A Pick 6 of amusing quotes from NFL season

By AP's Richard Rosenblatt

[January 06, 2011]  NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- A few years ago, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice came up with this classic quote: "I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that."

Say what?

With the NFL postseason upon us, we've come up with a Pick Six of players' quotes from the regular season that surely had to make some people smile -- just a little, anyway.

Before we begin, though, an opening act of coaching humor, if you consider the likes of Rex Ryan, Mike Shanahan and Bill Belichick amusing.

From the Jets' Ryan: "I never realized how similar that I am to Tom Brady. I mean, the obvious physical appearance would be the first thing. The fact that he's married to a supermodel? Hello?" ...

As he holds up a copy of InStyle magazine with his wife modeling NFL apparel, he adds: "Yeah. I'm also married to a supermodel."

From the Redskins' Shanahan on benching Donovan McNabb late in a game: "The cardiovascular endurance that it takes to run a two-minute, going all the way down with no timeouts, calling plays, it's just not easy."

And from the Patriots' always insightful Belichick: "Well, when we left here last night we were 14-2 and I think this morning, we're 0-0. We don't know who the next game is, but we know that whoever it is will be a team that wins this coming weekend ... "

On to the players, with no disrespect meant in ignoring the words of whiners (Albert Haynesworth), ranters (Randy Moss, Derek Anderson, the Bengals' dynamic duo), the angry (James Harrison) and the humbled (Stevie Johnson).

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• Brett Favre, QB, Vikings, speaking about then-coach Brad Childress: "Compassionate like will he give you a hug or something? Boy, I sure could use one."

• Jay Cutler, QB, Bears, after being picked off four times by Washington's DeAngelo Hall: "There's no reason to shy away from him. I mean that's hard for me to say throwing four picks to the guy, but I still think if we had to play him tomorrow, I'd go after him every time."

• DeAngelo Hall, CB, Redskins, on his four-interception day: "It's kind of mind-blowing. I had my mom, my aunt and my two cousins in the stands. The first ball went to my mom, the second ball went to my aunt and the next thing you knew, everybody had a ball."

• Peyton Manning, QB, Colts, during a string of 11 interceptions in three games: "I don't make any excuses. I'm continuing to throw, I'll keep throwing. I hope I throw it to our guys."

• DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles, after his 65-yard punt return on the final play to beat the Giants: "I always try to do something out of the ordinary. I probably would have dove in from the 12-yard line if I could. I knew nobody was going to catch me."

• Keith Bulluck, LB, Giants, after failing to make the playoffs: "It was all self-inflicted. We were in the driver's seat. And then we were in the passenger seat. And now we're in the back seat."

And finally, some food for thought:

"People had goooood meals. If you'd never had lobster before, you had it that night." -- David Wells, adviser for Cowboys' WR Dez Bryant, after the rookie was hit with a $54,896 dinner tab by veteran teammates.

Enjoy the playoffs.

[Associated Press; By RICHARD ROSENBLATT]

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