Good one, Warren: Sapp knocks Carson Palmer; Bengals win

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On the NFL Network’s ‘NFL GameDay Morning’ pregame Sunday show, where there are almost more talkers than games to be played, Warren Sapp usually stands out.

Like today.

Sapp, who was a cuddly feel-good kind of guy when he was captivating ‘Dancing With the Stars’ fans last years, has more of an edge when he’s talking football. Before the Cincinnati Bengals beat Green Bay on the road, Sapp said of Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer (a former USC Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback), ‘I don’t see what Carson Palmer has done in this league that has everyone so enamored.’

Well, first of all, if Palmer hadn’t had his knee destroyed in the first round of the 2005 playoffs, Palmer had the Bengals rolling in a way that made the Super Bowl seem possible. The Bengals! In the playoffs! That alone is worth being enamored over. Does Sapp not understand what that means? The Bengals had missed the playoffs for 15 years before Palmer’s magical season. It wasn’t his fault that he got clobbered and had his knee collapsed.

But more recently, as in a few hours after Sapp’s decision that Palmer is not worth being enamored of, the Bengals beat the Packers in Green Bay, 31-24. Palmer wasn’t perfect (two interceptions), but he threw three touchdown passes.

Next week the Bengals host defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.

Maybe Sapp will be even less enamored of Palmer. Bengals fans can only hope.

-- Diane Pucin