I have noticed a disturbing trend among the fan bases of the bottom feeding NFL teams. It seems people are rooting for their team to go 0-16, or at least have the worst record in the NFL so their team can have number the #1 pick in next April’s NFL Draft. The assumption is that their team will draft Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck with that first pick. This strategy even has a name. It’s called “Suck-4-Luck”. At first I thought it an amusing way for Chiefs fans to cope with the Chiefs terrible performances. Then I realized that fan bases in Miami, Minnesota, and even Indianapolis have the same idea. (All are on the Chiefs “tough” schedule) The more I hear about Suck-4-Luck, the more I’m convinced that some of these people are serious.
Chiefs probably dont suck enough to get Andrew Luck
Fans betting on Andrew Luck to save their franchise are forgetting a lot about football. They’re assuming Luck will not suffer a career threatening injury during the rest of this college football season. They’re also betting that he catches on quickly to his NFL team’s offense. They are gambling that he makes it through OTA’s and the 2012 pre-season unscathed. Finally they are assuming he will play well once he does take a snap in the NFL.
Drafting Andrew Luck does not mean your team will turn into a winner over night. Let’s take a look at the St Louis Rams. In 2009 they went 4-12 earning the first pick in the 2010 Draft. They selected Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. In 2010 they showed some improvement by going 7-9. They Nearly missed the playoffs in the weak division. However, so far in 2011 their record is 0-4. Despite having a franchise quarterback the Rams appear to be moving in the wrong direction.
It’s possible that Andrew Luck is a play-maker starting with his first NFL game. It’s possible he leads his team to a Super Bowl Championship within two years. However, there are more aspects to winning football games than drafting a franchise quarterback. I think I’d rather root for my team’s front office, coaching staff, and players to get on the same page and win games together as a team. It takes as about as much luck to do that, as it does to Suck-4-Luck.
