Guest blogger. Mr. Royal. Let that simmer for a bit.
The first ever “Fan Mail” Column (names blocked for anonymity)
Disclaimer: I’m not fooling myself. I know me and the Fillerbuster aren’t pulling in a thousand readers a day (or a hundred for that matter), but you never know how starting one of these sites will go, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the response from friends on just how much some people actually read the crap me and Filler put out there.
This one is for you guys. You saw something cool in sports and texted/tweeted me/commented on something so lets talk about it.
If you’re one of those people who think social media is somehow slowly ruining sports, I really don’t think I could possibly disagree more. I get sports updates on stuff seconds after it happens from people that would never bother to text me or pick up a phone to call and tell me about it. Two minutes later, I’m watching a highlight on YouTube (already uploaded by some guy out in Wisconsin or something) that I wouldn’t have known existed until tomorrow morning on SportsCenter.
By the way, it was on Youtube. Posted within 5 minutes of it happening. So I got to see this beauty over and over again after I just barely caught it on my NBA Postgame recording on DirecTV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhv03qqlHDc#t=0
Top 5 dunk ever? No. Not even close. There’s been some terrific stuff in dunk contests. Top 5 in-game dunk? That’s a conversation, but I’m still going to have to say probably no. Deandre Jordan had the greatest in-game dunk I’ve ever seen last year with this bad boy. I still feel bad for Brandon Knight 🙁 Deandre Jordan earned this t-shirt. That elevation, that dunk, that swag, and that face… Ugh. Filthy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_rKW3HL9GE
The talking heads in this year’s postseason have been insufferable. I usually enjoy listening to the insane level of over-analysis that is sports talk before a big-time NFL weekend. But even I had to take a break.
The most infuriating “debate” that raged this week was about just how crucial the Pats-Broncos game would be for Manning and Brady’s respective legacies.
Lets start with Manning. Peyton Manning set a single-season record for TD’s and passing yards this year, which only reinforced the fact that he is the greatest regular-season quarterback in the history of professional football. Going to the Super Bowl doesn’t mean anything. I think beating Brady and the Wilfork/Gronk-less Patriots at home means nothing for his legacy. Losing also means nothing. The same people who criticize Peyton will just have one more bullet point to support their argument. Short of throwing 3+ INT’s in a Mile-High Meltdown, I just don’t see the importance.
Now Brady. Look, I’m a Giants fan. I hate the Patriots. But the “New England hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Belichick stopped cheating” thing is so tired. If you think Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ dynasty was built on being good at stealing plays and not just being really good at playing brilliant football, you’re an idiot. This team has been decimated. I knew they’d snag a playoff spot because their division is awful, but getting the two-seed and making it to the AFC Championship is a successful season with this bunch.
Oh! And by the way. If you ask Tom or Peyton about the Brady-Manning rivalry, they both just kind of just say, “Hey, I really respect the guy and what he’s done throughout his career, but yea I’d like to win.” That’s not a rivalry.
So lets all just sit down, shut up, and hope this isn’t the last time we get to see the two greatest quarterbacks of the past two decades go toe-to-toe.
Yup. So clearly I’m not the only one who thinks Brenkus wastes air time and, just, air in general over there at ESPN.
P.S. Last week, I accidentally saw Brenkus on SC in the gym (I would NEVER willingly watch SportScience) and he tried to make a case that Century Link Field is somehow louder a bolt of lighting. Let that simmer…
Two things strike me here.
First, we had a Dallas Cowboys fan claim that Jason Garret is actually worse than Andy Reid. At first, I thought “well maybe he didn’t read my article and see just how bad Andy Reid has been (especially in the playoffs)” But then, being the responsible, high-brow writer that I am, I looked into it…
Yikes. The Jason Garret era has been a tremendous exercise in mediocrity. Its one thing to meltdown in crunchtime, and its another thing to meltdown on your way to what could be crunchtime. And if you watched that Cowboys-Packers game this year, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
The second funny thing about this is that an Eagles fan and a Giants fan came together and agreed on something in football. What is that something? Andy Reid being a bad playoff coach. Let that simmer for a bit…
Oh no! What have I done… My friends read my column about sports betting and now they’re full-blown degenerate gambling addicts!? Dear God…
Its OK. This particular friend of mine was already a degenerate gambler. Thus the reason he’s betting on whether or not a “Seahawks Player will kiss his bicep after he scores a TD in the game” against the 49ers… Who’s even taking these bets? … and where can I place one?
So there’s this guy on UConn named Niels Giffey. He’s typically like the 2nd or 3rd guy off the bench and he’s shooting over 55% from three. Umm… what? So what, his mid-range game isn’t always spot on, but the guy can make it rain from downtown. And, he plays a little defense. UConn lives and dies by the three. So why does this guy only have 40+ 3 pt. attempts and not like, 80+?
Do I come off as such a know it all that people are happy when they know stuff I don’t? Lookin in the mirror and I don’t like it!
Just making fun of Captain Obvious a little bit more. It really doesn’t get old.
Sure enough, Luck’s reckless ways did come back and bite him. Look, I’m not going to make some blanket statement about QB’s starting right away being a bad thing. I think it can absolutely work, we see it all the time. I just think it takes them longer to mature that way and they rarely live up to the expectations we seem to be putting on 21-year old kids right off the bat.
Speaking of which… I haven’t talked about Johnny Football in awhile. The absolute best thing for Manziel is to get drafted by a decent team that doesn’t need him to start right away. Hopefully they have a veteran QB who can mentor him a bit, if he’ll listen and pay attention. Hopefully he’s surrounded by some talent so he doesn’t spend his whole first year on his back. Taking a look at likely suitors by draft order…
1. Houston Texans – 2-14 (.559)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – 4-12 (.504)
4. Cleveland Browns – 4-12 (.516)
5. Oakland Raiders – 4-12 (.523)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 4-12 (.574)
8. Minnesota Vikings – 5-10-1 (.512)
11. Tennessee Titans – 7-9 (.504)
16 or 17. Dallas Cowboys – 8-8 (.484)
18. New York Jets – 8-8 (.488)
20. Arizona Cardinals – 10-5 (.529)
26. Cleveland Browns (via Indianapolis Colts) – 11-5 (.484)
Let me be clear, I’m going on record and saying that unless Manziel tanks in the combine or winds up on TMZ passed out on the street with some stripper after partying too hard with his boy LeBron, there’s not way he makes it past Minnesota. Having said that, the best thing for Manziel is to tank in the combine and get drafted by Arizona as Carson Palmer insurance. Spend a year behind Palmer as the QB controversy quickly erodes what’s left of his career as Manziel learns the position from behind a clipboard, and then start 2015 with that solid defense and Larry Fitzgerald on his last run.
Man. That was a doozy of a tangent I just went on…
Who has two thumbs and doesn’t care about winning? James Dolan. Can’t wait to watch Melo and the Knicks get swept by Miami/Indiana in the first round.
Kind of embarassing how quickly I started to judge Jimbo during the National Championship. But my buddy brings up a good point. How much did ESPN pay Saban to commentate on that game? Not enough. That had to be painful to watch.
Broncos fan celebrating after the Chargers actually almost came back and made a game out of the Divisional Round. The Nancy Kerrigan comment is funny. And I think I’m stealing it and making it into my new verb. But whats really gold here is the visual of Eli Manning doing an Uggs Boots commercial. Let that simmer for a bit…
Thanks for the love, and thanks for reading people. We’ll be doing another fan mail soon enough.
P.S. 2-0 against the spread last week. Only missed one game picking straight up for the entire playoffs.
Thanks Dalton.