View Full Version : Been waitin' to post this: Merril Hoge transcript following the last preseason game


eberry
10-01-2006, 12:57 AM
I'm holding on to it b/c I think it's something that'll be cool to think back on in a few years. This was on ESPNEWS after the last preseason game I think ("Football Friday").
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Anchor: What does the aquisition of Kerry Collins by the Titans say about their quarterback situation?

Hoge: Well I think it's a message as to the initial dismantleing of an organization based on a bad pick in the first round of a quarterback. It's all about Vince Young. The reason you don't get rid of Vince Young or can't afford to get rid of Vince Young is because of all the money that you've already invested in him as far as a signing bonus goes. That's why you get rid of your other quarterback, a proven quarterback who has played and starred in this league and has shown he can play in this league, they're getting rid of because they can't get rid of Vince Young. One thing you must have at all positions, but especially at quarterback--you must be consistent. And that was one thing Vince Young was not in college and he has not shown thus far in the NFL in preseason. You also need an anticipation when you throw the football and awareness. Studying him on tape through the preseason and even in college, those are the two things that Vince Young lacked. Those are two things that you can't teach a guy--he either has it or he doesn't have it. And Vince Young has not shown that he has improved for this. That's why they go get Kerry Collins. But they are going to be stuck with Vince Young for the next three years. Everybody's talking about three years with Vince Young now, well you're forced to financially because of what you paid him--you can't get rid of him for three years. So that's why it's going to take that much time and that's how many opportunities he's going to have. But what I've seen on tape...there is no signs of this guy ever being a bonafied legitimate, good quarterback in the NFL.

Anchor: That is pretty harsh stuff. Did they totally overrate him? They're looking at the same tape as everyone else is before the pros...

Hoge: They gotta question: are they really looking at the same tape, because if you were looking at the same tape, there's no way you would have drafted Vince Young in the first round because the things you saw in college, especially 3rd pick overall, you would realize that he had a lack of awareness of reading coverage, didn't have a great anticipation of throwing the football, he didn't run a pro-style offense, he was going to struggle in all those manners. And in all the tape I've seen of preseason thus far, all that evidence has manifested itself. He has struggled through the dropback, he has struggled being consistant. And people talk about him being able to tun the football--he can't run the ball like Vick. He doesn't have a suddenness or a quickness. He doesn't get away from people. People run him down, people take shots at him, and nobody has yet to really gameplan for Vince Young and he's playing against 2nd or 3rd teamers. Once they do gameplan for him, they will make him play from the pocket, he must win from the pocket, you must be consistent from the pocket, and he has yet to prove that. And there's a lot of things actually in the preseason game that we just saw, that you can see this, where he does have problems with those kind of things.

Anchor: The phone's ringing, it's Titans GM Floyd Reese.

Hoge: I'll tell you what, Floyd Reese should be the one out on a hanger for this one. Why Floyd Reese signed him, to draft him as the 3rd overall pick, is mind-boggling.
...

Hoge: Vince Young will be a very average player in this league. He'll never be great.

...

Anchor: Biggest question then, why is it so hard to look at a quarterback in college and try to project how good that quarterback is going to be in the NFL?

Hoge: I don't think it's difficult. If you look at the NFL--the elite qb's, the good qb's--Carson Palmer, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady--the one thing that stands out that they have is anticipation to throw the football, an awareness of coverage and where that wide reciever's going to be, and throwing the ball to a spot. The two qb's we have just talked about, Aaron Rogers and Vince Young, have no awareness of that. They didn't have it in college, they don't have it in the NFL. Therefore, they will never develop. That is an innate skill, you cannot teach those things--they do not have it, those other guys do--and you'll sit there and bang your head across the table or whatever for the next 3 years thinking "boy, I just saw a great play, I just saw a geat throw," and that keeps 'em holding on. Meanwhile, you spent millions and millions, and you got nothing at the end.

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I know he's a hack, but he represents the feelings of a lot of people out there and he IS part of the official draft coverage team for ESPN. So here he is, before taking one snap in a regular season game, officially burying Vince--and I just thought, "I'm gonna hold onto that." There may be ups and downs the rest of this year, but Vince will eventually find a way to make him eat it. And it all starts tommorow.

Gunny
10-01-2006, 01:36 AM
man just reading that made me wanna smack him one.

TitanJames
10-01-2006, 01:55 AM
"Doesn't have a suddenness, doesn't have quickness???? What tape has this guy been wathcing??? I've seen every college game he played in and have almost every one on tape......How many times did Vince just take off and leave people jumping at him or make one juke move and burst through for a huge gain.....
I've seen it said how many TD's the guy scored standing straight up because no one can catch him or no one gets clean hits on him...Did he even watch the Rose Bowl game????

The only thing mind boggling is the drugs that Merril Hoge was taking before he made this stupid comment......

eberry
10-01-2006, 02:04 AM
He does suck, but of all the people at ESPN, I'm glad it's him b/c I was already halfway there with him already. I think it's b/c he always states every prediction as fact--more than anybody else--and he always backs it up with "I've been in a vault for the past 20 years watching tape on everything I've been talking about," except there's no lightheartedness with it like when Jaws says it, with Hoge it's more like "...and you're a moron if you would disagree with that."

Anyways, he made a point of stepping out there with Vince. It's obvious that he was making this his call to get attention--but when VY eventually clicks in, he shouldn't be able to shrink away from it.

PhiSlammaJamma
10-01-2006, 04:42 AM
Oh they will shrink. I remember when Yao was drafted by the Rockets. I don't think one person thought Yao would amount to anything. There was major hate. The only one who has apologized was Charles Barkley and he had to kiss a donkey's *** to do it. Literally, for those who never saw it. He kissed a donkeys ***. Which is what I think Hodge is gonna have to do when this is all over.

Vigsted
10-01-2006, 05:36 AM
Hoge: I don't think it's difficult. If you look at the NFL--the elite qb's, the good qb's--Carson Palmer, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady--the one thing that stands out that they have is anticipation to throw the football, an awareness of coverage and where that wide reciever's going to be, and throwing the ball to a spot.

I think it's hillarious that he mentions a 7th round pick as a quarterback that everybody could "obviously" see was a star in the making coming out of college... idiot.

Childress79
10-01-2006, 06:10 AM
Anchor: Biggest question then, why is it so hard to look at a quarterback in college and try to project how good that quarterback is going to be in the NFL?

Hoge: I don't think it's difficult. If you look at the NFL--the elite qb's, the good qb's--Carson Palmer, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady--the one thing that stands out that they have is anticipation to throw the football, an awareness of coverage and where that wide reciever's going to be, and throwing the ball to a spot.


You beat me to it Vigsted

He cites Brady as one of his examples of how its easy to spot a college QB who has the stuff to make it.

That's right hater Hoge,it's why Brady was one of the last players picked in the draft down in the 7th round. If Bledsoe hadn't been injured to give Brady his shot he might still be a backup waiting for his shot.

SEC 330 BIPOLAR
10-01-2006, 06:28 AM
His Steeler underwear is so tight it is cutting off his circulation to his brain. You would think this would be one guy who would be supportive of Young will all his rants about... say it with me... "the MO-bile quarterback"... Hoge is a moron to me now. I'm glad he's out there saying these things. This stuff fuels Vince. Vince is a master chef you know. Crow is his speciality.

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bigtitan53279
10-01-2006, 07:54 AM
the look of disbelief on salsbury's face is priceless. he just looks at the producers like hoge just punched a baby or something.

Childress79
10-01-2006, 08:00 AM
the look of disbelief on salsbury's face is priceless. he just looks at the producers like hoge just punched a baby or something.

What's more frustrating than anything is that Hoge is getting good money to talk drivel :irked:

bigtitan53279
10-01-2006, 08:09 AM
you know what's even better about those mario williams comments he made? vince has more passing tds than williams has sacks....in a little over a quarter of play.

ammotroop
10-01-2006, 08:09 AM
Yeah this post pissses me off. One thing we have to remember is that Vince will have ups and downs this season. That is for sure.

Gunny
10-01-2006, 10:48 AM
People should do to him what happens to all other males named Merril - Beat him up.

ammotroop
10-01-2006, 12:08 PM
LOL @ Gunny....FO SHO!!!

wplatham
10-01-2006, 12:25 PM
Does everyone remember the analyst who said he'd eat his laptop if the Bears win the NFC North?

Well, I think if Young has successful career, Hodge should have to shove his laptop up his :moon2:

moose4now
10-01-2006, 12:34 PM
People should do to him what happens to all other males named Merril - Beat him up.

When you consider how Hoge's career ended, I'd say that more than a few guys did beat on him a bit. :rolleyes:

Austin_Bill
10-01-2006, 08:51 PM
Hoge is a nobody trying to make a name by calling his shot.

The one problem is he knows that if he is wrong he won't lose anything, but if he is right he makes a huge name for himself.

JMO I think he is using this to relive his steeler/oiler hate or he is trying to get back into football as a coach

Soxcat
10-01-2006, 09:01 PM
Saying VY might not be a great QB is one thing. Saying what he said shows his brains really were scrambled.

After watching VY I do think he has alot of work to do but considering many, including myself were not in favor of the pick because we thought VY would take years to get it. I really don't think VY is that far off. One thing he does need to do is get the feel for the rush and get his rushing yards like Mac used to get them. Straight drop back and if a lane is wide open take the free yardage. Trying to run "special" running plays for VY is stupid. The way he is throwing the ball downfield defenses have to respect the pass. Once VY gets a better feel for the speed of the game and such I think Hodge will eat his words.

moose4now
10-01-2006, 09:09 PM
Once VY gets a better feel for the speed of the game and such I think Hodge will eat his words.

No question.

Tungtide
10-01-2006, 11:46 PM
Let's hope Vince uses these words to prove him wrong. To do it he will need to do the things that Steve seemed to have problems with- 1. Practice 2. Vocal leadership on and off the field.