"Tuesday Morning Quarterback" is set to kick off once more. The popular Football column became ubiquitous with the writing style of Gregg Easterbrook, who worked for ESPN when he began to pen 'TMQ,' as it is affectionately known in many quarters. Last year, it disappeared from the surface, much to many fans' disappointment. But on Tuesday, Easterbrook is set to announce the glorious return of 'TMQ' for football fans of all ages.
'TMQ' tease from Easterbrook
Easterbrook has been hinting at a return of the column for a little while now. A week ago, he teased the return of the column on his personal website for August 22, linking it to the solar eclipse set to occur the day before.
The most definitive proof of a comeback for "Tuesday Morning Quarterback," however, came in the form of a tweet on Monday, stating that the news was just a day away.
Tuesday Morning Quarterback fans -- relaunch announcement comes tomorrow
— Gregg Easterbrook (@EasterbrookG) August 14, 2017
Easterbrook had been writing the column for ESPN for well over a decade, from 2001 to 2014 (with a two-year sojourn to the NFL's own media page after controversial remarks in a column). After the 2014 season, however, ESPN didn't renew the 'TMQ' series, making Easterbrook a free agent of sorts. He brought the column to The New York Times for the 2015 season, but it was discontinued in 2016. He has kept plenty busy over the years, becoming a fellow in a variety of subjects and writing books.
But 'TMQ' is still the column most associated with his writing career.
What makes the column so special for fans
"Tuesday Morning Quarterback" has a history of being a very stylized column, known for its weekly features and extreme word count. Easterbrook had a tendency to give teams nicknames and an even greater leaning toward delving into intense political or scientific stories smack in the middle of the column.
For some, it felt directionless - for others, it felt like the mapping of the human mind.
"Tuesday Morning Quarterback" was also full of actual football discussion. The column was against blitzes, field goals, and punts. It was for two-point conversions and solid fundamentals. There was always a breakdown of some of the best and worst plays from the previous week, as well as comments on some of the strangest scores from around the country, a feature not limited to the NFL (Easterbrook will once again plead against running up the score). As football fans, we're all the better for having 'TMQ' back in our lives, no matter where it is hosted in the coming year.
