In other words, there's a lot of crap out there and you'd better be discerning enough to know the difference between what's worthwhile and what passes for sheer BS.

Lately, while researching material on the upcoming NFL Draft, I've encountered an inordinate amount of dung. I haven't had to deal with this much manure since I traversed a small corral that enclosed a multitude of horses. Everywhere I looked there was a pile to be avoided and the same goes for the smelly stuff that many so-called experts have been doling out about the Draft, in general and Brady Quinn, in particular.

Even the esteemed Mel Kiper, whose opinion  I generally respect, is dispensing some incredibly moronic info. Maybe the gel that Mel has long used to keep his signature hairdo in place is starting to seep into his brain. Quick Kiper, switch back to Vitalis. I hear it has no long-term effects. 

Suddenly, it seems as if everyone from Kiper to the some guru in Cameroon, is downplaying Quinn. They've got him dropping in the '07 Draft like a two-ton boulder. To them, he's falling faster than a stock under SEC investigation.

The consensus of many now proclaims that no longer is the glamour boy from Notre Dame a surefire early pick. Some have him descending nearly out of the top 10 while others don't foresee his selection and hold onto your hats for this, until the Draft reaches well into the twenties of the first round.

I haven't witnessed this sort of lunacy since the Y2K scare.

It's time to put a stop to this nonsense, this utter insanity. Time for a reasoned and thoughtful viewpoint. And who better to provide that but your humble scribe whose sole mission is to enlighten and inform my loyal readers.

So may I set the record straight. Let me provide you with a sure thing upon which you can bet the farm or the condo for that matter. Take this to the bank. Mortgage everything you've got on the following happenstance coming to fruition.

Brady Quinn will be selected within the first five choices of the Draft. It's a lock he won't slip any lower than that. For if  Oakland and Detroit, both starving for a young stud under center, are idiotic enough to pass on a franchise-type quarterback, then some savvy team in need of a first-rate signal caller will trade up and nab him early.

The folly of passing on a proven big-time QB was exposed last year when USC's Matt Leinart had a precipitous and somewhat unexplainable fall in the Draft only to prove that those who shunned him were absolute buffoons. Leinart quickly became a starter in Arizona and enjoyed a splendid first season in the desert. He left many of those who bypassed him with so much egg on their face.

The same fate won't befall Quinn. Say what you want about NFL execs but they learn from the gaffes and missteps of their brethren. Few if any teams will ignore Quinn if he's available when it comes their turn to pick.

Why this fanciful speculation about Quinn's supposed Draft freefall has gained credence is hard to fathom. It seems to have little basis in fact other than the perception that some teams might have more pressing needs at other positions besides QB.

Fair enough. But when a potential star quarterback is staring you in the face, you better be damn sure that whoever you do select turns out to be a world-beater. Because if he doesn't and that QB you ignored becomes a perennial All-Pro, your fans will eat you alive. They'll never let you hear the end of it. Bypassing a QB with enormous upside is one of pro football's cardinal sins. It's darn near unforgivable. It can haunt a team for years.

And make no mistake about it, Quinn has all the makings to be a superstar at the next level.

He possesses a accurate arm, he can move, scramble and run, he's exceedingly bright and thanks to Charlie Weis, he's been thoroughly schooled in an NFL-type offense. He's practically ready-made.

He's also demonstrated a flair for the dramatic like the amazing heroics he authored against Michigan State and UCLA. It doesn't take a super-scout to know that the Irish standout probably has plenty more memorable comebacks stirring within him.

And to top it all off, Quinn has star power. He's instant box-office. When you couple his stunning good looks with the way he can wing a football, there's simply no denying that he's a red-hot commodity. Hell, once Quinn matriculates to the NFL, his merchandise will literally fly off the shelves and the coffers of  the team that tabs him will become engorged with cash. He'll sell tickets. He'll generate excitement. He'll create a buzz.

Handsome and talented, Quinn will be akin to a Brad Pitt in cleats. Or a Matt Damon in shoulder pads.

He'll have the ladies swooning, the kids wide-eyed with wonder and the hardcore fans marveling at his multitude of gifts.

Quinn is a virtual cant-miss prospect. Everything about him, from his admirable work ethic to his notable leadership skills, screams of success. You just know he's the real deal. And NFL teams just don't pass on guys that bring so much to the table.

And if anyone should harbor any lingering doubts about Quinn, let them merely listen to what Irish coach Weis has to say about his outgoing protégé. Weis' opinion speaks volumes because very few men are more knowledgeable about what it takes to thrive as a pro QB. After all, as offensive coordinator of the Patriots, he took an unproven Tom Brady and helped mold him into one of the most dominant forces in the game.

What's more, Weis is a straight-shooter who doesn't sugarcoat or overhype anyone. If he didn't feel Quinn had the goods to make a substantial mark in the NFL, he wouldn't say so. But Weis loves Quinn's chances to shine in the pros. The ND coach has seen enough of his All-American to know that he's something special, that he has that rare "it" factor that very few players at any position possess.

Weis has openly and forcefully given Quinn his personal seal of approval. He's provided Quinn with a ringing endorsement. Weis has told one and all that Brady is, in essence, kosher, that he's truly legit. Given Weis' penchant for recognizing and developing talent, his support of Quinn should carry great weight and influence. Those in the know will heed Weis' words.

Much of the talk currently making the rounds is that LSU's JaMarcus Russell and not Quinn is the quarterback of everyone's desire. Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Though a robust physical specimen who claims to have once launched a football 84 yards, Russell's work ethic remains a genuine concern as evidenced by the fact that he came to the NFL Combine clearly overweight. He also doesn't have the extensive background and experience in a pro-type system that Quinn does. 

Come 10 years from now, my hunch tells me that Brady Quinn will have carved out a memorable career while Russell will have been an up and down performer.

If the Raiders, who select first come this April, are leaking secrets that they prefer Russell, I'm saying it's all bull. It smacks of a misinformation campaign. A smokescreen. Of a team that's speaking with a forked tongue.

Because when you take everything into consideration, talent, willingness to work and study, smarts, marketability and personality, any honest evaluation of the incoming QB's must put Quinn at the top of the list. He's the closest thing there is to a complete package.

And as foolish, ill-advised and misguided as the Raiders have been recently as it relates to personnel matters, they're not so far gone as to pass on a marquee and dynamic prospect like Quinn. Al Davis and crew aren't that stupid and out of touch.

But if they are, someone else will happily capitalize on their mistake. Quinn will be gobbled up very quickly by a team hungry for a would-be star, an ND QB who's got the potential to follow in the footsteps of other Irish alums who excelled in the pros like Joe Montana, Joe Theismann and Daryl Lamonica.