Top 10 QBs

When I was driving home today, I made the mistake of turning the radio over to ESPN. I couldn't handle more than five minutes of the mindless banter from Freddie Coleman and Jonathan Coachman, but they did mention an interesting question of whether or not Tony Romo is one of the ten best quarterbacks in the NFL. They believed he was a top ten QB, which they also say about 30 other quarterbacks from around the league. Now, basing my decision on the best quarterbacks I would take to win a game, I've come up with my own Top 10 list:

Discount Double Check!

1. Aaron Rodgers - Rodgers is playing at a different level from the rest of the league right now. He is picking secondaries apart with relative ease and has the athletic ability to escape pressure from blitzes. With his incredible play, Rodgers has turned Brett Favre into a distant memory for Green Bay fans and could become even more legendary if he could deliver a second straight Super Bowl title.
2. Tom Brady - He has sustained a level of excellence in a way that makes people forget about how great he is. Until the 4th quarter of last week's game against Washington, Brady hadn't thrown an interception in four consecutive games. He will remain an unpopular figure because he is the face of a hated franchise, but it's difficult to argue with his success. Three Super Bowl rings on his resume and he might not be finished.
3. Drew Brees - I think Drew Brees has the type of impact on the Saints that Peyton Manning has on the Colts. Now, the Saints wouldn't be 0-12 right now if Brees wasn't playing, but I doubt they would be in playoff contention. His accuracy makes him one of the best in the game, and his leadership makes him an elite player in the league.
4. Ben Roethlisberger - I hate that I'm listing Big Ben as one of the top five quarterbacks in the game - mainly because I dislike him. That being said, he is the embodiment of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization - tough, resilient, and successful. There isn't much that's pretty about Roethlisberger's game, except his Super Bowl rings and the home-field advantage Pittsburgh seems to get every year because of his ability to lead them to victories.
5. Eli Manning - I'm probably making this decision from a "What have you done for me lately?" perspective. I've always considered Manning to be a talented player, but a very inconsistent one. He would make great plays and 4th quarter comebacks, but also put his team in difficult positions with costly turnovers. However, this year he has played at an MVP level for the Giants. And he might be in the discussion for the award if Aaron Rodgers were playing in the Canadian Football League.
6. Philip Rivers - This pick has nothing to do with this season. If it did, I'm not sure Rivers would be one of the top ten quarterbacks in the AFC. Still, I'm considering this season a fluke and would still take Rivers to win a big game.

Matt Schaub is great...when he isn't hurt.

7. Matt Schaub - If he can stay healthy, he has one of the best arms in the game. Schaub's problem has never been ability - it's been durability.
8. Matt Ryan - Ironically, I think Ryan is more effective when he isn't a huge part of the Falcons offense. He has proven capable of performing in the clutch and helped change the culture of the organization.
9. Tony Romo - I guess I agree with the guys from ESPN radio. Similar to Matt Ryan, Romo is at his best when the Cowboys have a successful running game. When he makes good decisions, he is one of the most effective QB's in the game.
10. Jay Cutler - I like Jay Cutler about as much as I like Ben Roethlisberger, but he deserves credit for carrying the Chicago Bears offense. Losing Matt Forte hasn't helped, but the Bears have been inept without Cutler at the helm.

Best & Worst

Best - The Army vs. Navy Game

Navy QB Kriss Proctor

I'm coming at this from a biased perspective, but there is something special and unique about an Army-Navy football game. Most nationally televised games feature players and coaches who are doing everything they can to promote themselves for a better job or a chance at the NFL - the next step has already been decided for the players from both of these service academies. Even if you aren't a fan of college football or sports in general, you can watch this game and feel an incredible sense of pride and patriotism in seeing some of the best leaders our nation has to offer, on the field and in the stands.

Now, as a Navy fan, yesterday's game was a great way to end the season. For a team that has had so many struggles and heartbreaking losses, it was awesome to see the Midshipmen be able to finish a close game. A defense that has been torched all season came up with big turnovers and a huge stop in the 4th quarter, a senior kicker who has a had a nightmare season hit a clutch field goal, and a quarterback who's battled injuries all year made some key runs to help his senior class go out on top. In a way, it's just a football game - and in a way, it means everything. Every day of the year, these two schools think about beating each other. At Navy, they say "BEAT ARMY!" after nearly everything they do. "BEAT ARMY" as they turn the corner to go down the hall. "BEAT ARMY!" as a plebe finishes a set of push ups. And for the 10th year in a row, "BEAT ARMY!" on the football field. Mission accomplished. Go Navy!


Worst - The Cincinnati vs. Xavier Brawl

Yancy Gates looking for more...

If the Army-Navy game is the standard for everything great about college athletics, the end of the Cincinnati-Xavier men's basketball game is the standard for everything wrong with college athletics. In a rivalry game that had turned into a blowout (Xavier won 76-53), the game finished with an on-court brawl. It began with trash talking from both teams and quickly escalated into a fight with Cincinnati's Yancy Gates punching a Xavier player in the head and then other Bearcats kicking the Xavier player while he was on the ground. It didn't get any better after the game - Xavier's players were proud of how they stuck up for themselves and didn't back down from a fight while Mick Cronin, Cincinnati's Head Coach, promised heavy consequences for his players.

A strong message would have been dismissing Yancy Gates, the team's best post player, off the team. Instead, the university announced it will suspend Gates for six games. How convenient that five of those games will be against insignificant non-conference opponents. Gates will miss also miss the Big East conference opener against Pittsburgh. No Xavier player will be suspended for more than one game. In short, both teams displayed embarrassing and unacceptable behavior - and neither institution or coach has enough backbone to assess the discipline and consequence the players deserve. It doesn't get much worse than that.

What a Crock

As the temperature begins to drop, it becomes the perfect time of year to enjoy a cup of soup. I love soups, stews, chowders and I really should eat them more often. It's a great way to try a variety of vegetables and spices and there are so many different ways to mix flavors. It is also the sort of thing you can make ahead of time and eat over the course of a week. A little creativity and planning can give you a cheap, healthy, and filling meal that is perfect for cold weather days.

However, this post isn't about soup I made - it's about soup made by the folks at Crock and Roll. My dad and I stopped in for lunch a couple weeks ago on a cold, windy day when a cup of soup would hit the spot. I wouldn't be surprised if most people in the Roanoke Valley have never heard of Crock and Roll. It's tucked away in a corner in the Towers Shopping Center, making it very easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I have never seen any sort of advertising for them and I think it would be a great type of place to offer a Daily Deal sort of promotion to help with marketing and publicity.

When we went for lunch, there was no one else in the restaurant. They have a few tables where people can sit (which we did), but most of their business was being done through take-out orders. It looked like many people had called ahead with an order and took their food to go. The woman working at the register and serving the soup was extremely friendly and offered us samples of anything we wanted to try. She also seemed to know many of the people coming in - making me think they have a number of regular customers.

Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup

For my sample, I tried the Sweet Potato & Sausage soup. One sip...sold. The soup had a sweet and creamy flavor from the sweet potato and I'm guessing some sort of milk or cream, which made it quite rich. The sausage provided texture and a hearty flavor. It really was delicious. Only problem was that it was served piping HOT. Too hot to eat for the first ten minutes. I even dropped in a couple ice cubes to bring the temperature down below the level of the surface of the sun. The soup was also served with a homemade roll that reminded me or the cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster. Breaking the roll into pieces and dropping it into the soup was a good decision and I give myself credit for putting two and two together.

The only thing keeping me from giving a stellar recommendation for Crock and Roll would be the price. For a cup of soup and a roll, the price was around $8. Both of the items were very good, but it still seems steep for the cost. I've heard the owner tries to use local and organic ingredients in all his soups, which is great, but I was still surprised it cost two people $16 for two cups of soup and two rolls. It's very good, but I'd expect to pay around $5-$6 for what we ordered. However, if the good people at Crock and Roll are able to charge that amount and maintain a successful and profitable business, good for them! There are times when a great cup of soup is tough to beat.

An Asian Surprise

Usually, I have low expectations of restaurants located in grocery store strip malls. I have even lower expectations of Asian restaurants in said strip malls. I've come to expect quality similar to what you'd find from a bad Chinese restaurant in a mall food court. Typically, there's not much atmosphere, variety, or flavor with the food. Cafe Asia did not fit this criteria.

Cafe Asia is located in the Kroger Shopping Center in Bonsack off Route 460. From the outside, nothing really stands out to make you think it's different than any other strip mall Asian restaurant. Fortunately, I'd heard very good things from other people who eat there regularly and I had high expectations. When we arrived, I was impressed with the design and decor of the interior. There was a sushi bar, hardwood floors, and plenty of room in what seems like a limited amount of space. It also appeared they did a large number of take out orders.

The food was some of the best Asian food I've had in Roanoke. We ordered two appetizers before the meal - edamame and crab wontons. The edamame was good and the crab wontons had a good mix of crab and cream cheese - not quite as good as Pei Wei but not bad at all.  For an entree, I decided to order the Chicken Curry. I had a tough time deciding between all the entrees and noodle dishes but the flavors of the curry were intriguing. I wasn't disappointed when a giant bowl filled with chicken, onion, peas, carrots, and pineapple in a delicious sauce was served. The chicken was incredibly tender (sit in the crock-pot all day sort of tender) and everything had fresh and bold flavor. There was some spice in the sauce, but the sweetness of the pineapple helped balance it out nicely. It was also served with a side of rice. For $8, I was shocked at how big the portion was. I don't think I was able to eat half of it and was able to have leftovers for two additional meals. I'd definitely go back for the curry, but I'd also be interested in trying many of the other entrees. I've also heard good things about the sushi, which I would try at lunch when the prices are more reasonable. All this to say, a few more trips out to Cafe Asia are in order.

It's been a while since I can remember having a go-to Asian restaurant in Roanoke (other than getting sushi at Wasabi's) but Cafe Asia could become that place. The prices and portions were great and I loved the taste of the food. I just need to make my way over to Bonsack more often.

New National Champion

I'd like to congratulate the LSU Tigers on winning the 2011 National Championship in college football. The Bayou Bengals have completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in the history of college football and deserve a place in the discussion of all-time best teams. LSU's undefeated record combined with a dominant scoring margin is impressive and it's virtually unbelievable when you consider the competition they played against.

LSU's destruction of Georgia yesterday was their 7th victory against a ranked team this season. It was their 4th time beating a team ranked in the Top 15. Even more ridiculous - they've defeated three teams that were ranked in the Top 3 at the time of the game! Along with the scheduling, to rub it in to the rest of the country, the only game LSU hasn't won by at least 13 points was their 9-6 victory over Alabama. The Tigers haven't just won big games, they've crushed the opposition. Slight side note - God bless LSU for not being afraid to go on the road and play big non-conference games. It says a lot about your program and the mindset of your football team when you are willing to play great teams from other conferences and I admire the Tigers for taking everyone's best shot. Actually, I'd probably take LSU to win the AFC West in the NFL.

Honey Badger don't care...

In my mind, LSU has already done enough to deserve the title of National Champions. Yet, they still have to play (and likely win) one more game. As of now, it's uncertain who the Tigers will face in the BCS Championship game in New Orleans on January 9, but I'd make the argument that it shouldn't matter. If LSU plays Alabama and loses, I think they still have a more impressive resume than the Crimson Tide. LSU already won on the road in Tuscaloosa - how could a neutral site victory by Alabama be more impressive? (Ironically, I think Alabama is a better team than LSU but missed too many opportunities in their game against the Tigers.) If LSU loses to Oklahoma State, they'd have one loss to the 2nd ranked team in the country - still sounds a lot better than Oklahoma State's one loss to an unranked Iowa State team. Fortunately, even though I'm making the case for not even playing the game, the boys from Baton Rouge don't care who they play on January 9 because they'll take on anybody. They're not concerned about who the opponent is - their primary goal is to leave no doubt about who the best is.

Funny thing about this whole post for me - I don't like LSU! I admire and respect their program but I don't like the players or the fans. Still, I can't deny how dominant they've been this season. They've answered the bell time and again, which is why think the crystal ball should already be on display in Baton Rouge. I don't think any outcome on January 9 is going to change my opinion on that. LSU has earned the title of champion and deserves to be talked about as one of the best ever. 2011 was another great season for college football, but the discussion about who the champion is should be over.