Yesterday Steve Mariuchi was calling Griffin the smartest quarterback ever to interview at the Combine. I can't wait to find out what his Wonderlic score is. Since Cam Newton actually made the hype look good last year, they've upped it even more for this year's annointed black QB, although it won't be surprising at all if Newton falls back to earth this season.
The Wonderlic scores aren't supposed to be officially released to the public. Whenever they have gotten out, it's either through the player or a leak.
I'd be very wary of any score reported for Griffin. I was a wrestling fan (the silly kind) when I was growing up, and I always found it frustrating how new stars would be "created" by a fairly rapid progression of hype and scripted behavior. Whenever ratings began to sag, Vince McMahon would just take one of his long time villains and quickly reshape his image into that of a hero, and vice versa. That's obviously what the XFL was intended to be if it had succeeded.
I suspect the NFL, which, after all, exists solely to make money, has taken note of McMahon's long term stability and success and has adopted some of his practices. There was nothing in Cam Newton's previous history to suggest he would be a competent quarterback in the NFL. But, although his team wasn't all that successful, they have created a media image for him as one of the league's brightest superstars. Part of that is just endless hype, but another component is the changing rules that are making it easier for black quarterbacks to perform in NFL games. They're under a lot less pressure to find an open receiver quickly, since they are practically untouchable. Add in the relaxed officiating on holding calls and you have a situation where any idiot could take a snap and get a pass off without taking contact.
Unlike other members here, I believe Griffin will be very successful in the NFL. Because the league feels like they need him to be successful. A game doesn't have to be "fixed" for one player to find success. The rules and traditions of the game can be changed to fit the abilities and characteristics of specific types of players. Since Griffin is so similar to Newton, I believe he will perform at least as well in his first season. Along with that, the NFL will make sure he gets the same star treatment that made the underwhelming Newton a household name. But they likely want to take it further with Griffin. They can make him the "best of everything" by creating the appearance that he's not only the most athletically gifted quarterback to ever play the position, but he's also the smartest.
So, that's my long-winded explanation for why I would distrust any Wonderlic score released for Griffin. I fully expect his score to be reported over 40. After all, he's also a chalkboard
genius, despite playing in an idiot-proof offense where the coaching box makes all the play calls before the snap.
