Laz Alonso On Quarterbacks Becoming The Face Of NFL Franchises: Love Of The Game

In our weekly "Love Of The Game" series, HuffPost Black Voices talks sports with a person of note. This week we caught up with "Avatar" and "Jumping the Broom" star Laz Alonso, opening up on the importance of quarterbacks in the NFL.

I think this year more than any other year we realized that the NFL has truly become a quarterback's league. You look at what happened to the Indianapolis Colts when one player [Payton Manning] goes down. When you look at the Denver Broncos, you bring in one key player [Tim Tebow], and they went from 2-5 to going into the second round of the playoffs. And almost making it all the way. But I think it sent out a loud message that the quarterback is a position not to be taken for granted. So I have a feeling that we're going to start seeing a lot more franchise quarterbacks popping up and becoming the face of franchises.

Comments

[ApprxAm]

02:08 PM on 02/08/2012

who?

[mjenk10733]

11:37 PM on 02/05/2012

Most teams that move ahead are usually teams that have better than average Quaterbacks. Since its a thinking position; a good executioner can move a team forward. Most other postitions have more than one player on the field at a time so their time is divided between the others on the field in that position. A bad Quarterback can also stink up a team ie; the Colts without Manning.

[Kriol Kidd]

01:44 PM on 02/05/2012

In other breaking news pitchers are becoming key players on a baseball team...............

...........I seriously hope he wasn't payed for his opinion........

[OooZzzzz]

12:46 PM on 02/05/2012

Laz Alonso, it's always been a QB's league since the league began.

Difference today is technology (Facebook, Twitter etc) fan/media exposure, rule changes that postively impact QB play/constant outside politics that further heighten QB's visibility and outside input(s)/decisions made by coaches/owners determining a QB's value based on the fans (example: Tim Tebow's rise/being a starter; fan's input) whereas QB's of yesteryear didn't have to deal with all that's happening today.

Past coaches made all decisions internal about QB's; bottom line/no fan/outside political input; love it/hate it; like it/leave it.

Colts? Total disaster. An organization that got a pass from the sports media; no investigating why it collapsed based on one player?

No successful organization falls to rock bottom because one person goes down/in the Colt's case, the coaching staff/special teams/ownership/defense fell apart because of one man; Peyton's injury.

Meaning the Colts were never as successful organization. Just lucky for an entire decade to have that one QB constantly covering up all flaws across the organization because he racked up huge point in winning games.

The media/NFL ensured Manning wasn't portrayed as a cancer with the entire emphasis placed on him/his wants/needs, Colts didn't fix any problems allowing them to still win games and/or make playoffs with Manning being injured. Instead they got exposed.

Note to businesses: Don't run/operate your organization(s) like the Colts. A massive failure waiting to happen.