Tuesday Morning Quarterback


"Tuesday Morning Quarterback" was a column written by Gregg Easterbrook that started in 2000 and published every football season until temporarily stopping publication for the 2016 season. The column moved to The Weekly Standard for the 2017 NFL season, debuting on August 22, 2017.
The column is noted for its length and frequent sidetracking into political and non-football-related discussion. Easterbrook commonly includes a "Running Items Department", football haiku and senryū, "Cheerbabe Cheesecake" and "Equal-Time Beefcake", "obscure college-football scores" including his obsession with Indiana of Pennsylvania and California of Pennsylvania, and continual references to Christmas creep & the general trend of pushing events earlier and earlier.
The column derives its name from the phrase "Monday morning quarterback", a derogatory term for a pundit. The change in day reflects its typical publishing date of Tuesday, which also allows the column to address that week's Monday Night Football contest. He also guarantees "All Predictions Wrong or Your Money Back." Since the column is free, there is nothing to be refunded.
On May 13, 2015, Easterbrook announced that ESPN had not renewed TMQ.
Easterbrook joined , the blog of The New York Times, for the 2015 NFL season. The column went on hiatus in 2016. For the 2017 season, Easterbrook's columns were published by The Weekly Standard, until Week 15, when the whole magazine folded.

Recurring themes

General themes which recur in the column include:
Easterbrook also espouses certain football superstitions attributed to a "pantheon" of "football gods" who bestow victory upon the team with the least warmly dressed coach, the most sportsmanlike conduct, the most spirited play, or the most scantily dressed cheerleaders ; Easterbrook also highlights one particularly attractive cheerleader from an NFL team each week.
Also, the column is known for randomly placed items and rants on various topics on politics, science fiction, actual science, and various television, film, and pop culture items. Photographs and captions accompany the columns which are often designed to be ridiculously humorous metaphors or caricatures of various persons or items mentioned in the column.

"TMQ" team nicknames

Easterbrook refers to teams by nicknames or "cognomen", such as "Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons" and "Arizona CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN FOOTBALL-LIKE SUBSTANCE Cardinals". The nicknames are usually used only if a team is struggling or if the team made a boneheaded play that cost them a game. One exception is the Redskins, whom Easterbrook criticized because of the team's Native American mascot. The nicknames also extends into college football, calling the Miami Hurricanes the "Miami Tropical Storms" having been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, likely in reference to the 2011 scandal.
Beginning with the 2014 season, Easterbrook largely abandoned cognomens for teams, preferring to call the teams by their actual names. Exceptions were made for the Redskins and teams that play a considerable distance from their home city like the Giants, Jets, and 49ers. As of the 2017 season, Easterbrook still maintains an official list of cognomen.
TeamNicknameExplanation
Arizona CardinalsArizona of Mexico CardinalsDuring the 2005 season Arizona played a "home" game in Mexico City, drawing far more spectators than the team typically managed to in Arizona.
Arizona CardinalsArizona Cactus WrensThe cactus wren is the official state bird of Arizona.
Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsThe franchise is a historically poor performer in the NFL.
Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsArizona's 2008–2009 playoff run prompted a deserved name change.
Atlanta FalconsAtlanta TyposThe Atlanta uniforms resemble errant smudges on a printing run.
Atlanta FalconsEpic FailsSo named for their improbable collapse versus the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, losing 28-34 after holding a 28-3 lead in the third quarter.
Atlanta FalconsThe Angry BirdsIn reference to the popular video game of the same name, the nickname was given in 2011 after the Falcons had the NFC's best record in 2010 only to be blown out in their only playoff game that year by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, hinting that the Falcons are "angry". No mention of the Typos nickname in the post, combined that the all-black uniforms were replaced by the team's 1966 throwback uniform as the team's third uniform in 2009, hinting that the Typos name may have been retired.
Baltimore RavensThe NevermoresEdgar Allan Poe was a famous resident of Baltimore and his poem "The Raven" was the inspiration for the team's name. The poem is well known for its repeated use of the word "nevermore".
Buffalo BillsBuffaloAround 2008 he used the nickname "Budgies" for the team; during this time, he often used a mock Boston Brahmin affection when writing about the team due to the presence of Ivy Leaguers Dick Jauron and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Years later, he switched to the name "Williams;" "Bill" is short for "William," and the team at the time had several players surnamed Williams on the roster. Easterbrook, a Buffalo native, has since retired the Bills nicknames, explaining that he does not call the team "Orchard Park" because the team's stadium is in the same county as Buffalo.
Chicago BearsMing Ding XiongMandarin for "bears whose outcomes are decided by fate". Their recent successful seasons had several games won on "lucky" plays, or decided by fate.
Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Tootsie-RollsThe black and orange uniforms resemble a Tootsie Roll wrapper.
Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Trick or TreatsBlack and orange are typically the dominant colors of Halloween decor.
Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns Originally nicknamed "Release 2.0" when Cleveland first regained its NFL franchise, the version number was incremented when Romeo Crennel became head coach.
Cleveland BrownsThe Browns also wore all-orange uniforms from time to time, leading to the Oranges nickname, but no longer wear the orange jerseys. The name is also a dig to the fairly drastic reorganizations and retooling of the Cleveland roster over recent years.
Detroit LionsDetroit PeugeotsThe lion logo resembles the logo of the Peugeot Motor Company, which is ironic because the team is owned by the Ford family.
Detroit LionsThe Cowardly LionsA reference to their tendency to punt on fourth downs as opposed to trying to achieve a first down, a move which Easterbrook detests.
Detroit LionsDetroit EdselsReferring to Ford's infamous late-1950s automotive flop; an obvious jab at both the Lions' long history of futility and the Ford family ownership.
Denver BroncosDenver CursorsThe Broncos' uniform contains a bright orange stripe, described as a cursor when viewed on TV.
Denver BroncosDenver Broncos High SchoolUsed late in the 2011 season to refer to the offense installed by John Fox to accommodate Tim Tebow, a run-oriented read-option scheme that at the time was widely popular in American high schools.
Houston TexansThe Moo CowsThe team's logo is essentially a stylized cow.
Indianapolis ColtsThe Lucky CharmsThe horseshoe logo resembles a marshmallow shape from Lucky Charms cereal.
Kansas City ChiefsThe FlintstonesThe stone arrowhead logo resembles carved, stone age items seen in the cartoon.
Las Vegas RaidersOakland Long JohnsAfter the pirate of that name. Used while the team was in Oakland.
Las Vegas RaidersLas Vegas SinnersA reference to the city's reputation as "Sin City" and the Raiders' history of dirty play.
Los Angeles ChargersBoltsThe Chargers' logo resembles a bolt of lightning.
Los Angeles ChargersLA/BThe Chargers moved to Los Angeles before the 2017 season. As the second team to move to Los Angeles, the team is designated "B".
Los Angeles RamsLes MouflonsA mouflon is a type of sheep whose curved horns are often mistakenly used as a depiction of ram horns. Dubbed after a series of what Easterbrook considered poorly played games by the team in their days in St. Louis. Retired after the team's move to Los Angeles.
Los Angeles RamsLA/AThe Rams moved to Los Angeles prior to the 2016 season; as the first team to move to Los Angeles, they are designated as the "A" team.
Miami DolphinsMarine MammalsThough the Dolphins are often referred to as "the fish", dolphins are actually mammals.
Miami DolphinsThe South Florida DolphinsThe Dolphins currently do not play in Miami proper. They play in Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, 15 miles north of downtown.
Miami DolphinsGenetically Engineered SurimiIntroduced by Easterbrook in an April 23, 2013 column in which he mocked the team's recent logo change, saying "The Dolphins' new helmet emblem looks like the logo for a brand of genetically engineered surimi." Easterbrook also uses "Frozen Surimi".
Minnesota VikingsHyperboreansThe Hyperboreans were a mythical barbaric people in Greek mythology. Today the term can be used for any people who live in a cold climate, as the Vikings did.
New England PatriotsFlying ElviiThe team logo resembles an airborne Elvis Presley, and Easterbrook reasons that Elvii is the plural of Elvis. The team itself has admitted that the logo is modeled after Presley.
New Orleans SaintsThe SinnersIn 2012, it was revealed that the Saints were involved in a very "unsaintly" bounty scandal.
New Orleans SaintsUnited States SaintsFollowing Hurricane Katrina the Saints were without a home field for an entire season, and were adopted by the rest of the country.
New Orleans SaintsThe Boy ScoutsThe fleur-de-lis logo used by the Saints is similar to the logo of the Boy Scouts of America.
New York GiantsJersey/AThe Giants actually play in New Jersey. MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, next to the team's now-demolished former venue, Giants Stadium. The "A" likely refers to the fact that the Giants were the first of the two New York teams to move to New Jersey and also were sole owners of Giants Stadium, with the Jets as their tenants. As for the stadium, Easterbrook began calling it "Snoopy Stadium" in his October 12, 2011 column, referring to the character's use as MetLife's advertising mascot.
New York GiantsThe G-PersonsThe Giants are commonly referred to as the G-Men. Because some of the people in the Giants organization are women as well, G-Persons is more politically correct.
New York JetsJersey/BThe Jets play in New Jersey as well; as noted above, they were tenants of the Giants from 1984 through 2009, before the opening of MetLife Stadium. When the Jets played at home in Giants Stadium, announcers referred to the venue as The Meadowlands, in reference to the Meadowlands sports complex in which the stadium is located.
Philadelphia EaglesThe NesharimPhiladelphia has the sole logo that faces right to left and "nesharim" means "eagles" in Hebrew, which is also read right to left.
Philadelphia EaglesThe HeatEasterbrook decided to give the Nesharim nickname a break for 2011 after the team signed several Pro Bowl-caliber players after the end of the 2011 NFL lockout. The name is in reference to the Miami Heat of the NBA, which the previous year. Easterbrook returned to "Nesharim" after LeBron James left the Heat to return to Cleveland in 2014.
Pittsburgh SteelersThe HypocycloidsThe team logo features three hypocycloids.
San Francisco 49ersSquared SevensSeven is the square root of 49. From the 2011–2012 season Coach Jim Harbaugh also gained a nickname as Harbaugh/West in reference to his brother coaching the Baltimore Ravens.
San Francisco 49ersSanta ClaraIn 2014, the 49ers moved from San Francisco to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Seattle SeahawksBlue-ish Men Group The Seahawks wear entirely blue uniforms. By contrast, most teams wear uniforms whose pants and jerseys are different colors. The name is a reference to the Blue Man Group, whose performers wear black clothes but cover all exposed skin with blue. In response to the radical overhaul of the Seahawks uniform by Nike in 2012, Easterbrook added the suffix "ish" to the nickname to describe their new color scheme.
Seattle SeahawksGreen Men GroupThe alternate nickname always appears when they wear their green alternate uniform, though the nickname has made several appearances in the 2009 season even when they wear other uniforms.
Tampa Bay BuccaneersCity of Tampa BuccaneersThe team actually plays in the City of Tampa, Tampa Bay being a body of water.
Tennessee TitansFlaming ThumbtacksThe team logo bears an uncanny resemblance to a thumbtack with a flame on the top. This nickname was first used by a reader of the original TMQ column with the username of Rib Eye.
Washington RedskinsPotomac Drainage Basin Indigenous PersonsThe Redskins are headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia and play at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, but have no facilities in the nation's capital itself. Indigenous Persons, now occasionally shortened to just "Persons", was used to avoid the more controversial Redskins. Easterbrook's original nickname made reference to the Chesapeake Bay, but later changed to the more accurate Potomac River since the Chesapeake Bay area also covered the Baltimore Ravens, with its watershed going all the way up to Pennsylvania state.
Washington RedskinsThe Nanticoke are the tribe indigenous to the area. Easterbrook briefly switched back to calling the team the Washington Redskins out of respect for Joe Gibbs when he initially came back, but after the poorly-played 2004 season, he switched back to the other names.
Washington RedskinsR*dsk*nsEasterbrook began using this term in the 2013 season alongside "Indigenous Persons", when media focus on the team name escalated.

Easterbrook also frequently referred to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams as being "tastefully named", due to the two sharing the first name of Gregg. He has used the nickname throughout Williams' various coaching stops in Buffalo, Washington, New Orleans and St. Louis, but apparently stopped it once Williams' role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal was revealed and he was banned indefinitely from the league.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP award

According to Easterbrook, the "longest award in sports". This is the top award in a series of awards he publishes at the end of each season, known as the "All-Unwanted All-Pros." These awards were created due to Easterbrook's view that the awards and Pro Bowl selection of various sports media outlets and the NFL tended to unfairly reward what he considered "glory boy" positions, such as quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, as well as players who tended to be better known due to higher press coverage as opposed to actual quality of play. Easterbrook also was protesting the lack of attention given to offensive or defensive linemen whom he considers the most important positions in football. Criteria tend to vary from year to year but generally includes players who either were undrafted or cut from previous teams, but otherwise managed to play important or pivotal roles with their current teams over the course of the season. Originally, they also had to be on a playoff team even to be considered; starting in, Easterbrook restricted eligibility even further, only allowing players on Super Bowl teams to be considered. The 2013 award, given to Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, was the first to be determined by online voting from TMQ readers. Most of the winners through the 2011 season were offensive linemen, but the last five winners have been defensive players.
YearWinnerTeamPosition
Alan FanecaPittsburgh SteelersGuard
Lincoln KennedyOakland RaidersOffensive tackle
Damien WoodyNew England PatriotsGuard
Troy BrownNew England PatriotsWide receiver/cornerback
Walter JonesSeattle SeahawksOffensive tackle
Jeff SaturdayIndianapolis ColtsCenter
Matt LightNew England PatriotsOffensive tackle
James HarrisonPittsburgh SteelersLinebacker
Dallas ClarkIndianapolis ColtsTight end
Dan KoppenNew England PatriotsCenter
David DiehlNew York GiantsOffensive tackle
NaVorro BowmanSan Francisco 49ersLinebacker
Richard ShermanSeattle SeahawksCornerback
Bobby WagnerSeattle SeahawksLinebacker
Von MillerDenver BroncosLinebacker
Fletcher CoxPhiladelphia EaglesDefensive tackle

''Kill Bill'' controversy

ESPN fired Easterbrook after he made comments about Jewish Hollywood executives and film Kill Bill on a blog hosted by The New Republic. Easterbrook apologized for his comments and resumed his "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" column, temporarily for two weeks on the independent website Football Outsiders, and then more permanently for NFL.com. During his stint on NFL.com, Easterbrook was also an analyst for the then-fledgling NFL Network. On April 24, 2006, it was announced that Easterbrook would be brought back to ESPN's website after a two-year absence. His return column, a preview of the 2006 NFL Draft, appeared the following day.

Spygate

Easterbook's column has been highly critical of Bill Belichick with relation to the "Spygate" controversy, calling for Belichick's suspension from the league. Easterbrook's most controversial article was "Suspending Belichick will bring closure to Spygate". Easterbrook's imaginative proposals led one reader to mockingly call him "Mr. Fantasy."
Easterbrook's response to Spygate was criticized by his fellow "Page Two" columnist Bill Simmons. "If you have a national column in which you're excoriating a sports team for cheating even though it already paid a severe penalty for what it did, and you're hinting more revelations are coming down the road, and then it's proven you were barking up the wrong tree... you need to admit defeat and quit blowing the situation out of proportion. No, really."
After the Rams and Patriots again reached the Super Bowl in 2019, Easterbrook tweeted the accusation that Belichick videotaped the Rams walkthrough the first time around.