Question of the Week

Noah, San Francisco, CA
Subj: Hindsight is 20/20
How many quarterbacks were drafted before Tom Brady?

Believe it or not, NFL personnel selected five other quarterbacks before the New England Patriots snatched Tom Brady with the 199th pick of the 2000 draft. Although each of those prospects was highly regarded at the time, the list now reads like a roll call for the witness protection program. The Jets selected Chad Pennington with the 18th pick, the 49ers selected Giovanni Carmazzi with the 65th pick, the Ravens selected Chris Redman with the 75th pick, the Steelers selected Tee Martin with the 163rd pick, the Saints selected Marc Bulger with the 168th pick and the Browns selected Spergon Wynn with the 183rd pick. If you remove Bulger and Pennington from the equation, the remaining signal callers have combined for 6 starts, 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Brady, meanwhile, has started 128 games, thrown 225 touchdowns, won three Super Bowls and been named to the Pro Bowl five times. As if that weren’t impressive enough, he’s also now married to the world's most sought-after supermodel. Take that Giovanni Carmazzi!

Question of the Week

Zach, Erie, PA
Subj: The long and short of it
Who is the shortest player in NFL history?

That distinction belongs to Jack “Soapy” Shapiro, a 5’0½” fullback who played one game with the Staten Island Stapletons in 1929. Prior to suiting up in the pros, Shapiro was a key player on the 1927 New York University football team, leading the Violets to a respectable 7-1-2 record and helping the team to outscore their opponents by an eye-popping margin of 345-65. Although Shapiro’s tenure in the NFL was limited, one little guy who did flourish was Buddy Young, a 5’4” runningback who averaged 3.8 yards a carry during an outstanding six year career. A former world record holder in the 60 yard dash, “The Bronze Bullet,” was so impressive in 1954 that he was even named to his first – and only – Pro Bowl. "He was like a toy football player," recalls former teammate Gino Marchetti. "But he could do it all. The most amazing thing about Buddy is he had no hip pads at that time, no thigh pads and played with a pair of shoulder pads you wouldn't let your son wear, and like so many players in that era, Young refused to wear a face mask." Young went onto become the Director of Player Relations for the NFL before dying in a tragic car crash in 1983.

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s Sports Shorts.

Kellogg has announced it will not renew its sponsorship deal with Michael Phelps. Fortunately he should have no problem picking up another cereal brand like Cannabis Crunch or Honey Bunches of Hemp.

Tony Romo plans to spend the week on tour with his girlfriend Jessica Simpson. It’s unclear whether he’ll be there to support her or to keep her away from the buffets.

The participants in the NBA’s first officially sanctioned H-O-R-S-E competition will now have to spell out another five letter word: G-E-I-C-O. It could be worse: at least the event isn’t being sponsored by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance.

The New York Mets are claiming they won’t be hurt in any way by Bernard Madoff's web of deceit. Unfortunately the team can’t say the same thing about their new bullpen.

Larry Fitzgerald led the NFC to a 30-21 victory at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The annual event is the only game of the season where even the kickers are guaranteed to get leied.

Alex Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for steroids in 2003. We’re not sure what’s more shocking: the fact that A-Rod was juiced or that Jose Canseco was actually right.

Animal Planet is producing a new 12-part series that will take viewers into the lives of jockeys. The program is expected to appeal equally to those who love Black Beauty and those who adore Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Lakers have landed Adam Morrison in a three-player deal with the Bobcats. Despite his porn star stache it’s believed to be the first three-way he’s ever been involved in.

Kelly Clark of the United States is the latest winner of the World Cup halfpipe event. It’s nice to hear of an American athlete doing something positive with a pipe for a change.

56-year-old athlete Jennifer Figge has become the first woman to swim across the Atlantic. Some people will do anything to save on airfare.