The 49ers are so dominant, so much better than the dregs of the NFL, that we’re three games in and it’s time for fake QB controversies just to feel something. Bill Simmons tweeted, “When are they gonna start cutting to Sam Darnold sideline shots?” as Purdy muddled through the first half of the 49ers’ win Thursday night, and that might have been the most reasonable reaction to Purdy’s performance.
The least reasonable, certainly, came Friday morning from Mike Florio.
Florio had Peter King on his Friday morning show, and they spent more than half an hour discussing the Niners. One 14-minute segment was dedicated strictly to why Purdy is viewed with so much skepticism by certain chunks of fans and media. Ten of those minutes were unremarkable, as King felt that Purdy was being unfairly doubted as a seventh-round pick. Then Florio came in with what King called “easily the most ridiculous point you’ve ever made.”
Here is the exchange, which has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
“I think, when you think of a franchise quarterback, you think of Joe Montana, Dan Marino, right? Brock Purdy is just kind of a weird name. It doesn’t sound like a franchise quarterback name. ‘Purdy’ is a little too close to ‘Turdy.’ I just think people have a hard time looking at that name and saying, ‘That’s a franchise quarterback,’” Florio said, before King jumped in.
“That easily is the most ridiculous point you’ve ever made,” King said twice, as Florio smiled and plowed on. “That’s absurd,” King said.
“I guarantee you I’m not the only person that’s like, ‘Well, that’s not a quarterback name,’ when he first landed on the radar screen last year,” Florio said. “… It makes people inclined to say, ‘Let’s wait and see.’”
King was aghast. “If Joe Montana’s name was Joe F’ing Horsecrap,” the longtime NFL writer said, “he still would have been one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
“Here’s the thing: You have too much time to think,” King said. Go watch a TV show or take a walk instead of ruminating on this crap, King said (in so many words).