Writer's Challenge For Cleveland Browns Fans Who Support DA

I joined Bleacher Report a few months ago for a couple of reasons. One was because there are too many college football fans who hate Notre Dame and make inaccurate comments about them. The other is because I believe very much in Brady Quinn and there is too much senseless hate for him.

I felt Brady Quinn and Notre Dame needed a voice to fight for them. I decided to be that voice. I knew I would run into ignorance and I did. As a lifelong Notre Dame fan, I have come to expect it.

Contrary to the many who try and say he wasn't that great, Brady Quinn was quite simply the best quarterback I can ever remember at Notre Dame. I was in diapers when Joe Montana was there. So although I know Montana was a domer, I really associate him with the Niners.

To me Quinn is the best ever in South Bend. His 36 school passing records and two straight BCS Bowls with undertalented teams confirm his greatness.

Therefore, Quinn will always be one I remember. What he does or doesn't do in Cleveland won't change how I feel about him. He is always one I will admire and one I will encourage my kids to be like. That is not just because of what he did on the field but because of how he presents himself off it. So what he does in the NFL is just gravy to me.

So yes, over the months I have been on Bleacher Report I have written a lot of articles on him. The reason is because when I see senseless bashing of him I feel the need to say something.

I have heard his arm strength questioned which I know is absolutely ridiculous because of what I have seen him do in South Bend.

I have heard the typical he is the next Tim Couch argument. One argument even compared him to a guy in the 70s named Phipps. Those arguments are just ridiculous because nobody knows what Quinn will do in the NFL.

That is why I have never said he will be the next Tom Brady or Joe Montana. Yes I believe in him but I won't make a comparison to Montana unless I am talking about their Notre Dame careers. The reason is that it is unfair to Quinn and disrespectful to what the other guys have done.

The other argument I hear is that Quinn has proven nothing at the NFL level. That one just makes me laugh. While he has yet to establish himself as an NFL starter he has shown that he can play in the league and there is something to work with.

Looking at Matthew Stafford for the Lions and Mark Sanchez for the Jets, my guess is that neither will be the starter at the beginning of the year but both will play at some point in the season.

Now if you told the coaches in both Detroit and New York that their guy would perform about like Brady Quinn did in his first couple starts, do you think they would take it? I know they would.

Therefore calling Quinn a bust and critiqueing him at this point is just dumb. He hasn't had enough of an opportunity to deserve that criticism. Give him a real chance to prove himself and then the criticism that comes with being an NFL quarterback would be fair.

So why does all this nonsense occur? It is quite simple. DA fans can't make an argument for him without bashing Quinn. The reality is that bashing Brady Quinn makes no case for Anderson. I think Anderson himself would agree with that.

Over the months I was looking for intelligent debates on the subject. I knew that there were still some fans who support DA. I am disappointed that I have yet to see a case for DA that doesn't involve Quinn bashing or excuses.

I have been asking for months for a solid case for Anderson and I have yet to get it. I have made no secret that I don't think their should be a quarterback competition. The reason is that I cannot think of any reason to go with Anderson and I want to see Quinn play.

My biggest issues with Anderson are his inconsistency, turnovers, and lack of leadership. That is based on almost two seasons starting and his college career. Therefore, that criticism is more justified. It is based on what I have seen him do not me thinking I know who will or won't be good in the NFL.

At the end of the day I cannot think of any case for Anderson being the starter. I have asked for it on many occasions. So far I have gotten Quinn bashing and excuses.

One excuse is the typical Braylon Edwards dropping passes argument. That holds no water because he dropped about the same number in 2007. The one I remember is the one against the 49ers when Quinn hit him in the endzone in his first ever NFL drive.

The dropping passes argument just doesn't work. That same receiever bailed DA out on many occasions when the ball wasn't perfect.

The other one is poor weather conditions. This is Cleveland and a quarterback has to be able to perform in bad weather. Tom Brady, Ben Rothliesberger, and Donovan McNabb all perform in miserable weather. So here is another excuse that doesn't work.

So my challenge to the fans who support DA is to write an article that makes a solid case for him. That article should follow this criteria:

1. No Quinn bashing. That means nothing that is even remotely negative about Brady Quinn. Simply focus on building Anderson up.

2. No Excuses. That means no blaming Braylon Edwards, no lame weather comments, and no blaming the line, etc.

That is the challenge I present to Browns fans who support DA. Write your article and send me the link. I would love to see it.