NBA, The Hall for Everyone

The National Basketball Hall of Fame has a hard enough time trying to get the general public in.  First off it’s in Springfield, Massachusetts which hasn’t been a destination worth stopping at since the god damn industrial revolution.  Shit even Rosie the Riveter thought Springfield was a dump.  In lieu of building an infrastructure, updating a dilapidated city, the National Basketball Hall of Fame figured ‘Hey why don’t we just let every above average player in and maybe people will come to our city.’  With that said here is a list players that will one day grace the halls of the National Basketball Hall of Fame….my gosh Dr. James Naismith would be sick to his stomach with some of these names.

1) LeBron James– 4 MVP’s. 3 Rings. Will he ever win again?

2) Dirk Nowitzki– The Greatest European born basketball player ever to play the game of basketball.

3) Stephen Curry– 3 Rings. 2 MVP’s, 1 of those the only unanimous decision ever. Arguably greatest shooter of all time.

4) Kevin Durant– 1 MVP. 2 Rings. Sell out?

5) Dwayne Wade- Marquette Alum. Gabrielle Union’s husband.

6) Chris Paul- Zero Titles, Zero MVP’s, never made a conference final. But he will get in. Widely regarded as the best PG of his generation.

7) Russell Westbrook- Still building his resume’ but has the MVP and the stats to make him a LOCK.

8) Carmelo Anthony- Lala’s husband won a title at Syracuse, then was a top 50 player for the majority of his career.  Should he be in? No. But will he get in? Yes.

9) Vince Carter- My god he is still playing. Kid is on the Hawks now, wow.  Remember the hand through the basket dunk contest? That was 18 years ago. 18 years. Jesus Christmas.  This guy was a human highlight reel back then.

10) Tony Parker– 4 Rings. The greatest thing to come out of France since the Fry. Plus he conquered one of America’s greatest Eva Longoria, that alone might get him in.

11) Pau Gasol– 2 Rings. Greatest Spanish born basketball player ever. Softer than both sides of the pillow.

12) James Harden– 6 Seasons over 25 ppg. 1 MVP trophy. The Beard walks into the Hall.

 

NOT IN YET (according to me, but will get in eventually)

Anthony Davis– Will win a MVP, probably multiple.

Giannis Antetokounmpo– The FREAK will win multiple titles, multiple MVP’s.

Kawhi Leonard– If he didn’t get all weird leaving San Antone he would already be in the Hall.

Klay Thompson– He’s in, but I would like to see 2 more years of sharp shooter, mamba mentality.

 

Football Recap-

Pittsburgh is getting HAWT.

Mahomes stud.

How the hell do the Redskins have 6 wins?

Trubisque, on freakin’ fire.

Mike Thomas, Drew Breesy (MVP) are the Super Bowl favorites.

Tua Heisman.

Clemson is the only hope for a non Alabama national title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, who’s going to Canton?

The Professional Football Hall of Fame opens it’s doors every August to a new class of decorated men.  The argument can be made that it is the easiest Hall of Fame among the major 4 sports, to get into considering the number of modern day players they let in and the additional veterans committee players. The busts of these men go into a hallway in Canton, Ohio, forever cementing their illustrious careers.  The 2018 class had names enter the Hall of Fame that might as well been the Madden Hall of Fame.  Who doesn’t remember drafting Randy Moss in Madden ’03 as a 99 overall and just flinging up ‘Go Routes’ to him?  Or playing the Madden camp tour and STICKING people with #54 in the Blue and Orange, Brian Urlacher? My mind is listening to Good Charlotte right now just thinking about the hours logged on that game.

I digress. This generation of NFL players cannot be judged on statistics relative to the past, rather, it needs to be judged by what their peers are doing.  4000 yards passing, once was like WOAH BABY.  Now it’s like ‘Yea he better throw for 4000 yards.’ With that in mind here is our list of players currently in the National Football League, that without playing another down of football, are walking into Canton, Ohio when they decide to call it quits.

1) Tom Brady QB New England Patriots- 5 Rings. 3 MVP’s. Argument can be made he is the greatest Quarterback ever to play the game of football. Mouth kisses his kids, has a really weird super close relationship with Alex Guerrero, his pajamas though…..oh yeaaa.

2) J.J. Watt Edge Rusher Houston Texans- ‘I am a Real a American, Fight for the Right of Every Man’ 3 time Defensive Player of The Year. 4 time All Pro. 2017 Sports Person of the Year.  J.J. Watt is as close as it gets to merging Captain America, Superman, and Oprah.  One of the greatest humans on this planet.

3) Ben Roethlisberger QB Pittsburgh Steelers– 2 Super Bowl Rings. 6 Time Pro Bowler. 329 career passing TD’s. 5 seasons over 4000 yards passing.  4+ questionable decisions made in bars with women, who ‘allegedly’ were not into it.

4) Drew Brees QB New Orleans Saints-  When New Orleans needed him the most, he resurrected the city from Hurricane Katrina. 1 Super Bowl Ring. 2 time Offensive Player of the Year. 11 time Pro Bowl. 7 Seasons 4000 yards. 5 seasons of 5000 yards passing. 501 career TD passes.

5) Antonio Gates TE San Diego Chargers- The greatest thing to ever come out of Kent State University.  Most touchdowns at the Tight End Position in league history. 3 time All Pro. Defined what it meant to box out a defensive player with his larger than life backside.

6) Julius Peppers Edge Rusher Carolina Panthers- Basketball was his passion, but football became his LIFE.  Julius Peppers was a mean son of a bitch in his hay day on the edge. 9 Time Pro Bowl. 3 Time All Pro. Versatile enough to pick it and go, powerful enough to move mountains.

7) Larry Fitzgerald WR Arizona Cardinals- Larry Fitzgerald will be running for President of the United States in 2024, and he will win. Third all time in receiving yards. Third all time in receptions. They call him Banana Hands. 2008 set a record for 8 receiving TD’s in a post season.  Most importantly Larry gives back. Mission trips to 4 continents to support economic development projects.

8) Adam Vinatieri K Indianapolis Colts- 4 Super Bowl Rings. 2 Super Bowl winning kicks. 2501 total career points scored, most in NFL history. Lasted 2 weeks at the United States Military Academy before returning home to South Dakota.

9) Jason Peters T Philadelphia Eagles- 9 time Pro Bowl. 2 time All Pro. Leader of Men.

10) Terrell Suggs Edge Rusher Baltimore Ravens- 7 Time Pro Bowl. 1 Super Bowl Ring. May have been around when Ray Lewis ‘murdered’ someone. 2011 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Outside of the field he can be known as sizzlin’ too much, with the whole ‘domestic violence’ issues.

11) Robert Gronkowski TE New England Patriots- 2 Super Bowl Rings. 4 Time All Pro. 77 Career TD’s at the Tight End position. Very bright future in the WWE post NFL career. Also dabbles with some adult film stars.

12) Aaron Rodgers QB Green Bay Packers- Danica Patrick’s boyfriend actually has had a great career prior to him stepping out into the celebrity dating spotlight. 2 time league MVP, 1 Super Bowl Ring, it’s a shame he and Mike McCarthy can’t get on the same page or maybe…..fire someone…hint hint… Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of his peak years.

13) Adrian Peterson RB Minnesota Vikings- 2012 NFL MVP. Over 12 thousand career yards rushing. 99 Career Touchdowns. Big on the mantra, ‘if a kid acts a fool, he needs a whoopin’. Apparently that includes whipping a naked 4 year old with a switch.

14) Patrick Peterson CB Arizona Cardinals- 7 seasons in the league, 7 Pro Bowls. 3 Time All Pro. There is a reason he has limited INT’s and pass deflections, nobody throws the ball to his side. As shut down as shut down gets.

15 & 16) Richard Sherman & Earl Thomas DB’s Seattle Seahawks- Leaders of the LEGION OF BOOM.  Best defensive back field combination for a 4 year period. Sherman 4 straight All Pro’s. Thomas widely regarded as the leagues best safety.

17) Von Miller Edge Rusher Denver Broncos- 6 out of 8 seasons with over 10 sacks, including 18.5 in 2012. 3 Time All Pro. 1 Super Bowl Ring. Looks great in glasses. Finished in 8th place on Dancing with the Stars.

18) Antonio Brown WR Pittsburgh Steelers- 6 time Pro Bowl. 4 Time All Pro. Twice lead the league in receiving yards. 5 straight seasons over 1200 yards receiving.  He is not slowing down and he is already in the Hall.

 

Notable Players Left Off the List-

Luke Kuechly LB Carolina Panthers- Needs two more good years.

Tyron Smith T Dallas Cowboys– Needs to show he is the BEST at his position for a few more years.

DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, AJ Green WR’s– They are the same statistically, who will emerge.

Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers- Keeps planting the seed in his wife. Keeps building a case for the Hall. A long playoff run would go a REALLY long way.

Haloti Ngata DT Baltimore Ravens- Ngata is close. Very close.

Frank Gore RB San Francisco 49er’s-  Compiling stats over YEARS and YEARS. The man has tree trunks for legs.

 

 

 

 

 

So, who is in?

The Bullfrog will be working on a 4 part series, the goal is to take an objective look at 4 current professional sport leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL) and identify who are the Hall of Fame players.  We are talking IN the Hall of Fame, TODAY.  Not, ‘well if they continue to project out’.  I want LOCKS.  We will identify those players that maybe one day will be in. There is such an influx of young talent in all the major sports, we really need to appreciate what we have watched for years as some of the older generation moves onto other pursuits in life.

These are the men who will be walking into Canton, Toronto, Springfield, or Cooperstown one day.

Cooperstown is calling real soon for these boys:

1)Albert Pujols- One of, if not the greatest righthanded hitter ever to play the game.  14 seasons of 30+ home runs. 3 MVP awards. 2001 Rookie of the Year. 3 MVP runner ups. 10 All Star Games. 633 career home runs. .302 career batting average. 3,000 hit club. I could go on forever baby.  One of the greatest players ever.

2) Miguel Cabrera- 2 MVP awards. 10 time All Star. 556 career home runs. 10 seasons of 30+ home runs. 12 seasons of 100+ runs batted in. 2012 Triple Crown. Similar to Pujols an utter force from the right hand side.

3) Adrian Beltre- 3,166 hits, 5 time Gold Glove, 4 time All Star.  21 years in the league. One of 5 players in baseball history to hit 100 home runs with 3 different teams. Don’t touch his head.

4) Yadier Molina-  9 time All Star. 8 time Gold Glove winner. They call him the Leonardo Da Vinci of framing pitcher.  Calls a game like Mozart at a symphony. 14 consecutive Opening Day starts for the St. Louis Cardinals.

5) Mike Trout- 27 years old. He could not play another game in his life and he will go down as a top 10 player of all time. 2012 Rookie of the Year. 2 time MVP. 3 time MVP runner up, easily could have won it each of those years. .307 career batting average. 3 seasons of 10+ WAR.  The Millville Meteor.

6) Clayton Kershaw- 3 Time Cy Young Award winner. 1 MVP trophy. 7 All Star games. One of the most unique motions in history.  The man builds orphanages in the off season for fun.  2.39 career ERA. Flithy.

7) Max Scherzer- 3 Cy Young Awards. 10 straight seasons of 30+ starts. 7 straight seasons of  200+ strike outs. Balls of steel. 300 K’s in 2018. 4 straight years ERA under 3.00. Eyes are different colors. The guy COMPETES. He is intense playing Monopoly.

8) Madison Bumgarner- The horse of the post season. 4 time All Star. 3 time World Series Champion. Single handedly won the 2014 World Series by throwing 21 innings allowing a single run. Legends are made in October and November.

9) Felix Hernandez- 6 All Star games. 1 Cy Young. 3.34 career ERA. Led MLB in ERA 2 seasons. 6 seasons 200+ strikeout years. 10 straight seasons of 30+ starts. GOSH this is as borderline as it gets.  In his prime he was dominant, but was that prime long enough? The back end of his career hurts him. He gets in by the skin of his TEETH.

10) CC Sabathia- 1 Cy Young. 3 seasons of 200+ strikeouts. His peak was great. ’07 and ’08 season he pitched 241 innings and 253 innings respectively. 12 seasons 30+ starts. 3.70 career ERA. He compiled toward the end of his career and had a rough ’13,’14,’15.  His case in interesting and he will get votes for years.  End of the day he gets in after a few years of waiting.

The Future Is Bright for these boys-

1) Mookie Betts- 2018 MVP

2) Francisco Lindor- Future MVP

3) Bryce Harper- MVP candidate or over hyped, oozes talent.

4) Jacob deGrom- 2018 CY Young, ’18 campaign was one of the best in recent memory.

5) Nolan Arenado- Offense and Defense Plus Plus. Start of his career has been outstanding.

6) Joey Votto- His case will be an interesting one once all said and done. Batting Average and OBP will be there, power ehhh not so much.

7) Kenley Jansen- Needs to get a couple of rings and continue to dominate but this linebacker pitching out of the pen is scary.

8) Corey Kluber- 2 Cy Young awards already. He is the closest thing to a lock not on the list. He is 2 years of good pitching away from cementing his place in Cooperstown. The Klubot.

 

NFL Picks Week 8– (7-8) heading into the week (0-4) Upset Special-

Vikings -1 vs Saints– Minnesota is getting hot as the temperatures cool down.

Eagles -3 @ Jacksonville– Carson is coming. QB situation in Jacksonville is a mess.

49er’s -1 @ Cardinals– Beathard and a ground game will control the ball.

Upset Special (DO NOT bet on this, clearly)– Seahawks +3 @ Lions, gimme Rusty and the boys winning outright 23-17.

 

College Picks- (7-8) heading into the week. Need to PICK IT UP.

Texas A&M +1.5 @ Mississippi St- A&M wins this outright by ten points

Oregon -9.5 @ Arizona- Sumlin’s Wildcats are in disarray. New QB under center. Herbert continues to make his case for the NFL Draft’s top pick. He will look nice in Giants blue.

Army catching 1 @ Eastern Michigan- The Cadets baby, gonna be bowl eligible AGAIN. Great place to catch a game that West Point. Or buy a ticket and tailgate for 6 hours, whatever you prefer.

 

Enjoy the weekend readers 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL Playoff Expander

The weekly contributor the Scallywag chimes in with some NFL playoff expansion ideas.

NFL PLAYOFF EXPANDER FOR DUMMIES   

Ladies and gents as the NFL season rolls on, I have decided to double down with an NFL feature article about how and why the playoff structure should be expanded. One of the great things about the NFL is that there really is no rhetoric for rules, stats, structure or other. What I mean by this is they change shit all the time. Different catch rules, new penalties, new kickoff rules and more. Numerous times in history the season has expanded, the playoff structure has been revised and the rules have been rewritten. I am here to divulge how to continue this expansion in a way that both the owners and PLAYERS will easily agree to. It’s also a simple concept involving simple math. Let me explain:

Current Scenario:
The current structure of the playoffs is as follows. 12 total teams from a possible pool of 32 advance. 4 top teams in the league get a bye, followed by 4 top teams in each other division and 4 wild card teams, equating to 12 teams, are you with me so far? So, you have a total of 4 games the first week, 4 games the second week, 2 games the third week and finally 1 game, equaling 11 games. Here is the simple way to add TWO additional games. It starts with eliminating a bye team and adding two additional wild card games.

Scallywag Scenario:

Let me explain this proposition as followed in the new format. 2 top teams in the league get a bye, 6 top teams in each division along with now with 6 wild card teams. (14 total teams make playoffs as opposed to 12.) Now you have 6 games the first week, followed by 4 games the second week, 2 games the third week and finally 1 game, equaling 13 total games.

Why would the owners and players be interested in this? Simple, it ADDS GAMES WITHOUT ADDING WEEKS TO THE SEASON. As a first-year player this newly seeded, “barely eeking it in” wild card team, has some rookie guys getting a ‘bonus’ game check for a playoff game of approximately $27,000 instead of sitting on the couch. Not too shabby for 2 hours of work if you ask me. If they win, that’s even more money in their pocket for the next game. Furthermore, the atmosphere at a playoff game is ELEVATED. Beer sales, concessions, tickets etc. if you are one of the added two teams, the revenue is HUGE. Two more PLAYOFF FOOTBALL games?!? I mean this is a no brainer, not to mention the fan base who has new found hope that their team will make a run and surprise everyone getting to the super bowl. Shit I mean the Seahawks had a LOSING record a few years ago when Marshawn “beast mode” Lynch went off and beat the heavily favored Saints. Finally, it puts a true emphasis on being the BEST. Let us actually reward the BEST team in the AFC and NFC with a bye, not hand them out like participation medals at the Special Olympics. I mean all jokes aside, Ricky Bobby really did say it best, “If you ain’t first you’re last.”

If the players or owners do have a hard time adjusting to this, simply eliminate a pre-season game and go with 3 games instead of 4. While this might be a harder sell because of revenue, everyone and their mother can agree preseason NFL is absolute donkey shit that no one cares about it. You can easily evaluate your players in 3 weeks, it prevents less injuries to true stars and now gives incentive to do away with a game by adding two potentially HUGE REVENUE games for the end of the season. Now I challenge all you readers out there to petition Goodell and get that sloppy hack job of a human to implement my changes and expand when GAMES MATTER.

-Brian Davis, a.k.a The Scallywag

Random Six Friday

Do yourself a favor. When you are staring at the cooler in your local liquor store tonight,and you will be staring at the cooler in your local liquor store tonight, when you feel a slight tug in your mind toward something safe, some place you’ve been countless times.  When you feel that tug, resist it and go with a random six pack of beers you’ve never heard of and never tried.  It could be a revelation. It could be a disaster.  But give it a shot. Random Six Pack Friday’s are BACK baby.

The Bullfrog took a week off last week from picks so we got to get back on track here this week.  Coming into the week we stand at: NFL Weekly Picks (4-5), Upset Special (0-3), College Picks (5-4).  So we’re doubling up the picks this week.  You will get a random six pack of picks for the NFL weekend.  Two STEAMING hot Upset Specials.  And a random six of pack of college picks as well. Clearly the records are not what they should be, so let’s LISTEN UP this week, and get our heads out of our asses.

Week 7 NFL Random 6 Pack-

Philadelphia Eagles -4.5 vs Carolina Panthers-  Wentz is hitting his stride, the restrictor plate has been taken off.  Dougy Pederson put a couple of extra horses under that hood, but keep that on the down low…….HEY MIKE.

Minnesota Vikings -3.5 @ New York Jets- Vikings are ready to take off.  Jets are a nice team, a nice (8-8) smelling team.

Houston Texans +4.5 @ Jacksonville Jaguars- Feelin’ a 3 point game in either direction, give me the points.

Cincinnati Bengals +6 @ Kansas City Chiefs- Again feel like this is too many points not to take.

Dallas Cowboys +1 @ Washington Redskins- Last second field goal wins it for the Boys, breaks the ‘Skins hearts.

New Orleans Saints +2.5 @Baltimore Ravens– Arguably the best game of the week.  Baltimore’s D is hot.  Saints Offense coming off a bye will be CLICKIN’. Saints win this one outright.

 

UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK-

BUFFALO BILLS KNOCK OFF THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS BEHIND THE MIRACLE PLAYS BY DEREK ANDERSON.  D.A. IS BACK BABY.

 

COLLEGE PICKS-

Florida Atlantic -3@ Marshall– Lane Kiffin is recruiting 11 year olds now. Matt Leinart’s son.

Colorado +15.5@ Washington– WAYYYYY too many points for a team that runs the ball really well and has the most mature QB in the Pac 12.

Penn State -14.5 @Indiana– Blow out, 20 plus point win for the Nittany Lions.

Oregon State +7.5 vs Cal– College UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK. Let’s go BEAVERS.

Mississippi St +6.5 @ LSU– Feels like a let down game for the Tigers

Purdue +12 vs Ohio St– Purdue is pesky and at home they are going to keep this within 10 points.

Enjoy some suds tonight folks.

NBA PREVIEW….circa 2024

The National Basketball Association’s popularity is at an all time high.  The game has grown globally at an exponential rate.  The amount of young marketable stars in the league has never been higher.  These are young men who play a game where everyone sees their face, they wear cool shoes, and for the most part seem like decent human beings. Globally it is pushing soccer for the most played sport.  A ball, a basket, available in most cultures throughout the world.

Adam Silver could not be happier.  He is considered forward thinking with his support of legalized gambling and daily fantasy sports.  His league was the first to pass advertising on the jersey’s, opening Pandora’s box to every and all marketing and advertising ideas in the future.  He has billionaires knocking on his door constantly trying to buy franchises in his league.  Life is pretty good high in the offices of 645 5th Avenue.

Not so fast Adam.  Have you looked at your league in the face recently.  Warriors have 5 All Stars, and 2 of the top 3 players in the entire league.  They ADDED to their roster this off season. They are more than head and shoulders above every other team.  It begs the question, is this fun?  Is this what the league wants?  1 top dog and everyone else playing some sort of catch up.  The NBA is entertaining.  Without question on any given night you can see highlight reel plays by any number of players on teams that win and teams that sit in the basement of the league.  If you are watching for pure entertainment reasons then this league is great as is.  However, if you are hoping for competitive basketball played at the high level on the grandest stage, you are going to be waiting for quite some time.  We all know it as “The New NBA”, where guys team up and try to win titles.  But hey if they don’t win a title, guess what they are still boys, counting their millions in the bank and sippin’ red wine at dinner. But it’s not competitive when one team has WAY better roster than anyone else can even sniff.

Does this have culture of inclusion and the ‘fun’ NBA have an end in sight? And what might it look like?  I give you the 2024 NBA PREVIEW.

All NBA 1st Team:

G- Ben Simmons, Point Guard, Philadelphia 76ers: Coming off his first MVP campaign and second straight NBA title appearance, Ben and the 76ers look to avenge that game 7 loss. Ben also made headlines this summer, as the first ever major athlete to compete on the new show (re-make of an old show), called Survivor.

G- Donovan Mitchell, Shooting Point Guard, Utah Jazz: Mitchell continues to push his game to new heights. His 6 straight All Star appearances and overall versatility have consistently improved over the years.  I would love to see this guy get more MVP consideration, he is a true Super Star.  Fun Fact: The D Mix V’s were the hottest selling shoes last year.
F- Giannis Anteknounpo, Point Forward, Milwaukee Bucks: The 3 time MVP finished second in the voting last year after averaging, 30.2 ppg, 9.2 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 4.3 assists.  Giannis appears re-invigorated this season as the Bucks added All Star Lauri Markkanen via free agency, shortly after Markkanen signed veteran grey beard, James Harden signed a 1 year deal for one last shot at a title.

F- Luka Doncic, Point Forward, Dallas Mavericks: Doncic is re-defining what the European player looks like and who he hangs out with.  We thought Tristan Thompson and Jimmy Garappolo were hittin’ it to some hotties.  Doncic continues to defy the odds, making Rob Gronkowski’s escapades look like an alter boy.  If I had a dime for every porn star this man has had in the last year, well I would have A LOT of dimes.

Somehow this has never translated to a slow down on the hardwood. That silky smooth Euro step.  The J has developed into a real threat. Doncic has become more of a killer. Watch out.

C- Joel Embiid, Center, Philadelphia 76er’s: Embiid’s first feature film was a BANGER. The remake of “The Air Up There” Embiid plays Saleh and delivers an A+ performance.  Michael B. Jordan reprises the role of Jimmy Dolan (Kevin Bacon) and is up for an Oscar this year. On a lighter note Embiid’s fourth season of 60 plus games, the guy continues to evolve.

Power Rankings Heading Into the 2024 Season:

5. Brooklyn Nets- Brooklyn might have finally reversed the curse of the Pierce, Garnett trade. The Nets bowed out in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last year, but are thirsty for more.  Led by veterans Caris Levert and Jarrett Allen, the Boyz of Brooklyn are looking up.  The recently sold team is no longer hiding behind the Iron Curtain.  Free from the grasp of the Prokhorov, Joseph C. Tsai ushers in a new, calmer Nets.  Coach (and Nets Legend) Kerry Kittles has this team on the brink of stardom. It’s almost too cool for Brooklyn hipsters to like this team at this point. Almost.

4. Seattle Super Sonics- Seattle’s return to the league 3 years ago and the fans are still RABID.  The statue of Detlef Schrempf in front of the new arena seems over the top but, whatever gets ya going.  Fortunately, they were gifted a ready to win roster.  Kawhi Leonard still hates being in obscurity, kinda…. But secretly he loves those salmon eatin’, Starbucks drinkin’ fans. Michael Porter Jr.’s was selected by them late in the expansion draft and after a ground breaking 4th back surgery has REDEFINED what back surgeons can do, this man is now closer to a cyborg. Klay Thompson loves the Pacific Northwest, and is butter on a roll.  If only this team was together 4 years ago, they could have really made a push for a title.

3. Philadelphia 76er’s- Easily could make the case for number 1, but the depth of this team could be the issue.  Embiid and Simmons are a can’t miss 1, 2 punch but who is going to be that 3rd scoring option.  Recently back from his 4th sports psychological exam, Markelle Fultz might be turning the corner….baby steps Markelle baby steps.  Veterans Aaron Gordon and Andre Drummond, add depth but little ability. They would be the favorites in the Eastern Conference unless for….

2. Milwaukee Bucks- Giannis Anteknounpo strangle hold of this league has come full circle.  He has truly learned to dominate.  Gone are the days of hearing about that basketball player turned actor turned politician LeBron James. Giannis is redefining the point forward position.  3 MVP trophies and a lock for the Hall of Fame, now he has his sights set on his second NBA title.  Loaded with Lauri Markanen, James Harden, and the newly emerged Frank Ntilikina this team is the class of the Eastern Conference.

1.Dallas Mavericks- Mavericks are going for their second straight title under the hand of the slayer himself Luka Doncic.  Paired with the explosive Dennis Smith Jr., the wily veteran former MVP himself Anthony Davis, and the steady winning hand of Jalen Brunson. Mark Cuban, new Pittsburgh Pirates owner, has got what he always wanted a dominant force.  Under the first ever, co-coaches Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, this team looks to be the next dynasty in the making.

Other NBA notables–

Lonzo Ball and the brothers Balls are enjoying their 3rd season abroad this year playing for his Dad’s newly formed league in Panama, name the Canal My Ball League.

DeAndre Ayton, out of the league for 2 years now, recently signed on for the re-make of Celebrity Fit Club after ballooning to 410 Lbs.

Draymond Green won the senate seat in his state of Michigan and swears he will push for the White House. God help us all.

Coach K, Williams, Calipari, and Pitino are all enjoying their time behind bars after the FBI investigation wrapped up just over a year ago. A new docuseries called Coach: The Life of an Inmate premieres next month on Showtime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL Over-Underated By: Brian Davis

As your first weekly columnist I’d like to add a list of current NFL players who we’ve decided are Overrated or Underrated. And by we, I mean me. Now, this short list may come as a surprise or it may not. Some of the picks may be an, I already knew that, and yet some might surprise you. When looking at value that a player presents, it pans more than just stats but yields to a degree of heart shown on the field. All I’m saying is I will present the case with some stats but also through the eye test where simply watching some of these guys on the field you can see they just don’t have it.

Overrated

1. Amari Cooper – this guy is simply put, a “going through the motions” player. He does not fight for extra yards, he does not look for contact and it seems as though he puts no effort into catching the ball. His roller coaster season shows of 1 catch, 10 catches, 2 catches, 8 catches, 1 catch. I mean it almost seems as though this guys practice demeanor translates to his game script. Some of it is on the game plan, yes, but if you are supposed to be the #1 WR on an NFL team show some fucking grit. I mean Jordy Nelson is outplaying this guy. Jordy has been in the league way longer, came back from a major injury, has lost a step and yet still continues to outproduce Amari. The Raiders are in for a long season and it’s only looking bleaker by the day. If Coop wants to right the ship, he better show up like a flying missile looking to run over every cornerback because as of right now he takes the top spot on overrated.
2. Dak Prescott – when you enter your NFL career by filling in for the injured legend that is Anthony Romo and commence to win 11 straight games or whatever it was it is no surprise you are heralded as the next best thing. Now Dak, unlike Amari shows heart when he plays. That you cannot teach, the problem simply is that for Dak the talent just isn’t there. This guy was supposed to be the backup for the backup for the backup or something along those lines. There’s a reason a guy gets rated like that, he’s NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE STARTER. Granted his current bunch of WRs are not very good at all and that’s putting it nicely in all honesty he might have the shittiest WRs in the league he still misses open guys. The eye test will tell you here that he just doesn’t have the accuracy and in the NFL that doesn’t keep you the starter for very long.
3. Jordan Howard – as overrated as it gets people seem to LOVE this guy especially in the fantasy world and yet I’ll be the first to tell you, he just isn’t that good. There’s no flash, no quickness it’s simply a product of needing a big back to run the ball. He is in the realm of guys like Lamar Miller and Derek Henry, the latter of which could easily be in this top 3 of underachievers. The bears are foolish to not give the ball to Tarik Cohen more. I assume they are hesitant because of his size, well, take a look at Ray Rice’s career, Darren Sproles, Tyreek Hill even. These guys could or do handle a full workload and so should Tarik. Howard should be the complement and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it much more so moving forward. All I’m saying is he’s a boring runner on an up and coming team. You cannot teach electricity and that’s what Cohen brings – get him the ball more, not Jordan Howard.

Underrated:

1. James White – all this week all I heard was Sony Michel ready to shine as the new face of New England’s running game. We’ll I’ll be the first to tell you they already have their guy and his name is James White. Talk about an all-purpose, duel threat, get the ball in his hands more type of guy. Consistently makes defenders look foolish and for his small size always falls forwards getting tackled. The fact that this guy gets SINGLE digit carries a game is embarrassing. Granted he gobbles up check down passes from Brady like a hungry, hungry hippo but they need to simply hand off to this guy more. He’s a not a household name and he should be. Sometimes I feel Belichek gets caught up so much in game planning for each specific team that he shoots himself in the foot by not giving the ball enough to his best players. I think if New England wants to continue to win and they always seem to find a way to do so, the ball goes to White a lot more.
2. Blake Bortles – yes I said it, something positive about Blake Bortles, suck it haters. This guy, all I hear about is how BAD he is. Well let me tell you what, you cannot teach clutch and I’ve seen in the playoffs, this guy produce. He also puts up monster yardage and can run the ball himself as an underrated scrambler. Now, does he make bad decisions? Yes, absolutely but a lot of them are because he’s trying to WIN. I mean he needs to hold onto the ball better and needs to learn that if a screen is sniffed out to throw it into the ground, but these are all things he seems to correct. He learns from him mistakes and seems to not let the same thing happen again. His problem is he sometimes finds new ways to make a mistake. OK maybe Blake isn’t the MOST underrated guy but I’m not buying the “Blake is a Bum” moniker and I think a lot of teams would take his right now over their current starter.
3. Sterling Shephard – all you hear out of Giants camp is how great Barkley is, what a weapon O’Dell is, does Eli still have it blah blah. Well the real story should be about the one guy no one talks about that shows up every week and DOES HIS JOB. Sterling Shephard is a grind it out, take on tacklers gamer that wants to win. There’s no drama, no attitude just trying to win the game. The Giants need to get this guy the ball more. He can run across the middle on a slant, goes up the field on an out, does whatever you ask and yet gets none of the headlines. When they draw up a game plan for him like two weeks ago he catches all 10 of the passes thrown his way and scores a TD. That’s the consistent production I want from a guy and the G-Men would be foolish to not get this guy more involved.

Champagne Showers

1973, the New York Metropolitans won the National League Pennant. The ’73 Mets won 82 games that year.  The team they played in the National League Championship, the Cincinnati Reds won 99 regular season games.  The Met’s beat them 3-2 in the NLCS.  Huge, HUGE upset over a dominant team in the Reds. You know what that means boys???? That means pop that champagne Mr. Mays, you are going to the World Series.

1980’s teams celebrated the regular season title. Pennant. World Series. But they kept it classy.

Years ago it was simple.  Bring out a bottle of champagne.  Bring out some brewskis and let’s do a little celebrating.

Tasteful, enjoyable.

Baseball is said to be America’s past time.  Said to be a microcosm of our society.  Hot dogs, rosin bags, Cracker Jacks, Pine Tar, and champagne shampoo.

The tradition was great, fun, exciting.  THEN it started to grow in size and frequency. Just because the playoffs have expanded, does not mean more bottles need to be popped.  The number of times champagne is flowing through a locker room makes me sick.  Realistically a team could be poppin’ for getting into the playoffs, poppin’ for the wild card game victory, the AL/NL Divisional Series, AL/NL Championship series, and of course the World Series.  ALL IN THE MATTER OF A MONTH AND A HALF. That’s too much poppin’.

Throw a flag on this Ed Hochuli, beyond excessive celebration.

Below this 2016 Cubs team appears to have won the World Series, nope.  The Pennant? Nope. The regular season division crown? Wrong again. They won the National League Divisional Series.  They celebrated winning a 5 game series like they toppled the god damn Roman Empire.

This 2015 Pirates team clinched a playoff spot. A PLAYOFF SPOT.  Not a divisional championship. Just a CHANCE to compete in the playoffs as potentially a Wild Card team. Do you think the NBA’s Houston Rockets are going to bathe in Andre’ if they win the Southwest Division? Are Boston Bruins scrubbing Bud Lights into their beards when they secure the 5th seed? Come on.

Granted there are varying levels of showers going on here.  We have everything from Budweiser to Chandon, but the clubhouse celebration has taken on a new definition in the last 10 to 15 years.  Do organizations have a team of people choosing the type of alcoholic beverage based the importance of the moment? Wild card birth, Bud Lights, ALCS, get me that magnum of MOET bitch.

This Blue Jays team was the last to make it into the playoffs. They lost the game they played that evening, but backdoored a playoff spot. COVER UP THE LOCKERS its party time.  And while we’re on the subject.  The ski masks. C’mon MAN. Back in the day the boys got champagne in their eyes, it stung, and they moved on with their day.

I am not advocating for this time honored tradition to suddenly stop.  I love a good beer shower more than the next guy.  But when we are seeing teams three and four times a post season showering their teammates whatever bottle of booze the clubhouse manager was able to procure that day, it gets to be too much.  When I see a bottle of champagne the size of a propane tank, I want that to mean you are the CHAMPION.  You have won it all, not that you have advanced to another stage. When my team takes a champagne shower, I want it to mean something.

Week 5 NFL Picks

Game 1: Los Angeles Chargers -5 vs Oakland Raiders

The Chargers original owner was Barron Hilton, the heir to the Hilton hotel fortune.  Ip so facto, Paris Hilton basically owns this team.  How she is not giving Taylor Swift a run for her money as biggest female pop star after this debut still boggles my mind.  The Stars Were Blind

The Raiders’ run defense is last in the league. Dead last. Melvin Gordon is going to gash this team all day long.  Oakland is 5-11-2 against the spread in their last 18 games. Jordy Nelson is due for a let down. Although there will be WAY more Raiders fans at this home game for the Bolts, I don’t see Philip and his Super Chargers losing.  As I said earlier in the week, this Chargers team is a good 2-2.  I see playoffs in their future.

Chargers 34 Raiders 20

Game 2: Los Angeles Rams laying 7 @ Seattle Seahawks

Ooooo the 12th man……OOOO the Legion of Boom….More like we can’t block and Russell’s head goes boom on the turf. Even in a win last week Russell was playing behind a bunch of turnstiles.

10 days off for the Rams coming into this one.  So by my calculations 20 hour work day, 1 hour during that 20 to eat and take a dump, so that’s 19 hours a day for 10 days McVay has been preparing and watching film for this game.  190 hours of prep by Sean McVay going into this matchup.  I’ll take the young stud.

Rams 28 Seahawks 17

Game 3: New Orleans Saints laying 6.5 vs Washington Redskins

1. Alex Smith gets picked off 3 times

2. Drew Brees goes for 4 tds, 2 to Mike Thomas

3. The Redskins are terrible.

4. Alvin Kamara 200 plus combined yards, 2 tds.

5. Jay Gruden’s face looks like he tasted one of those gross sweet clementines not the tart ones.

Saints 40 Redskins 17

UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 @ Kansas City Chiefs

So if I just pick against the Chiefs the entire year they’ll go undefeated and win the Super Bowl.  NOT so fast.  This upset special is going down this week.

The Jaguars are by far the best defensive team Patrick Mahomes has seen.  I thought the Denver pass rush was going to be the elixir but I now know it is going to be the BEST secondary in football shutting him down.  Jags have limited other teams to 164 yards passing in their 4 contests this year.  CRANK the heat up, Calais is coming in and we all know about that anaconda he totes.

Futhermore, the Chiefs defense is not that good.  Blake Bortles is going to have a DAY KID 350 through the air, 2 tds, 1 rushing td. TJ Yeldon, who actually has been productive for the first time in his career, is going go for over 100 and 2 tds.

Jaguars 30 Chiefs 21

Season Record (2-4)

Upset Special Record (0-2)

Strike A Pose…a look back.

The New York Downtown Athletic Club awards a trophy annually to the college football player who exhibits ‘outstanding performance which best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work.’  The list of winners in the last 25 years all have their place in our sports lexicon.  They all were great, sometimes legendary.  Some remained on that path. Others….well, didn’t.

1994- Rashaan Salaam, Running Back, University of Colorado: They call him the Muslim Menace of the backfield.  Rest in Peace Rashaan.

1995- Eddie George, Running Back, Ohio State University: Eddie defied the odds, despite looking like an Alien, he dominated as senior with over 1900 yards and 24 touchdowns. His NFL career is best known for being on the team that came up 1 yard short against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.

1996- Danny Wuerffel, Quarterback, University of Florida: Danny played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe.

1997- Charles Woodson, Cornerback, University of Michigan: Charles Woodson is arguably the greatest cornerback in NFL History. Iconic.

1998- Ricky Williams, Running Back, University of Texas: NAMASTE. Ricky enjoys his weed.

1999- Ron Dayne, Running Back, University of Wisconsin: Ron is widely regarded as the greatest college running back ever to play the game.  He rushed for 7,125 yards in the most impressive 4 year run by any college player in the history of the sport.  Ron’s NFL career was cut short by lack of carries from the idiot coaches he played for over the 7 seasons he was in the league.

2000- Chris Weinke, Quarterback, Florida State University: Weinke shocked the world winning the Heisman trophy at 45 years old with 3 kids. Unbelievable feat.

2001- Eric Crouch, Quarterback, University of Nebraska: 1500 passing yards, 1100 passing yards, 18 running TDs. No one has seen him since.

2002- Carson Palmer Quarterback, University of Southern California: Stud in college, stud in the pro’s, border line Hall of Famer. His brother Jordan, phenomenal Quarterback coach.

2003- Jason White, Quarterback, University of Oklahoma: No one remembers him winning the trophy. His name couldn’t be more boring, similar to his game.

2004- Matt Leinart, Quarterback, University of Southern California: Leinart charmed the chicks, rode Reggie Bush to the title, got a fat paycheck in the NFL. Now he is in commercials with elderly women.  Mannnnn the guys still got it.

2005- Vacated…..REGINALD BUSH….

2006- Troy Smith, Quarterback, Ohio State University: Troy was not very good.

2007- Tim Tebow, Quarterback, University of Florida: JESUS WALKS.

2008- Sam Bradford, Quarterback, University of Oklahoma: Accurate, of course. Stole money from roughly 5 NFL teams, YEP.  The man is getting $20 million this year.  He was benched week 3.  Not a bad way to make a living Sam. The NFL had to invent a rule to stop teams from paying first round picks so much money because how BAD Sam was.

2009- Mark Ingram, Running Back, University of Alabama: Solid in college, solid in pro’s, got popped for steroids which is hard to do in the NFL.

2010- Cameron Newton, Quarterback, Auburn University: Heisman, NFL MVP, Linebacker playing Quarterback, biggest question is will he ever win a Super Bowl?

2011- Robert Griffin III, Quarterback, Baylor University: Remember when tamagotchi’s were sweeping the nation’s youth. Robert Griffin the III’s career is equivalent.

2012- Johnny Manziel, Quarterback, University of Texas A&M: Gotta say I kinda miss the days of this:

The guy was entertaining.

2013- Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State University: Gotta say I don’t miss this:

2014- Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, University of Oregon: The King of Hawaii, lower body made of paper mache. I hope this guy gets it together.

2015- Derrick Henry, Running Back, University of Alabama: A guy his size with as many touches as he is getting in the NFL should be an easy 1200 yard rusher. Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram, TJ Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Bo Scarbrough, Eddie Lacy, Kenyan Drake.  Those Alabama Rb’s are a lot of MISS more than HIT.

2016- Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, University of Louisville: Electricity runs through the mans legs. I would love for this guy to work out in the NFL.

2017- Baker Mayfield, Quarterback, University of Oklahoma: The kid competes. I hope in a few years we are saying, the kid competes and wins.

2018- WIDE OPEN baby.  But not going chalk with TUA…..Give me Jake Fromm..Georgia goes undefeated.

Thursday Night Pick- New England Patriots -10.5 vs Indianapolis Colts: This game on paper is as boring as they come.

Patriots 28 Colts 17

Thursday Picks (1-1)

 

College Picks-

NC State -4 vs Boston College

Iowa State +11 @ Oklahoma State

Virginia Tech +6.5 vs Notre Dame……Not sure who wins this but it’s going to be a close one.

Overall College Picks: 3-3….Cuse +24 easy money last week.