Get Ready for Clipboards, Clipboards and More Clipboards!

With the Patriots ready to take on the defending champion Colts in just a matter of hours, a number of journalists are focusing on the matchup between Archie's kid and pretty boy. I'm going to take this opportunity to thrust the spotlight on another pair of athletes that garner considerably less attention.

Before I do that, however, I'd like to take a minute and share a dream of mine with you. Like every kid growing up I spent my time in the driveway with my hoop practicing last minute shots and at the park down the street walking off homeruns. Everyone wants to be the hero, but I think it would be nearly as fun to be a bullpen catcher. Sure your jersey may not be the one every kid wants for Christmas but you're not being critiqued and second-guessed every night by an army of journalists and terrible announcers for every move you make and don't make. Your day basically consists of heading to the ballpark and hanging out in the bullpen shooting the shit with starts and hall of famers while making sure if someone needs to warm up that you've got their back. All this and more for the paltry league minimum of several hundred thousand dollars. And hey, if you land on a winning club you get to pocket a ring for your troubles.

Why am I telling you this? Because I'm going to take a look away from the field and towards the bench to compare everyone's favorite clipboard jokeys: Jim Sorgi and Matt Cassel.

Jim Sorgi played for Wisconsin and is the career pass efficiency leader (141.2), co-holder of most passing TD's in one game (5) and 6th in career passing yards in the school's history. Not bad. He's also Peyton Manning's backup, who has started every game in his NFL career, missing only one snap due to injury. Not a bad gig if you can get it.


Matt Cassel, on the other hand, has been perfecting the backup role for a bit longer. He was a "quarterback" at USC behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. He did get to start a game though...as a tight end. Now he's holding a clip board for Tom Brady who's racked up 30 TDs and only 2 INTs on a way to a 136.2 rating so far this year. He got to see some playing time in the second half of the Miami game but unfortunately for him (and one of my fantasy leagues with team QBs) he promptly threw an interception. Last week during a rout of the Redskins he managed to scramble into the end zone for a score though.

Who would you rather switch solid gold cleats with? Do you think there's a chance they might actually be talking to each other during the game this weekend?

Matt: Hey, can you see the girl about 20 rows up from the chain gang holding the cardboard D CAF sign?

Jim: Uh...yeah I see her. Nice. Man, I wish I didn't have to stand here pretending to warm up while the kid filling up the Gatorade cups asks me to smuggle him a game ball.

Matt: Oh, I KNOW!

Jim: Did you see I got to play last week?

Matt: You too? Did you score?

Jim: Nah...but I did throw a pass that someone caught.

Matt: Wow, Tom gets mad when I throw near the end zone but last week they did let me run with the ball...and I made it in for the touchdown!

Jim: Crap, I have to go. Freeney needs to sit down.