Stop Trashing Mississippi State Bulldogs to Prop Another One Up

Your favorite quarterback in 2016 versus all the rest

Elijah Staley announced yesterday he was giving up basketball so he could focus on football. It’s a smart move as Staley wasn’t likely to see much time at all on the basketball court.

Many fans have already made up their mind that Fitzgerald will be the starter and has it firmly locked up. I’ve tried to explain in the past why I think this is a mistake, but I seem to be a lone wolf in this regards.

I still believe there is a really good chance Dan Mullen opens the season with Damian Williams as the starter against South Alabama. I don’t believe he is the best person for the job, but I think Dan Mullen will have him start and play all three quarterbacks who have any experience.

That’s beside the point in relation to this piece. Unless one of the four players who will be on the team in 2016 establishes himself as the absolute best quarterback, and it isn’t even close, fans will have a favorite.

If Fitzgerald should be named the starter on or prior to the season opener, if he should struggle some and the Mississippi State Bulldogs lose the SEC opener to South Carolina, then we could have a situation on our hands. Fans of Staley will start saying he deserves a chance to start and fans of Fitzgerald will start preaching patience for the young signal caller.

And if that should happen, people will stop giving reasons why their favorite is the better choice, but will start kicking mud in the direction of the guy they don’t want to start. It’s happened in the past, and the opportunity is ripe for it to happen again in 2016.

While I know it is difficult to do, I would urge everyone to make sure they support their favorite player without tearing down another player for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the process. If you want to criticize, that’s fine, but remember they are still on the team we love and could certainly use our support.