ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden loves everyone, so in a sense, his over-the-top praise of John Beck during Thursday night's NFL preseason broadcast isn't a surprise. This photoshop from Hogs Haven is definitely on the mark. Nevertheless, considering he did say Beck was "one of the best-kept secrets in football," it's worth blogging about.
Dan Steinberg has a full list of all the nice things Gruden said about Beck over the course of my broadcast. They include stuff about his energy, his mobility and his intelligence. This one, though, was my favorite.
[After] A Sideline Interview
"Those were impressive answers. You couldn't have scripted it any better."
Ah yes, the interviewing champion of the NFL has returned!
In case you were wondering why Gruden was so effusive in his praise for Beck, besides being Jon Gruden, here's your answer from John Keim of the Washington Examiner.
Here's the thing; Gruden doesn't do that if he's not hearing something elsewhere. Like from the head coach. I've talked to a few people who have said that Mike Shanahan has told them he thinks Beck is better than Rex Grossman. And Gruden would have been in a production meeting with Shanahan the other day. Wonder if the QB topic came up. What do you think?
Maybe the fix really is in.