Quinn and Quincey make for Hollywood gold in Quinncey: Disgruntled Athlete Examiner
“Why are athletes so bitter when they leave Colorado but more importantly why are they so dumb when talking to the media?”
Hey Hollywood. You can’t get enough of re-hashing old TV shows right? I’ve got one for you: It’s called “Quinncey” and it’s about a crotchety medical examiner who investigates why disgruntled athletes feel the need to open their mouths, the hot air that is released and the aftermath we all have to sift through. (If you aren’t old enough to remember “Quincy M.E.” starring Jack Klugman, just disregard this analogy)
“Quinncey” will have his hands full in Denver because it happened twice last week. Two Denver athletes with similar names badmouthed his organization, and we were left wondering just what in the hell is going on behind closed doors at Dove Valley and Pepsi Center. One guy was headed out the door and another has a foot just beyond the threshold. Both made outrageous comments and the media went wild with it. Former Avs defenseman Kyle Quincey’s comments were the more inflammatory but the ire drawn didn’t radiate beyond the state of Colorado. Back up Broncos QB Brady Quinn’s comments drew the most attention because they involved one Tim Tebow. Everything both men said the has already been poo-pooed and swept under the rug by the necessary team officials but they bring up some troubling questions: why are athletes so bitter when they leave Colorado but more importantly why are they so dumb when talking to the media?
Quinn’s first problem was that he talked to Yahoo’s Michael Silver. Silver was the “journalist” who cited an unnamed source earlier in the football season as saying Tim Tebow wasn’t even the third best QB on the team prior to Kyle Orton’s release. Whether someone actually said this or not, it was an opinion that was reported as fact and Silver laid his story out to make everyone believe John Elway muttered this while gazing upon the practice field at Dove Valley. Silver clearly has it out for Tebow and for Brady Quinn to even get into a discussion with the man was pretty dumb.
Quinn’s comments weren’t even that sensational: 1) The Broncos got lucky. Duh. If you watched any of those games and couldn’t admit that to yourself, you’re probably in denial about a lot of other things in your life. 2) Quinn was supposed to come in for Orton but didn’t because he finished the game. Then weeks later, Tebow was put in over Quinn which he chalked up to fan clamor for Tebow. Never taking into account that maybe something changed the mind of the coaching staff in the following weeks. Quinn did complain about Tebow’s praying, but if you’re complaining about the way someone prays, you’ve obviously run out of things to complain about. If you break the whole interview down, there’s not much there. If Quinn claimed Tebow drank goat’s blood and prayed to Satan before every game, it may have resonated (Silver now has his next trumped up story idea!), but the question remains: why did Quinn feel the need to say any of that, to this particular journalist and NOT know it would come out skewed? Quinn has since apologized and by all accounts he is supposed to be a smart guy, but speaking of such things to a hack reporter has all the earmarks of being one dumb son of a bitch.
And then there’s Kyle Quincey. Quincey was traded from the Avs in a three team deal involving the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Detroit Red Wings. On his way out the door, he took a shot at the organization saying “Everyone is ready to get shipped out any day. There’s a lot of guys, their bags are packed beside the door, and they wouldn’t be unhappy to go – trust me. I know I had a big smile on my face, and all the guys were jealous. I think there’s a bunch of guys that were pissed off they weren’t in a package deal.”
You can read the full quote here, but what he’s saying is disturbing because even if it’s partly true, it hints that there is some real discord in the Avs organization. The rumor is that Quincey was shipped out after he complained about ice time just as he had come back from IR. And since he didn’t really pan out as the stud defenseman they thought he was going to be, they moved him out before he could become more of a problem. Quincey has since apologized for his comments and in speaking to the Post’s Adrian Dater said his comments weren’t “Colorado specific.” Stating that he was talking about the trade deadline in general. Now, re-read his quote from above and tell me with a straight face that he wasn’t talking about the Avs and his team mates. I don’t buy it for one second. The package deal part reeks of sour grapes within the Avs locker room. We can chalk it up to him being angry with the team and relieved to be moving on but for him to backpedal like that doesn’t fly with me. He either meant it or he didn’t and I’m pretty sure he meant it. Most involved would like us to move on, but I want to know if Quincey is right or is just a bitter prick?
One thing’s for sure, two guys with a similar last name took out their frustrations on Colorado based sports teams last week by opening their mouths and placing their cleat/skate into them. The criticism seems a bit unwarranted and reflects badly on the player when it seems they had been treated fairly during their time here. Think about what Kyle Orton had to endure this season. Orton may open his mouth someday about his time in Denver, but the simple fact that he’s kept quiet about what had to be a bad situation is very impressive. Two athletes whose names are very similar and who play in the same city mouth off about a Colorado sports franchise in the same week. It’s odd for many reasons, but it’s curious because their excuses for saying it are as similar as their names. Looks like a job for “Quinncey.” Hollywood, please spell my name right on the check.
