Rare Air...

I finally had an opportunity to go watch ‘Air’ yesterday before going to work out and then watch the Bay Area’s beloved Golden State Warriors. Little did I know, I would have an epiphany listening to the pitch Sonny gave to Jordan’s mother, as well as the family about creating a shoe around him, as a player. The move was an incredible risk and unprecedented at the time in the sporting shoe industry in 1984! As we all know now, it paid off for everyone, including competing shoe brands. That got me thinking about Stephen Curry. The man, father, brother, athlete, human being realms in rare air, like Jordan. It’s once in every other generation we see a true grinding force pivoting the way a whole league plays the game.  

Earlier in the morning as I was munching on some nutrition to fuel me for the morning and afternoon, I thought I would tune in and see what national sports analysts were discussing. To my delight and ire, ‘First Take’ with Stephen A. Smith and varied plucked sports analysts on ESPN were debating the value and status of one Stephen Curry’s legacy. I could NOT disagree more with their subjective conclusions. Curry is a once in a generation player. As he continues to build on an already mind-blowing career in the NBA, he’s often overshadowed by LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Wardell Stephen Curry, drafted as the 7th pick by the Golden State Warriors in 2009. The Warriors were ecstatic that he was available to nab, and build a team around his talent. Jerry West was a consultant for the Warriors at the time, and was beyond impressed, blown away honestly at his work ethic, drive, grit, grind and absolute natural shooting stroke. The remaining talking heads as well as fans were not enthused, especially when Warriors GM and front office traded Monta Ellis away. Whelp, this is why we are where we are in the bleacher seats, on the sidelines, and they were creating a dynasty. Like Sonny and Mrs. Jordan knew about the internal drive and desire quietly bubbling below the surface of Michael Jordan, Bob Meyers, Jerry West and Joe Lacob could vision the capacity and swagger circulating through the veins of a ‘sleight’ ‘skinny’ ‘small’ Guard out of Davidson. They knew taking the risk on that babyface assassin would run circles around opposing teams and break ankles as he carries the nine bay area counties on his back towards titles and a legacy no one can deny. He trail-blazed a spectacular shoe deal himself, placing Under Armour on the map of must-have shoes! (sound familiar?). 

I’m mystified by national professional sports writers and media analysts of how they continue to dismiss him as a GOAT of his generation?!!! I mean, he’s beaten LeBron James already three times for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. He’s sat Jokic down in early playoff rounds; he beat Kevin Durant enough for him to finally win his ring with the Warriors; James Harden, Chris Paul… All given tee times. Lebron James had to ‘take his talents’ to Miami, joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to finally get his ring; he then went back to the Cavaliers, and had to get Draymond Green suspended in order to bring back a title to Cleveland; now, with the Lakers, I feel if it wasn’t for Anthony Davis, there’s no way ‘King James’ brings another title to the Lakers in the Bubble Year. 

There’s only a few that have walked or walking across the perfectly polished hardwood courts in the NBA that make our jaws drop and remedy us speechless at their athletic feats with a 29.5” leather-dimpled ball. In my lifetime, I’ve experienced 6- Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the l980’s; Michael Jordan in the 1990’s; Kobe Bryant and Lebron James in the 2000’s; last but definitely not least, Wardell Stephen Curry in the 2010’s and continuing now! The Warriors were in the NBA Finals in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, winning 4 titles in 6 appearances. They would not have made it that far or have won without Curry present. 

The clash of titans between LeBron James and Stephen Curry continues now as the Los Angeles Lakers play the Golden State Warriors with the winning team having an opportunity to play for the Western Conference title. The factors I believe will be the difference of either L.A. winning the series, versus Golden State, do not involve LeBron. What will make the difference would be the significance of Anthony Davis on the floor, and presence on defensive end regarding rebounds and blocks; rebounding and curbing unforced turnovers on Golden State’s end; last but not least, the performance of Steph, and creating best shot selection for himself as well as teammates on the floor. These are the factors I feel (in my humble amateur fan girl opinion) will be the difference of what we will experience as the series continues down I-5 to Lala Land and the Staple… Oh,wait,  uh-hum, I mean Crypto.com Center. Okay, well that and if the refs are being told by Network heads to make sure the series goes seven games… (I am telling you, sometimes I absolutely wonder about that controversial thought…) Doh!  

Enjoy the Playoffs! I, of course, will be rooting for the Bay Area’s Gold Blooded Warriors to continue their run for another NBA title! Strength in Numbers; keep faith in Steph and the team, coaches surrounding an amazing generational talent. Cherish the experiences and play while Curry blesses us with his presence on the court! 

THE ART OF THE 'DRAFT'

The most popular and competitive fantasy tournaments in the United States revolves around the most aggressive and infamous national leagues that took over Sundays from God, and practically putting America’s pastime game of baseball out to pasture. Fantasy Football has gained incredible status in the last two decades. When I began playing in 2001, I was a rare female participant nudging my way into a macho-male dominant creation. I mean, who wants to be out swindled and beaten by the ‘chick’?! Oh, the fury and projecting spit I’ve experienced over the years from fellow competing teams that couldn’t quite grasp how a ‘girl’ (Uh-hum… Actually woman, I was 30-something when the millennium transpired) could know anything, or God forbid keep track or have an opinion about American Football?!! (Gasp…)

Well, my fellow fantasy fans, it’s simple… One must pay attention to details and patterns, based on a team’s composition and performance, beginning with the Coaches, and what their outlook, mission and value to create a ‘winning’ product on the gridiron. Against possibly strong beliefs, one cannot just plug and produce premier players in any system. It can be a complex dance knowing the players that will fit in a coach’s scheme and premier playbook. On top of that, there are adjustments to every plan based on one’s opponent and their presented strengths. It’s as if the greater leaders on the sidelines adapt the teachings of Sun Tzu; after all, one does play on a field, attacking the other front line, penetrating with blitzes, sweeps, air raids, as well as throwing missiles and bombs-ultimately breaking down to an ‘art of war’ attempting to be standing stronger, versus experiencing attrition in the 60 minutes of ‘battle’.

Okay, maybe not so straight forward or ‘simple’ as one may assume. Even experts and seasoned analysts will get burned on their preseason predictions regarding dominant veteran performers, sleepers and rookies that may or may not fit in well to NFL from college. I feel the mistake many fantasy players make, is not paying attention to college football. I mean, NCAA Division I, II and III are technically the ‘farm teams’ of our National Football League. The conferences in the NCAA are not all equal when it comes to preparing players for the next level. Majority never make it as a professional. Some programs seem to have more success than others year-in-and-year-out in producing incredible athletes groomed to succeed In the NFL. The most prominent conferences would be SEC, PAC-12, Big 10, Big 12, ACC and Independent. And…. Word to the wise… Paying attention to programs where certain phenomenal players come out of can be favorable to your draft day when picking rookies and sleepers to fill in depth of your fantasy roster. I.e., there’s never been a successful quarterback that has come out of USC; Carson Palmer came close… and that’s it! So, for all those Sam Darnold fans… Let it go… You’re going to have to let that nuance out that back door.

Moving on… Regarding nuances, there’s many in both PPR and non-PPR leagues. Of course, I prefer PPR over set points system based on specified yards benchmark, and scores; it’s more exciting and gives team work-horses an opportunity to create points versus the running back that comes in for goal line plays and scores with a total of 5 yards, 10 yards, versus a back or tight-end that has 125-150 yards creating that opportunity within the red zone. Most running backs, wide receivers and tight ends with value come from teams that have invested in a strong offensive line. One does get the rare performance though, when a team has a great option quarterback that can scramble, like Russel Wilson. Seattle’s offensive line these last few years have been horrible! Horrible! Yet, Wilson has the wheels to get out of the pocket and create plays. New Orleans has not invested in the greatest offensive line either (hence, Brees injury last year with broken ribs). Luckily, Brees and up-and-coming quarterback Taysom Hill’s ability to scramble and dump the ball to Alvin Kamara majority of the time gave them ample opportunities to squeak out a win– Boy, did he rack up points for fantasy owners! Wowsers! Now that Brees is retired, will he have the same output? Hmmmm… We all look forward to finding out!

There’s plethora of strategies when it comes to drafting a team based on if its an auction versus snake draft. You must look at value of each position as well when it’s a PPR points system versus Non-PPR leagues. How many points do they average? What’s their projection for the upcoming year? How consistent has the player been in producing points? Are they on the same team? Has there been a coaching change in the offseason? Has there been a quarterback change? Projections are tricky. Depending on strength of schedule, coaching staff turnover, players who left, players acquired, production can potentially change significantly in either a positive or lackluster direction. Is it a high-throwing playbook? Is it an option playbook? Do they have one prominent running back, or running back by committee? Is it a quarterback high management system with short clean passing, versus airing it out, or an option play caller with wheels? Do they have a strong tight-end and fullback presence? What’s their special teams like? How’s the defense? So many scenarios to run through to secure a decent choice. And, after all that… You can still be screwed! I had Michael Thomas perform as my prime receiver four years running up through last year’s draft. I chose to pay a slight premium to keep him, believing he would continue his stellar run, with nothing really changing in the New Orleans offense (I drafted him 5 years ago for $3 in an auction/keepers league; so the premium I ended up paying was a whole $29, still less then if he was up for auction), and got seriously burned! Trying to find a consistent replacement was an absolute hodge podge. Needless to say, last year was not a great fantasy year, as secure players in past seasons did nothing.

That’s leads me to another item to pay attention to- shelf life of a productive fantasy player. Will they still throw for over 4000 yards? Will they run for over 1000 yards? Will they continue to be the go-to for scoring? Every fantasy phenom has a ‘sweet spot’ of productive years. Then, that one year… Poof! The value diminishes, as if Thanos had one of his epiphanies waving his fingers, and the scoring, gains evaporate into thin air as they become enveloped by the swarming defense, or the sudden tweak of tendons and bones encroach upon their finely tuned anatomy. There’s that moment where you sigh…. Have a little sniff… and just like a brisk Autumn wind swirling through the air, have to cut them from fantasy contention. It’s a harsh reality, but one must do what one has to do to reach the championship game.

Ahhhhh, and then there’s the rookies and sleepers preparing for greatness awaiting in the wings… Or, in this case, pacing the sidelines. This is where one must really question how much weight one places on the experts and preseason performance. Again, (as I lightly borrow from Glengarry Glen Ross) always be evaluating… Always be evaluating, ALWAYS BE EVALUATING! What perse’ are we evaluating? The coach’s system; strength of schedule; the offensive line; the defense and special teams! Everything! Everything! Everything! (Inserting Violent Femmes) Add it up! Add it up! Yes, Add it up! (Can you tell yet, she’s one of those Gen-Xers…. Run!)

Okay, back to all seriousness… Becoming an ‘expert’ fantasy player (if there is such a thing), takes hours, years, eons of research, and a little luck. We all have our moments basking in the sun… And, those spectacular seasons of absolute disaster leaving an ‘L’ on the forehead, and the winner’s choice of doling out some sort of public task displaying fantasy failure. The most important takeaway in participating in the nation’s most popular fantasy outlet, is to enjoy all the moments and the group of friends you’ve selectively chosen to play with, and they chose you! (There’s been a couple leagues I’ve been un-invited, due to winning too consistently. It’s not my fault for their insecurities or lack of research). Ultimately, it’s all about being joyful and witty banter. I now have belonged to the same fantasy leagues with quite the professionals and heavy researchers themselves for the last 11 years, and I’ve enjoyed the winning and losing times! I hope everyone playing in fantasy sports has the same fun, competitive and jovial experiences as I’ve had throughout my years of playing. It’s been an absolute blast!

 

Good Luck!

 

X Factor

The Cliché debate that’s been bantered around football for the last decade may soon be answered: Who made the New England tandem so effective – The quarterback or the coach?

After 20 years of dominance in the AFC division in the NFL, the quarterback-coach tandem being considered the greatest of all time are going their separate ways. The New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have split up.

Tom Brady was the 199^th pick in the 2000 draft. After an injury to starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe in late 2001, Tom Brady stepped in to take the team all the way to their first Super Bowl Championship on February 3^rd, 2002. The Bill-Brady tandem showered with confetti, champagne and a trip to Disney World never looked back! Between 2002 and 2020, New England has made appearances in 9 Super Bowls, winning 6. Tom Brady has past two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana taking the summit solo with six Super Bowl titles and enough sparkling championship rings for two hands. Passing up on the partisan argument of who truly is the GOAT of quarterbacks (Boomers and Gen-Xers siding with Montana, and Millennials and Gen Z boasting Brady- the game was drastically different), as well as the whines of cheating from fans across the NFL (The Blizzard Game ‘Tuck’ Controversy, Video-gate, deflate-gate), we land upon a debate that has cropped up since New England’s almost-perfect season, defeated only by the New York Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl: Who is the ‘X’ factor that makes New England unbeatable? The quarterback or the coach?

Well, my fellow sports enthusiasts (professional and amateur), we will finally have resolution and a viable answer after a decade of back-and-forth bickering. Following Brady’s announcement to leave New England, Vegas odds significantly shifted relating to odds of Tampa Bay winning the NFC East, as well as New England making it back to the Super Bowl. Obviously, Tampa Bay went from +6000 to +1200, where New England went from +600 down to +1200. Of course, every football specialist, paid sports analyst, and every type of sports bar patron, and football fanatic trolls has a side they support, dropping their theory on why they support the coach or the quarterback. Of course, I have my analysis to add to the already over-saturated published opinions splayed across the world-wide-web of streaming shows, podcasts, articles, vlogs, blogs and every posted material in-between! It may be redundant, or may give you added information to consider, possibly influencing a potential change in sides? If anything, I will add my 5 cents into the pot, and see how it turns out (BTW, $.05 bet on Tampa Bay to win NFC East pays out $60).

Many strategists and analysts that have roamed the halls of stadiums and press boxes have sided with the head play caller and the staff he’s built to create a complete juggernaut, Bill Belichick. There are sports analysts as well supporting the other side of the argument, advising Belichick may not have the wins and success, if it weren’t for a head-strong highly motivated and disciplined in-the-game play caller in quarterback, Tom Brady.

To begin my analysis, let’s breakdown both coaches and their backgrounds. Bill Belichick became head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000, coming off one of the greatest coaching trees, being a defensive coordinator (or an assistant) under Bill Parcells, at New York Giants, New England Patriots, and New York Jets. Belichick had a brief stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, taking them to the playoffs once during his short time there, before Cleveland’s owner made the decision to move the franchise to Baltimore, becoming the Ravens in 1996. Bill is a defense-minded coach. Being an assistant to Coach Parcells, he knows the significance of having an effective offensive coordinator, as well as quarterback coach that could successfully execute his philosophy of a balanced offensive scheme, based on existing roster strengths. One aspect I felt was always underrated about every Patriot Super Bowl winning season, was their defense.

While Tom Brady was the starting quarterback in New England, Belichick had only three offensive coordinators, and five quarterback coaches. OC Charlie Weis, Bill O’Brien and Josh McDaniels shared the quarterback coaching responsibilities along with being the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. The two other quarterback coaches during this time were John Hufnagel and Dick Rehbein, who shared the quarterback coaching duties under Charlie Weis during the early 2000’s. The offense coordinators shared and executed the philosophy of spread offense for a strong from-the-pocket passer, and sprinkling in a shared-running game, that became progressively stronger and more effective in postseason campaigns. The strengths of the New England coaching staff were their consistency year-in-and-year-out; effective scouting and implementation of underrated offensive talent; and an incredibly strong offensive line to protect a less-mobile, preferred pocket passing quarterback. Although considered as coming off the Bill Parcells coaching tree, Belichick has quite a bountiful tree himself. Some highlights would be Mike Vrabel currently coaching the Tennessee Titans, Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals and Bill O’Brien of the Houston Texans. The question remains, did the staff build an effective playbook around Brady? Or, did Brady effectively execute with precision and accuracy, what seemed to be an unchanging predictable playbook?

Now that Brady has decided to move on, there’s now an opening for starting quarterback in New England. Brady’s backup when he left was Brian Hoyer, who is a journeyman back up in the NFL. The few opportunities he’s had to step in a game and make a difference, has been lackluster to say the least. Rookie Jarrett Stidham out of Auburn University may have potential to fill a crater-sized hole. Bill Belichick has a close relationship with Alabama head coach, Nick Saban, and I am sure received a thorough scouting report regarding Stidham’s skills and effectiveness when at Auburn, Alabama’s SEC Conference archrival. I cannot see New England drafting a quarterback in hopes of them becoming the starter. I see Stidham as projected starter and piecing tools and protection surrounding him. The signing of WR Damiere Byrd from Arizona Cardinals, and FB Dan Vitale from Green Bay Packers is a boost for target options and opening up the running option for the incoming play-caller. We will see how much Stidham has gleaned from his outgoing predecessor. Will Bill be able to repeat the tandem magic with a bright-eyed inexperienced Field Marshall anxious to confirm that the franchise made the best pick to continue New England’s two-decade dynasty?

Bruce Ariens (coincidently, the same age as Belichick) bounced around for years in various offense assistant coaching roles between college and professional teams, until he was hired to be the wide receivers coach by Bill Cowher for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004. Ariens became the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator under Cowher’s successor, Mike Tomlin. He was part of the OC staff when the Steelers won Super Bowl titles in 2005 and 2008. Before being hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, Ariens did see some success as head coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Ariens is known as a risk taker, as well as a quarterback whisperer. He himself was a quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies under a wishbone-run offense in the 1970’s. Some of the qualities he has listed as his ‘perfect’ quarterback, is one with heart, grit, and trustworthy under the Ariens system. Part of the description Ariens has written of what counts as ‘heart’ and ‘grit’ would be a quarterback willing to dive in to a defensive line to get that extra yard, or if he were to throw a pick, have no hesitation in running down the field forty yards to tackle the receiver who intercepted the ball.  His philosophy line is, “No risk it, no biscuit”. Ariens states he is not fond “Playing to not lose” when ahead in a game and would have no hesitation in calling a deep target passing play. Considering New England has more of an offense management system, it will be interesting to see the meshing between the supposed ‘quarterback whisperer’ and an aging, less mobile game management quarterback.

Now, let’s move over to the other side of the Isle and take a look at Tom Brady. Brady was drafted out of University of Michigan, where he was the starting quarterback his junior and senior years, amassing a 21-5 record, and impressive wins over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl, and an incredible overtime win over Alabama in the Orange Bowl. The first two years at Michigan were incredibly challenging for Brady as a second/third string option quarterback, and at one point so discouraged, he thought of transferring to Cal. His outlook, confidence, work ethic and philosophy turned around when he worked with sports psychologist, Greg Harden, and stated in a 2014 interview, "He will always be somebody I rely on for sound advice and mentorship. He has helped me with my own personal struggles in both athletics and in life. Greg really pushed me in a direction that I wasn't sure I could go.” Brady performed well on the wonderlic test, with a 33 score, and was projected to go late in the second round or early in the third round. He was considered a ‘steal’ dropping all the way to the sixth round in the 2000 NFL Draft. When Brady first met Patriots owner Robert Kraft, he disclosed with a handshake, “You will not regret your decision”.

Obviously playing with a chip on his shoulder, Brady lived up to his promise to the owner of the New England Patriots. Through twenty seasons under the Patriots, Brady has amassed the second most passing yards in the NFL (74,571) averaging 4,138 per year. He’s averaged 30 touchdowns, and one of an elite group to throw 50 touchdowns in one year. He has averaged only 9.9 interceptions in a year, with a 1.1% interception rating versus completions. He has incredible intelligence in reading defenses, and scanning the field for second, third, or pitch out options. Regardless of the receivers, tight ends, or running backs on the field, he will throw at the best option, most open receiver. Although you wouldn’t consider Brady as ‘elusive’, he is keen on getting rid of the ball quickly, avoiding many sack opportunities. He is quite fiery and will constructively chat up his teammates to improve outcomes to win a game. I am not sure I would ever qualify Brady as a ‘risk taker’ when it comes to execution of an effective and winning offense. I would tend to qualify Brady as a metrics quarterback. Based on the weapons and system he has available, versus the opposing defense, he will work with his given playbook to expose an opponent’s known weaknesses. There’s only been a handful of times (minus the controversies) where Brady and the New England system were trumped. The New York Giants under former head coach Tom Coughlin, and free-slinging quarterback Eli Manning were New England’s kryptonite.

Time after time as Brady aged, we were all waiting for a slip of performance, a diminishing of skills, thinking in the back of our minds, the Bill-Brady dynasty is over. Yet, year after year, they kept showing up, and winning! We all came to a conclusion the Patriots would be Super Bowl contenders until one of them decides to retire. All of sports media and fans alike scoffed at Tom Brady’s response of a desire to play as long as he felt competitive. Brady aspires and hopes he can continue playing, being effective and relevant until he is 45, which would be unprecedented. Football is so hard on an athlete’s body; most players have a career of ten years, or less. Brady credits Alex Guerrero and his alternative and holistic approach to nutrition, recovery, and training. Brady has worked with Guerrero for many years and assisted in the creation of the ‘TB12’ system of wellness. Brady feels Guerrero is an integral reason he’s able to play at such a highly competitive level over the age of 40.

I believe the rift between head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady began to pop up when the head coach/general manager revoked access for Guerrero to have an office at the team facilities, fly with the players to games, and side line presence during games in 2017. Of course, Brady and Belichick never addressed any of the reporters’ inquiries to the change and situation. Then there was the controversial trade of Brady’s backup, Jimmy Garropolo to the San Francisco Forty-Niners. There are still rumors milling around on who requested that move. It appeared that Jimmy G was poised to be Brady’s successor, and patiently waiting to step in, when he retires. Brady had no intention of retiring anytime soon. As Brady is going in to his 21^st season, turning 43, there were rumblings if he would remain in New England versus becoming a free agent, as rumors began cropping up again that the relationship between Brady and Belichick was becoming sour at the end of last season. After New England gave a lackluster offer for Brady to stay, the writing was on the wall. New England was ready to cut loose their most successful and aging front man. Brady, for the first time in his career, became a free agent.

With all live sports suspended under a global pandemic, everyone in the sports world tuned in to see where Brady would go! Would it be San Diego? Denver? Would he live out his childhood dream and return to play in San Francisco? Would Gruden woo him to Vegas, with Raider fans forgiving him for the ‘Tuck’ fiasco? Would Tennessee be tempting enough? The experts were grasping to give their ‘locked-in’ choices of where Brady would end up. I cannot name one person who murmured or thought ‘Tampa Bay’ would be the ultimate destination, especially with a head coach like Bruce Ariens. With incredible contrast of risk-taker versus risk-manager, how will both parties merge to create a competitive and winning system? For the first time in his career, Brady will have an elite receiving core, with the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jordan Leggett and OJ Howard to name a few. The outlying question is the strength of the offensive line, which Brady will significantly depend on for success, being a prominent pocket-passing quarterback without speedy feet. Brady has been effective for many years in quickly getting rid of the ball to an open receiver. As he ages, will this statistic remain the same, or will it take Brady slightly longer to scan an find a target down-field? Attributes we firmly know diminishes with age, are eye and hand motor-skill reaction times. Looking at the history of the last few seasons of Tampa Bay, the offensive line was ranked one of the lowest in the NFL (31^st allowing yards per carry, and 29^th in quarterback hits allowed). That would have to be a concern for Brady, and an area where Tampa Bay must shore up to gain success. Will Tom Brady be effective as a motivational leader bringing his confidence, leadership, and ‘TB12’ mentality to convert a young potential team into a contender? Will Ariens risk-taking mantra along with Brady’s risk-management ways come together to create a refreshed and effective playbook to win in the trenches of the NFC East?

You would think a man that has reached the pinnacle of success in personal and career aspirations would have nothing else to prove. That he could gracefully ride off into the sunset and live a tranquil content existence. Brady is not done completing career goals. There’s an underlying burn at the pit of his stomach to prove excellence without being tied to Bill Belichick. The chip on Tom’s shoulder never diminished or retracted since being drafted in the 6^th round 20 years ago. If anything, he may have gained another one, always being tied to Coach Belichick. He’s internally driven to join rare status. Everyone commenting that he’s ‘too old to be effective with another team’, or he was ‘only effective under the New England system’ has added fuel to his motivation to prove all the trolls wrong. Not only to win a historic 7th Super Bowl as a starting quarterback, but to be one of potentially two starting quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl title with two different teams. The only starting quarterback in NFL history to win a super bowl with two teams, is Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos). If Brady were to win a Super Bowl with a Tampa Bay team with +1600 odds to even make the Super Bowl, would definitely etch Brady as the greatest, and support his side of the argument, that he was the ‘X’ Factor, that brought championships to New England. To all the Brady haters- I’m sorry to report, Brady won’t be going anywhere for at least a couple more years.

Pursuit of the Golden Foot

I’ve been consciously following National Football League for almost 40 years and cannot recall a season where games ended in sweetness of victory or agony of defeat from one player’s accuracy. We’ve watched weekly highlights of place kickers across the NFL perform shanks, doinks, and far right gaffes on both point after touchdown attempts and field goals that ultimately may have played a role in a team’s win-loss record.

Between injuries and performance consistency, teams across the league are facing significant challenges in securing a viable place kicker. If there were ever a case re-thinking the power ranking of kickers on a team's roster, we’re seeing it time after time… game after game in the last two years.

If I could get ‘cheeky’ for a moment- NFL may want to take a look at contracting rugby kickers. All kidding aside, we can no longer glaze over or assume a kicker is ‘automatic’ from any distance these days. I’ve experienced the heartbreak front and center being a proud member of the faithful San Francisco Forty Niner fan base. The two games the team has lost this year ended in failed kicks. Robbie Gould, the starting kicker for San Francisco has been 93% -95% accurate in the previous two years in field goal attempts. For 2019, Gould’s current accuracy on field goals this year is at a disappointing 63%.  Statistics are not noted regarding missed point after attempts, but I do know there was a game earlier in the year where Gould did miss 3 point after attempts. Thankfully, those short-distance point-after gaffes did not affect those game results, where San Francisco ultimately ended up winning. Gould has been affected this season as well by injury. Gould’s replacement, Chase McLaughlin has made 13 of 17 field goal attempts, giving him 76% accuracy. Unfortunately, one of those misses affected a game outcome, where Chase ‘McMissed’ a game winning field goal attempt in overtime against NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks. Robbie Gould recently missed a field goal in regulation against the Baltimore Ravens, where the added three points may have culminated in a tie score for an opportunity to go into overtime, and a chance to win the game.

San Francisco is not alone in missed field goal woes. Adam Vinatieri now the starting place kicker for Indianapolis Colts has seen better years. Vinatieri’s most famous boot to win a game occurred in 2002 while kicking for the New England Patriots. He kicked an overtime game-winning field goal in blizzard conditions to catapult the Patriots in the Super Bowl as the AFC Champion team. Indianapolis can only hope Vinatieri could see such accuracy and performance now. The kicker once known as Mr. Automatic has been incredibly ‘not-so-matic’, causing some painful losses this year. The Oakland Raiders has experienced cringing misses with their main kicker on their payroll, Daniel Carlson as well.

Football fans and sports analysts must be as perplexed as I, wondering what has changed in the last year creating doubt and questions with a teams’ kicking game. A player taking a spot on the special teams roster that’s been overlooked and taken for granted for many decades has now been shoved in the spotlight (not always for shiny happy moments). Teams across the NFL may be hiring ‘special scout’ specifically to pursue “The athlete with the golden foot” to boost a part of special teams that’s witnessing a mysterious decline.

For now, enjoy a supporting piece on the kicker regression of 2019:

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2019/11/22/20976974/nfl-kicking-regression

And enjoy some noted recent kicking snafus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn_42ROO75Q

NFL Draft: Hope from Aspirations!

Layman sports enthusiasts and those apathetic about sports will never get it- Why is there such a fan frenzy for National Football Draft Day?

One word: Hope!

Of all professional sports leagues in the United States, National Football League (NFL) has proven their league more competitive than the rest. One draft class could mean the difference of worst to first within a year. No other professional league has proof or ability to take their team to front of the pack with free agency and prime NCAA Division I prospects acquired in a Draft other than NFL.

Of course, a team can't just 'pick' the 'best' athlete available... It's about fit. Each of the 32 teams in the National Football League lays out their strengths, weaknesses, and strategy out on a board, and flow chart. Depending on strengths, weaknesses, and personalities of free agency and draft eligible prospects, each college prospect is given a ranking, based on their system. From that ranking and slots on the flow chart, a list strategically comprised on every team's Draft war room! Ready.... Set... Draft!!!

Clash of Ole Opry and OT offspring meet in the streets of 'Music City' USA, Nashville, Tennessee!

Of course there are all the analysts, projections, mockers bouncing about researching and studying each scheme, each coach, each players' 'Pro-Day' and Combine results to give the fanatics perspective of what to Google and expect the Commish to call out to fill in holes of our faithful's team receiving an iconic bear hug and collectible #1 Jersey.

Whose stock has risen? Who's stock has plummeted? What was his Wonderlic score again??? Personality, tweets, and displayed peacock talent all are calculated in to the phone buzzing in his hand...

Of all informants and supposed professional draft prognosticators, Adam Schefter seems to be the man with the most valid information. Hard work, being available 24/7 and a fistful of cell phones has paid off for the premier sports fan and analyst.

As expected, 1^st Draft pick of the 2019 NFL Draft goes to newly adorned and 'heartthrob' Head Coach of Arizona Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury. The former Texas Tech coach finally gains the player that he's lost out on in his college coaching career, Heisman toting Oklahoma Quarterback, Kyler Murray! A head coach whom was a quarterback himself, has a weapon to install in his revolutionary offense he will bring to Arizona Cardinals. The Arizona Cardinals now have picked quarterbacks back-to-back in the first round. Cardinals 10^th pick in the 1^st round, Josh Rosen is being shopped around. So, definitely may see a trade transaction transpire in later rounds between one of the prospective teams needing a prime quarterback to either start, or groom for their aging starter. Top teams that have been mentioned are Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and possibly Buffalo Bills. Rosen may be a member of different NFL team by the end of the Draft.

The 2^nd pick in the draft is Defensive End out of Ohio State Nick Bosa to the 49ers (My team!). Its quite the bitter sweet pick for the Sanctuary City by the Bay. Bosa definitely does not come without controversy of his political and race supremacy outlook that has been bantered around media on earlier social media opinions, likes, and shared posts. Will we embrace him? Or not care, as long as he produces expectations on the field? Its going to be quite an interesting proving third year for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. The General Manager a defensive minded man, and Kyle, an offensive minded head coach, and touted wondrous offensive coordinating genius. There are significant holes in the team's defense, and offensive line. So, one piece has been drafted with high expectations. Will the remaining choices in the draft fill in the other gaps?

3^rd Pick for New York Jets is, Quinnen Williams out of the greatest college program in NCAA Division I football, “Roll Tide” Alabama – his nickname is 'soap' due to being so slippery off the line, and backfield. Jets need so many components. One of them, stopping the opposing quarterback from destroying your chances of holding a lead....

Raiders are on the Clock! What will Gruden (affectionately nicknamed Chuckie by many Raider Nation fans) do?! From recent retirement of Marshawn Lynch, we definitely know they have a RB need... As well Defense line! Linebacker, Defensive End, Defense Secondary.... So many pieces they need to acquire before moving to Las Vegas for “ The Black and Silver Show” …..The pick is in! Gruden comes with a wild card pick, Clelin Ferrell Defensive End from Clemson – Will the pick pay off? Obviously Chuckie wanting to fill a gap in the rush defense...

On the clock with the 5^th pick is Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their Defense is ranked easily as top 5 in the NFL... The one suspect position is the ongoing oscillating question, “Will he? Won't he?” about their quarterback, Jaimes Winston. I personally would not be surprised if Tampa Bay opted for a quarterback, if they feel there is one showing promise in this draft class... If not, what? Will they trade down and acquire Josh Rosen from Arizona? Arizona has been shopping Allen for a few months now – Tampa Bay shores up their already staunch defense, with Outside Linebacker, Devin White out of LSU! Now let's see if later in their picks they can do something about improving their stale bland offense -

With an aging quarterback, Eli Manning, New York Giants have been suspect of heavily hunting for eventual replacement of Eli Manning. New York Giants also need to shore up chasms in both their Offensive lines, and secondary core on Defense side. Sure enough! Daniel Jones Quarterback out of Duke University! There you have it folks... The man that will be groomed to replace Eli Manning! Side note about Jones- he has participated in the Manning quarterback camps.

Next on the board are the Jacksonville Jaguars. Known for Defense, and gaining on the offensive side. With their pick, they shored up continued Defense success, picking Josh Allen, Defensive End out of Kentucky.

Detroit Lions in dire need of weapons for veteran quarterback, Sam Bradford to choose targets, they chose a strong candidate out of Iowa, TJ Hockenson, a big Tide End that will be difficult to take down or miss! His range must be up there with another big Tide End Lug, recently retired tide end from New England, Rob Gronkowski. A converted basketball athlete on to the gridiron, he can block and come down with the ball down field. This definitely is a positive directions for Detroit to gain offensive weapons needed to move in to being a play-off contender in the black and blue NFC North conference!

Next up, Buffalo Bills! Anything will help the Bills! So... The Ninth pick is in, and Ed Oliver, Defensive Tackle out of Houston is on its way to the faithful fans of Northern New York. Will he be able to find a Ranch to fit his needs, with his stable of horses! I am sure Real Estate agencies associated with the Bills are chomping at the bit to show him around prospective properties to stable his galloping hooved friends' needs!

Denver has an aging Defense, and wait... Aging team! I would not be surprised if Denver leaned in on a Defense choice – They need to think about replacing an aging core – They may also look at shoring up offensive line positions as well - Whoa! Denver trading pick to Pittsburgh Steelers! Steelers definitely need a back up quarterback, and continue to improve their defense! Let's see what goes down for Steelers! They also need running back, as well as wide receiver, with the loss of Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell... Pick is in! What?!!! Devon Bush Inside Linebacker out of Michigan! This is definitely unexpected! They have so many needs! The Alabama Running Back available... The Ohio State Quarterback, Haskins available! Oh my.... Devon Bush definitely wins for most interesting suit, for sure!

The stripes of the Cincinnati Bengals is coming up! Bengals go with shoring up protection for their quarterback, Andy Dalton, and offensive rushing game, Jonah Williams, Offensive Tackle out of Alabama. They call him a strategy mega machine, creating detailed flow charts for every opponent he's faced. The acumen appears to be blowing up any potential measuring test or chart. Mr. Williams appears dedicated beyond means to his craft.

Green Bay Packers has the next pick, and select Rashan Gary, Defensive End/Linebacker out of Michigan! Green Bay definitely have been suspect in the last few years, on the defense side of the ball. Aaron Rogers out of California with already fired front man, Mike McCarthy always appeared to be in the position of needing to outscore opponents, versus holding opponents. Matt LaFluer has been named head coach of one of the original football franchises, and looking to turn around recent challenges of a weak defense inability to shut down opposing offensive schemes.

Dolphins on the board with new head coach, and choose a Defensive Tackle out of Clemson, Christian Wilkins! A known and expecteded first round pick for a team needing his talent! Miami I believe is in need of many components. This pick may be an instant hole filler for the Dolphins. A member of the Clemson Power Rangers, Wilkins will definitely bring a winning no holds bar intensity of improving Dolphins' defense.

Atlanta Falcons – Chris Lindstrom, Guard out of Boston College A football legacy family from Boston on to the NFL! Do not forget the mighty Eagles of Boston College. Doug Flutie, Boston College! Luke Kuechly drafted in first round to Carolina Panthers! Do not overlook the success of the Boston College program, and how well their college program translates to success on the next level.

Redskins out of the Nation's capitol is looking for that difference maker on a team that has seen its share of bumps and bruises in that last years. Dwayne Haskins, quarterback of 'The' Ohio State and son of the backyard of DC, raised in Potomac, Maryland. There are some suspect and risky questions about choosing a quarterback from Ohio State. He seems to have the throwing capabilities, yet most quarterbacks lately coming out of Ohio State, have been heavily slanted as an option quarterback, and not the best at foot work, or accuracy. This will be hopefully a 'wild card' that pays off leading the Redskins to a Wild Card or better birth in upcoming NFL post season.

Carolina Panthers seriously need to shore up their quarterback pass and rush protection! Its been a significant hindrance, affecting effectiveness of Cam Newton and their play options. Lets see if they help out their offensive weapons in a protection pick – And, its a Defensive End – Brian Burns, Outside Linebacker out of Florida State – Oof... Hopefully they have some picks stacked up in 2^nd, and 3^rd round to help out their offense! Hopefully this will translate to a sack master to boost up a defense that has been inconsistent in holding opponents from scoring -

New York Giants have a second pick in the first round! Let's see what they choose – I know Eli has been not protected well... As well, their defense is ineffective.... What is their best direction in top prospects in their first round of the draft? Well, well, well! Defense is the choice! Dexter Lawrence, Defensive Tackle out of NCAA National Champion team, Clemson Tigers! All components can definitely be points of improvement for New York Giants with many holes to fill on both side of the ball!

Clemson, now has three picks in the first round from their defensive line! A first in NFL draft history! Congratulations Clemson Tigers for having an incredible 'Power Rangers' core transitioning to professional ranks in the professional sports league that has taken over Sundays from God...

Minnesota Vikings has selected a Center, Garrett Bradbury from NC State. A two – sport athlete, and academic star, with a 3.7 GPA graduating with his Bachelor's degree in three years... One thing overlooked by many fans and critics of the NFL, is an assumed stereotype, all football players are dumb, or not the greatest of scheming or analytical minds. A prospect and first round pick, such as Andrew Luck, or Christian McCaffrey, and now Garrett Bradbury challenge the stereotype of a destructive and controversial professional league. Many competitive and successful athletes have quite the mind on top of their Trojan stature shoulders!

The host town finally on the clock! Tennessee Titans now has their pick in. Will they shore up protection for their famed quarterback,Marcus Mariota??? Jeffery Simmons Defensive Tackle out of Mississippi State and comes with controversy.... He plead no contest to malicious assault when he was in High School and protecting his sister and his mother from another woman. The circumstances are complex, according to analysts, and others involved in reviewing the incident. Its an incredible risk, I am sure it will be assumed by many on this pick – will talent outweigh his past? He's been a model student at Mississippi State, as well as volunteer on campus to curb violence and assist in others coping with family matters, and stress. Lets hope the newly turned leaf and role model behavior continues on the next level!

The Denver Broncos now are up on the board after trading their earlier pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let's see what direction they go toward with a lower pick in the first round of the draft – They choose to shore up targets for their veteran quarterback, Noah Fant, Tide End out of Iowa – A big target at that and another dual athlete with basketball being his other sport! A big target roaming the field, as well as blocker for the evolving rush game for Denver.

We now have Seattle Seahawks on the clock – There's a top tier running back on the board , that may be tough to pass up, as well as other defensive pieces to help fill out options for the Seahawks 12 man core – Of course, there are offensive line needs by the team as well. Of course, those could be filled in by later picks as well as free agency signings they may have acquired (since I haven't investigated thoroughly the Winter meeting outcomes of all 32 teams... Hmmph, call me slouch! It's okay... Not that I don't have other work responsibilities between then and now...). Oh wow! Seattle wagers a trade to Green Bay!!! Green Bay select Darnell Savage Jr, Safety out of Maryland! Well, if anything, Green Bay definitely needs help with their secondary. They've had holes bigger than O-zone! Hopefully this can be an immediate impact player for the Packers in their secondary.

The Philadelphia Eagles finally make the first round board on a pick! Let's see what direction they go in! I am attempting to recall their running back game? I've played fantasy football now for almost twenty years, and for some stinking reason, I cannot recall who they have in their prime running back core? Of course, it could be my menopause middle-aged fog taking over... That and Sauvignon Blanc...

Eagles choose to help out injury prone quarterback, Carson Wentz, selecting Andre Dillard, Offensive Tackle out of Washington State (Wazzu!) There are incredible successful transitioning prospects that come out of the Pac-12 later becoming pro bowlers and career phenoms on the next level of football. Good luck in Philadelphia Andre!

Houston Texans are next up and will be interesting what direction they go in adding to a great up-and-coming team out of Texas. Will they get the top running back prospect still left on the board, Jacobs? 62 sacks recorded last year to DeSean Watson. They need offense protection... They select Offfensive Tackle, Tytus Howard out of Alabama State! This is a great addition to Houston to shore of a siv of an offensive line. Lets hope he has immediate effectiveness to help out Texans in protecting their offensive weapons!

Oakland Raiders back on board with another late first round pick.... Josh Jacobs, running back out of Alabama still out there as top prospect, will he fit the Raiders need? Or will Gruden look elsewhere for speed and needs to improve their offensive intimidation for Vegas? I am RIGHT!!!!! They take the Crimson Tide RB Josh Jacobs!!! Yup... Gruden all over this pick!

Okay, The Baltimore Ravens now on the clock for a late first round pick – where will they go? Best pick on board, or a hole they want to fill? It appears they may be looking at the offensive core, wide receiver – let's see! Sure enough! Wide Receiver out of Oklahoma, Marquise Brown, cousin of Antonio Brown! They are building a weapon to be as strong as their known Defense! One question is his sleight size , and susceptibility for injury... He needs to bulk up a bit to remain relevant in the next level of football, the NFL.

Next up, the Indianapolis Colts – honestly, I need to rack my brain of what they need to build on their recent success of Andrew Luck coming back from long injury of his shoulder. Colts trade their pick to Redskins, and select Montez Sweat Defense End Linebacker out of Mississippi State! Sweat's value definitely dropped in the draft due to a chronic heart condition he has under control through his football career. Another angle, was his interviewing and personality evaluations were not deemed very well in taking the next step in defense schemes, possibly balking about taking critical coaching very well... Obviously, Washington, feels he would fit well enough to overcome in conditioning and personality challenges withing their system and coaching.

Oakland Raiders with another pick and select Johnathan Abram, Safety out of Mississippi State to help out a very holey secondary of the Raiders! ------ Already graduated with his Bachelor degree and working on his MBA. This kid has momentum and direction!

San Diego Chargers are on board and see what they pick up on who's available to build on an already well oiled offense and defense system. The Chargers choose to work on the defense side of the ball, selecting Jerry Tillery, Defensive Tackle out of Notre Dame. I am always suspect of most prospects coming out of Notre Dame, feeling their football program is overrated for the talent they present on the field. Let's see how it pans out for him in San Diego and his future performance for the Bolts.

Seattle Seahawks now have two trades in a row now at the end of the first round – Lets see how this pans out, where they have an aging defense, as well as a suspect offensive line – I can see them shoring up their defense to begin, and look at offense filler in picks coming up in later rounds of the draft. There are two top OT available – Ugh! They go with LJ Collier Defensive End out of Texas Christian University.... I dunno... Russel Wilson has been so beat up and scrambling for his options these last two years, I thought they go in the OT direction.... Maybe they feel can get the needed help in later picks, as thought in previous opinion.

NY Giants attain pick from Seahawks and acquire Deandre Baker, Corner-back out of Georgia! Actually I can see this going down. The defense has not been very strong at all in last few years for New York Giants. They have not been able to defend against the deep threat or deep route coverage at all. Hopefully this young talent can quickly attribute to stops and success for the Giants in the defense secondary.

Second to last pick in first round of draft picks (I think!) belongs to the Atlanta Falcons. Lets see who they go with! The LA Rams had this pick and gave it to Atlanta – Okay! Here we go about shoring up your offensive lines, Atlanta goes to Kaleb McGary, Offensive Tackle out of Washington! This dude sounds like he has survived a country song of catastrophes! Losing house, losing dog, girlfriend breakup, trailer house in trailer park going up in flames! If he can persevere after all those incidents taking place at a young age... Yeah, he's ready for anything bulldozing his way on an O-line!

Finally, New England, the final pick in the first round is ON the clock! Hmmmmmm...... They had a Tide End retire.... Always looking for fillers to continue to protect Brady.... They always can add to their options in substitutions for their defense.... Brady may need a back up to take under his wing... Hmmm..... There is top prospect quarterback still on board, in Drew Lock.... Lets see where New England goes with this late first round pick – Well! New England goes with Wide Receiver N'Keal Harry out of Arizona State! Another underlie in the midst of Belichick fore lore going to a Superbowl laden franchise! This kid has to be elated, knowing he's going to a program that is definitely tagged to go to another Super Bowl in the next few years! He has to be elated getting picked up in the tail end of the first round! He has to be proud going down as an under-the-radar first round pick for one of the greatest franchises in the 20^th and 21^st Centuries, New England Patriots!

Another First Round of the NFL Draft in the books!

Now, it's a waiting game to see whom pans out, and who will end up on the practice squad or worse, cut! Or, career ending injury! One aspect you have to keep in the back of your mind- You cannot measure success or failure in a Season... you cannot measure a draft prospects' ultimate impact for years to come... Maybe three to five years could be best time measurement of outcome of a first round pick. In this millennial instant gratification world we now experience, patience definitely has fallen out of virtue. There are those out lyres where even that amount of time was not enough to give them best opportunity of their impact on the game. Johnny Unitas was cut several times, before career success with Baltimore Colts. Jim Plunkett was cut from previous programs before leading Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl wins. Alex Smith persevered a different offense coordinators, and coaches before finding success under Jim Harbaugh, as well as Andy Reid. He's tasted the post season, and did win several games in San Francisco Super Bowl appearance before an injury side-lined him for Harbaugh's choice, Colin Kaepernick. Jared Goff was assumed a bust after one year with a fading out of favor former head coach, Jeff Fisher for the Los Angeles Rams. Goff now has been top tier quarterback leading the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LIII appearance versus New England Patriots.

On the flip side, there have been significant disappointments as well with high draft picks. The Forty Niners have had their share of heart break with trouble off the field picks such as Aldon Smith, and Reuben Foster. I would even place Jaimes Winston as suspect pick for Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So.... All we have are aspirations... Hope that the minds overseeing direction and success of the NFL franchises we root for, have vetted and and picked prospects that will add value and contribute towards either continued success of a program, or improved results from previous mediocre or lackluster outcomes.

Now, off to the next round! NFL Draft Weekend is mighty, not mundane!

Unanimous...

Bonds Boo Birds' Major League Hall of Fame voters Icing out one of the greatest players of a generation.

Congratulations to the first ever first ballot unanimous entry to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Mariano Rivera. I am not sure what's more surprising- Rivera being the first unanimous vote? Or the voters continuing for the 7^th time denying entry to one the greatest baseball sluggers in a generation? It's my humble opinion that baseball beat writers and sports writers holding the 'Golden Ticket' of entry have become perversely subjective, short-sited, and hypocritical regarding Barry Bonds. The collective needs to sit down, and be humble.

If you would like to take the 'high road' argument, about cheaters inducted in to the Hall of Fame? I truly hate to disappoint you. Cheaters and poor characters have been inducted going back to the yester-years of Ty Cobb and every year of segregated baseball. Some of the greatest baseball players never had an opportunity to play on a National stage to prove their valor, based on fear of dominance. There were players that used amphetamines and other products in earlier years to gain any advantage possible for an edge over their competition. The more outlying question should be exactly when regulation of banned substances initiated, and when exactly regulation began in Major League baseball of listed banned substances. Major League Baseball placed a banned substance policy in 1985. This policy was never strictly enforced. Even with updated supposed regulation and policy in 2002, Bud Selig and the remainder of owners in Major League Baseball failed to actively regulate banned substances taking advantage of a spike of popularity following a detrimental player strike in 1994. Only after the Mitchell Report was published in 2007, and retirement of Bud Selig, was there a followed regulation policy that was enforced in Major League Baseball.

I find it difficult to punish a generation of particular deserving players, where the commissioner whom looked the other way was inducted in to the same Hall of Fame. The other hypocritical factor regarding this freeze out of two most dominant players (Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens) is there are inferior contributors playing at the same time that were conveniently voted in to the exclusive Hall of Fame. There is no way Mike Piazza and Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez have numbers and production minutely close to the performance of Barry Bonds.

Another factor hardly taken in to consideration is the ambiguous accusation of what are PEDs and were PEDs used by these players even banned under the collective bargaining agreement during their playing career. Time and time again, you hear the term, 'steroids' as the banned substance. So, many players named in the Mitchell Report, have openly admitted to 'Andro' or 'Steroid' use, and others ultimately ended up testing positive of such 'Steroid' and 'Andro' subsances (i.e. Pudge Rodriguez, and Mike Piazza). During the full career of Barry Bonds, never has he admitted or tested positive regarding any banned substance. Bonds may have used some type of PED to assist him in recovery, to maintain consistency and performance, but it wasn't a substance that was particularly banned during his career. Majority of population become short-sited regarding definition of performance supplements. Steroids is an antiquated and poor choice. Steroids ultimately a destructive substance that will ultimately induce breakdown and aggressive side-affects for any athlete using it. Barry Bonds never displayed those side-affects.

There were memoirs written and reports that came out advising of an epidemic taking over the pristine green grassed diamonds perfectly pruned across the nation. It became apparent, practically every athlete competing for a spot on a major league team took advantage of an unregulated policy. The outlying question should be, if PEDs were such an 'advantage', why weren't there more breakout performances? Why weren't there more athletes having year in and year out career numbers? The reason you won't find year-in-and-out performances throughout major league baseball, would be they did not posses other abilities required to succeed in a diverse demanding sport.

Barry Bonds was playing above his competition at a time where majority were taking banned substance, according to laid out (yet loosely regulated) rules of Major League Baseball. Barry Bonds persevered, and usurped upon his competition. Steroids (which I am 100% sure he did not use) does not give any advantage over a player with natural ability to spot a ball coming out of a pitcher's hand, or his instinctual swing...Not that I am condoning the use of performance enhancing products, I just cannot deny the fact: Barry Bonds, hands down outplayed everyone in the Major League... You cannot put an asterisk on a player that has flat-out dominated his peers, and most likely was ahead of the competition regarding choice of performance supplements not banned in sports.

Barry has learned and was taught by the best-of-the-best in baseball history! His godfather is Willie Mays... America- Wake Up!!! He grew up among the greatest players known in baseball- 'Stretch' Mccovey, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays... Let alone, Bonds learned from all the pitchers surrounding the greatest hitters. Maybe the only unfair advantage he did have, was his father, who knew everything you could know about predicting pitches from pitchers, based on the count and base runners... Bonds' father taught his son about strategy, and used that to his advantage... Imagine... having a mental edge, and knowledge what a pitcher is going to throw, based on, knowing his game?! Maybe that is why he was able to hit home runs off of over 400+ different pitchers...

You say he's arrogant? You say he isn't nice?! He's a 'Richard Cranium'?! How do you know ? I don't know him... you don't know him... Players aren't paid to be 'nice'. I never expected a player I admire to be my hero, or be my friend. Barry Bonds has been paid to perform and be the ultimate of sports entertainers... He has definitely fulfilled more than my moneys' worth! Bonds is legend of my generation. Bonds is an anomaly, a talent we should embrace. Barry Bonds by far has been one of the rare gifts to baseball.

All of the whiners, sit down... Shut up! Tip your hats to a phenomenon that's given some of the most historic highlights in baseball history!

The Great Debate: Offense versus Defense Wins Titles

I'm sure in passing, you've heard the vintage conundrum- 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Years of  argument and theory regarding the National Football League recipe obtaining world titles have always began with the default admission, 'Defense wins Titles'.

As we progress in to the third decade of the millennium, there are analysts sprouting in many media outlets challenging the status quo theory. Spurts of sports media platforms across the nation are beginning to dismiss this absolute theory, challenging what exactly is the formula concocted by franchises leading to world titles?  A new theory has hit center stage, that it's the offense on display that will duke it out for the trophy. Decades have progressed where there was ne'r a challenge of the original theory of a team's defense being the formula to winning.

Sports analysts are challenging the antiquated default argument. Are they accurate with their argument?  Taking closer look at the most explosive football game in 2018 NFL season between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, as well as viewing the performances throughout current playoff season, Defense (with an effervescent and dynamic defense coordinator who knows how to adjust and expose unknowing offenses) lead to titles.

On Monday Night Football November 19, 2018 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, there were 14 touchdowns scored between both teams. Three of those touchdowns were scored by Defense on turnovers, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. The team that ultimately came out on top, the Los Angeles Rams, had two of those defense scores.  The result of this one game ignited the sports airwaves touting a transition away from the value of defense segwaying to offense firepower as the must haves to acquire the Lombardi Trophy. Yet, as the remaining NFL season played out, there were only two other offensive powerhouse offerings to add. Surprisingly, they featured the teams now playing to go to the Super Bowl.  New England beat Kansas City in week 6 of the regular season, 43-40; and the New Orleans Saints beat the Los Angeles Rams in week 9 45-35.

Another supposed argument siding with the offensive minded, is the most dominating offensive player in the millennium, New England quarterback, Tom Brady. Regardless of receiving core suiting up, year-in-and-year-out, Brady is the most precise and prolific offensive weapon.  He is New England's Trojan horse, as well. New England's offensive versatility often sidetracks analysts and opposing defensive coordinators. Two factors regarding New England's success overlooked by the masses are their sneaky running game, and its diverse defensive planning between head coach Bill Belichick and his various defense coordinators (Brian Flores has taken over this year from parting DC master, Matt Patricia).

Viewing five various sports sites ranking NFL defenses in 2018, not one had the New England Patriots in their top five (most placing them between 7th and 18th ). Yet, the New England defense literally shut down a powerhouse offense in Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.  In the first half of the AFC Championship game, New England defense shut down Kansas City from scoring. You may refute that Patriots allowed Mahomes and Kansas City back in game, as they did come out and score 31 points in the second half, which was whole heartedly disappointing. To advise, Kansas City defense did have a winning game interception, if it weren't for a neutral zone line up infraction made; thus, a defense play made to secure a victory moving towards a title. Alas, New England overcame fiascos to prove again, that behind that precise multi – option offense machine, is a defense that allows them opportunity to overtake time of possession and patiently maneuver down past all the hash marks in to the end zone.

In Sunday's earlier championship game, Los Angeles Rams displayed an expected top ranked defense performance stopping one of the most prolific offenses for the past decade lead by Drew Brees for the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans averaged 31 points this past 2018 season in scoring.  During the regular season, the New Orleans Saints beat Los Angeles Rams 45 to 35. Needless to say, defense was suspect in the earlier regular season encounter. Los Angeles defense coordinator Wade Phillips knew going in to the NFC Championship game, he had to come up with a score stopping strategy if the Rams had any chance of winning in a hostile high octane scoring environment in New Orleans.  The defensive line, the pass-rush all- pro duo of Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh set out the game plan and came up big. The Rams defense held Drew Brees and Saints offense (drawn up by one of the better offensive minds in Sean Payton) to 23 points.

As we head in to Super Bowl 53 between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, offense will show up on both sides to place points on the board. Don't be fooled by the rushes, catches and flinging passes athletically nabbed out of the gridiron air; a championship will be secured by the defense showing up stalling and denying progress in their opponent's forward scoring scheme.