MMQB (cont.)

Quote of the Week I

"It looks like we've been bombed."

-- New Jersey governor Chris Christie, on a Saturday tour of Bay Head, N.J., a shore enclave -- Giants guard Chris Snee has a beach home there -- that suffered massive damage from Hurricane Sandy.

Christie could have been talking about many different areas between Long Island and the Jersey shore.

Quote of the Week II

"You're givin' 'em the game!!!!!"

-- Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton, to referee Scott Green, captured by a field mic, after a long fourth-quarter completion was negated by a holding penalty on center Jeff Faine, with Denver up 24-20 over the Bengals.

Quote of the Week III

"Well, I think so."

-- Dallas owner Jerry Jones, asked by Bob Costas on Football Night in America on NBC last night if Jerry Jones the owner would have fired Jerry Jones the general manager by now.

Quote of the Week IV

"This isn't tennis or golf or even basketball, where three great players, together, can win a championship. This is the ultimate, ultimate team sport, with 22 guys on the field at once, where you need all three phases of the game working for you to win big. For people to say my career's been diminished because I haven't won a playoff game, I say bulls**t! I'm a frickin' tight end, not the quarterback. My career will mean nothing less if I'm never on a team that wins a playoff game."

-- Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez, in my Sports Illustrated story on Gonzalez this week, on his frustration with the perception that his career won't mean as much if he doesn't win a playoff game. Gonzalez, 36, has never won one, and he says he will very likely retire at the end of the year, regardless what happens with Atlanta in the postseason.

Andrew Luck Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me I

Luck and Peyton Manning have a little connection in football history, which you probably can understand. They also have this connection: After eight games, Luck and Manning have each passed for 2,404 yards.

Andrew Luck Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me II

Precocious Rookie Quarterback Note of the Week: In Indianapolis Sunday, Luck and Ryan Tannehill dropped back to pass 89 times and threw no interceptions.

Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

Heath Shuler has retired from two incredible careers, and he's only 40.

After Washington drafted him in the first round in 1994 as a quarterback, he lasted four mostly failed seasons in football before retiring in 1998. Back home in his native North Carolina, he ran for Congress in 2006 and won election as a moderate Democrat in the state's 11th Congressional District. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2010, and earlier this year decided to retire at the end of his third two-year term in January.

In a statement announcing his refusal to run again, Shuler said: "I have always said family comes first, and I never intended to be a career politician. I am ready to refocus my priorities and spend more time at home with my wife, Nikol, and two young children.'' The Shulers have a daughter, Island Shuler, and a son, Navy Shuler.

Hmmm. Four years in the NFL. Six years in Congress. The next career should be eight years. But what?

Mr. Starwood Preferred Member Travel Note of the Week

Had some business in Baltimore early Wednesday morning. Left BWI Airport at 6:55 a.m., drove through light traffic back to Manhattan, and got through the Lincoln Tunnel at 10 a.m. sharp. It is 2.4 miles to my apartment on the East Side of Manhattan. I got there at 11:25. Which means:

I drove the first 193 miles in 185 minutes.

I drove the last 2.4 miles in 85 minutes.

There was a lot of traffic in Manhattan Wednesday, as you're well aware, because of the mass-transit shutdown because of Sandy, and the snarl in midtown because of a collapsed crane on a skyscraper. But as I listened to the radio with the horror stories from around New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and as I sat for four and five minutes at a time, I couldn't have my usual emotion -- spittin' anger -- at the traffic.

Tweet of the Week I

"The fix is in."

-- @JamesFarrior, the former Steeler linebacker, after ref Bill Leavy, on replay, confirmed a Giants touchdown that will live in infamy for the Steelers.

Tweet of the Week II

"I cannot express how impressed I am with Luck. This guy is the real deal. Clearly he has been groomed well to play ball his whole life.''

-- @ryandiem, who retired as a Colts guard in March -- and sounded at the time of this tweet Sunday afternoon as though he wishes he would have played a season or two longer.

Tweet of the Week III

"I'm surprised the presidential candidates haven't promised a couple of high NFL draft picks to the Cleveland Browns.''

-- @nprscottsimon, the weekend host on National Public Radio, with a nod to the intensity of the presidential race in Ohio.

Tweet of the Week IV

"Now flipped over to LSU/ALA & this is a great game... Can't go to sleep even tho I have a 3:40am wake up call! #whyilovefball #fb''

-- @kurt13warner, at 11:07 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, after LSU scored to take a fourth-quarter lead over Alabama. Warner had to get up early Sunday because of his NFL Network pregame show in Los Angeles.

Tweet of the Week V

"Part # 1: LOYALTY: loy•al•ty: noun, plural loy•al•ties: The state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations.

"Part # 2: There are 17 teams with the same record or worse than us. Thanks for being loyal fans....... We'll get it right"

-- @JasonBabin93, the Philadelphia defensive end, angry at what he said were vile comments from fans at Lincoln Financial Field last week during the Eagles' third straight loss.