me, you see/hear one thing on ESPN, but when he gets on the local Pittsburgh radio, he shows his colors. Funny how he doesn't bother to mention the two names that have dealt some recent losses to his favorite team.

O.K., I'm done. For now.

[jjakq27]

It's funny that you mention that. For most of this season Merrill Hoge has been on one of the local radio sports talk shows each week. I was told that he lives here in town too but I am not sure if that is really true or not.

Anyway he has alot of good things to say about the Bengals even though he is an ex-Steeler player. He seems pretty balanced with his praise and criticism of the Bengals and the Steelers. I enjoy listening to him a great deal because I never get the feeling he is pandering to the local crowd or promoting the Steelers in any way.

I don't know if he is an announcer or show host with Jaws anymore or how he is in that format but I enjoy the segments that they have with him.

Clayton on the other hand looks too much like a creepy librarian type to be credible.

[CBin2k7]

The thing with guys like Jaws/Hoge compared to guys like Clayton is that Jaws and Hoge actually watch film. They breakdown the film of most players and they can make intelligent comments on what the player is and isn't doing correctly.

Clayton/Sharpe/Irvin .... they are all opinions from watching a couple of games.

That is why I have always felt that Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge are the best analysts in the game, when they speak, they usually know what they are talking about.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

It's funny that you mention that. For most of this season Merrill Hoge has been on one of the local radio sports talk shows each week. I was told that he lives here in town too but I am not sure if that is really true or not.

Anyway he has alot of good things to say about the Bengals even though he is an ex-Steeler player. He seems pretty balanced with his praise and criticism of the Bengals and the Steelers. I enjoy listening to him a great deal because I never get the feeling he is pandering to the local crowd or promoting the Steelers in any way.

I don't know if he is an announcer or show host with Jaws anymore or how he is in that format but I enjoy the segments that they have with him.

Clayton on the other hand looks too much like a creepy librarian type to be credible.

Well, as far as thinking that Worthlessburger is better than Palmer and Manning, I don't have to break down tape to figure that one out.

Personally, I've always thought Clayton looks like an ostritch.

I agree with you on Jaws, pretty much everyone in the business would tell you he's the best at what he does. I love his film breakdown segment, because you can never see that stuff on a broadcast due to the close in view of the lines at the snap (which is thrilling and all, but....)

[bengalboomer7]

The thing with guys like Jaws/Hoge compared to guys like Clayton is that Jaws and Hoge actually watch film. They breakdown the film of most players and they can make intelligent comments on what the player is and isn't doing correctly.

Clayton/Sharpe/Irvin .... they are all opinions from watching a couple of games.

That is why I have always felt that Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge are the best analysts in the game, when they speak, they usually know what they are talking about.

Wow, those sound like words out of MY mouth. I agree, wholeheartedly. Hoge is brilliant, and you can find him on ESPN News a lot, I always listen to jaws, too, but I gotta kind of get past his delivery. And it's also just another reason why I like Collinsworth so much.

The one guy i think breaks down absolutely no film, and puts no work into his job, Joe Theismann. I loathe that guy.

[Dan2330]

They were ripping Clayton on Chicago Sports Radio this morning since this Monday Night will be his first Bears game this year..

[Whur CHad At?]

the alien?

[aaronburr]

For what it's worth, Merrill Hoge has a personal connection to Marvin. If I'm not mistaken, Marvin was a graduate assistant when Hoge was playing in college.

Regardless, Clayton's a hack. All he does is have an opinion. Nothing to back it up with. I'd put him in the safe category as PFT.

[Tasher]

The Great Gazoo!

[Jeffro35744]

the alien?

I just really wish we could keep the partison politics out of our wonderful Bengals/Sports Discussions. Not everybody feels the same way as others and this is supposed to be a Bengals board.

[duus]

the alien?

I just really wish we could keep the partison politics out of our wonderful Bengals/Sports Discussions. Not everybody feels the same way as others and this is supposed to be a Bengals board.

I just choose to ignore. I have always held the opinion that anyone that feels this strongly about politics (to display them in a sports messageboard) more than likely has not truly thought through numerous complex issues, and instead has decided to base all thought on a single event, or worse, on what their dad or dear grandpa told them to think. This goes for all sides. If you have a political position/issue that you feel strongly about, you would take great care in communicating it in as persuasive manner as possible. All this does is turn me off to whatever position is displayed. I guess in this case it means I need to give Mr. Bush a special prayer tonight ... and perhaps an anti-prayer for the Obama dude. It's football.

[WhoDey93285]

The thing I hate about Clayton the most is that he acts like he knows what he's talking about when I'm like 99% sure he's never played a down of football in his life. I mean, look at the guy. If someone can back this up or disprove this for me?

But, he's just so....nerdy, there's no way he's played football. How could you hire someone as an analyst of a sport they've never played?

[BlainThePain]

The thing I hate about Clayton the most is that he acts like he knows what he's talking about when I'm like 99% sure he's never played a down of football in his life. I mean, look at the guy. If someone can back this up or disprove this for me?

But, he's just so....nerdy, there's no way he's played football. How could you hire someone as an analyst of a sport they've never played?

A lot of NFL head coaches never played football like Bill Walsh.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

The thing I hate about Clayton the most is that he acts like he knows what he's talking about when I'm like 99% sure he's never played a down of football in his life. I mean, look at the guy. If someone can back this up or disprove this for me?

But, he's just so....nerdy, there's no way he's played football. How could you hire someone as an analyst of a sport they've never played?

Well, there are nerds like me who *watch* football. And people like me get tired of listening to some of the ex-jocks, most of whom seem to have IQs below freezing. Sean Salisbury, Joe Theismann, Michael Irvin, Shannon Sharpe, just to name a handful. Obviously there are others like Collinsworth, Jaws, Schlereth, and Tom Jackson who do a good job, but most of them are morons.

Certainly you need guys who were there to lend credibility and tell funny stories, but you also need some people with a few more brain cells.

[jjakq27]

The thing I hate about Clayton the most is that he acts like he knows what he's talking about when I'm like 99% sure he's never played a down of football in his life. I mean, look at the guy. If someone can back this up or disprove this for me?

But, he's just so....nerdy, there's no way he's played football. How could you hire someone as an analyst of a sport they've never played?

If you haven't seen Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" video please check it out. You could have easily substituted Clayton for Al.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GkhMcyuYroA

[AMC]

Listen to Jaworski and you won't go wrong....Best in the biz by far...

Also Len Pasquarelli is not all that bad....

Clayton is a freak of nature...

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Not sure why anyone wouldn't mention Palmer as a top 3 QB in the entire league from here on out.

Manning, Palmer and Brady (in whatever order you want to put them) are easily the 3 best Qb's in the NFL.

[Stripes]

Jaworski isn't much better than the other dopes on ESPN. He never seems to provide any analysis from a defensive perspective (unless he's talking about the Eagles, of course ) and he's as big a stat nerd as Hank Goldberg.

[stilldiesel]

Clayton was talking about Rivers, Roeth and ELI Manning being good for severalyears to come; BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE QB CLASS OF '04. Honestly, I think it's a stretch to say Clayton has some sort of Steeler bias. On a football note; you guys sort of remind me of my Steelers last year. Played like s**t in the middle of the year but got hot at the right time.

Your defense impressed me last week. If your defense could get hot for an extended period of time like our passing game did last year watch out. It is a given the Bengals have a good offense but they need there run 'D' to step it up a notch. They looked a helluva lot better against the Ravens than they did against the Patriots earlier in the year.

[duus]

Clayton was talking about Rivers, Roeth and ELI Manning being good for severalyears to come; BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE QB CLASS OF '04. Honestly, I think it's a stretch to say Clayton has some sort of Steeler bias. On a football note; you guys sort of remind me of my Steelers last year. Played like s**t in the middle of the year but got hot at the right time.

Your defense impressed me last week. If your defense could get hot for an extended period of time like our passing game did last year watch out. It is a given the Bengals have a good offense but they need there run 'D' to step it up a notch. They looked a helluva lot better against the Ravens than they did against the Patriots earlier in the year.

I did not hear this while listening, yet I will admit to working while I was listening, so you may very well be correct about this conversation being about the '04 class. That being the case, then I am wrong about this thread. You could see how I would take this having heard it (as a Bengals fan). And besides, the guy (I believe from Pittsburgh) has put down the Bengals many times over ... he is on weekly and I have heard this many times. That said, it surely doesn't negate that I apparently had this quote wrongly interpreted. Thanks for the correction.

[AMC]

Jaworski isn't much better than the other dopes on ESPN. He never seems to provide any analysis from a defensive perspective (unless he's talking about the Eagles, of course ) and he's as big a stat nerd as Hank Goldberg.

Hank Goldberg = worthless.....

[Bengalbob]

I was told that he lives here in town too but I am not sure if that is really true or not.

Yes, Hoge, Tom Jackson, and Collinsworth all live in the Cincinnati area (and all line in NKY?).

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Clayton was talking about Rivers, Roeth and ELI Manning being good for severalyears to come; BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE QB CLASS OF '04. Honestly, I think it's a stretch to say Clayton has some sort of Steeler bias. On a football note; you guys sort of remind me of my Steelers last year. Played like s**t in the middle of the year but got hot at the right time.

Your defense impressed me last week. If your defense could get hot for an extended period of time like our passing game did last year watch out. It is a given the Bengals have a good offense but they need there run 'D' to step it up a notch. They looked a helluva lot better against the Ravens than they did against the Patriots earlier in the year.

Thanks for clearing that up - makes sense. No one's dissin' Big Ben either - he's right up there but Pitt's system just doesn't allow for him to put up big #'s consistently.

It's good to finally see a group of great young QB's in the league again, the NFL only had Manning and Brady there for several years.

[duus]

So, with all these QB names flying around, how would you then rank them? I know, I know, almost impossible to do giving team styles, etc. But, just for the time, pretend you could model each one having played in every other system. Who do you think would perform the best collectively? My list:

1. Brady

2. PManning

3. Palmer

4. McNabb

5. Brees

6. Rivers

7. Roethlisburger

8. EManning

That's how I think it would prove itself out should we be able to truly 'test' such a thing.