"Because of the three-month long NFL owners' lockout, there has been an increased flow of incredibly stupid stuff from sports media outlets.

They keep giving us polls on subjects like "The Ten Worst Helmets" and "The Top 100 players." There are tons of player interviews about other players, and the chat rooms and message boards are out of control.

Nationally, no Ravens player is getting more attention than quarterback Joe Flacco, who is about to enter his fourth season. Good or bad, everyone from fans to teammates to former players to TV analysts has an opinion on the former Delaware star drafted in the first round by the Ravens in 2008.

What's up with that?

"Because a lot of reporters nationally now see the potential he has and that he is on the brink of winning a Super Bowl," Ravens receiver Derrick Mason said of Flacco, who has gone to the playoffs in each of his three seasons. "So many people looked at Matt Ryan and thought he was going to win a Super Bowl first. Now they are seeing that Matt Ryan may not be the first, but it might be Joe Flacco.

"It's no longer about Matt Ryan, but Joe Flacco might be the best of that group that came out.""